Hello, a little help perhaps?

[espm1000]

Hello, my name is Rob, and I just purchased a 2004 GS500F from a pregnant woman for 2100 dollars. It only has 1700 miles on it, but has been sitting for quite a while. While in neutral it will rev up fine, start up real quickly, and there are no signs of clogged jets or bad timing.

I drained the gas the other day and it looks like apple juice; it is not accustomed to what I normally see. Do you think that it may just be the gas that causes the sputtering and backfiring when I try to ride it, it has been sitting for a good 6-7 months, and luckily there are no signs of rust damage on the inside of the tank.

Once again, it is fine when it is in neutral or idling, but when it is under load in first or second gear it sputters and backfires. There is also the fact that the battery was dead and I had jumped it with another battery I had lying around.

[Lukewarm Wilson]

check your spark plugs and leads give the plugs a clean and gap

[espm1000]

Thanks! I work and go to school until monday, so monday I will just pick up new plugs. I need to get a manual for this bike as well. Luckily I'm mechanically inclined enough to at least take the carbs apart without it.

[tussey]

Don't get the Clymer manual. Get the Haynes Manual. It's 100x better. I own both and I've never used my clymer. My haynes has worn corners and nearly half of the pages are stained with grease and oil. A sign of any good manual 

[espm1000]

Alright, It's nearly three in the morning and I was TOSSING and TURNING trying to figure out how to get the drain plug for the float bowl out (the head is stripped). I didn't feel like taking the carbs out so I used vice grips around the handle of another pair of vice grips to tighten them around the rounded screw. Worked like a charm and no drilling for an easyout .

[Jarrett]

Alright, It's nearly three in the morning and I was TOSSING and TURNING trying to figure out how to get the drain plug for the float bowl out (the head is stripped). I didn't feel like taking the carbs out so I used vice grips around the handle of another pair of vice grips to tighten them around the rounded screw. Worked like a charm and no drilling for an easyout .

Good work!  I prefer easyout since it's easy, and I'm tossing the screw anyway.

[ledfingers]

change the oil, filters and plugs and put new gas in it.

[Jughead]

check your spark plugs and leads give the plugs a clean and gap

You probably started Fouling your Plugs out with the Stale Stuff.Like LWW says Change your Plugs.Make sure they are Regular Plugs and not Resistor type.One Other thing you may want to do is Get some regular Spark Plug Caps and Ditch the ones that are on the bike.They are of the resistor type and After a While the Resistor could Break Down on the Inside causing a Very weak Spark.Running Resistor caps and Resistor Plugs will be too Much Resistance and Actually are Useless.

[Wondertwin]

Old gas doesn't combust very well.  I think if you siphon the old gas out of the tank and put in some new gas, it'll run just fine.  My guess is the pilot jets (the smallest ones in the carbs that are most likely to clog) are fine if it idles okay.  New plugs may or may not be necessary unless the old gas has gummed them up.  I've seen this in extreme cases, but if the plugs look good (light tan in color @ the electrode), then I'd save your $5.  I think people love to change plugs b/c it's easy 

[espm1000]

Thanks. I am contemplating taking apart the carbs to clean them, but am not quite sure if I have to or not. Anyone know where I can get a horn relay? Also, where would I get new plug caps that would work effectively with the gs?

[espm1000]

Thought I would give a little update. I pulled the carbs and have cleaned them (even though it appears they didn't need it). I'm off to the dealer tomorrow to get the spark plugs I need.

[Mandres]

Autozone / O'Reilly / Pep Boys carry the plugs.  Probably cheaper than the dealership.

[Egaeus]

Auto Zone doesn't carry them.