Bongo_H

Assuming it has Mikuni CV-carbs: If the bike SAT for any significant length of time (years) make sure the "enrichment circuit" passages in the bottom of all carbs are clear. I have a GS1150 that sat for 30 years and had similar issues with starting, but ran "OK", once it was running. After dismantling and cleaning the carbs multiple times, I discovered the enrichment-circuit ("choke / cold-start") passages were blocked. - the tiny brass tube that protrudes into in the float bowl chamber is part of this circuit: Need a TINY, stiff wire to clean this out. -- And this brass tube goes into...: - A small passage in the BODY of the float-bowl. This passage often has a sharp, right-angle cross-drilled passage that is a bugger to clean. I believe this 'enrichment circuit' also comes into play when the CHOKE is OFF, for normal running Getting this circuit cleared on my old bike made ALL the difference for starting the smooth running after running. And as mentioned above, the 750cc carbs may not be up to the task of feeding the 850cc cylinders with a rich-enough mix. What COLOR are you getting on the plugs?? Larger pilots and/or main-jets may help, but the main air-bore of the carbs may not be large enough to flow enough air. The 750 and 850 engines MAY (or may-not) have used the same bore carbs. I don't know...

An update on the replacement rear mono-shock for my 1984 Suzuki GS1150EF: (a lengthy post, but hopefully will be helpful to others) I contacted Hagon directly, as suggested here - The new shock arrived within 4 days of payment! (from UK to Canada) - The new shock has been installed and seems to work well. No more POGO-ING over large bumps, and no-more (scary) 'side-hopping' when I encounter bumps, while leaned-over on corners! Compared to NEW sport bikes, this old (beastie) girl is still a bit of a HEAVY, wallowing-pig. Not what you'd call nimble, even with the 16" OEM front wheel Suzuki installed in an attempt help with this aspect. But better now with the new rear shock and completely rebuilt front-forks. But not bad at all for the vintage of the bike. (1984) New/Replacement Shock info for reference in case anyone needs it in future: The correct HAGON shock for an 84-86 SuzukiGS1150 (GSX1100 in many countries) == M63087 The replacement shock has been installed and seems to work well. Cost in September 2021 was: $475.0 CDN + $125.00 CDN for shipping + $65 CDN for import duties The unit cost was quite reasonable, (IMO) for the quality of the unit. The shipping cost was a little high, but well worth-it for the speed of build + delivery from the UK to Canada. Pros: - The folks at Hagon were fantastic. Polite, helpful, and knowledgeable. They took the time to help find/confirm the correct part for a fairly uncommon vintage motorcycle. Unlike everyone else I contacted. - The replacement shock was built & delivered from the UK to Canada within 4 business days from the date of payment! Awesome! - The shock was a direct 'bolt-on' fit for my 1984 Suzuki GS1150EF - Hagon have greatly simplified the 'bearings' at the pivot-point/eyes on each end of the new mono-shock, eliminating the extra 4 rubber dust-seals and 4 retaining collars which were a PITA during installation of the OEM shock unit. - The DESIGN of their 'eyes' for mounting is superior (IMO) to the OEM shock. - Over-all quality of the shock design/materials/construction seems quite good from an engineering perspective, especially at this price-point. Cons: - Shipping and duties were semi-expensive, but quite reasonable for the speedy service provided. - I am a *little* concerned about the durability of the pivot-point/bearing/eye-mounts on each end of the shock These 2 points are made from either aluminum, or a quite-soft mild steel/alloy and I am a bit concerned about how they will stand-up to the pounding they will take under normal use. Hopefully, the fact that the SIDES of these are "clamped" QUITE TIGHTLY in the frame mounts, means they will not WEAR on the pins/bolts which go through their centers. (From what I can tell, the side-clamping should take the brunt of the strain, virtually eliminating movement/wear on the pins/ID of the "eyes". - This aftermarket shock eliminates the "Remote-Controls" for pre-load and damping that were an integrated part of the OEM shock. - The Pre-load adjustment (performed by turning a collar on the shaft of the shock) is 100% inaccessible once the unit is installed on this bike. This is just the way it is, with the mounting design on this bike. And really, how often do you need to play with the spring pre-load? - The DAMPING adjustment is quite accessible with the unit installed, though a little awkward to reach way down at the bottom of the shock mount. - I was disappointed when they would not sell me "rebuild parts" such as seals, etc. I wanted to pre-order replacement 'wear-items' such as seals, so they could be installed when the originals eventually degrade. My idea to pre-order these wear-item parts was just-in-case, Hagon is no longer in business when that day arrives. Apparently this shock unit *is* rebuildable, but must be returned to Hagon in the UK for any kind of service. Ah, well. Hopefully it will last a long time. Thanks again to everyone for suggestions and help in tracking down a replacement rear mono-shock, when I had almost given up. Cheers, P.S. I also tried to source a new or used OHLINS unit for this motorcycle, with the plan to have a USED unit rebuilt before installation. The correct Ohlins part # for reference is: SU 615 But no luck. Ohlins discontinued this part years ago, and I had zero success tracking down a USED one.

I reached-out to Hagon directly a few days ago and they JUST responded. They are checking to see if they can still build one of these units for me, but THINK that it is possible. Fairly lengthy time-frame for delivery though: 30-60 days to build, then whatever time to ship to Canada from the UK. The only listings for the "correct" unit on Eblag are from Italy, with similar lead times, higher pricing and very expensive shipping costs. I'm hopeful Hagon direct will be able to provide what I need. (The only NA-based Hagon distributor I could find, has not gotten back to me after 4-5 days)

Hey Gentlemen (eddiegsx and Swiss Toni) Can you confirm the Hagon part# that was a 'direct-fitment' on your GS1150/GSX1100 bikes? Was it: M63087 ?? Not yet sure if I can still buy a NEW one of these, but the CDN distributor is checking for me. Do you happen to know if these Hagon units are serviceable/rebuildable? I'm also looking for a used Ohlins "SU 615" that apparently fits this bike. They are no longer available NEW, but a local dealer suggested that if I can find a USED one, they are fully rebuildable, so that may be an option.

Thanks for confirming, eddiegsx and Swiss Toni These Suzuki models *were* somewhat popular here in North America, back in the day, but never sold HUGE numbers, to the best of my knowledge. Good used parts are NOT easy to come-by, from Canada or the US. And except for aging farts like me, we North Americans seem obsessed with the latest and greatest, rather than keeping older/vintage stuff running. I'm not a traveler, but get the impression this is different in Europe and Australia. None of the NA-based companies I've contacted have been able to confirm they can provide a shock for this old bike model. Or more likely were unwilling to commit the time to DIG and confirm fitment details. Over here the OLD stuff running the roads is mostly Harley, Triumph, or even BSA. I truly appreciate your help folks. Unless something better pops up in the next few days, I'll most likely order a Hagon shock from the sole distributor here in Canada. The lengthy delivery should actually be OK, arriving about the time our riding season is over. It was a long haul for the 13 months of my restoration project, since august of 2020. Just got the bike back together & running a few days ago and will ride it (somewhat cautiously) with the leaky shock until weather interferes or the new shock arrives. I should probably post some pics of the resto one of these days. Cosmetically, it turned-out quite well and the engine pulls like a locomotive! I'd say the engine is stronger than when I bought the bike in 1986. I'm quite happy with the results, after it was 'parked' for just over 30 years. This darned-thing fought me every, single step of the way, with seized/broken bolts that had to be drilled and heli-colied, a stripped spark-plug hole, chewed-up splines on the driveshaft, horrible pitting on the valve seats causing compression of 80PSI and hard-to-find parts like a replacement "shoulder-bolt" connecting the rear torque link to the caliper. (just to mention a few) Machinists/Shops here in Canada are NOT interested in "jobber" one-off jobs. Not enough money in it I guess. Cheers,

Appreciate the (direct experience) response. Current problem is that I can't find a "confirmed" bolt-on for this quite-old bike. I can live without the "Remote Controls" for pre-load and damping if I can't rebuild the OEM unit. But the new, aftermarket replacement must be "bolt-on" with no mods required. I *just* heard from a "Hagon" distributor here in Canada, who says they should be able to supply an aftermarket unit. (45-60 days for delivery, though.) Anyone here have 1sr-hand experience with bolting a Hagon aftermarket shock on a vintage bike like this? The Hagon shocks are too pricey to be GUESSING if it will actually fit.

A year ago, I pulled my 84 GS1150 from "storage" after 30 years. Also stored with NO preparation, including leaded fuel in the tank and carbs. Had to replace the bowl gaskets and float seats/needles, but that was it for the carbs, other than cleaning. When CLEANING the carbs, MAKE SURE you clean out the "enrichmentt passage" that runs from the BOTTOM of the float bowl THROUGH the body of the float bowl, to the upper lip of the bowl. If plugged with ancient gas leavings, it will make for hard starting and rough-running. (Assuming this has Mikuni CV carbs like mine) This small passage is quite difficult to clean "manually" because it makes a SQUARE-CORNERED, 90 degree turn, o it's very tough to get a wire through the passage. Ask me how many times I wrestled the carb-bank on and off my bike before I discovered this issue. <sigh> Ultrasonic cleaners: One of these MIGHT have cleared the blockage I finally discovered/cleared, but you need to be cautious about dumping the entire carb into a hot, vibrating pot of carb-cleaner, unless you have replacements for every, single o-ring and other non-hard part in the carbs.

I replaced the fuel tap on my 84 GS1150EF (GSX1100EF) a few months ago, with a reproduction unit made in Taiwan. (purchased on Eblag) The repro unit works perfectly well, but only after I also replaced the 37 year old (factory) vacuum hose that goes from the tap to carb #2 The OEM vacuum hose was not blocked, but I guess it was collapsing under pressure, resulting in no fuel flow. The cheaper, chinese-made fuel tap I tried from Eblag was no-good, and I also tried several 'rebuild kits on the OEM tap, with no success. (leaking after installing the rebuild kits)

Hey Folks, Can anyone offer advice on where I might source a bolt-on replacement rear (mono) shock for my 84 GS1150EF? Or recommend somebody that can rebuild this OEM shock unit? I've just finished a complete rebuild of my 1984 Suzuki GS1150, (1000+ hours work) only to discover the rear shock is leaking oil after the 2nd ride. The bike was parked and untouched for 30 years in an open garage. Suzuki OEM service manual says it is an unserviceable unit. I have no idea if there is corrosion on the hidden part of the inner 'shaft', which would eat-up new seals. And of-course no specs for the amount/grade of OIL to use if it was rebuilt. I do know the "bottom-out 'bumper'" had completely disintegrated and fell-out in pieces when I was cleaning the shock unit. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice! You folks were very helpful when I was looking for a replacement driveshaft for this bike. Cheers

FYI for anyone else looking for Suzuki output shafts, or transmission parts: GS1100, GS1150, GSX1100, GSXR1000, Hayabusa 1300, etc. After following many breadcrumb trails down various rabbit-holes, I found a fantastic company in New York USA, which had the output shaft I needed. www.robinsonindustriesinc.com These folks were amazing to deal with. They manufacture replacement, high performance transmission parts for Suzuki and other major brands of motorcycles. They also do custom machining such as gear (dog) undercutting for drag-bike applications. The part was In-stock and shipped from the USA to Canada VERY quickly. Cost of the new part was reasonable and shipping was also very reasonable. I reached out via email and they promptly called me to confirm details, then shipped the part the same day payment was received. The part has been received and the quality looks great, though I have not (yet) dismantled my gearbox to install the replacement output shaft.

@RustyToe- Thank you for responding and providing a promising lead! @Swiss Toni - I have not gotten into the transmission yet. Just got the frame back from the painter and was not planning to get into the transmission at all, until I went to re-install the engine and discovered the damaged splines on the sprocket shaft. *Everything else* is torn down, except the bottom end, so I figured why not try to find the part... I (just) found a US supplier who CLAIMS the part is "NOT DISCONTINUED" by Suzuki, and therefore "available", so I submitted an order for a new OEM shaft. We'll see in about 10 days, if they can ACTUALLY get one. If not, I'll probably measure my shaft <grin> and get back to you on your kind offer. As for the length difference mentioned by @KATANMANGLER: The exterior part of the shaft has quite a bit of 'extra' length, so depending on where the difference are, the slightly shorter shaft may be workable. When I had no leads on a part, I was actually considering a (custom) spacer behind (a new ) front sprocket to push it out onto the undamaged section of the splines. Of course, that would mean trying to add a spacer(s)s of the same thickness behind the rear sprocket. But trying to add a spacer behind the sprocket on the rear cush-drive hub looks sketchy because the hub where the rear sprocket mounts is tapered. The BOLTs would end up taking the 'lateral' strain, rather than the hub-shoulder. (If that makes sense to anyone but me)

Did you ever find this drive-shaft part? I have the same bike with damaged splines on the output shaft for the front sprocket.