What ? to ask??

[LPC2104]

I'm about to take the first step in my future motorcycle life and call about a GSer.  The problem is I have no idea what I'm doing, I've never even been on a bike before.  To give you the basics, it's a 1990 with 8K on it.  I figure the basic questions would be tire life, mechanical flaws.  I'm  a little stumped after that.  Do you guys have any suggestions?  Thanks a lot!

[Stephen072774]

a 90 model with 8000 miles tells me its been sitting a bit... doesn't mean thats bad, but rust can be a problem on the gs's.  Check for rust on the outside, and check the inside of the gas tank for rust also (just don't use a cigerette lighter to do so).  Tires get dry rotted and start to crack sometimes, check that too.

[annguyen1981]

Plus, take an MSF course.  Pronto!

[LPC2104]

I most definitely will take the course.  I'm going to have my wife take it too even though she won't be driving it.  I figure it's better if she understands how it works too.

[ukchickenlover]

Ask how long they have had it, how new are tyres, brake pads and discs, chain and sprocket.
Ask what maintanence has been done. Has it been in a crash and is there any damage.
When you look at it take someone who know a bit about bikes or cars.
Have a look at the general condition, if it looks like it has never been cleaned then it proberly was not looked after well.

[mastrind]

...do you know anybody that rides??...maybe have someone with some experience take a look at it....last option is to call up a local shop and see how much they charge to give a good once over.....shouldn't be too much....and it could save $$ in the long run....

[Jake D]

If it were me and I had never ridden before, I would be sure to go look a the bike and start the bike up and just let it sit there at idle until it warms up.  If it warms up and you can shut the choke off and it  idles normally, then that is a good indication.  Also, once it is warm, rev it up and see if it revs quickly all the way through the power band.  

It shouldn't be a perfect predictor of whether or not the bike is in great shape, but it will give you a decent idea how the bike runs.

[RVertigo]

Here's a HUGE list for ya'

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

[gsmetal]

I'm going to assume you'll be looking at the bike in person at some point.

My two easy and favorite things to do are to look to see if there are any fluid leaks on the ground where the bike is parked.

Second, put the bike on the center stand and have someone put all the weight on the back seat so the front wheel is off the ground. Move the handle bars left to right - you shouldn't feel any 'notch' - it should be very smooth. If you do feel the notch you'll need to replace the steering head 'races'. The 'race' is the roundy thing (sorry for that description, I'm having a mental block) that the actual bearings sit in. It's a fairly good sized project to undertake and will cost you $100.00 in parts and the better part of a day or weekend.

Often the race is damaged from doing to many wheelies or a collision. The ball bearing get impacted into the race damaging it.

I bought a bike that had this damage and didn't detect it - it was so bad that you couldn't turn the handle bars without almost crashing.

[KYGS500E]

My GS is a 92 and I bought it with 22,000 miles on it ( i know... thats a lot)... Make sure you bring someone who does know about bikes to drive it... It may be a great bike... but dont make my mistake... you DONT have to buy the first bike you see!  8k miles isn't bad though!

[ukchickenlover]

My GS is a 92 and I bought it with 22,000 miles on it ( i know... thats a lot)... Make sure you bring someone who does know about bikes to drive it... It may be a great bike... but dont make my mistake... you DONT have to buy the first bike you see!  8k miles isn't bad though!

This is my problem also, I see the bike and get so excited and don't check it over properly, plus I am kind of impatient and don't want to spend weeks looking for a good bike.