GTR owner hello from Winnipeg.

[schlusselmensch]

Over the last 5 years or so I've brought a 350GTR back to life, mostly with Richard's help on the parts front and eBay as well. At any rate, the bike is in quite good condition, not a show winner, but certainly presentable. Only problem is that it refuses to run with the enthusiam that GTRs were famous for. I bought the bike from a fellow who had suffered a head injury in a motorcycle accident and he could not really recall what work he had ever done to the bike. It became clear after quite a while that he had had the bike to pieces and put it back together, and this was after the head injury from the look of it. To be fair, perhaps someone else did it.
Bolts were missing in the weirdest places and the electrical wiring was full of wires of different colours hooked up. In addition, someone had managed to engineer the most miserable transient ground that I've ever had the displeasure to ring out of an electrical harness.
But it just doesn't have the urge it should have. EVERYTHING is in good condition. I'm beginning to suspect the rotary valve timing. It looks possible to get them wrong, judging by the parts book? Does anyone know the specifications? I was able to find the timing on the net years ago but have had no luck recently tracking it down. The bike has very pronounced carb roar but this may be the nature of the beast? That's about the only other symptom other than its weak acceleration.
Best regards to all the Bridgestone fans,
Ken

[reed]

schlusselmensch
Welcome to the Bridgestone site on your GTR running problem check out your rotary valve timing has Karl pointed out to you!
I have a idea that may help you with your GTR anyway all the best.
Thanks.
Steve.

[oldstarfire]

You and I must have the only running GTR's in Winnipeg.
Mine goes like stink (Well, not right at the moment - seized a piston a few weeks ago)
I( do have some extra parts, give me a PM if you wish.

[old smokey]

Alright, you guys have a riding season even shorter than Wisconsin.
I was stationed in Winnipeg during the mid 90s as part of a Navy exchange tour to the Canadian Air Force. I left my GTR in the states though.
Schlusselmensch - does it only seem weak for acceleration but sounds healthy when sitting in neutral?
I assume you've counted the number of teeth on the front and rear sprockets to verify they're stock?
Do you have some clear fuel lines feeding the carbs so you can verify a solid flow of fuel without air bubbles because of either poor flow from the tank or maybe small air leaks in the way the lines fit on the fuel fittings?

[schlusselmensch]

Fuel supply is fine with 2 new carbs as well. The bike idles and runs quite well, it's just that it's a dog. My '73 RD350 would absolutely fly by it.
I think I have to have a look at the disc valve timing. It's always prudent to make sure base settings are correct. I've got a number of bevel Ducatis and their cam timing could be way off right from the factory. So anything is possible. I was pleased to see that Richard Clark has run across the same problem with bikes he has owned. Very strange but there has to be an explanation.

[coxy]

what would happen if there was a flaw a crack or a pin hole in the disc valve itself ?
can i ask what bevels do you have  these are some of my all time favorites but the price tag in oz is out of the question for me to buy one of up to $35000 and beyond depending on which type .i would settle for a 750gt there hitting $20000 here and i think the rd series will round up nearly all bikes of there size even bigger newer bikes .i had a look at a lc for a work bike the other day that was $2500 and needed a little work .cheers.

[schlusselmensch]

1973 750GT, 1974 750GT, 1977 900SS, 1978 900SD. If you had told me what these bikes were going to be worth back in the '70s I would have laughed in your face. I used to buy them new and sell them a year or two later for a pittance. They were more or less worthless.
Crazy.
I have a very nice first year RD350LC as well as the first year air cooled RD. One of my all time favourites.
Regards,
Ken

[coxy]

nice collection of Ducati's i have had a few rd's a couple of rd400c a early air cooled 350 cant rember which model a rd250g the ram head model a couple of 250lc's and 350's then moved into the rz's   with a few 350's and 2x 500 a lot of them got written off though

[schlusselmensch]

Since "Hey, help me fix my bike" wasn't really an introduction, here it is;
I'm 57 years old, married 35, three children. Father was an RCAF fitter/rigger and forced me to work in the garage (on VWs mostly) from the age of 5 or so. He made extra money to make ends meet doing this as an RCAF Corporal's pay in the 60's was a pittance.
Started with bikes at 15 when someone gave me a Ducati 250 Mk III that they couldn't get the cam timing set right on.
So I sorted it out, took it for a drive and was promptly apprehended, unlicensed, doing 80mph on the avenue. In my defence I was drunk with speed and I was an idiot. Never stopped with old cars and bikes since then. I have about 3 dozen of each. Some are quite rare but most are just interesting (to me at least).
To make my ends meet, I fly airplanes for a living and I don't have to do it very much. Lots of time on call gives me a fair bit of time to work on my cars and bikes. Alway wanted a GTR since a new one showed up at the across the street neighbour's when I was 14. The first time I saw it, it was on its back wheel with a grinning helmetless imbecile hanging on. He later became a well respected doctor here in Winnipeg.
Regards,
Ken

[old smokey]

Nice to hear.
Any luck with the under-performing GTR or is it waiting for next spring?

[schlusselmensch]

I was able to test it in quite cool weather and it runs noticeably better. Still fat on the mixture though and I still need to verify the valve timing. I'm going to drop the needles one notch and also get a set of 120 main jets on hand. I really can't believe you'd need less than 130 mains on a stock bike but stranger things have happened. They wouldn't go in until I make sure someone hasn't fritzed around with the valve timing.