may as well make an official thread for my bike.....and it's problems....
some of you might recall my post about my battery trouble. well I picked up the new battery today, installed it as soon as i got home, started right up, idled great. so then i got ready to go for a ride and 2 minutes later the thing started bogging down. anytime i opened the throttle or began releasing the clutch it acted like it was going to die, and after a minute of that (no matter what i did) it would die. I could shut it off for a few minutes and then start it back up and it would run fine for a couple minutes and then do the same thing. the battery defintaly was a problem because now it fires right up, but now its something else. and this is just recently because i've had the bike over a month now and before this it ran great. i'm definatly a noob at motorcycle mechanics so any help would be appreciated
have you tried to run it on any other settings on the petcock other then on position? just to see if that makes a difference
Quote from: joshr08 on January 24, 2009, 09:16:06 AM
have you tried to run it on any other settings on the petcock other then on position? just to see if that makes a difference
+1
and check your tank overflow line
and your carbs overflow line
how's it rev ? fast up through rpm's, hangs a little, then slowly back down to idle ?
give us some very specific information about how it's idling/running and someone will diagnose in two shakes :)
Just to emphasize how I must be the epitome of noob....
So I switched petcock to reserve, test rode it, seemed fine so I rode to gas station and topped off, switched petcock back to on, and wouldn't you know it, I rode to my wifes work about 9 miles away without any trouble. I guess it's been a little longer than I thought since I last got gas, I've oh had the bike about a month ago so I'm still learning how it rides and all.
I'm just glad it was that and not a big, expensive, complicated problem (knock on wood)
Thanks for the help guys, id be lost without this forum lol
i find it very helpful to make it a habit of reseting the tripometer at every fillup and i always fill completely not just a buck here or there. that way i always know when i need a fill up. I know with my bike before gear change its always 190-200 before i hit reserve. so when i get close to that im always lookin for a gas station that way im not on reserve looking for one. but the tripometer is a big help to me and im sure it is to alot of other people aswell. But for future referance when ever having problems with the bike if it was fine the ride before alway check fuel spark air then go from there. The gs motor is as simple and basic as you can get in a street bike and if you have fuel spark and air coming into the motor it should run.
thanks man. yeah i reset the trip after i got gas. which made me think, whats the best octane to throw in the GS?
I should rename this post to "I'm an idiot" lol
i run 87 and im sure everyone else does too but im not sure. the gs is not a high performance motor and doesnt need anything with high octane
gotcha
yeah dont worry about it im sure the no gas thing happens to everyone at one time or another, and it is harder on the gs without having a gas gauge. maybe someday suzuki will get with it and upgrade the rear tire size and gauge cluster to a digital gauge cluster with a fuel level in it.
I had the same thing happen to me I reversed the lines when putting the bike back together after painting it and crossed the lines and when I started to get cold and rain I put the lines back on correctly and the bike sat for a good 2 month in those months I rebuilt the carbs changed the exhaust and fixed a no start now come time to do a lil test ride it bogged like crazy and died a few tinmes so I looked in the tank and I was about a 1/4 inch from the bottom so I filled her up and whala all better minus the short in the electrical but I fixed that also. So ride on and have fun
Running out of gas is how I crushed my ankle :icon_exclaim: Betcha wonder how that kinda happened right?
I was in the hospital for a month and a half and well some nice person reset my trip meter didn't know how much was in. Well, I also didn't realize it was also already on reserve. Thought for sure I could make it three miles to the gas station! Lucky me runs out at the red light of the gas station a left turn on a busy street. Sooo, my thought was I'll hop of and use the momentum and push. BAD IDEA! when I came off the pavement was uneven lost my balance and my right ankle got caught under the left side of the bike. When I stood up was already black and blue. A few good samarating stopped and one was a motorcyclist he picked up my bike got it off to the side of the road took me to the gas station bought a gas can filled it up and took me to my back to my bike! Guy wouldn't even let me pay for it!
So we all have our idiotic moments. I swear that my pride was hurt more than my ankle six weeks on crutches changed that.
Mary
wow i dont feel so bad anymore
I had similar issues with mine at first and now I run it with the fuel tap on RES all the time, and it is great. Just got to watch the tripmeter more closely, but I haven't run out of gas and been stranded yet. I suppose I could try to replace the 20 year old diaphragms and gas lines to cure it and get it to run and rev out when set to ON, but I can't be bothered. I figured if I was not smart enough to watch a trip meter for my gas usage (which is how I started riding in 1978 before gas gauges were common), I shouldn't be out on a bike anyway.
I've got another one for you guys, i can't lock my bike (as in turning the ignition to the "lock" position). I know to have the bars turned completely but the key won't turn to "lock" for anything (and I am pushing down as I'm doing this). I've tried wiggling the key and the bars and the bike and pushing the key till it feels like the key is about to break lol but it won't budge.
btw it's been like this since I bought it
Do you have aftermarket bars or clipons on your bike?
dang i knew id forget a couple things:
(to my knowledge) completely stock '93 GS500E
Quote from: Canonball on January 25, 2009, 09:44:38 PM
I've got another one for you guys, i can't lock my bike (as in turning the ignition to the "lock" position). I know to have the bars turned completely but the key won't turn to "lock" for anything (and I am pushing down as I'm doing this). I've tried wiggling the key and the bars and the bike and pushing the key till it feels like the key is about to break lol but it won't budge.
btw it's been like this since I bought it
My bike is the same way... The steering stop on my bike is long gone, which I think is the root cause... I didn't even know what the steering stop looked like until I picked up a second GS as a project bike... Can you turn your handlebars really really far in either direction until stuff hits the tank? If so, you have the exact same problem I do...
QuoteCan you turn your handlebars really really far in either direction until stuff hits the tank? If so, you have the exact same problem I do...
nah, the bars stop before anything comes close to hitting the tank.