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GS850G project

Downs

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Joined
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Messages
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Location
HUNT COUNTY
First Name
Joshua
So I'm a member on a local motorcycle facebook group. The vast majority of the group are sportbike and cruiser riders, but there's a few of us on different stuff. A guy recently posted up that he had two bikes he wanted to get rid of for 500 dollars for the set. I really don't have room for 2 more bikes in my shop right now and didn't need to spend 500 dollars either but 250 I could. I found someone who was interested in going in halves with me. He wanted the CB I wanted the GS. Worked out well :rider:

The two bikes were a 1978 CB750 and the other is a 82 GS850G, well maybe, all he has is action sale paperwork, no title (the Honda has a title), the build date on the vin tag for the GS850 shows October 1981. I was expecting to find complete basket cases but they both appear to be nearly completely intact. The 850 is for sure missing one side cover and the seat pan has obviously seen better days. The tank is also quite rusty so that will need to be dealt with and I'm sure the carbs are full of varnish and gunk. But I couldn't turn it down for 250 dollars. The 750 looks like it might be in slightly better shape other than the very rusted head pipes. I turned the motor over with the kick starter and it turned fine and seemed to have good compression. I wasn't able to turn the GS over since I forgot my extra battery at the house, so for all I know it could be locked up.

The 850

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The Honda

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The Honda is faster, it goes 130 mph, The Suzuki tops out at 85 mph, LOL

I hated that speedo, I bought a '79 GS750EN brand new. First year for 85 mph speedo and last year with a kick starter. I miss that bike, kept it for 20 years and was my sole transportation for many years.
 
Downs I have what I remember to be a GS750 Suzuki if you need parts. Think it was a L model.
 
Maybe. just got it in the garage today. Teardown starts in a week or two. Looks like most of it is going to be cleaning. Then gas tank rust and a full carb cleaning.
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Something has been gnawing on it. Same for some of the wiring as well. :/

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The ones I've seen on the gs resources forum go for 75-100. They apparently aren't super desirable. If the bike is salvageable I'm keeping it on there

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It's good that the price was so low. That's what barn finds should go for if there is any chance of getting them on the road again. It takes a lot of time and money for tires, chains, carb kits and I see too many bikes with a starting point too high to get it done. Those bikes just get parted out.

I love old bikes but feared the 4 carb setups. Wish you the best with the GS rebuild as they are around the world bikes.
 
I think my two biggest mechanical hurdles assuming I've got good compression, is going to be the carbs and rusty gas tank. Once I know it runs and goes finding some of the plastic pieces is going to be a chore. The rear cowling is busted from the tabsip front and its missing one side cover.

Not sure how I'm going to do up the tank. I've found everything from use washers and a gallon of wd40 to the por15 kit to filling the tank with metal rescue rust remover. But st 25 dollars a gallon that would get pricey.

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Had a VTX with similar tank issues.

I used Dawn and hot water with a scrubby brush to get as much crud out as I could.
Soaked and rinsed for days using MEK from home depot.
More dawn and scrubbing and more MEK
It didn't get it spotless, but got it cleaned up.
A sonic cleaner will fix up the carbs and petcock.

I would also replace the carb boots. Even when a couple years old, heat cycles made them crack.

Typically a lot of bits and pieces can be had on eBay. I've replaced many non-original parts on my Honda doing just that.

also, there is a member on ADVRider that goes by sparklingdogg that has a salvage business and is very reasonable. He's a carb guy. Look in the Old's Cool section under Bikes.
 
Those old Windjammers were great. But they look so strange now just because of their sheer size. Still, like you, I'd leave it on; it's a period piece. I had one on the CB650 I bought 10 years ago to get back into riding.
 
Any suggestions on a sonic cleaner large en oui gh for a rack of carbs?

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Either that or I'm going to send them to Weird George down in the hill country. He redid the carbs on my GS1000 after I had struggled with them for so long and even today more than a decade later they're great

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*sigh* I guess if you need space, I can take care of Q for you. ;-)
 
I rearranged bit and didn't have to put the mower out in the outside shed. I can still fit another bike in there if I can sneak it by Rachel lol.
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I rearranged bit and didn't have to put the mower out in the outside shed. I can still fit another bike in there if I can sneak it by Rachel lol.

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:rofl::rofl::rofl:

(Logic argument: Need one bike for each family member + spare for when one isn't running)
 
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also soaking the carbs in 50% pine sol and 50% water over night will make a difference but take of the rubber slider things in it. you would fill a container with the cleaning liquid and submerge the carb bank. May be simple green works too?
 
you take of the fuel bowls all the needles and fuel screws, the rubber slider covers on top and soak all that too.
 
Work has begun. Removed the tank front fender and windjammer. Washing all the parts as they come off. Most look in good shape integrity wise but the tank and fender are going to need new paint. The tail fairing has broken off at the forward tabs but I've seen a few on Ebay. I'll need a left hand frame cover as well which I've also seen on Ebay.

I did hook a battery up and the bike cranks and sounds like it has good compression but my compression tester is currently MIA.

Can't wait to keep going on it :)

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And you have the good help on hand to speed progress. Maybe she knows where that compression meter is. [emoji23]
 
Got the new battery in from Amazon and got it on maintenance mode now after the initial charge. And put 5 and a half gallons of vinegar into the fuel tank to hopefully clean up some of the rust.

Zippo has a dog agility thing this weekend so I'll be on kid dooty and don't forsee getting anything done on the bike this weekend. I would like to get the carbs off at the very least.
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