just got a 2005 gs500f but has problems

[cvarma]

so i just got a 2005 gs500f with just under 1200 miles on it!  it was dropped by the previous owner and i took it upon myself to restore it.

theres a few problems and i was hoping you guys could help me out with them....

• Gas tank leaks when bike leans, it does not close all the way and i see vapors coming out of it when its hot.  Is this a common problem?  Can it be fixed with a new seal?
• The Speedo/ Tach are wiggly.  The service dept. at hahms motorsports said when i get the front fairing it should fix it but i looked online and it does not look like it touches the speedo/ tach....What do you think i need?
• Theres a little bit of rust on the bike on the bolts and nuts and stuff...any suggestions on how to get it out?
• Theres a little bit of corrosion on the bike on the frame from where the battery exploded...any suggestions on how to get it out?

THANKS!

[tt_four]

Hmm.... interesting questions. Is the only leaking part of the tank the top where the fumes are coming out? You could keep an eye on ebay for another gas cap and just steal the rubber seal off of it. Does yours look dried out? I can't say I've ever seen mine do it, but I've never really payed attention either.

Where is it that the speedo and tach are moving? The fairing doesn't have anything to do with it, I think the mechanics were giving you BS, which is what their job is, fixing bikes is just what they do in their spare time. there's a bunch of different things bolted together on there, so you'd have to tell us where it's actually moving.

As far as the bolts, you could go at them with steel wool or a wire brush, but it depends how bad they are. You could take them all out, and soak them in phosphoric acid for 20 minutes. That would clean them up. Rinse them off then then give them a thin coating of oil, can't say they won't rust again.

Not sure what to tell you about the frame, sandpaper, steel wool, and repaint?

[Espo78]

The Speedo/tach is probably wiggling because the metal studs on the backside of the gauges are pressed into plastic. If the nuts are overtightened it will strip the studs out of the plastic and you won't get a tight fit.

[Asym]

Is the tank damaged or the seal bad on the gas cap? It just might need to be cleaned, check the FAQ section here http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=41061.0

Put foam tape around the tach and speedometer, theres a thread where someone went though how they did it recently. Sorry I couldn't find it. Mine shakes slightly since I replaced the mounting bracket with a new one. I need to do this also.

My bike came with some minor scratches on various parts of the frame and swing arm that started to rust. I cleaned them up with sandpaper and used rustoleum flat black(i think it was flat black). Cap matched the color of the frame and it looks a lot better than rust.