Buying used GS soon...total newbie here

[GT Eye]

Hi guys! Long time lurker, first time poster.

Learning on my friend's gixxer has me bitten with the motorcycling bug. I just want something more forgiving to truly learn the ins and outs of biking...and the GS500 fits my bill perfectly- it's affordable, efficient, and dead sexy.

I'm going to buy one next week. Is there anything I should watch out for when buying a used GS? Should I be wary of high (above 13k) mileage? Whenever I see a bike for really cheap, I am very tempted, but I am not sure if I will be getting a bargain or a problem.

Anyways, I can't wait to join you guys on the road. Cheers!

[nl_carey]

Good choice - try to make sure the basics are in order:
1. Good frame
2. Engine runs well, no smoke during high revs
3. Try and avoid rust - this is not too critical as you'll likely upgrade in a couple of years anyway
4. No oil on front forks - hard to tell unless you take it for a ride. Forks can be expensive to have refurbished, and could potentially be bent, which means replacement and moolah.

The GS, as long as the frame is good, and engine runs ok, is pretty much dead reliable. Unfortunately, some people get abused ones which are a bit of a lemon, and sometimes you break stuff working on it yourself (happened to me) but it's all a good learning experience. Some smash damage is ok, if it's just scratched up muffler etc, the frame should still be ok being steel. The engine, if running ok, should keep running ok, and you won't have any worries overcooking it if you maintain the oil levels (mine eats up a little bit). Electrically, if it hasn't been messed with, switches and stuff should last pretty well, and are generally inexpensive to fix. There really isn't too much electrically that can go wrong, thankfully.

That's the best thing about the GS, it's simply such a good learning tool.  I've made mistakes going into corners, mistakes in maintenance, mistakes in repairs.  All fixed now, but the GS took it in it's stride.
If I had something bigger or touchier I'd have messed it up by now, the GS has taken all I've thrown at it (a lot) and is simply ready for me next time I start her up.

As an example, from purchase 8 months ago, these things have gone wrong (I expected some stuff buying second hand)
1. For roadworthy, I had to fix rear mudguard as during a previous drop it had been cracked, also had to fix bent handlebar (clip-ons) and a steering stop that had been broken. Note this tells you it had actually been in a bit of a nasty fall. Everything else on the bike was fine.
2. Front brake - pad worn out. During replacement, I messed up the seals. Due to massive problems with Suzuki australia having replacement seals I went ahead and rebuild the front brake without replacing seals. Mistake. I have a little bit of leak during heavy braking, which means on ride days I have less pressure at the end of the day than the beginning. Replacement seal ordering went awry and should be coming next week (don't ask).
3. Hole in fuel tank - rust. I sort of expected this to happen sometime. I used some filler to fix this up in the meantime. If I have much more trouble, I'll buy a new tank. Putting the fuel tank on was a problem.
4. Blown rear brake bulbs. Had to replace some of these.
5. Dropped the bike - had to replace the bottom CDI pickup. To do this I ended up taking off the carbs and airbox. Nasty. At the same time, I installed a fuel filter, as I needed a replacement fuel line anyway due to one braking (they are 13 years old!).
6. New battery. Not a surprise, I have no idea how old the old one was.
7. New rear tyre. The old one sucked anyway, I was happy to replace it.
8. New rear shock absorber. The old one died, giving me an excuse to upgrade it. Makes a huge difference, at least using my RGV250 one (2-stroke repliracer shock, adjustable preload and damping - it rocks!)
9. Front right fork seal. This has just started leaving a small amount of oil on the fork. Good excuse to put some progressive springs in.

Please note before you think this is a big list - it's a 91 model bike, with 110,000 kms (~66,000 miles) that has been dropped, seemingly multiple times. I picked it up for 1800 Aus, which is about 1450 US this week. That is very cheap here. I expected a range of things happening, and the cost is much less than a new bike considering I've been able to do all the work myself (aside from the tyre).  And, I've learnt so much doing it all.  I've spent the money on riding gear, and been very pleased I have, as I feel so much more protected now.

I love my GS, this board is a FANTASTIC resource, and you'll be a better rider than your friends on 600's as you can actually explore the limits of your bike without scaring yourself or you bike. And, you can drop it and fix it up at minimal cost.  I'd say you can't buy all the benefits the GS gives you, but that's pantently wrong - just buy a GS and ride the nuts off it! I have absolutely no regrets in the GS, even if the engine dies tomorrow and I have to buy a new bike...

[GT Eye]

Thanks, nl_carey for your great post- it was very helpful!

If there is no fork oil, what differences are there in handling?

[nl_carey]

I haven't noticed a difference yet, but it's only just started to leave a little line around the maximum stop. So it's not leaking much, but needs to be fixed. Difference should be bit worse tracking on one side than another, so far as I can understand. As I said, good excuse to put some progressives in.