New to the Gs500

[dgo99gs500e]

Well i am new to the gs 500 and i love it but i have a questions about the bike. i have been reading as much as i can form all of the posts hear and have learned so much but i can not find an answer to my question.  First question is i live at 6000 feet elevation and my bike is acting up a bit.  At wot in 6th at like 65 mph it does not pull at all unless i back off of the throttle a bit then it will start pulling but not hard is that a sign that i am running lean?  Or is this a fuel starvation problem due to the crappy petcock or is this due to a carb issue if it is a carb issue would putting in a k&n lunch box filter fix this prob or make it worse.

I have all ready bought the k&n because well i cant leave anything stock that and i want to get an exhaust soon and if i am going to re jet then i might as well put every thing on and then re jet instead of one thing at a time.
Thanks for any help you can give me

Oh and hear is a pic of the bike 1999 gs500e with 2500 miles on it when i bought it 2 months ago now has 4000 miles on it

[Eric_in_OR]

I frequently ride at elevations between 500' and 7000' with my stock '05, and it doesn't seem to appreciably change the performance. At any elevation, it won't accelerate hard in 6th gear. The remedy: shift down a gear, twist vigerously, and grin.  6th is great for cruising at speed and getting great milage, but for accelleration 4th and 5th are the ticket.

[pronator]

Welcome! 

[dgo99gs500e]

I know to shift down but you should not have to shift down to 5th gear if you are going 60 and want to go 65 it will actually drop mph if you sitting at 60 and want to go 65 and you give it wot or roll on the throttle it just does not like to go any where in 6th gear also it will buck a bit to even after shifting down to 5th.  it is kind of a wired thing. I don't know if it is the fuel starvation prob or if i need to get it rejetted and i am glad to hear that ridding between such differences in elevation does not affect anything but i want to get this fixed before i start ridding in the high mountains it is kind of annoying.

Thanks again for any input

[theGrinch]

Take a look at the colour of spark plugs. It should be some light brown (like a deer if that makes sense), too dark means too rich, white too lean.

Despite the late hours (2230 over here), I'll try to use my brain:
High altitude = low oxygen = engine running rich
K&N = more air intake = should help the problem

Take a look at the plugs first and act accordingly.
When you put the spark plugs back in, only hand-screw them in, than 1/12 to 1/8 turn (30 - 45°) with a spanner.

/edit: Some GSes don't seem to be affected by altitudes but a few people living close the Alps swap jets before they go there...

[kml.krk]

I don't think that putting in the K&N filter will help in your current state.

You HAVE to rejet if you want pipe and air filter, otherwise you'll be leaner than you already are.

You may also want to check if the jets aren't clogged, which may be the case since bike is 1999 and had only 2500 miles when you bought it.

Keep us informed and good luck
Kamel

[commuterdude]

Sounds like clogged jets.  My bike did the same speed pickup just as the throttle was backed off.   Cleaning the jets/carbs carefully and re-synching cured it.  It now runs like a bat out of hell.

[dgo99gs500e]

Cool thanks for the help i would not of guessed  that the jets were clogged. well i am going to be doing some general maintenance this weekend as well as change the petcock so i might try a shot at the carbs we will see.

Thanks for the help i will let you know how it goes

[gsJack]

I didn't have any problems at 6000 feet on either my 97 GS or my 02 GS both of which were strictly stock.  A 99 with only 2500 miles on it must need a good carb cleaning.

[dgo99gs500e]

Ya i just pick up some sea foam and am going to try that to night as well as do an oil change, lube the chain and get rid of the diaphragm pet chicken. if the sea foam does not work then i will have to take the carbs out but i dont think i will have that much of a problem doing that. So i am hoping it will fix the problem if it does not fix it i guess i will have to go and buy and exhaust and put the lunch box on and get it re jetted i know i dont have to buy the exhaust but if i am going to re  jet it i might as well have every thing on it that i want to put on it. no sence in doing the re jet more than i have to. right.

[theGrinch]

Have you had a look at your spark plugs yet?

[dgo99gs500e]

i looked at them and changed them a couple weeks after i bought the bike and i have not looked at them yet when i pulled them out the first time the left side was a little black and the right side was a light chocolate brown but i have not checked them since and that was like 1500 miles ago

[theGrinch]

So that would still be my 1st port of call as it's
a) quick
b) cheap (cost's you only your time, and not much of it (see a)  )

Coz if you're running too rich, it's not your clogged up jets (although a carb clean never hurts)

[dgo99gs500e]

Ya i was planing on looking at them when i was doing the maintenances tonight. Thanks for the help at least i can start to narrow it down a little bit more than what i thought it was in the beginning witch was the fuel starvation with the petcock but i think that i am going to change it out with the one form a CRF250X. first ill do the sea foam and see how it runs then ill do the petcock.  I have been reading about sea foam and form what i can tell using it in the tank is all right but sucking it threw the vacuum is not is this correct.

[qwertydude]

If you install a K&N you need to rejet,  you're at altitude so the bogging is not as pronounced. Low altitude and a K&N means you basically can't run very well at all. The GS is a carbed bike so anything you do to exhaust and especially intake requires rejetting.

[dgo99gs500e]

Update

Well i went out and started to mess around with the gs first checked the plugs and they were black so cleaned them up a little, then i started to do the petcock mod finished that and put the k&n lunch box filter in got it all put back to gether and looked on the floor and saw the tank rubber mount laying on the floor doh. Got it all back to gether and started it up and man the differance is amazing i was thinkng of geting a new exhaust but not now it sound sweet.  i am going to do the oil change tommrow afternoon and take it for a ride and see how it does. I am thinking that theGrinch might be on to some thing it ill test ride it tommrow after the oil change and allso kept an eye out so i dont run to lean.

Thanks for the help and ill let you guys know more after the ride

[kml.krk]

be carefull man! you don't wanna blow or seize your engine, do you?
you just put in the most flowing air filter available, on a stock jetted bike....
you should be fine for testing, but please rejet her, she will beg for that...

I think you'll notice huge flat spot halfway through the throttle and/or you will not be able to pass the range of about 5-7K rpms   or... I don't know, I'm not a pro.

cheers
Kamel

[dgo99gs500e]

Ya i doing the oil tonight and i will take it for a ride to check it out i was just sitting on it last night and revving it after it warmed up and it did not feel like there was any flat spots.  Also i dont know if the P.O. had it re jetted the plugs were pretty black. i will just see how the plugs look after a ride, and re jet accordingly i know that running to lean will hurt the bike and i dont want to do that. Kept you guys informed. I am not a pro ether lucky i have friends that are and he owns the local stealer ship. i am going to run by there after work and talk to them and get some different jets on order.

[dgo99gs500e]

Well the result of the lunch box is it rides sweet i am sure i am running just a bit lean right now so i am thinking that one of the p.o put some different jets in it to make it more rich than the stock jetting thats why it was running way rich in the higher elevations the sound is sweet and it does not fell like it is more powerfull the power is just smother thru out the rpm range i have a slight flat spot but not a big one. i think that a re jet will make it that much better.  Next thing on the list is new front springs and a re jet.  I have searched but is one spring better than the other.  i am a bigger guy 6'2 and 220 and do not ride 2 up not going to race the bike but just want better performance out of the front end so is it better to go with Sonic Springs or the Progressive Springs Thanks for all the help

[kml.krk]

just keep in mind that the flat spot will not be noticeable in neutal.
it's noticeable under engine load.
at least that is what happened in my case.

but your case looks to be different-looks that PO really changed the jets, which is good 

good luck!
cheers
Kamel