Suzuki GSX 1100 ET/EX

[roofman]

Getting there now. Retorqued and ran through the valve clearances, mis-fire sorted and ran well with no leaks. A quick look at carb balance and it's all good straight off assembly surprisingly. I'll check again once it's had a bit of a run to warm it up under load. Breather top is here, so all I'm waiting on now is a set of case/cover bolts to arrive in the post.

Then I'll be able to get all the bodywork put back on (carefully!) and it can have a run up the road to see if anything creeps out of the woodwork after a long layup.

Looking good regarding the initial carb balance post gauge set-up, i set the built carbs on a bench and have a bit of mirror behind them,then shine a torch through the body's and sight the "slit" of light so there pretty much identical. This then gets the motor running good enough to bang the gauges on them..This is of course if you have fully dismantled the adjusting screws and springs from body to body and taken out the butterflies to re-bush them. look forward to the running video on this bike

 

[Cato]

Looking good regarding the initial carb balance post gauge set-up, i set the built carbs on a bench and have a bit of mirror behind them,then shine a torch through the body's and sight the "slit" of light so there pretty much identical. This then gets the motor running good enough to bang the gauges on them..This is of course if you have fully dismantled the adjusting screws and springs from body to body and taken out the butterflies to re-bush them. look forward to the running video on this bike

I set them up in a similar way before I fitted them, just surprised at how close they were as you normally get some variation and have to balance out the difference for valves/cylinders. I guess the valve work and aftermarket pistons have helped keep everything better matched than mass production tolerances sometimes give.

 

[Cato]

Small steps, but it's getting closer now, motivation picks up once you have a bike off the bench. Although that's tempered by the realisation that shoving a quarter ton motorbike about seems to need more effort than I remember.

 

[Cato]

Well now, it's back on the ground and able to take a few tentative steps outside.

I'll need to get the carbs back off as it's not happy off choke and bogs when you first give it some throttle. Sweet as above 3,000 rpm though so happy with the mechanical side of things.

 

[Greeves246]

If you want a big Suzuki Pip still has this

Bonhams : 1982 Suzuki GS1600EZS ‘The Six’

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[roofman]

Tremendous...will have a bit of muck in the choke plunger circuit, 150psi through it should clear but take off the carb tops 1st as it can split the CV rubbers.

 

[Cato]

I was having a look for a 'before' picture of how it was prior to getting the graphics sorted. This is the last time it was used in anger, at the 2015 TT, my mate Pete owned the blue one. The next time it got used, and the last before now, was Pete's funeral in 2018.

 

[roofman]

These 1100 ET,s are now at a funny time age wise, you want so much to fit modern running gear (forks,wheels,swing arms,brakes etc) but they are now starting to really climb the money ladder if left bog standed. Such fantastic bikes back in the day and still are if i may add

 

[Cato]

These 1100 ET,s are now at a funny time age wise, you want so much to fit modern running gear (forks,wheels,swing arms,brakes etc) but they are now starting to really climb the money ladder if left bog standed. Such fantastic bikes back in the day and still are if i may add

Yeah, you can spend a fortune devaluing them.

I've got one more mint/standard bike to build, and then another which will be essentially an ET but with some modern upgrades. The upgrades won't be too obvious though, stuff like cartridges in the stock forks, convert it to injection etc.

 

[Cato]

Made a start on the carb issue. I have a couple of sets from the other engines so I've stripped down a known good set which can then go into the ultrasonic bath (when it arrives). When they're built back up I can swap them over and the ones which come off can get the same treatment. Then they can go on the shelf ready for the next engine/bike to get built up.

 

[GRW]

Lovely, lovely bike
I always wanted one of these - to my mind not only the best motor, but the best looking and most usable of all the big Suzooks.

 

[Cato]

Lovely, lovely bike
I always wanted one of these - to my mind not only the best motor, but the best looking and most usable of all the big Suzooks.

A marmite bike in their day, brutal styling with brutal power, the Hayabusa of the late '70s early '80s.

I wanted one when I saw a new one fish tailing away from the lights on the Stoney Stanton Road in 1980/81. Obviously no chance of affording such exotic machinery, never mind the insurance back then. To be honest the way bike prices have gone I couldn't afford, or certainly justify affording, one now!

 

[roofman]

Just get a rebuild kit bought as its easier than cleaning and everything will be within tolerance...Wemoto should have OEM kits in stock.

 

[Cato]

Just get a rebuild kit bought as its easier than cleaning and everything will be within tolerance...Wemoto should have OEM kits in stock.

The 'rebuild' kits are pretty poor tbh, a float valve, gasket and a couple of 'O' rings, plus it won't help with the galleries and drillings.

I guess there maybe some crud moved in or varnish built up with them standing for so long even though they were drained. So get everything through the cleaner, replace all the 'O' rings, check everything is within spec, replace anything which isn't, leak test on the bench and you can have confidence that when they go on the most you'll need to do is minor adjustments.

 

[roofman]

The 'rebuild' kits are pretty poor tbh, a float valve, gasket and a couple of 'O' rings, plus it won't help with the galleries and drillings.

I guess there maybe some crud moved in or varnish built up with them standing for so long even though they were drained. So get everything through the cleaner, replace all the 'O' rings, check everything is within spec, replace anything which isn't, leak test on the bench and you can have confidence that when they go on the most you'll need to do is minor adjustments.

This is the type of kits i have had in the past..very comprehensive

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Cato]

This is the type of kits i have had in the past..very comprehensive

Pardon our interruption...

Yeah, I remember the comprehensive kits, sadly they, along with a lot of other stuff, are no longer available for the GS/GSX. When NOS stuff is available it's eye watering, like the few NOS seat which are still available. £1,200

 

[Cato]

Carbs are all sparkly, built up and refitted this morning. Run up, it's running very sweetly now at idle and on throttle.

I'll leave the shake down run until there's more suitable weather!