Finally got the gs

[okayf00l]

Well Finally I have a 1998 suzuki gs500 with 9000 miles.  I bought it from Larry and he was a great guy to deal with.  I rode it home 80 miles and it was nice but one the way home a gasket came out.  I informed him of this and he said it was probably because he had done a valve check not long before he sold me the bike.  He came down the next day (3+hour drive) to help me fix it.  We couldnt find a part in stock anywhere so he generously gave me 300 dollars back to get the bike fixed.

Now the bike is fixed and it is great.  I rode it about 50 miles around town today.  I actually ran out of gas on the freeway, atleast I think I did.  I was going like 80 and the power stopped.  I pulled over and turned it off the turned the reserve switch on.  The bike wouldnt start but I realized i needed to use the choke.  I got it running and went to the nearest gas station, but unfortunately I didnt have the gas tank key!  Silly me.  I decided I would try to wing it and drive it home to find the key.  I made it  Well atleast I know how far the reserve will actually get me now.  I didnt take down the mileage but it took me a good distance to say the least.  The bike got 150 miles on the tank but I dont think it was fully filled.    

I actually am not sure how high the tank will be filled.  I filled it bak up with the 5.75 I had and it got me like 2.6 gallons.  The tank looked nearly full but I am guessing I could have filled it up more.  How do you know whe it is full?  It is supposedly 5.3 gallons capacity, but whe I put 2.6 in it it looked nearly full.  Is this just an illusion?  Can I indeed put almost 3 more gallons in the tank.  The only thing that might skew this situation is if I didnt really run out of gas but the bike stopped going and wouldnt start until I put the reserve on and the choke on so Im pretty sure I was running on low.  

I love the bike though, it is great.  Larry is a very nice person and I am glad I was able to buy the bike off of him.  Thank you and please give me gas tips!  peace.

[Straymonolith]

Congrats on the new bike.
I got a '91 GS a few weeks ago, myself.
I ran out of gas the first time I took it on the freeway. Good times!

[Alphamazing]

When you fill up, make sure that you are keeping the bike straight up and down. This is easiest for me by sitting on the bike and filling the tank up. You can also put the bike on the centerstand and filling it up there. Also, be sure to fill it up right to the lip. If you don't, there is a lot of volume there that could be used for gas.

So yeah. Larry is a good guy to deal with, too. Very nice I sold him that gas tank cap and seat lock I found it kinda sucky to have to carry two keys at once, but I got used to it. That's how it came on the bike too, surprisingly enough.

I ran out of gas on the freeway on my old GS too. SCARY feeling, huh? You should put the bike on the centerstand and practice switching to RES while you're sitting on your bike with your feet on the pegs. If it happens again you won't have to pull off.

[okayf00l]

Ill definitely practice that.  I thought about trying it but it didnt feel worth the risk.  Good point about using the center stand.  Since the bike ran out of gas, it should have only had a bit left so 2.6 definitely isnt maximum capacity.  I will practice flipping the reserve so that next time I run out I wont have to stop.  I am going to see how many miles the bike will get from the 2.6 gallons so I can calculate mpg

[Alphamazing]

I don't know how Larry rejetted his, but I had a '92 with a Stage 1 DynoJet jet kit in it, and I usually got about 160 miles per tank before having to switch over to reserve. Sometimes I got 140, but it really depended on how hard I had rung it.

If you're ever near Austin, let me know.

[okayf00l]

yea Larry told me he usually refueled around 150miles.  Does that seem right?  Also, is the gas cap supposed to stick up a bit on the side closest to the bars.  Mine does so maybe I am not closing it right.  If i put my nose up to it I can smell gasoline but maybe this is normal.  I pressed it down as hard as I can and closed it so im thinking it sealed up well.

[Alphamazing]

Hmm. Do you mean the flipy cap, or the ring around it? Picture? If it's the ring, check the tightness of the allen bolts holding it to the tank. If it's the flipy cap, make sure you hear it click.

[okayf00l]

I am talking about the flipy cap thing.  I dont hear a click, do you mean whe I turn the key or press it down.  The flippy cap is stickin up a bit near the bars, the ring is okay.

[okayf00l]

I heard it click kinda.  Im pushing the cap down and turning the key.  I cant push it down anymore.  It isnt sticking up so much just a bit where I noticed.    It was my first time to fill her up so I just got paranoid maybe it is completely normal.  I dont have a camera tight now but ill try to get pics later.  Maybe this is normal Im just not sure.

[Alphamazing]

When you turn the key and press down you might hear a click if you don't turn the key all the way to the left (or right, whichever one unlocks).

If it locks, then you're fine.

Wow. I think that was my most useless post yet...

[pantablo]

Since the bike ran out of gas, it should have only had a bit left so 2.6 definitely isnt maximum capacity.  

there is quite a bit of reserve in the tank of the gs when you run out of gas, that is to say if you look into the tank. But if you only filled it with 2.6 ga then its possible that one of the common maladies of the gs struck you-fuel starvation at freeway speeds. Do a search for more detailed info but the gist is that when running at constant highway speed/rpm the engine doesnt create enough vacuum to fill the carbs with gas at the rate it is being used up, essentially emptying the carburetor bowls. I'm not sure I have that right but it was something like that. I think one solution was to simply switch to prime for a moment then back to run. someone back me up?

[okayf00l]

Well that definitely might be the case.  I was going 90 mph then I went back to 80 for a bit and started opening the throttle back up I wanted to see if i could take it to like 100mph.  So maybe it just didnt get the gas because whe n I shook the bike there seemed to be a bit of gas in there but it might have just been th reserve.

[RedShift]

... Also, be sure to fill it up right to the lip. If you don't, there is a lot of volume there that could be used for gas. ...

Perhaps a tad too picky here, but would like to comment that there's no real reason to fill the gas tank to absolutely full unless you're preparing the bike for winter storage and don't want that vapor space.

The pseudo-filler neck protrudes into the tank about 1" from the cap assembly.  If you fill to that point, you've got somewhere around a half-gallon (US) of volume you're not using.  You can continue filling, but there's little to be had by that if you're continuously using the bike.

A "to the brim" fill may cause overflow into the tank vent.  No real harm, but a bit of a waste.  Just a stray thought to consider...

[Alphamazing]

A "to the brim" fill may cause overflow into the tank vent.  No real harm, but a bit of a waste.  Just a stray thought to consider...

Only if you fill it up and then let it sit out in the sun, forcing the vapors to expand and push the gasoline out the vent tubes. However, if you fill it up and go ride that half gallon translates to an extra 25 miles before you hit reserve. That's a long distance to walk if you run out of gas.

[RedShift]

Point taken...

[sledge]

A few years ago a friend of mine had a BMW and used to do a lot of touring on it, because he racked up quite a mileage between stops he always insisted on getting as much petrol into the tank as was physicaly possible and brimming it. Needless to say on one fateful occasion some fuel got past the cap as he was leaning into a fast curve and landed on the hot engine......You can guess the rest. He was ok but the bike didnt make it, as a result I am always careful not to overfill the tank.

[RedShift]

Good point.  I began thinking again about what AlphaFire said, and my experiences concur with your comments.  It's often tough to control the gas pump nozzle to not spill once reaching the filler neck.

I can only get 3-5 fluid ounces at a time and I find it takes more effort than it's worth to get a "to the brim" fill.  Don't know how many times I've spashed over and that's usually the point I call it quits and cap it.

Still, to each their own as far as fueling is concerned.  As with all things, be careful and think about what you do BEFORE you do it.  

[Alphamazing]

I'm pretty good with the pump. I can get it down to a trickle and hold it there pretty easily. I guess all those years of piano lessons and sax playing are finally paying off! :lol: