i own a nice 1983 gs 850 gld,(bike #17)and one thing i´ll say is it is VERY cold hearted..i live in cent.fl.and even in the heat of summer it will not start without choking it.and now its winter and i ride for 10 miles or so before it runs smooth without it.so,if your choke cable is stuck or broken,you wont start it...but its a great bike..they just require maintainence,like all other bikes...but to be honest,out of all the bikes ive owned,my favorites are the cb750 1969-1978 and a standard wing..they are great and will run even when they are out of tune..keep the rubber side down...