Just bought a 1993 GS500e, technical question

[Jek]

Hey guys, I bought a '93 GS500e yesterday and have a question for you guys.  It's my first bike but I have several friends that have ridden for years and have some knowledge of carbed V twin bikes.  I searched the board but can't seem to find quite the same problem.  The bike starts ok, but when it does it revs to 6000rpms and idles there.  Things we've tried:

1) At first, the choke was stuck wide open because of a minor problem with the choke cable.  We fixed this, but still no luck.

2) We checked the throttle, and it seems to be working normally.  If you give it lots of gas it will rev up beyond 6000rpm, but there's a "dead zone" before it revs, which seems right to me since it's already at 6000rpm.

3) We've adjusted the idle screw extensively, and it seems to have no effect.  I'm not even sure if the idle screw would let you adjust the idle RPM up to 6k, for that matter.

Anything else to check or other ideas?  I'm going to put it in a shop soon anyways, but I'd like to learn more about fixing my own bike too.

Thanks in advance,
David

[gsmetal]

Had the bike been sitting a long time before you bought it?

There might be some gunk on/in the jets.

I would start with a carb rebuild.

[lumpoffire]

The throttle stop bolt/screw (down there between the carbs) may be adjusted so that it doesn't permit the throttle to close fully.  Turn that nut (clockwise, I think) so that the long threaded screw backs out to let the throttle close.  Then use the idle knob to adjust idle speed.

My $.02

D.

[dgyver]

Ahh, the o' so common high idle hang. There are plenty of posts regarding this. But most attribute this to an air leak or leaness. The air leak is typically around the carb boots when the o-ring dries out.

[Jek]

Thanks for the responses guys!  I actually got it figured out.  We ended up taking the tank off to look at the top of the carbs and make sure everything was alright up there (on advice from another thread in this forum).  While the tank was off, we noticed we had the idle screw adjusted so far wrong that it didn't seem like it was making any difference when we adjusted it.  It's also about 10 degrees warmer today and no snow on the ground, so that helped.  We got the bike running smoothly, it sounds beautiful.  Carbs may need some cleaning, but it's definitely rideable.  We took it to a local parking lot and rode it for the first time, my second time ever riding a bike, heheh.  Definitely a beautiful machine though!

[starwalt]

...We took it to a local parking lot and rode it for the first time, my second time ever riding a bike, heheh.  Definitely a beautiful machine though!

Good news! Now it is time for the MSF course!

If you're gonna learn raw, you might as well beat up someone else's bike! 

[makenzie71]

If you're gonna learn raw, you might as well beat up someone else's bike! 

Words of a true educator.

[Jek]

MSF course is definitely planned, I just gotta call them and register.  I've been talking to experienced riders and reading boards and I've heard great things about them.  I've heard horror stories about guys that have never ridden before and buy a brand new 600cc sportbike and wreck it right away, I don't intend to be one of them!  MSF and a good starter bike like this one is the path for me