New to forum and have some questions about 07 GS500F

[SteveF101]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum would like to say hello.   Great forum, lots of good stuff here!!  I've been riding for quite a few years and am returning to riding after a 5 year hiatus.   I got a 07 GS500F back in December to replace my CX500 which was getting kind of old, and so far I'm loving it.  The twisties are now a pleasure rather than something to be endured.  I live in the Seattle area and use the bike mostly for commuting, about 80 miles a day, but with some long trips planned once the weather improves.   

My goal was to make a mini sport tourer using the GS500F, I figured it was the perfect platform for it.  So far I've added the Motech risers, Givi trunk, Laminar lip and mirror extenders.  I've got about 2000 miles on it so far.  Several problems though, I hope you all can help me out with.  I had a huge problem with the rear brake squeal and after several trips back to the dealership, they finally replaced the rear pads with softer ones, this seems to have fixed that problem, I guess this is a pretty common problem, so hopefully this will help others. 

The biggest concern I have right now is with it smoking a lot when it is first started with choke on.  It smokes pretty heavy for a few minutes.  The smoke is light blue / white with an oil smell to it,  and then goes away when the choke is off.  Is this normal?  No other problems with performance or smoking other than when cold and on choke. 

My next biggest problem is I would love to get a new seat.  The stock one is great for about 2 hours of riding and then I get a serious case of monkey butt.  I've search all over and can't find a Corbin of similar replacement.  Any suggestions?   

Thanks a lot for any advice, it is really appreciated!!

[beRto]

Welcome!

I had a huge problem with the rear brake squeal

Rear brake squeal is often caused by a mis-aligned rear wheel. I know you've solved the problem with softer pads, but you may want to verify your alignment anyways.

The biggest concern I have right now is with it smoking a lot when it is first started with choke on.  It smokes pretty heavy for a few minutes.  The smoke is light blue / white with an oil smell to it,  and then goes away when the choke is off.  Is this normal?

Not normal. Check out these threads for more info:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=38986.0
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=32083.0

[ajaxgs]

welcome ...


check your oil level with the bike on the centre stand!