i geuss first off i should introduce myself:
James
Dayton, OH
started riding in July 07
2004 GS500F
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c383/Xyloft/Bike002.jpg)
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c383/Xyloft/Bike003.jpg)
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c383/Xyloft/Bike007.jpg)
i bought this 04 with 2300 miles on it, the previous owner did no maintenance. since i've gotten it, i've cleaned /adjusted the chain, changed the spark plugs (explained below) changed the olil/filter, adjusted the clutch cable, and put about 650 miles on it.
i've had a few issues, and want to hear some feedback
the first thing i've noticed is when it is warm out, 80 or higher and i ride for 30 minutes, then park it (motor off) for 5-10 minutes it will knock and stutter a bit when i start it back up. A friend of mine thinks its typically hot start problem on a carbed engine. but i duno, the ping is pretty bad. I sawpped plugs and the old plugs looked perfect. after a few seconds, the ping stops and the motor runs fine.
sometimes when rolling up to a stop sign the bike wont downshift properly. it'll get stuck in 3rd or something. it feels like first, but its not.
today my bike got stuck in third after a right hand turn, i went to downshift, and it wouldn't go, but i wasnt moving fast enough to get into gear... i ended up overreving and slipping the clutch to get to speed.
finally. i adjusted the chian according to the wikki here. and now i have a whining coming from under me. its tied to wheel speed and not engine speed. did i over tighten the chain or rear axel?
thanks for the help. i hope to spend a bit of time here as i become a more experianced rider.
have you checked the oil?
Quote from: frankieG on August 30, 2007, 07:52:55 PM
have you checked the oil?
yup. oils good. i've checked it both on a cold and a warm bike. I changed the oil only as soon as I got the bike, since the oil was almost 2-3 years old. it was pretty dark. after about 200 miles i changed the oil and filter again using 10w40.
if that helps
I used standard castrol oil 10-40 and had shifting problems.I switched to Valvoline 10-40 motorcycle oil and that cleared up my shifting problem.Also check the clutch adjustment.Sounds like it may not be disengauging enough for you to down shift.Had that problem to.If your bike is starting rough,try setting the fuel vavle on PRI(PRIME) and then start it.If it starts easily,you may have a bad fuel valve(petcock is proper name).Also the vacumme line to the fuel valve could be off or leaking causing the hard starting.Check to make sure the the choke butterflies are opening and closing all the way.They should be standing streight out when the choke is off.Hope this helps.Please let us know what you find and what it took to fix it.
Quote from: ben2go on August 30, 2007, 08:22:23 PM
I used standard castrol oil 10-40 and had shifting problems.I switched to Valvoline 10-40 motorcycle oil and that cleared up my shifting problem.Also check the clutch adjustment.Sounds like it may not be disengauging enough for you to down shift.Had that problem to.If your bike is starting rough,try setting the fuel vavle on PRI(PRIME) and then start it.If it starts easily,you may have a bad fuel valve(petcock is proper name).Also the vacumme line to the fuel valve could be off or leaking causing the hard starting.Check to make sure the the choke butterflies are opening and closing all the way.They should be standing streight out when the choke is off.Hope this helps.Please let us know what you find and what it took to fix it.
good stuff right there. so penzoil 10w40 could be the culprit? should i swap to Mobile1?
the bike starts fine cold, which is weird, though if i dont' let it completely warm up it'll stutter a bit but it wont knock/ping. this is my first carbed vehicle...so yeah. how long do you guys let your bikes warm up?
I think i figured out the whine...stupid noob mistake. i re-read the how to and realised i had the bike on the center stand when i did the chain,i just measued it and i only had about .6-.7 in of slack in the chain. I just fixed that and set it to 1in.
i also gave the clutch cable another adjusting. to make sure i'm doing that right:
on the handle bar release the lock screw, and turn the cable bolt left until its at the correct amount of play. on the tranny: undo teh lock nut, then turn the cable bolt to the left until the play is adjusted?
when you checked the oil... sidestand, or centerstand?
Quote from: Xyloft on August 30, 2007, 08:49:02 PM
Quote from: ben2go on August 30, 2007, 08:22:23 PM
I used standard castrol oil 10-40 and had shifting problems.I switched to Valvoline 10-40 motorcycle oil and that cleared up my shifting problem.Also check the clutch adjustment.Sounds like it may not be disengauging enough for you to down shift.Had that problem to.If your bike is starting rough,try setting the fuel vavle on PRI(PRIME) and then start it.If it starts easily,you may have a bad fuel valve(petcock is proper name).Also the vacumme line to the fuel valve could be off or leaking causing the hard starting.Check to make sure the the choke butterflies are opening and closing all the way.They should be standing streight out when the choke is off.Hope this helps.Please let us know what you find and what it took to fix it.
good stuff right there. so penzoil 10w40 could be the culprit? should i swap to Mobile1?
the bike starts fine cold, which is weird, though if i dont' let it completely warm up it'll stutter a bit but it wont knock/ping. this is my first carbed vehicle...so yeah. how long do you guys let your bikes warm up?
I think i figured out the whine...stupid noob mistake. i re-read the how to and realised i had the bike on the center stand when i did the chain,i just measued it and i only had about .6-.7 in of slack in the chain. I just fixed that and set it to 1in.
i also gave the clutch cable another adjusting. to make sure i'm doing that right:
on the handle bar release the lock screw, and turn the cable bolt left until its at the correct amount of play. on the tranny: undo teh lock nut, then turn the cable bolt to the left until the play is adjusted?
Check your oil on the center stand as level as possible.The cap only needs to set on the case to check the oil level.NEVER screw it in and check it.Your oil level will be low.
Here is a link that should help clear up the oil question. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=35848.0
I give my bike a couple minutes.I usually start it up and put my gear on while it runs.I live in South Carolina and have used my choke only a couple times.
that's the way I adjusted my clutch.unsure if it's right but it worked for me.
I would check and close the gap slightly on the spark plugs.That may help the ping.Also check and adjust your valves.Here's a link to a how to video.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2015554469142545363
A good idea to check the valves. Even with the low miles, they could be out....if they were ever in spec from the factory. There is also common problem cam shaft play in the 04. Plenty of threads on it, lack of washers I think.
Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on August 30, 2007, 09:45:12 PM
when you checked the oil... sidestand, or centerstand?
on level ground, my holding the bike upright. i pull the dipstick,whipe it off, then push it down until i feel threads. i don't rotate it though. pull it up and check.
excelent video on valve adjustment.
just got back from a test ride with the slacker chain and tighter clutch cable. it feels alot better, though the downshift problem was intermittent. the whine is a lot quieter now. if i wasn't listening for it, i dont think i would hear it. not like before where it was pretty loud.
so is it typical to adjust the clutch cable every 500 miles? I guess i could check the manual.
When you have that shifting problem. Let the clutch "pop" out a little bit and it should shift. I have that problem with mine when i know im not in first but it wont go down any further. Just pop the clutch to a point where you think it would grab and it should shift down
A fellow rider told me to "preload" the shifter before I pulled in the clutch for easy shifting....works like a charm...might wanna try that as well.
DLW
I use castrol 10w40 since 'new' and 16,000 miles of smooth shifting/running aside from assorted carburator and petcock stuff. (Normal)
Let's assume your oil level was too HIGH, and the oil grade/maker had nothing to do with it. When you changed your oil, you added less than there was befor, making shifting proper again. Overfilled oil will make your bike shift like a brick, if at all.
If the PO never serviced the bike, I'd say your chain was well worn, and that when you serviced it either:
a) you over-tightened it
b) the rear wheel (and subsequent sprocket) is our of align
c) both, and the chain is dry
as far as the pinging on startup, I could only guess your timing is the problem. sorry, can't help much with that really.
could you explain "preload" the clutch? is that when you put a slight bit of presure on the shifter before pulling in the clutch?
Just wanted to say thanks for the thorugh and accurate responses. after tightening the clutch cable quite a bit, i think that may have been my problem with shifting. i've put about 80 miles on it so far and its fine. while i was at it i also adjusted the throttle cable as it was super lose. I'm slowly but surely getting this bike back into spec.
Unless the ping gets worse, i'll probably tackle the valve adjustment at the end of the season.
Quote from: Xyloft on September 03, 2007, 12:03:54 PM
could you explain "preload" the clutch? is that when you put a slight bit of presure on the shifter before pulling in the clutch?
exactly :thumb: