5th Gear sux !!

[Rookie Rider]

Can i stay in 4th gear and keep it at 60-65 mph without damaging anything? Cause thats what ive been doing.

[cayuse]

You're turning 7500-8000 rpm at those speeds in 4th, so you shouldn't "break" anything, but you aren't doing your bike any favours either if that's how you ride ALL the time. I thought you drove mainly city streets, anyway.
5th gear isn't that bad, especially in the city. Most people say 5th gear sux after they change to a 16-tooth front sprocket.

[blaine]

Can i stay in 4th gear and keep it at 60-65 mph without damaging anything? Cause thats what ive been doing.
Why are you pushing it so hard?The bike should travel along in 5th,no problem.Your bike won't live long if you keep pushing it like that.I never had any problems running 60 to 65,and up to 75 in short bursts.The G.Z is a very capable bike,if used within it's limits.
:) :cool:

[Rookie Rider]

Well i stay in 4th because when im at 60 mph i up shift to 5th and i drop to 55 mph. It doesnt maintain speed. maybe im not shifting up fast enough?

[blaine]

Well i stay in 4th because when im at 60 mph i up shift to 5th and i drop to 55 mph. It doesnt maintain speed. maybe im not shifting up fast enough?
I think you have a carb issue,as you are loosing power in 5th.As I stated the bike should maintain 60,no problem.Have you tried some Sea Foam in the tank?
I don't want to see you do any damage to your engine.
:) :??:

[Rookie Rider]

i did use sea foam........ Twice !

[Water Warrior 2]

RR, one question. Are you always on the same road going the same direction ? The GZ is sensitive to even a slight upgrade that you may not otherwise notice. Even a minor headwind will slow you down a bit.

[Rookie Rider]

No WW, different highways, but what to me was flat was flat. Some incline roads i noticed to, but in fourth i did 60-65 too on the incline.

[Gz Rider]

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[Rookie Rider]

Ok, i'll try to clean the carb......... Never did it but what the hell

[geezer]

atta boy :2tup: dive right in! when your in there let us know what size jets are in there. also any mods to the bike?

[Rookie Rider]

ok, we'll see whats in there. Never did this but i will try :o/

[jonathan180iq]

The drive power will decline slightly in 5th if you don't keep getting on the gas, especially if you have the 16T front sprocket.

You've described elsewhere how you have custom wheels. It really wouldn't surprise me if you there are other mods done to the bike that you don't know about... like maybe a sprocket swap.

Also, make sure you aren't backing off the gas in 5th. 5th gear itself is pretty tall, and it's designed to be that way. Kind of like an overdrive. Being so tall, you need to make sure you get the amount of throttle back up to where it was when you were dogging it in 4th. :)

I don't think this is a carb issue. If you've used two cans of sea foam, that thing will be squeaky clean. My money is on an unknown 16T sprocket, a vacuum leak, or rider error.

[Rookie Rider]

My front sprocket is a 15 tooth.. May just be rider error, i hope..

[jonathan180iq]

Are you certain? I mean, have you taken off the cover and counter the teeth?

[Rookie Rider]

Sorry about the double posts. How do i delete 1 ?

[Rookie Rider]

Yes. i took off cover and counted the teeth

[jonathan180iq]

Sorry about the double posts. How do i delete 1 ?

Fixed.
You have a PM.

Well way to be proactive on the sprocket thing.

Are all of your other components stock? Exhaust and air filter?

EDIT: Did you ever get that choke cable issue fixed? That might have something to do with it too.

[Rookie Rider]

i have stock exaust and air filter..... Still have no choke :o/

[jonathan180iq]

There is something going on there, I bet.

If you are totally without a choke, and your system is partially open, then you aren't getting the proper mixture in the engine and thus you will have less power in certain places. When you're pushing it wide open in 4th gear you're probably masking the issue. But when 5th gear hits, and you're lugging a little more, and engine is trying to push itself a little bit harder, then you might possibly get the scenario that you describe.

I don't know, but there is no way to test it without first fixing the invisible choke cable.
...or really get on the gas in 5th and see what happens. 5th gear should carry you easily into the 75mph range.

[Gz Rider]

...

[Rookie Rider]

Gz i dont have a choke on the bike. I dont think the bike sat around in New York at all, i dont know what the state has to do with that. This is the BIG APPLE, the CITY that never sleeps.

[Rookie Rider]

My bike is a 2000 with 10,000 + miles on it.

[jonathan180iq]

Don't forget this is a bike in New York state. It's not hard to imaging it sitting and getting gunked up. I'll mention that I don't know what sea foam is and if that is a garantee of a clean carb then fine, I'll shut up.


If he ran seafoam through his tank twice, then all the varnish and gunk that could possibly be in there has been flushed out. It's pretty hardcore stuff. People also use it in their oil and gas to clean carbon buildup. A high concentration through a motorcycle engine, especially a single, would certainly do the trick. And if he can rev it up in 4th, then there should be no reason that he can't rev it up in 5th.

I don't think we can know more until ole RR goes full throttle on the highway in 5th gear.... and fixes his choke cable ;)

[Rookie Rider]

I had it full throttle in 5th. I was at 65mph, then shifted up to 5th, it dropped, i kept the throttle all the way open for a few minutes and maybe once or twice it picked up to 60 but i think i was on a slight downgrade. But it took a couple of minutes to pick up speed in 5th. Im gonna ride on the highway again and really pay attention, just in case i may be mis reading the bike, ya never know right?

[Rookie Rider]

i didnt put the whole can of seafoam in when i used it. And i used it twice already, still have some left from the same first can.

[jonathan180iq]

Yeah, so you've run two tanks treated with Seafoam in the proper amount. Most people just pour in the whole thing.

Either way, your carb is clean.

[Gz Rider]

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[Gz Rider]

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[jonathan180iq]

[quote="Rookie Rider":2cwm09hb] That said, today I ran my bike at 55 and left the choke "on". I noticed no power loss.
[/quote:2cwm09hb]

.... and we're back to square one, dangit. O_o

And to go ahead and respond to your other post, I agree that there could be a larger foreign body in there but if he can rev it up to 7500rpm in 4th, then there should be reason why he can't do it in 5th, if the restriction really is just a clogged carb.

I remember when riding to Gatlinburg one time that I would have to juice the bike in 4th to get it near 60mph and then really open up the throttle to keep carrying me into the higher numbers in 5th. For most daily riders, 5th gear is just used as an overdrive once you start cruising, say around 45-60 mph. It may simply be that there is nothing wrong with his bike and he just needs to use more throttle. I mean, we all pretty much agree that the GZ is not a highway bike, even though it can reach those top speeds.

[Gz Rider]

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[Rookie Rider]

Im not gonna work on the carb just yet fellerz ! Gonna finish the can of seafoam, im due to put more gas in her anyway, then i'll take her back on the expressway. Gz, the 375 was the number of miles under my belt at that time. lol

[Gz Rider]

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[Gz Rider]

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[Rookie Rider]

Yeah, i have the NGK plug too, gapped at .07

[Water Warrior 2]

Yeah, i have the NGK plug too, gapped at .07
If that is .07 inches there is your problem.

[Rookie Rider]

no, in mm's. lol

[Gz Rider]

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[Rookie Rider]

I went to a SUZUKI dealer and he looked up the parts i bought on his computer.

[Gz Rider]

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[geezer]

isnt it obvious what the problem is? he doesnt have the choke attatched to the carb right? so there is a big hole in the side of the carb, thats bad

[Gz Rider]

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[Rookie Rider]

I never checked the valves. :whistle:

[5th_bike]

Aha, time to get out the feeler gauges... It isn't that hard. Refer to the manual.
Do it as soon as possible, before your exhaust valves get burned.

[Rookie Rider]

ok, i will get into that asap.

[jonathan180iq]

Valves and the choke, right?

[Rookie Rider]

well i have to buy a choke and cablee and whatever else comes with it cause theree isnt one at all now.

[mole2]

well i have to buy a choke and cablee and whatever else comes with it cause theree isnt one at all now.

I don't understand why anyone would remove the choke. Is the slider there on the handlebar (from what I remember)? I can see the cable broke and it doesn't work but why remove the choke?


:)

[Rookie Rider]

completely off, gone, everything not there, no choke parts at all.

[jonathan180iq]

Well it's going to be very hard to disgnose any other issues that arise with your bike until you get that very important piece replaced.

[Rookie Rider]

i was hoping you wouldnt say such a thing

[cayuse]

What does your carb look like, just out of curiosity?
Is there a screw filling up the hole where your choke cable should be?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6047183672_0ab215d6a2_z.jpg

[Gz Rider]

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[Rookie Rider]

#'s 1-2 arent necessary, #3 is. So 1 thing is wrong......... and 5th gear seemed better the on the highway Saturday. I tried to shift faster. I may be getting better or something ya know ?

[Rookie Rider]

I dont even know where the choke cable should be. Didnt really look into it yet in the manual. I do see a cable with a rabbit ear at the end of it sticking out under the seat on left side out of motor and cant push it back in. My friend pulled it out too far.

[cayuse]

Have another look at the carb picture above. That curved metallic tube going in the side of the carb is the choke cable. Is that where your "rabbit ears" are going?

[blaine]

I dont even know where the choke cable should be. Didnt really look into it yet in the manual. I do see a cable with a rabbit ear at the end of it sticking out under the seat on left side out of motor and cant push it back in. My friend pulled it out too far.
That sounds like the cable for the seat lock. :??: :)

[alanmcorcoran]

I run mine pretty hard on the highway in fourth also. I don't think there's anything wrong with my carb. The reality is, the GZ cannot be trusted to maintain 60+ on the highway unless you have near perfect conditions. A little headwind or incline and it fades. There's simply more power to be had in fourth. I can't really speak to the advisability of my riding style. Given that my other bikes have significantly more power than the GZ, I tend to really flog the beastie when I'm on it. I've made it to 5K so far, so that's all I can tell you.

Here's a couple of other nits you can chew on:

1) Windshield? That'll slow you down (yes, I have one.)
2) Riding position? If you sit up straight, you're cutting about 10 mph off your top potential speed. If you tuck in your knees and elbows and put your chin on the speedo, you'll gain anywhere from 7-10mph. This is how I ride on CA freeways when I'm on the GZ (I try to keep it to a minimum as you can't see your mirrors from that position.)
3) The choke, or lack thereof, could be a factor. The bike runs faster (once warmed up) with the choke off. If it's partially on, it could be a contributing factor.

At the end of the day, if you really have to do a lot of 60+ riding, in my opinion, you're on the wrong bike. Get yourself (at least) a 750 and you'll be a lot happier. I love riding my Strat on the highway. The GZ is built for around town, lazy backroads and economy. Not performance.

[Rookie Rider]

I hear you alan and thank you. A bigger bike is a couple of years away tho.

[Rookie Rider]

Im gonna take a picture of my motor with the cable im talking about soon.

[Rookie Rider]

OK, That curved metallic tube with the black rubber boot type thing and brass nut is where i have the wire/cable with a rabbit ear at the end of it. Its just sticking out bout inch 1/2 and i cant push it back in.

[blaine]

OK, That curved metallic tube with the black rubber boot type thing and brass nut is where i have the wire/cable with a rabbit ear at the end of it. Its just sticking out bout inch 1/2 and i cant push it back in.
That is the plunger part of the choke.If you unscrew the nut ,you will find the plunger & spring.It sounds like you may only need the cable & lever.
:) :2tup:

[Rookie Rider]

OK, now we're cooking with gas. Thanks blain.

[Rookie Rider]

The end of the cable im talking about is about 2-1/2 in. in length from end of wire (rabbit ear) to where it enters the bras nut.

[Rookie Rider]

http://s1.postimage.org/es8lj7d0/DSCN1253.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/es8lj7d0/)

Here is the photo of the cable i was talking about. Notice the white glue at end of cable, you might have to look real close, the cable goes in an upward angle.

[blaine]

Yep,that is the end of the broken choke cable.If you take of the nut you will see the plunger & spring.The Cavity is likely full of rust & dirt,preventing the plunger from moving.That is also a non-stock petcock.
:) :cool:

[Rookie Rider]

The petcock, really? I want to clean out that filter, is it possible ?

[blaine]

The petcock, really? I want to clean out that filter, is it possible ?
Sorry,I didn't mean to get you off track.
I meant to clean out the bore,were the choke plunger is,(when you unscrew the brass nut).I just stated that the petcock is not a stock model.There are screens on the petcock to clean,if & when it becomes a issue.
:) :cool:

[Rookie Rider]

I should clean out petcock screens anyway no?

[blaine]

I should clean out petcock screens anyway no?
Yes,all part of preventive maintenance. :cool: :)

[blaine]

isnt it obvious what the problem is? he doesnt have the choke attatched to the carb right? so there is a big hole in the side of the carb, thats bad
Were you at geezer? This was your last post. :poke2: :)

[Jvacustoms]

My bike had a bad choke when i got it and it had the same issue i fixed the choke cable cleaned the carb replaced the air filter and not it runs fine without rejetting or changing components i get 55 on a hill as long as i keep hard on the throttle in 5th and that is from 65 it drops 10 mph but holds there to the top of the hill with no need to downshift

[Rookie Rider]

I downshift to 4th up hill.

[Jvacustoms]

I just want to keep this little bike running the more i look into my goldwing the more i find that i have to fix and that is gonna be expensive and time consuming project so i need this bike to keep running as long as possible. and high rpm in 4th gear is IMO hard on the engine.

[Rookie Rider]

I think this bike can handle it as long as its not al the time.

[Jvacustoms]

i live in a very hilly area so it kinda is all the time for me, i guess i can just leave that at, "different strokes for different folks"

[Rookie Rider]

High 5.