Hello and help!

[Black Sunshine]

Hi people!

I have recently bought a 99 GS in gold (bling!) with 36k miles on the clock. I'm in the UK and the bike licence I have means it has to be restricted to 33bhp. Rode it for a few weeks without and loved it! Really fun bike, just starting to gain some confidence on the corners with it now really. Was pretty cheap too, picked it up for £500, so far spent £30 on small odds and ends that needed replacing to get it nearly perfect  .


The help part-
When I took it to be restricted yesterday the mechanic had to put fuel in because it was literally running on what was left in the carbs. I thought it was running on main! When I was doing some tinkering with me dad I think he must of put the fuel lines on the wrong way...... Got it restricted and had some new spark plugs put in. Rode away to the gym, and it was like riding a 125 again  . Set the idle when it was warmed up at the gym, after the gym, it took ages to get it started. When it did start any more than a tiny touch of the throttle killed it completely. Ended up having to raise the idle to max and get home just on that. This morning I took the carbs off to take the restriction washers out, recconnected everything and it is still doing it, made no difference. The only thing I can think of is that the main jet might be blocked somehow? Thats the best guess I've got.

Any ideas? And how to go about repairing it?

[scratch]

Welcome!

Make sure none of the hoses are pinched between the tank and frame, and/or airbox.  Almost sounds like the carbs aren't seated all the way, or the little o-rings under the caps are gone.
Also, make sure the vacuum line is connected on the inside(right-side spigot) of the left carburetor, and that it's not split or cracking anywhere.

There's a diagram of how the hoses are to be routed in the FAQ on the main forums page.

[Jay_wolf]

500 pounds is very cheap for a 99, maybe thats why ?

Welcome , im in the uk as well , 

[scottpA_GS]

I took the carbs off to take the restriction washers out,
Any ideas? And how to go about repairing it?

I thought the restrictor went on the exhaust?

[Jay_wolf]

 Nope  , ive seen these kits on ebay , there two rubber thingys that go over the carbs to restrict ,

they can be taken out very easyly

[Black Sunshine]

I'm pretty sure the lines are ok and all connected, as it will tick over happily all day long, and it ran fine for a while! Will check it out though, if its something stupid like that I'll be kicking myself when I mess up stripping the carbs!

Its an ex school bike, if I had more money I would of spent it! Cosmetically its not very nice to look at currently, but all the expensive bits that matter run smooth. Just got new brake and clutch levers in the post, gonna keep it running nice, I intend to have it for a long time!

The restriction washers pop straight in between the carb and engine. They charge a ridiculous amount of money just for these- £155 fitted was the cheapest I could get it  . Its only for the paperwork really though.

[sledge]

Black rain?
You do realise that riding your bike without the restrictor kit fitted is ileagal, and that if you have an accident your insurance will be invalid and that if the Police have reason to suspect there is no restrictor fitted to your bike they can impound it, have it examined by VOSA and then prosecute you?.......dont do it mate, not worth the risk.

Those inlet restrictors are intended to be fitted to full power bikes to bring the power down, some bikes were available at 33hp straight from the factory specificaly for learners and given yours was an ex learner school bike this is a strong possibility. They did it by altering carb jetting and restricting slider travel. Check your V5C registration document, section 4 P.2 Max, net power (Kw) if it says 24 it was restricted from new and registered with the DVLA as having a reduced power output. If this is the case you dont need to fit any restrictor kit to take it on the road as a learner, but you will need to alter the jetting and replace the sliders to get it back up to full chat.
Plenty of people in the UK have bought secondhand GS5s and not even known they were factory-restricted.

http://www.suzukiownersclub.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29460&PN=14

[ohgood]

Black rain?
You do realise that riding your bike without the restrictor kit fitted is ileagal, and that if you have an accident your insurance will be invalid and that if the Police have reason to suspect there is no restrictor fitted to your bike they can impound it, have it examined by VOSA and then prosecute you?.......dont do it mate, not worth the risk.

Those inlet restrictors are intended to be fitted to full power bikes to bring the power down, some bikes were available at 33hp straight from the factory specificaly for learners and given yours was an ex learner school bike this is a strong possibility. They did it by altering carb jetting and restricting slider travel. Check your V5C registration document, section 4 P.2 Max, net power (Kw) if it says 24 it was restricted from new and registered with the DVLA as having a reduced power output. If this is the case you dont need to fit any restrictor kit to take it on the road as a learner, but you will need to alter the jetting and replace the sliders to get it back up to full chat.
Plenty of people in the UK have bought secondhand GS5s and not even known they were factory-restricted.

http://www.suzukiownersclub.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29460&PN=14

Excellent info BUMP.

[Black Sunshine]

I appreciate I'm taking a risk, just my choice tbh. If the worst comes to worst, I've done the crime and I should do the time, I accept that. Its not restricted, it was a DAS learner bike, 500cc unrestricted they learn and do their test on. Also I have yet to find in any of my insurance documents where it says that the cover will be invalid if it is not restricted. I'm insured on the full power..

Anyways, I managed to sort the problem. Couldnt get into the carbs as the bolts are pretty damn seized, so flushed them through a fair few times. Had some nice sludge come out after a while. Connected the fuel lines up the right way round this time and she started up lovely.

Next job- get a garage to open the carbs up so I can clean them out properly, clean the fuel tank out, consider replacing fuel lines.

[sledge]

Black Rain?
I have to say thats not a very responsible attidue and I dont condone it, you are knowingly breaking the law and putting others on the road at risk. There is never an excuse for that.

Your new to biking, so take a friendly tip from a guy who has been at it 25+years......For insurance to be valid on a bike you have to hold a relevent licence for that bike, your current license allows you to ride bikes UP TO 33hp, the bike you are riding is OVER 33hp...... By not having a full license you are not complying with the terms of the policy. Look again at the paperwork, somewhere it will say something like  " Assuming the policyholder meets relevent licensing requirements for the insured vehicle" Thats how it is written on my bike policy.

I hope you wise up and dont have to find out the hard way. Fortunately Plymouth is a long way from me and the possibilty of you running into a member of my family or a friend or my car or my house/garden is very very remote.

[Jay_wolf]

I do agree with Sledge on this one . people seem to think they can handle it , on this forum , 125ccsportbikes, there was a thread on there saying , how legal is your bike , and its a bunch of 19/20 year olds on GSXR's and r1's , Boasting the fact they arnt restricted , with the GS your cutting maybe 9 bhp, there on the other hand , not cutting 80 bhp , its silly , ride to ur ability , not what you think you can do

[Black Sunshine]

It might not be a responsible attitude, but I dont ride irresponsibly and I would never put anyone other than myself at risk, which is what matters at the end of the day surely? I'm not someone who's going to go and jump on a R1 etc straight from a 125, I know it aint smart at all, which is why I chose the GS. I'm not going to try and excuse what I'm doing, because there isnt an excuse other than I want to, simple as that.

[Jay_wolf]

I just looked at my V5 , and it doesnt say the max power on it , just left blank...Odd

[Black Sunshine]

Same here man.

Already thinking about a modification. My friend has a bikini fairing on his GS850 that I might buy from him, I'm not so keen on the single huge front lamp! And a nice fairing for the longer runs will be nice.

[sledge]

So you wouldnt put anyone else at risk eh? Taking the bike out on the road with no insurance IS putting everyone else at risk! Who is gonna pay if you damage property, or injure or even kill someone while on your bike? Have you thought about that one?

Its people like you who think they know better and knowingly flount the law that give people like me and motorcycling in general such a bad name and contribute to the negative image that motorcycling has in this country.

You are a nieve, immature and irresponsible idiot......end of story!