Which of these GS500's is better? Which one should I buy?

[chimivee]

There are 2 bikes that I'm currently considering buying and would like some input from the good folks here.  One is a 99, the other a 97.  Both bike have been garaged and are in very good cosmetic condition - no rust, good paint.  Both have straight frames, w/ no evidence of accidents (both have been dropped on rt side w/ only minor damage).  Both were test ridden up to 80+ mph and have good power and run fairly well, but have some issues (likely carb related, more on that later).

The 99 has a fairing (doesn't contribute to the bike's mechanical integrity, but is probably something I would  invest in on a bike w/ out one). The 97 has super low mileage (900) and has been rejetted.  Prices are ify on each, but let's just assume the initial purchase price is equal.   Anyway, here are the problems that each has:

'99, 8.5k mi, yellow, quarter fairing:
Hasn't had much maintenance, if any in the last 1.5 years / 3.5k mi.  Overdue for oil change (looks dark).  Overdue for air filter.  Rear shock is a little soft, but rideable.   Subtle clicking noise from engine (possibly cam chain tensioner).  Particularly finicky/long warm up.  Slight hesitation around 7-8k rpm. Probably needs carb adjustment/rejetting. *EDIT: Some tank rust.

'97, 900 mi, dk blue, DynoJet kit:
Hasn't been ridden much, if any in last 6-12 months.  Needs new front/rear tires, but rideable.  Some rust in gas tank.   Bad/old fuel.  Revs don't return to idle when throttle is released.  Engine runs lean/hot.  Front fender warped from engine heat.  Needs carb cleaning/adjustment. *EDIT: Tank rust is a maybe - hard to see thru discolored gas.

My main concern w/ the 99 is the lack of recent maintenance (dirty oil, dirty air filter).  The main concern w/ the 97 is that it's been sitting for a while (rusty tank, bad fuel, bad tires).  I'm trying to weigh the necessary repairs, potential mechanical longevity, and up front cost of getting the bikes tip-top.  I don't mind doing the simple stuff myself, but more complicated repairs might be done by a shop.

The_good_guy was kind enough to go w/ me to check out and test ride these bikes.  He can better describe the way each one ran.

Thanks for any advice.

James

Edited & Changes by GeekMod.

[pantablo]

My money's on the '99.

Why? Although it seems to have a few problems they seem to be the common ones to stock jet/carb issues we all have. The oil/air/etc maintenance doesn't bother me as I would expect the intervals for that is 2500-3K miles anyway so they're not that far off. The fact that it has 9K miles means it was ridden with some regularity-a bonus in my book. The maintenance that is overdue on this bike is something you should do with whatever bike you buy soon after you buy it anyway. Its also nice that the carbs haven't been messed around with. Suspect something amiss on the '97 in that dept.

The '97, although rejetted, has some problems that seem carb related possibly leading me to think there was some careless, unskilled tweaking wiith jets and carb set-up; maybe not a huge deal. Also it hasn't been run very much and that could have caused other problems related to the rust in the tank; things that may plague you later like small rust particles getting caught in tiny passages and you/mechanic spending lots of time figuring it out. Or maybe a full cleaning of the fuel system (including fuel lines) might do the trick. fender might indicate engine running too hot.  Overall imression of '97 based on what you've given is that this bike may not have been loved.

That's just my opinion.

[TheGoodGuy]

Since i rode both bikes here are my views on them.

99 Yellow GS.

Possible issues with rust in tank (saw dimed sized rust), oil change is very much necessary. Rider did 4000 miles since he got it, doesnt know when previous oil change was since it was from a towyard. It doesnt seem to burn or leak oil. Oil level full. The bike too ages to warm up. Even with full choke it was barely pushing itself to 2K rpms. However after about 3 minutes it started to stablize and then it sat at 3000 rpms no problems. Once running the bike runs okay. It definately has power and possibly has been rejetted by the previous owner. It seems to pull strong thru the curve, however it does have this retardation and backfiring (sometimes) when letting go of accelerator to change gears. This could be due to bad airfilter (it was dirty has hell) or it needs rejetting. The carbs were supposed to have been worked on recently (within 2 months) they were rebuilt.  The bike needs brake fluid changed for sure (dirty red color). The brakes ran fine though.

Pro's:

New tires already on it (BT45's)
No leaks atleast what was seen
Suzuki Factory fairing (not sure but looks like it). Definately not targa.
Progressive Front suspension (it was rock hard)
It was possibly rejetted, felt like it was.
Registered for next year already.

Con's:

Not sure when teh last oil change was done? any damage in engine?
Brake fluid needs to be changed (front & Rear)
Air filter needs to be changed
Rust in tank.
Carbs need cleaning for sure (or some work cause it takes a while to warm up) - if not carbs its something else
Rear suspension needs to get thrown out.

97 Dark Blue GS

This bike is clean as teh other one. It does have some damage on the right ignition cover but that's about it. The bike had old gas in teh tank, and it was reeking. There was minimal site of rust, if it was not rust it was the red color gas. The brake fluid was red and the battery needs to be changed / filled with distilled water. The bike had a recent oil change but hasnt been ridden in a while. The bike was rejetted by the owner however i dont think he did a good job of it. The startup was easy however the choke may not have been necessary. It was very sensitive to choke and small changes made huge rpm changes. Seems this bike was jetted "RICH". Its running stock suzuki paper filter.

On the test ride the bike performed very well. However this could have been due to the fact that its running rich. I was able to hit 100mph before i knew it. I was only testing to see how long it takes to get to 80 mph. Anyway the bike has some carb and fuel related issues. It started to die on teh way back. I was unsure if I was going to make it back. I pulled over when the engine cut out and checked fuel in teh tank. I had gas so I put it in prime and ran it home with some choke. However before i got to the turn off it cut out on me again, so i had to restart and go at it again. The bike on the return trip was doign exactly what the owner said, it bogged down. I mean it was having a fuel starvation issue of sorts, if your not above 5000 rpms it would die. I didnt see the problem much on the ongoing trip cause the engine might have not warmed up all teh way (though it was idlding for over 4 - 5 minutes) and plus i was testing high speed running. The bike otherwise runs good, its just that its jetted wrong.

Pro's

Low miles
Dynojet kit
Very good brakes (its hardly been used for that 900 miles).
Suspension is in good shape
Very clean bike.
Smooth engine.

Cons:

Carb work definately, gummed up carbs (sliders moving up and down really slow, slow throttle return).
Old gas in tank possible rust
Old tyres, not bad dry rot, but it will need to be replaced at some point.
Missing on mirror (right mirror).
Possibly needs registration tags.



If I forgot something I will post it in here later.

Manjul

[chimivee]

Yeah, what he said.  Thanks!

[chimivee]

Oh, and yes, the_good_guy is correct about the tank rust:  The yellow 99 DOES have some rust in the tank.  The blue 97 MAY have rust, although it was difficult to see through the discolored gas.

[TheGoodGuy]

bump for the morning folks.

[The Buddha]

My money is on the 99...Why...4 years isn't enough to dry out the rubber pieces from lack of use, and it had been used atleast a little so Its more like 2 years that it sat...not a problem at all... The Tank and carbs issues with it IMHO are a $10 problem. I would use yamaha's carb cleaner and just treat the tank and the carbs with it and that will pretty much do it. Also it has fewer miles on old oil...hell it has very few miles period. More potential for problems with the other one. In the worst case on the 99 send me your carbs and I'll get them sorted out if you still have problems.
Cool.
Srinath.

[JohNLA]

This is a tough one. Either will require a couple bills and some time to get into shape. I would use that to haggle with and see if you can get one seller to give you a good discount.

[TheGoodGuy]

My money is on the 99...Why...4 years isn't enough to dry out the rubber pieces from lack of use, and it had been used atleast a little so Its more like 2 years that it sat...not a problem at all... The Tank and carbs issues with it IMHO are a $10 problem. I would use yamaha's carb cleaner and just treat the tank and the carbs with it and that will pretty much do it. Also it has fewer miles on old oil...hell it has very few miles period. More potential for problems with the other one. In the worst case on the 99 send me your carbs and I'll get them sorted out if you still have problems.
Cool.
Srinath.

You dont make sense srinath.. might want to clear up.

The 99 had almost 8600 miles the 97 has 900 miles. The 97 rubber (brake lines and all) look clean, the 99 it would need replacing at some point well so will the 97 but it looks decent.

[The Buddha]

Yes I am confused....I thot the 99 had 900 miles...Oooo now its much closer to call, I would however go with the 97 with 900 miles still...Why..Back in 98 I bought a 90 with 1700 miles on it. It sat for a few years atleast. I had to replace fork seals, replaced the brake line with steel braided (just for kicks not because it was bad) and the bike never skipped a beat till I sold it in 00 with 7K on it. So the 97 it is but with a much closer margin.
Thanks for sorting me out,
Srinath.

[chimivee]

So, a couple people have suggested that it's a close call.  Can we add an option to the poll - something like:  "It's a tie - get the one you can haggle down more!"

Thanks for the input.

James

[The Buddha]

Well the 900 miles will be atleast $100+ more worth it...yes haggle down both and play one against the other and do every dirty trick you can to see where they end up at. BTW what is the asking $ on them.
Cool.
Srinath.

[pantablo]

also take into account what each will take to get in tip-top shape (tires alone will set you back a few hundred dollars, for example)

[chimivee]

On the test ride the bike performed very well. However this could have been due to the fact that its running rich.

Okay, I've got more info on the Blue '97 (900mi) bike.  The seller had mixed in some racing gas in an effort to help clean out the jets.  This is why the gas was red and why it had such a strong odor - good news!  On the flip side, I'm sure this boosted performance and potentially made the test ride less objective .

As mentioned, the front fender was melted a bit, presumably from excessive engine heat when idling.  Wouldn't this be more indicative of a lean mixture?  Would such high temperatures cause any possible damage to the engine?

Thanks again.

[Jen]

I just got my tank completely cleaned out (rust), and it only set me back $75.  I am getting it painted, so it didn't matter what they did to the outside of it.

As long as the tank didn't sit with little gas in it, it should not of really rusted too bad.  See if you can talk the owner into taking the tank off and letting you see inside of it (with a flashlight).  Maybe even drain most of the gas out of it.

[The Antibody]

Wow, close call. To make a serious decision I'd have to see them, but I am always a fan of low miles for obvious reasons. I love yellow though! Ehh...... sounds like the '97. But don't take my word for it!  

 -Anti

[chimivee]

BTW what is the asking $ on them.

Well....... I intentionally left out price,  to avoid going off on a tangent.  I'm more interested in how the bikes compare to one another at this point, since they're both priced about the same.  But, both are in the lower NADA range and well below KBB retail.  I'm sending you a PM, Srinath.

[TheGoodGuy]

I think personally the 97 might be better. So it needs new tyres, but the tyres arent that bad, your going to be learning and its not that bad in a shape. You can ride it for a while and then later get the tyres.

In that case the 97 it needs a carb adjustment, brake fluid change and a new right side mirror. The tank on this one doesnt seem to be bad, it was red (if it was that racing gas) but from what i saw there wasnt any rust i could really see.

[The Buddha]

Racing gas dont increase performance in a stock bike...It stays from detonating in a high compression motor, adding a ton of methanol and putting in very very big jets like 175+ in a stock bike will make more power.
Cool.
Srinath.

[TheGoodGuy]

BUMP..

As i figured it wasnt fully the gas.. thinking back I still think its running rich.