Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 10:17:55 -0500 From: "Hawkins, Kevin" To: "'gts-1000@mbnet.mb.ca'" Subject: New Rider FAQ....very long winded! MIME-Version: 1.0 A sincere welcome to all the new GTS riders who've recently joined the list! Shawn, I hooked up with a new GTS rider this past weekend! His name is Jim Cooper, he rides a '93 and lives in Rockingham, NC 28379. Could you please add him to the map? I rode the GTS this past weekend for the first time since receiving the OEM rebuilt rear shock back from Lindemann Engineering. At $125, this is truly a bargain. With the replacement shocks going for $500+, it was a no brainer. Many thanks to Dave Biasotti for his help! For all the new riders looking for tips on tuning and accessories, visit Robert Wilson's wonderful GTS page at http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~neelin/motorcycle/gts.html . A quck search of the archives at http://www.moto.net/archives/GTS1000 or http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=gts-1000@mbnet.mb.ca can also answer many of your questions. Maybe I can answer a few of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) quickly here. Engine and EFI - The Genesis 20 valve engine is a marvel of engineering and is very understressed in it's application on the GTS. The engine has been in production for many years now and is made to endure the rigors of racing. With 47K on my GTS I can certainly vouch for it's low maintenance and reliability. Valve adjustments are called for at 26K mile intervals, but my mechanic recommends 20K for the first one. Evidently the exhaust valves tend to get a little tight. After that, 26K is fine. I typically run Mobil 1 15w50 year round and use Fram 6017 filters. The engine does burn a little oil, by design. If the bike is consistently run above 5000 RPMs, it will consume even more. If the red engine warning light comes on, it's simply a low oil light! Not low oil pressure. Don't be alarmed, just keep it topped off. Run standard NGK DPR8-EA9 spark plugs or NGK DPR8-EVX9 platinums for a longer maintenance interval. The EFI can be a bit surgy, especially when the engine is cold. The majority of GTS riders have reported excellent results by setting the four potentiometers located on the ECM under the seat at the 1 o'clock postion. They rotate clockwise from 7 to 5 and 1 o'clock is the spot. Not 12:30, not 1:30. It DOES make a difference. If your battery runs low and won't turn over the starter, try to bump start it! As long as the dash lights illuminate there are plenty of amps to power the fuel injection and she should kick right over. Steering and suspension - Welcome to the world of RADD! Not only does this ingenious setup work, but the OEM components are competent and durable. My rear shock just gave up the ghost at 47K, but a fresh rebuilt from Lindemann Engineering in Campbell, CA fixed things nicely. The front shock is still going strong, which is good because it cost $600-$800 for an OEM or aftermarket replacement. Ohlins, White Brothers, and Works Performance offer expensive yet superior replacements. You might detect a "squeek, squeek" coming from the front end as the suspension moves. This has been traced back to the upper A-arm joints and a quick search of the archives will retrieve the fix. Some have replaced the steering head bearings with tapered roller bearings with excellent results! Again, a quick search of the archive will fetch part numbers and procedures. I could write an essay on tires for this bike but I'll keep it short. I personally recommend the Battlax BT-57s 120/70 front, 170/60 or 180/55 rear. Metzeler MEZ1 front MEZ2 rear is also a recommended tire, but they tend to flat spot quickly. The BT-57s are dual compound and resisted this for several thousand miles maintaining their OEM profile. What ever tire you choose, keep the pressures up to 38 psi front, 40 rear. The change to 120/70 front will significantly lighten the steering! Dunlop D205s and Michelin M90 Macadams have also proven there worth. Get the front wheel balanced at an auto tire shop! They can and will balance this wheel for about $7. Due to several reasons, the GTS front end will shimmy during "hands-off" deceleration. Contributing factors are tires, tire pressure, tire balance, scalloped or ramped tires and loose rear swingarm bearings. I've NOT suffered this phenomenom since switching to the BT-57s, but then my rear swingarm bearings are in good shape. Brake pads are a subjective choice. I personally love the EBC black compound on my GTS don't like the SBS pads. When the primary drive chain wears out (around 18K), convert from the OEM 532 to a standard 530. I believe it's a 118 link chain and the conversion is the same as the FZR1000. I personally prefer Sunstar steel sprockets and a DID Gold X-ring chain. My favorite source for these parts is Kiernan racing at http://www.braincell.com/kiernan/ . Accessories - I simply won't go into this in great detail. Robert Wilson's http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~neelin/motorcycle/gts.html and Mike Coan's http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/mikecoan/ homepages cover everything in great detail including luggage, seats, etc. Have I missed anything.......uh-huh! But this is just a FAQ. If I didn't cover it here and you can't find it in the archives, post a question to the mail list. The GTSers are extremely laid back and you'll never get flamed for any questions. We love our bikes, and we love motorcycling in general. We've even been known to ride with a few Concours every now and then! :^) Kevin Hawkins // Greensboro, NC HSTA NC State Director AMA #609423 // khawkins@hrserv2.ims.att.com http://www.geocities.com/~raddboy '97 Triumph T595 // '93 Yamaha GTS1000 // '89 Hawk GT