[Ranger]

Hi All,



Hope I can get a few ideas about this. It seems like the engine is straining at about 50mph in 5th gear as if it expects to go into a 6th gear. I had a problem earlier with this because my front brakes where sticking, I had the front brakes done, yet I'm still having this issue. Just seems like it's winding out in each gear way to soon. Any ideas what could be causing this would be appreciated. Also need to point out that the temp gauge was almost in the red. 1982 GL500I



Thanks for the help

Ranger

 

[jasonh]

Clutch slipping?

Check spark plug color too

 

[kingston73]

What rev ranges at what speeds are you seeing?  These bikes like to rev, so 50 in 5th should be right around 4500-5000 maybe?

 

[DARK FATHER]

The last time this happened to me it was my brakes sticking. The rotor got so hot the bearing assembly EXPLODED inside the wheel (77 SuperSport). I also thought that I had it fixed 3 times in a row. The last time did it!

 

[Ranger]

Ok checked everything that was listed, clutch isn't slipping, spark plugs can be replaced which I will do over the weekend. My revs are at about 4.5k to 5k at 50 mph. But my temp is almost in the red while riding. Dark, during the 3 times you had to work on your front brakes was your tire spinning freely? Mine seems to be moving freely when I'm on it pushing it forward and backward, doesn't seem to be dragging at all. What did you do different on the 3rd time to fix it? What is the normal cruising speed for this bike in 5th gear?

As it is right now I'd be nervous taking it on the highway the way it's winding out at 50 mph in 5th, but I guess if that's normal this really isn't made for the highway.

I appreciate all the help guys.

Still love this bike.

Thanks,

Ranger

 

[Shep]

If your temp is nearly in the red you shouldn't be riding the bike at all.



Check the coolant level with the Rad cap off.If you have gone any distance with low coolant and overheating the engine it may have damaged the engine.



Next I would check the oil for metal debris.

 

[Doward]

Run a compression test at some point, too

 

[jasonh]

Well, when I said to check the plugs, I meant to check what color they are so we can see what your mixture is like.

 

[George in Indiana]

If you're at 5k rpm @ 50 mph you're not winding out. You would be winding out if your tach showed 10K rpm.

Has the bike run different for you in the past giving something to compare to...or is this a new bike to you?



If a brake was dragging enough to feel a difference, the rotor would be glowing after a few miles.



If you feel there's a mechanical drag on the bike, why not simply pull the clutch in and see how it coasts? Does it coast smoothly or slow down quickly like something is binding up?



Does the bike run fine when cool and only act up when the temp gauge hits the red area?



If this is a new bike to you it may be running fine and the temperature gauge issue might be nothing more than the 7 volt regulator. I'd still check the fan blade and coolant level before even going down the street again.

And as someone else mentioned, pull the plugs and check them. Better yet post a picture of them. It may be running extremely lean.

 

[kingston73]

To add a question to what George said (all excellent questions you should answer before doing anything else!) how quickly does the needle move into the red?  A sure sign of your 7V reg. being out of wack is it moves into the red within a few minutes of startup.