Topic: Don's 81 GS1100e happy Suzuki.

[Don R]

 To be honest I've been busy with seasonal things like winterizing our drag car and getting the car trailer and some bikes stored away for winter. I now have a second GS gauge pod so I'll be less wary of tearing into one. I did spray a little WD40 in around the boot, hopefully it won't creep into the gauge faces.

[Don R]

 I had looked into a front brake upgrade on the GS page. I see that my bike has the leading axle so the available custom brackets don't work on it. Honestly, it stops pretty good so I think I'll let that idea stew unless a better kit comes along.

[Don R]

 I took the GS on a ride, there's that one industrial road with only one business on it and I got my arms stretched a little. Needs a bigger step in the seat.

[Mark1976]

I took the GS on a ride, there's that one industrial road with only one business on it and I got my arms stretched a little. Needs a bigger step in the seat.

Lol....

[grcamna2]

I had looked into a front brake upgrade on the GS page. I see that my bike has the leading axle so the available custom brackets don't work on it. Honestly, it stops pretty good so I think I'll let that idea stew unless a better kit comes along.

I purchased the custom adapter bracket from the member over there;a Kawasaki EX500 double piston caliper along with a CBR600F4 large(300mm?)floating rotor;saving it for later.
I just had new brake pads and the orig. rotor smoothed-out so I'll run it for a while stock.

[Kelly E]

I took the GS on a ride, there's that one industrial road with only one business on it and I got my arms stretched a little. Needs a bigger step in the seat.

I agree about the seat. If I hadn't swung a hammer for a long time I might not be able to hang on. As it is I have to almost sit on the gas tank to keep the front wheel near the ground during full throttle acceleration runs.

[Don R]

 I pulled on pipe wrenches for a couple decades, it will make lop sided muscles. My spotters lifting weights always told me they could tell I am right handed, but I'm not.  I realized we spend more time tightening than loosening. I should have swapped sides more often to even out.
 I still haven't gotten the front wheel up, I really need to get more prepared before turning that grip.

[Kelly E]

I pulled on pipe wrenches for a couple decades, it will make lop sided muscles. My spotters lifting weights always told me they could tell I am right handed, but I'm not.  I realized we spend more time tightening than loosening. I should have swapped sides more often to even out.
 I still haven't gotten the front wheel up, I really need to get more prepared before turning that grip.

I weigh a whopping 135lbs so the issue is more pronounced for me but it's still fun. The only other bike we have that is like that is the 84' Honda VF 1000F Interceptor but it is easier to keep the front tire on the ground for some reason. Likely because it has the front cylinders sticking out in front of the frame a bit and one of the radiators is behind the headlight. It's faster than the GS 1100E and just as easy to ride.
If you ever get a chance to ride the Interceptor 1000 do it, for an 80's bike it's amazing and comfortable.

[seanbarney41]

I had a little baby Interceptor VF500...has to be one of the best handling bikes ever, for sure the best I have ridden, and that little v4 pumping about 70hp and some healthy torque too...when it blew up it was quite spectacular!...and heartbreaking   Hope your 1000 never meets a similar fate.

[Don R]

 I bumped into an old friend (peewee) that I didn't recognize, he has lost about 150 lbs. When said he was heavier he had a GS1100 and asked how I was keeping the front wheel down. He said "you know how big I was and even I had to lay over the gas tank to keep the front end down". L0L!
  His boys were with him, one was smaller, but the other one was as big as he ever was. They both ride but I didn't hear what they are riding.

[Kelly E]

I had a little baby Interceptor VF500...has to be one of the best handling bikes ever, for sure the best I have ridden, and that little v4 pumping about 70hp and some healthy torque too...when it blew up it was quite spectacular!...and heartbreaking   Hope your 1000 never meets a similar fate.

I've been riding Honda V4's since they came out in 82' I put 150k miles on my first V45 Sabre without blowing it up and none of them were easy miles. My current 84' Sabre 700 has over 30k miles on it. The 84' VF 1000F Interceptor only had 16k miles on it when we got it.
You must have been wringing your VF 500F's neck to blow it up. All of our V4's have been very reliable and like you said the performance of them is amazing. Maybe some day I'll get the chance to ride the VF 500F Interceptor, it sounds like great fun and I'll try to not blow it up in spectacular fashion.

[Mark1976]

  As I remember, the early vf750 as well, as the 500 had issues with quality in the area of the topend. Cams, camchain tensioner and oilpump. They remedied issues with the 750 but not the 500. I've looked at several (500's) over the past several yrs, they were all priced very low and all had topend issues, with relatively low mileage. They're a great looking as well as a great handling machine...

[seanbarney41]

Mine was an '86 and it may only be a problem with that year as many engine parts are one year only.  I never tore it down as you can't even get head gaskets for these.  I did view the carnage with a borescope through the plug hole.  First hint of badness was how hard the plug came out and when it did the electrode and ground strap were gone.  Looking in with the borescope revealed a piston shattered so bad that the highest up undamaged part was the crankpin.  I am assuming either a valve seized in the guide open or valve stem broke

It was a hot day.  I was taking a "scenic" route home from work.  Had gone about 10 miles and was accelerating out of a long, tight sweeper.  It blew top of 4th gear.  Left pipe belched smoke, oil, and I actually heard metal tinkling down the road behind me.  Engine never stopped running.  I pulled over and shut it off, thinking "holy #$%*!  Did that just really happen?"  Started the bike back up to a terrifying clatter.  It even idled!  "Ughhh, that ain't gonna make it home 30 miles.  Called a ride.  The only engine that has ever blown on me of any kind ever.  I bought the bike around 2013? with 18,000 on it.  I had it for 2 years and put around 10,000 miles on it.

[Mark1976]

Mine was an '86 and it may only be a problem with that year as many engine parts are one year only.  I never tore it down as you can't even get head gaskets for these.  I did view the carnage with a borescope through the plug hole.  First hint of badness was how hard the plug came out and when it did the electrode and ground strap were gone.  Looking in with the borescope revealed a piston shattered so bad that the highest up undamaged part was the crankpin.  I am assuming either a valve seized in the guide open or valve stem broke

It was a hot day.  I was taking a "scenic" route home from work.  Had gone about 10 miles and was accelerating out of a long, tight sweeper.  It blew top of 4th gear.  Left pipe belched smoke, oil, and I actually heard metal tinkling down the road behind me.  Engine never stopped running.  I pulled over and shut it off, thinking "holy #$%*!  Did that just really happen?"  Started the bike back up to a terrifying clatter.  It even idled!  "Ughhh, that ain't gonna make it home 30 miles.  Called a ride.  The only engine that has ever blown on me of any kind ever.  I bought the bike around 2013? with 18,000 on it.  I had it for 2 years and put around 10,000 miles on it.

Sounds about right, the last one I looked at, only 4 months ago, had 16k and change. Real shame, they're good looking bikes....

[Don R]

 Not a bike but my best blow up was an air-cooled 64 VW. The #3 piston broke through the ring groove, the top of the piston would hang in the cylinder until it fired then it would slam into the lower half. My wife came to pick me up after work and was sitting there idling like that. I thought it was a nearby semi-truck making the noise. She was afraid to turn it off thinking it wouldn't re-start.  It ran the 3 miles to my parent's house where I got the truck and my brothers tow bar. We put a bored out 1500 in it after that.

[seanbarney41]

Mine was an '86 and it may only be a problem with that year as many engine parts are one year only.  I never tore it down as you can't even get head gaskets for these.  I did view the carnage with a borescope through the plug hole.  First hint of badness was how hard the plug came out and when it did the electrode and ground strap were gone.  Looking in with the borescope revealed a piston shattered so bad that the highest up undamaged part was the crankpin.  I am assuming either a valve seized in the guide open or valve stem broke

It was a hot day.  I was taking a "scenic" route home from work.  Had gone about 10 miles and was accelerating out of a long, tight sweeper.  It blew top of 4th gear.  Left pipe belched smoke, oil, and I actually heard metal tinkling down the road behind me.  Engine never stopped running.  I pulled over and shut it off, thinking "holy #$%*!  Did that just really happen?"  Started the bike back up to a terrifying clatter.  It even idled!  "Ughhh, that ain't gonna make it home 30 miles.  Called a ride.  The only engine that has ever blown on me of any kind ever.  I bought the bike around 2013? with 18,000 on it.  I had it for 2 years and put around 10,000 miles on it.

Sounds about right, the last one I looked at, only 4 months ago, had 16k and change. Real shame, they're good looking bikes....

yeah, I loved that bike so much, I just can't risk the heartbreak of that happening again...and well, blowing up unobtainium engines is not really fiscally sound plan either.  So, I am looking for a VFR750 that I can afford...making due with a 599 Hornet which handles very similar to that little 500 and certainly more power, but those V4's are just different.

Kelly, it's good to hear that you found the pre-86 500's reliable.

[Kelly E]

Mine was an '86 and it may only be a problem with that year as many engine parts are one year only.  I never tore it down as you can't even get head gaskets for these.  I did view the carnage with a borescope through the plug hole.  First hint of badness was how hard the plug came out and when it did the electrode and ground strap were gone.  Looking in with the borescope revealed a piston shattered so bad that the highest up undamaged part was the crankpin.  I am assuming either a valve seized in the guide open or valve stem broke

It was a hot day.  I was taking a "scenic" route home from work.  Had gone about 10 miles and was accelerating out of a long, tight sweeper.  It blew top of 4th gear.  Left pipe belched smoke, oil, and I actually heard metal tinkling down the road behind me.  Engine never stopped running.  I pulled over and shut it off, thinking "holy #$%*!  Did that just really happen?"  Started the bike back up to a terrifying clatter.  It even idled!  "Ughhh, that ain't gonna make it home 30 miles.  Called a ride.  The only engine that has ever blown on me of any kind ever.  I bought the bike around 2013? with 18,000 on it.  I had it for 2 years and put around 10,000 miles on it.

I never had a VF 500, I had an 82' V45 Sabre and now have a 84' Sabre 700S and the 84' Interceptor 1000.

The Honda V4 is a fun motor. The torque comes in much earlier and they are very smooth. When you sit on one you can feel the lower center of gravity. I'm a fan of the Sabre's and Interceptors but not the Magnas which were the biggest sellers. The third generation Magna is still very popular.

I love the fact that your baby Interceptor started back up and idled. On my first 82' V45 Sabre Honda replaced the cam chain tensioners, the splined drive plate on the rear wheel and the mufflers. All in the first 3k miles but it still ran great 9 years and 147k miles later when I sold it. It started to slip out of 2nd gear under a load.
The later VFR's with the gear drive cams sound awesome and they went all the way to a VFR 1200 but they started to get ugly but I'd still like to try one.