Just got a GS500E, a little help please?

[Blackgk]

I Just picked up a 1992 GS500E for my girlfriend (her first bike). Its showing 27,000 miles on the odometer, is a little faded, a few little scuffs, but other then that, looks great mechanically.  No leaks, oil puddles, excessive wear etc. Got it for a steal at $600.00 CDN. It was parked 2 years ago and hasn't been started since. I did not attempt to start it, as i did not want to draw old gas etc. through the carbs. I pulled the battery which was almost dry, pulled the gastank off, airfilter (has nuts in it from a squirrel LOL) and drained the floats on the carbs. It also came with what appears to be a brand new starter or main relay (+ wire from bat goes to it, and the other post looks like the lead goes to chassis somewhere, aslso has a wire harness connector and 20 amp fuse) so I installed that. My next step was going to be put a new battery and fresh gas in in at try and start it. BUT > I cannot get the gas cap off! The key dosnt want to move it! So i tried removing the whole assembly by removing the ring with allen bolts, but i cannot get it to disengage from the gastank. I tried prying the top up, thinking it was just a rubber seal holding it, untill i realized i was starting to bend it! So i cannot get the old gas out or new gas in, and I'm afraid i have/will wreck it. Please advise.

Blackgk

PS great board here!

Also, any input as to the start proceedure once i get gas into it, ie what to set the petcock to (the carbs have been drained) and choke, how long to crank it, throttle position etc.

[im your legacy]

You might wana consider removing the gas tank and replacing it. More than likely rust has taken over inside of it. 

[DoD#i]

Try some penetrating oil (pb-blaster, kroil, etc) in at the right side of the gas cap, and down the keyhole.

If you can check with the prior owner, make sure there's not a different key (can happen if gas tank was swapped cap and all)

Key turns to the right. Try to move the loosened cap to the left if reefing on it, as the latch sticks out to the right. Repeatedly inserting and removing the key after applying penetrating oil may help free up the tumblers so it works.

Petcock goes up for prime position. Check the Wiki (look up for the post with the link - it's a sticky) or here for diagrams of the correct hose routing, and consider some new hoses.

For the moment, you could set the petcock up and funnel some fresh gas into the reserve hose to fill the carb bowls, which would let you try to start it, tank or no tank. Goes about half a mile on a bowl-full; Quite a few minutes idling in the driveway.

[Blackgk]

well I'd like to get a look inside first before I take that drastic of a step, it was in a garage, and It is full of gas, which should keep the chances of rust down...its been sitting less then 2 years...

[Blackgk]

Thanks for the info, I have the cap half removed ATM, so i need to get it in or out, and im sure its the original cap assembly...i do have penetrating oil in it right now I have to run to the shop and see about new filters battery etc, maybe when i get back ill post a pic, and show you where im stuck. And thanks for the tip on trying to start it, im anxious to see if it fires up!

Blackgk

[DoD#i]

Right, the rest of starting - no throttle, full choke, kill on, clutch in, Neutral (not required unless on sidestand, but if you're not going to ride off on it..)

Crank for no more than 5-10 seconds, cool for 30-60 seconds before cranking again. Usually fires right up in 2 seconds or less, but who knows with it sitting for a long time. After 3 (?) tries I'd walk away and let it cool down more/longer before going at it again.

As soon as it fires, you can start backing off the choke to keep the revs reasonable.

[Blackgk]

So start it with the petcock in the "prime" position? what about the old air filter? New one on order...better with the old one in, or none? (its in my garage, i wont be riding it). I was worried with no air filter it might be too lean of a mixture to start.

Thanks a bunch

[beRto]

So start it with the petcock in the "prime" position? what about the old air filter? New one on order...better with the old one in, or none? (its in my garage, i wont be riding it). I was worried with no air filter it might be too lean of a mixture to start.

Thanks a bunch

I agree with you that without an air filter the bike will run lean. Assuming the old air filter is not too filthy, I would prefer to keep it in place until the new one arrives.

If the filter is really dirty, you may be able to use gasoline to clean it as a temporary measure. I have never done this myself, but there are some threads describing the process. Since you are replacing the air filter very soon, I wouldn't worry about cleaning it unless your filter is really dirty.

[scottpA_GS]

Worst case you can drill out the lock... Thats what I had to do to mine. Then you can use a screw driver to open it.. gives you a bit more force. Then, it still works w/ the key (any key) but it works 

[Blackgk]

sorry still looking for some clarification, try and START it in prime position, or sert to prime for a few mins till the bowls fill, then set petcock to on?


Thanks

[DoD#i]

sorry still looking for some clarification, try and START it in prime position, or sert to prime for a few mins till the bowls fill, then set petcock to on?

Either is fine. For your "will thing fire while I'm fighting the gas tank", just leave it in prime and get a bit in the bowls. In theory and often in practice, you can prime it and switch back to on before starting, assuming all the vacuum-petcock-juju is working right (read up a bit, it's common to have problems with the vacuum petcock juju).

So long as you don't put it in prime with a tank of gas connected and walk away and leave it, there's no problem at all starting and running in prime, except a potential one at the high end (restriction of fuel flow since prime passage is smaller than the rest of the petcock). You won't be at the high end (running flat out on the highway) for a while yet, I think. Just be sure to set it to reserve or on when/before you turn the bike off.

[Blackgk]

Ok, new problems 

The battery actually charged! I put it in, all the lights are super bright, turn signals work etc, hit the starter button, and nothing. The lights did not dim, not clicking, nothing. Like its not drawing a load, not even trying. Just to make sure its not the battery, it tried it with a 12v jump-pack...same. On a POSSIBLY? related note, its came with a brand-new suzuki part #31800-01D00 starter relay assembly thats rubber mounted to the side of the bike. It was new in box, so I swapped it in. This makes me think the prev. over had some sort of problem with it (i do not have access to the prev. owner). So, next question, how do i trouble-shoot a "will not turn over" problem?

Thanks in advance,

Blackgk

[fred]

If it isn't doing anything at all when you push the starter, start checking the continuity of the switches that will prevent it from trying to start. The side stand switch, the neutral switch and the clutch switch are all candidates... Also make sure your kill switch actually works too. If you're lucky, a few minutes with a multi meter will show that one or more of the switches is bad and is preventing your bike from even attempting to turn over...

[DoD#i]

You may have had the brand-new-looking bad one that was swapped out and "saved for later" and may have removed the good one.

Otherwise, the shortest answer is to drop a wrench or screwdriver across the terminals on the relay to crank it.

Longer answers here, with links to diagrams, etc.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=43024.0

[Blackgk]

hmmm does the clutch need to be pulled in for it to crank, even in neutral? and also, will it crank over while it up on the centre stand? For reference, i tried to start it ON the CENTRE stand, in neutral, kill switch ON, but clutch NOT pulled in.

Gonna go try again...

[DoD#i]

If the clutch switch is working, it has to be pulled in, regardless of neutral. Up on centerstand is fine.

[Blackgk]

Ok, if i jump the solenoid, it cranks over! That tells me the starter is ok, correct?

problem is, it dosnt tell me where in the systems the signal to start is getting "killed" or could it possibly be the solenoid? This is the brand new in box on, but i did keep the old one.

Whats the easiest way to bypass the kill switches (sidestand/clutch) does simply unhooking them do it, or do they need to be jumped?

clarification also needed

This is my current setup, sans gas tank.

Hoses disconnected from gas tank, gas tank removed. A clear fuel line running from a clear plastic bottle full of fresh fuel into the RES intake on the petcock. Petcock set to "prime"

Questions:

1) is it the res i should have the fuel supply hooked up to?

2) will the bike "pull" the fuel up out of the bottle? As I was breifly cranking it, it didnt seeem to be drawing the fuel up...does it need to be gravity fed from the tank?


Thanks a million guys, Im going to order a book through the site. The bike is a birthday gift for the girlfriend, and its hard to get excited about it till i can get it fired up!


Black

[JeffD]

Its gravity fed so it will not 'pull' any fuel.  Your gas container MUST be higher on the bike than the carbs so gravity will pull the fuel down into the carbs.

My GS sat for 3 years...couple squirts of carb cleaner into the carbs, oil change, clean fuel.....click click VROOOOM.   Had a nice cloud of dirt/junk come blowing out of the exhaust (it sat outside).  These things are indestructable.

[DoD#i]

Fuel is gravity feed, no pump. Reserve is where prime gets its gas.

Bypassing the clutch switch is covered in the thread I linked - basically unplug it, and plug the ends of the things it's unplugged from together. The complete electrical systems diagram and start/run systems electrical diagram are linked there as well - which should get you on track with what's not working, if you take a tester to it.

If you have the bike switched on when you crank it over, and have picked the bottle up to feed fuel into the carb bowls, if it fires/runs you can isolate your problem to the starter (sidestand relay, clutch switch, and starter relay) side of things, otherwise (won't fire with gas) you might have a bad kill switch - the electrical tester will reveal all as you muck about in the wires in the headlight shell (mostly).

[Blackgk]

hmmm so my water bottle sitting on the carbs with a gas line poking into it wont do the trick lol. Ill go by work tomorrow (im a paramedic) and grab a couple big-ass syringes and use them to "charge" the fuel lines, till i can get my gas cap problem remedied.

But im still stck with a "will not turn over" situation, unless of course, i jump the starter relay