It is that time of year again.....

[dafatrman]

Ahhh, winter time.....  The smell of wood smoke on the frosty air, the calm greyness of the sky, the sound of my POS GS slowly turning over and over and over and over and over, and then that magical feeling I get when the starter solenoid begins to click like a wind up car when you back it up too far.....  God, I miss my Hondas.  They never gave me a fuss.  EVER.  But this little 1990 GS500 hates the cold.  I gotta push start it everwhere I go.  It is bad enough it looks so crappy, but now I must embarass my self further by pushing it the best I can while sitting on it (I look like a dog with worms scooting his ass across the floor) and then popping it into 2nd and riding the slide it induced.  Then I usually beg someone to give me a push.  At least it sounds like a man's bike with that Vance and Hines Supersport exhaust.....

[gregvhen]

why dont you run next to it instead of sitting on it and jump on when it starts up.

[tt_four]

Texas huh? What's your interpretation of 'cold'?

I drained all the gas out of my tank and pulled the carbs this morning. So starts the winter project.

[dohabee]

cold in Texas is anything below 60.

It is supposed to be 55 here tomorrow, that is cold.

[gregvhen]

HAHHAHA!!!!! Come to st. louis. It was 18* yesterday, about 50 this afternoon, and started snowing with about 25* around 8 o clock HAHAHA anytihng below 60

[GeeP]

HAHHAHA!!!!! Come to st. louis. It was 18* yesterday, about 50 this afternoon, and started snowing with about 25* around 8 o clock HAHAHA anytihng below 60

Hmm.  No snow here yet... 

(Not far from STL)

Heated gear is your friend.  I ride year-round. 

The SV starts MUCH easier than the GS when it's cold.  Poor GS, I've barely ridden it all year. 

[dafatrman]

It has been freezing or below lately, and I can't run beside it because of my knees.  One has a screw in it, and the other has a ton of torn cartilage.  I, too ride all year long.  I dunno.....  If I had the cash to fix my CB-F's I'd do it.  This GS will eventually be my first track bike.

[007brendan]

For real, I've easily started my honda in freezing or below temperatures, granted, it's only a 250.  But I gave up riding my GS in the winter once it got below 60, too much of a pain.  Never tried push-starting it though.

[The Buddha]

What ... you guys never thought of ... I dunno ... fixing the bike ?

No reason why a honda would run and a suzuki wont ... contrary to popular belief ... they all use the same parts made by same companies. Mikuni and keihein carbs went on all 4 jap bikes and on most others in the world, starters alternators, regulators, coils etc etc were all made by 2-3 different firms that supplied to all of them. Like for example, shindengen starters, mitsubishi alternators, hitachi and others ... same sheite.

No reason your honda works and suzuki doesn't ... that is either operator error or mechanics error.

Cool.
Buddha.

[cundalini]

I bought my 1991 GS500e for the purpose of riding through the winter, cause I don't want my VFR getting all wet ( custom seat and all that. ). It is about 40 degrees in the morning and about that at nights ( those are the times I start it going from and to work ).
The starter turns slow, but I got a weak battery ( got to fix that before I let my wife have the bike ).
No problems starting tho, but I do let it warm up for at least 15 minutes, sometimes 20 before riding.... cause of the cold blood these bikes have.
Choke, full. Push button. Bike starts. Slow rev a few times, and put choke at 1/2.
Get in shower, get dressed. LOL. Check email. Check forum(s). Get on warmed up bike and ride 7 minutes to work.
Rinse. Repeat.
I got 100 to a tank before ( I dont know if thats good or bad, will search forum ) now that I must warm it up, I get 75 to tank before reserve. LOL.
Cheers.

[dafatrman]

Well, Buddha, my '76 750F was well maintained, but my '81 900F wasn't.  It needed EVERYTHING done to it and blew oil smoke all the time.  The battery was old as hell, too, but in low 20's Farenheit it would start like it was new.  All you had to do was pull the choke cable full out, and hit the button, and after 1 .5 to 2.5 secconds of turning over it was running and idling steadily.  AND my friend Daniel bought a new '07 GS500F in 2007 that did the same thing.  Slow turning till it just ran out of juice.  He and I both bought trickle chargers that winter, charging them during the night in our garages, which worked awesome till sundown.  Then the same ole' problem.....  I think it is just the way GS500's are.  I no longer live where a garage is available, so.....

[Archangel1183]

I'm glad I live in socal. My bike always turned on great (No choke needed) with the bigger jets. Now that I installed the K&N drop in filter, it doesn't turn on as easily without using the choke.

[BaltimoreGS]

Well, Buddha, my '76 750F was well maintained, but my '81 900F wasn't.  It needed EVERYTHING done to it and blew oil smoke all the time.  The battery was old as hell, too, but in low 20's Farenheit it would start like it was new.  All you had to do was pull the choke cable full out, and hit the button, and after 1 .5 to 2.5 secconds of turning over it was running and idling steadily.  AND my friend Daniel bought a new '07 GS500F in 2007 that did the same thing.  Slow turning till it just ran out of juice.  He and I both bought trickle chargers that winter, charging them during the night in our garages, which worked awesome till sundown.  Then the same ole' problem.....  I think it is just the way GS500's are.  I no longer live where a garage is available, so.....

I agree, some bikes are just shite.  I've owned 2 Yamaha Enduro bikes (TTR250 & XT225) both bought brand new and neither one would start when the temperature dropped below 50 degrees.

-Jessie

[johnny ro]

my 04 starts in 1/2 second with full choke in 40 degree garage. Used to crank for 1-2 seconds then slowly clear its throat prior to Mr. Budda jet kit. Now it jumps to life right away and it also has no lag off idle which is why I wanted the jets. It revs right up with no split second "gasp stumble then go" when warm.

Now it almost feels like my rejetted 2001 SV650s which I sold like a dope. Couldnt get comfortable on that and kept going 90 in a 30 in third gear. GS has less power but similar "Wants to run" very unlike my rejetted EX250 which sounds like its gonna throw a rod every time I start it (perfectly normal).

I think you need starter - battery attention, and jets and carb overhaul.

[dafatrman]

Or a new bike.....  This thing is 20 years old and has ~44,000 miles on it.  TIRED!!!

[BaltimoreGS]

unlike my rejetted EX250 which sounds like its gonna throw a rod every time I start it (perfectly normal).

Glad to hear someone say that.  I passed up buying one of those a few years ago because of the noise it made when it started. The owner said that was normal, I guess he wasn't BS-ing me   

-Jessie

[tt_four]

Choke, full. Push button. Bike starts. Slow rev a few times, and put choke at 1/2.
Get in shower, get dressed. LOL. Check email. Check forum(s). Get on warmed up bike and ride 7 minutes to work.
Rinse. Repeat.

I miss living in the suburbs for bike warmups. I don't trust it to start my bike and leave it any longer than it takes to run 5 feet in the door to grab a helmet. Usually only ran back inside in winter, otherwise I felt bad leaving it idle too long as it had a D&D and wasn't the quietest thing around. The GS isn't quiet either, but without a temp gauge, I don't feel the need to sit there staring at it until it hits the perfect temperature. I just take it easy until I feel like it's properly warmed.

I don't remember what kind of noises my ex250 made. I bought it after having a 1983 xt550, so I'm sure anything sounded nice compared to that thing. That ex was a super fun bike though.

[The Buddha]

unlike my rejetted EX250 which sounds like its gonna throw a rod every time I start it (perfectly normal).

Glad to hear someone say that.  I passed up buying one of those a few years ago because of the noise it made when it started. The owner said that was normal, I guess he wasn't BS-ing me   

-Jessie

Oh, yea for that hting throwing a rod is normal ... not just sounding like that ... 

Cool.
Buddha.

[gregvhen]

what gear do you put it in when you pop-start?

[dafatrman]

Second gear.  First ALWAYS induces a slide.  I learned that from my 1982 Yamaha XJ550J Maxim (PIECE OF SH!T!!!).  First bike.....