First bike

[seagull22]

Hey everyone,
my names Dave.
I'm hoping to buy this bike for summer use. My truck (00 dakota r/t) is killing me on gas.
I plan on taking the MSF and then get my liscence.
Anything i should look for on this bike?
he says it has 10500 miles.
its going to be my first bike so I want to make sure i choose the right one

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/1116369061.html

thanks,
Dave

[Bluesmudge]

Get a GS because it is fun to ride and brings you into one of the greatest communities on earth. Motorcycles are good for a lot more than great gas milage. Besides, you can buy a ton of gas for the $1000 you will spend on the bike and at least $500 you will be spending on basic maintenance and safety gear.

What I mean is, just make sure you are buying a motorcycle for the right reasons and it will be the greatest purchase of your life. It sounds like you are doing it right, taking the MSF course and getting a proper first bike (yay for GS500!).

Please read this over: http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

Welcome to the forum!

[sledge]

Anything i should look for on this bike?

Yeah......everything.

[fred]

That GS looks fine from the small amount of information that add has. You should go take a look at the bike. If it starts up when cold, has decent looking tires, a chain that isn't rusty and it has a title, I'd go for it. 10k on a bike that age is pretty low, which is good. My '94 has over 88,000 miles on it at this point...

[sledge]

he says it has 10500 miles.

10k is low for an 18yr old bike, I would want a convincing answer as why its so low and why he is selling it. Is that a genuine mileage or just what happens to be on the odometer? ....see what looks like duct-tape stuck on the speedo?  .

Dont let me put you off, if you want it buy it......but Rule #1......Believe nothing the seller tells you, ask for paperwork and use your eyes, not your ears.

[Trwhouse]

Hi seagull22,

Welcome to our world.
I live near you in Lancaster, so let me know if you want help anytime.

Here is a note I posted previously on this subject:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=43502.0

You have to look over everything on a prospective purchase to make sure it is worth its asking price, and to determine how much money you might have to invest to make it safe and healthy.
Any motorcycle must have:
*No visible rust in the fuel tank -- open the cap and look inside and use a flashlight to peek around. If it's been lined with sealant, I personally would not be happy with it. I'd mark it down as a major negative because there is no guarantee that you won't forever be cleaning little bits of the decomposing sealant out of your fuel system as time goes by.
*Fresh tires with healthy tread and no weather-checking on the sidewalls and tread. Bad tires? Add $200-250 to the cost of the bike, and that's if you take the wheels to the dealer to have the tires installed.
*A well-lubricated drive chain that is properly adjusted tells you someone took care of it. A rusty chain like the one in your photos tells me the bike had poor maintenance in general, with few oil changes etc. New chain and sprockets -- parts only $160, your labor.
*Check brake pads to be sure they have adequate life in them and that the brake rotors are not scraped badly -- $40 each front and read for new pads, your labor.
*Check control cables for ease of movement and proper operation -- broken levers mean the bike's been down and inadequately repaired.
*Check fork seals for leakage around fork tubes. Lots of oil mist means they've been leaking for a while due to lack of care.
*Check engine oil level BEFORE you start the bike. Look at the oil on the dipstick. To check it properly on a GS500, you unscrew the dipstick, clean it off then put it back in the hole WITHOUT screwing it back in. The cap just rests on top of the threads. Then pull it out and check the level. Is it BLACK and filthy? Or brown and dirty? Smell the oil on the dipstick. Is there a burned smell? The oil should be brownish but NOT BLACK and sludgy. Again, you are looking to see how the bike was maintained. Screw the cap back in when you are done. Smiley
*Check everything else -- body work for scratches -- you may not care but your resale value down the road takes a hit. Check for how the engine sounds, is it ticking loudly and grinding or does it sound healthy?
*How does the bike shift while riding? Smoothly? Or is it notchy?
*To check the forks for damage beyond the bent upper tubes, carefully look at the frame steering head for any cracks in the paint, any lines, any marks at all.
You also need to check the triple clamps that hold the fork legs to the bike. I can describe this more if you need it.
There are a million more things to check.
The bike you're talking about --- how much do they want for it with bent forks and who knows what else?

The problem with used motorcycles is that it may not have been worth more than $500 when you list its deficiencies, starting with the chain and sprockets, bad fuel tank, and general malaise. I look at a bike worth $1200 as one where I pay $500 to buy it then another $700 to make it right.

I think it's always better to pay for a nicer bike at a reasonable price than to try to fix up a cheaper bike, unless it is REALLY cheap enough to make it worthwhile. $1000 is not cheap, depending on what else it will need. And it IS likely that it will need some things. Just the nature of machines.

We are all here to help and there are plenty of people here who can share their experiences with you.

I'd be happy to help you with your bike. Where is it located in Philly? Have you started it and listened to it? Be sure to check all the things on the list above.

I was 16 when I bought my first bike and am happy to help others like the folks who helped me when I was a rookie. 

I hope this all helps.
If you want to call me and ask more things, I can PM you my home phone number. Let me know if you want to do that.

Yours,
Trwhouse

[Canonball]

Dont let me put you off, if you want it buy it......but Rule #1......Believe nothing the seller tells you, ask for paperwork and use your eyes, not your ears.

+1



i got my 93 GS back in december and i'm really glad i got it. its an awesome bike. let us know if you get it or whatever you end up with. 

[MichaelWH]

Check with local mechanics...I have one locally that will look at any bike you want to buy for free.  It may be hard to find a mechanic like that, but even if there is a small fee it may be worth it to have the mechanic look at it if you are not completely familiar with bikes.

[seagull22]

thanks for the help everyone.
I'm up at school in williamsport right now so I can't go look at the bike personally.
If someone could look at it for me I'll paypal them $10 bucks or something.
Gotta buy all the gear then whiich is going to be another $400 but its worth it.

thanks again
Dave