Bit the bullet, happy new motorcycle day!- here comes the questions!

[SAFE-T]

Try taking it over to your MSF provider ~ maybe they will give it a quick look over. You could also consider taking it for a proper mechanical inspection.

[mister]

I quite like the sound of the Screaming Demon system  that Twisted has on his GS.

I second the screaming demon.

Just fitted one to my 05GSF. It was really simple (20 minute job). My first time properly working on my bike (rejet, filters, repaint and some other things) and the exhaust was really easy. Sounds great, looks great, didn't dent the bank.

Which one did you put on? The longer one, or the shorty? Got a pic to share?

[AnonRider]

Try taking it over to your MSF provider ~ maybe they will give it a quick look over. You could also consider taking it for a proper mechanical inspection.

This is the most obvious and practical advice!- I don't know why I overlooked this for some reason, lol! Thanks.

Even if the bike is a complete waste in its current form, I still would like to rebuild it and make it something amazing. I feel like the GS500e is such an understated and undervalued  bike that it definitely deserves a second chance, which is why I would like to put some money into it.

[adidasguy]

Yep - these are fun bikes. Super easy to work on.
Plenty of parts available.
Heck, here in West Seattle we have now built 3 GS500's from spare parts! One we did in 2 weekends. We swap motors now - with practice - in minutes. We swap and change out everything with ease.
So go at it - if the bike is a wreck, you can rebuild it.

Most important to change out are wheels, brakes and chain & sprockets. Your drive train is critical to safe riding. Exhausts can be swapped anytime you want in just minutes.

Instead of changing brake pads and rebuilding the calipers, buy used ones off of newer bikes with low mileage and good pads. usually under $20. Check pinwall cycle on ebay. They are one of my favorite places for spare parts.

Most parts are the same over all the years. That means when swapping parts, you can use newer parts rather than trying to find old parts for your year of bike. In out bike builds, each bike has parts from 1989 through 2009 - we pick the best parts when building a bike.

If you have questions on compatibility, just ask. If you need parts, post a want-to-buy as there are a few of us that are parts whores.

[AnonRider]

Adidasguy, I've checked out your youtube videos, you seem like such a cool dude  do you have any advice for a specific tool kit to get for working on the bike? I want to have all the tools I need before really digging in to find out later that I don't have everything I need.

[radodrill]

Most important tools are a good metric socket wrench set and metric Allen wrench set

[Electrojake]

Three questions...
1.) You looking for a stock GS500 exhaust Anon?
2.) Why? 
3.) Will my stock (dinged-up) 2007 F bike exhaust fit an old E bike?

[radodrill]

3.) Will my stock (dinged-up) 2007 F bike exhaust fit an old E bike?

Fitment of the exhausts is the same for all model years; only difference is the F model had ports for the PAIR system to tie in.  BTW, new thestock  F exhaust is ~$1200, while the pre-2000 stock exhaust is ~$600

[adidasguy]

Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric 
Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric  Metric 

A good socket,rachet set down to 8mm
A good wrench set 8mm to at least 21mm
Not bad idea to have ratchet box wrenches with pivoting heads
A good allen wrench set with ball ends
Flat screwdrivers which have hollow ground tips
JIS screwdrivers (NEVER EVER have USA phillips screwdrivers around your bike!)
Assorted small screwdrivers for tiny stuff
Magnet on a stick
Motionpro has a finger glove with a magnet in it. Very handy.
Rubber mallet (though we often use a bowling pin)
Torque wrench - maybe 2. One big for engine heads and axles and a smaller one for engine case bots and oil cover bolts. Though with experience, many of those you will  learn to torque by feel.
A couple funnels
Pans to put stuff in while working (I wash plastic containers from the deli - they're free when you buy food)
LOTS of rubber gloves and shop towels. Also a pack of polishing towels (Coscto has packs of them)
Those blue shop towels on a roll.
Threadlock (blue, not red).
Volt meter - MANDATORY for all electrical work.
Haynes, Clymer or Suzuki manual: Also MANDATORY!
A couple different pliers, including a needle nose one. And a long one.

10, 12, 14, 17 and 19mm are very common sizes. Often you will need 2 of the same, so wrench and socket will  often do it for you.

Optional:
Electric impact wrench.
Impact screw driver
Pig Mats (dark gray absorbent pads that come in a box and soak up stuff you drip and spill)
Beers
Number of a pizza place that delivers or on-like ordering
Neoprene pads - you can buy sheets of wetsuit material on ebay. 1/8 or 1/4". Good to sit on and great to lay on your tank when working so you don't scratch the tank.
Something to play tunes while you work
If work space gets cold, go all LED lighting. Fluorescent lights buzz and are a pain when cold.
Straps to hand your bike. You'll need to lift up the front to work on the front wheel and suspension
Cleaning supplies and assorted brushes
Those surgical clamps. Cheap at Harbor Freight. Great to pinch off fuel lines.
Rubber/vinyl/neoprene nipples. assortment for a couple bucks at an auto parts store. Use to cap off fuel lines and stick small ones inside a fuel hose to plug it while working
Generous assortment of metric nuts and washers and bolts. Buy a box-o-bolts from a bike breaker on ebay and you'll have lots of stare parts. We always replace fasteners that are dinged, stripped or damaged in any way.
Calipers - even cheap ones are better than none.
Soldering iron
Wire crimpers & wire strippers
Electrical tape
Shrink tubing
Small assortment of wire and connectors to fix broken wires
Camers: never hurts to take pictures as you take things apart so you know where they go back together.
Flashlights
Old containers for used oil & fluids

Always have your basic fluids on hand: Oil, fuel stabilizer (SeaFoam is great), maybe some extra gas, brake fluid (be sure the right kind of DOT to match what you have). Some brake cleaner. Can of engine cleaner. Chain oil.

Muffler work requires anti-seize. Spare exhaust gaskets.

PB Blaster or SeaFoam-DeepCreep for stuck bolts is handy.

WD40 always. Great for cleaning crap of your wheel rims and everything else.

Buy good tools - don't go cheap chinese crap. Spend the extra for hardened steel tools. Sears Craftsman, Kobalt or other quality brands. Buy good tools and they will last a lifetime. Nothing worse than a cheap wrench falling apart in the middle of a project. Buy them when on sale or a close out.

[adidasguy]

3.) Will my stock (dinged-up) 2007 F bike exhaust fit an old E bike?

Fitment of the exhausts is the same for all model years; only difference is the F model had ports for the PAIR system to tie in.  BTW, new thestock  F exhaust is ~$1200, while the pre-2000 stock exhaust is ~$600

Ports for PAIR system are separate from the exhaust.
All exhausts fit the same.
And contrary to what some say, I have yet to have to remove any exhaust to do an oil change. That includes stock, Vance & Hines, Jardine and Motad.
V&H is supposed to come with a bracket to support the center stand. Most others have the rubber bumper off of the pipe for that. Used V&H may be missing it because people forget to take it off because it goes on the right side center stand bolt. I can give you dimensions to make one if you go that way and it is missing.

Fuel Lines: Yours are probably hard and brittle. Buy new line. MotionPro is the choice for us. Gray, black or clear. Your likes from tank to petcock should be replaced. When you do it, stick the ends of your chunk of hose to the tank petcock. Then put down tank and run to the frame petcock. Make a few inches longer than necessary and cut to length. The extra inches will allow you to lift up the tank easier in the future.

The book says to remove fuel lines from the tank petcock. What a pain! We clamp them with surgical clamps at the frame petcock, remove it, then jam a nipple in to plug it. Much easier! Unscrewing the frame petcock can help. We never remove the hoses from the tank.

I guess I should do some more videos.

[AnonRider]

Mr. Adidasguy, I've printed the list and will head on over to autozone to pick everything up within the week. The service manual is in the mail as we speak. I am super excited to start working on this bike.

as far as the exhaust system goes I'm going to order a delkevic full system: http://www.ebay.com/itm/GS500E-GS500F-GS500-1989-09-Full-Muffler-System-Exhaust-14-Stubby-Carbon-Fiber-/171116494253?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27d7567dad&vxp=mtr

It is cheaper than an OEM system and as far as i can tell by googling there aren't any negative reviews, unless anyone has any qualms with it i'm going to give it the go ahead tonight or tomorrow. It's actually about the same price the bike was, lol.

[adidasguy]

I've looked at it but haven't bought one.
It does have the bumper for the center stand based on the photos.
Looks good.
Be sure to use new exhaust gaskets, oh, well, just follow my video and swap Motad out for Delkevic and you will be OK.

When removing stuck bolts, it is common to just push and then you strip everything. Stick in the allen wrench then give it a whack - like an impact wrench would do. That will crack the corrosion and the bolts will  come out. You'll see me do that is some of the videos. Everyone that comes to the Bike Cave has learned to do that and rarely ever is there a bolt we can't get out now. Sometimes tapping the head with a hammer helps. The shock will crack the corrosion.

Autozone might be expensive for tools and probably won't have the fuel line. You can order from  lots of places or Motion Pro directly.
Check out Home Despot or Lowes and see what's on sale. Even harbor Freight (the home of disposable tools) has some really good stuff. I bought a small black socket set at True Value which has both SAE and Metric sockets, a ratchet handle and a screw driver type handle. That tends to be one of our favorite tool sets. Bought a monster size set of sockets by Kobalt at Lowes on sale for cheap - really good set with sockets and allen bits. Auto place would have nipples & chemical stuff, anti-seize, etc. Be sure motorcycle oil is motorcycle oil. Not the same as car oil. Brake fluid is brake fluid just get the same DOT (like dot 4 I think)

[AnonRider]

Thinking about vlogging my fixing up adventures with the bike using a headmounted gopro so you all can see what it's like for a complete n00b to go through the processes.

[adidasguy]

We LOVE pictures and VIDEO EVEN MORE!

Threads are worthless without pictures.

[cWj]

Should you be smitten by a sudden and uncontrollable fit of frugality:

Used you should be able to get on fleaBay for $65-80 shipped - particularly from California.

You can pay half that if you find one locally. I believe jws_cycles is a bike breaker on eBay located in NJ.

As stated, ANY exhaust for or from GS500 should work regardless of E, F or age.

As always, check or post in Marketplace here.

[Electrojake]

Looks like Anon got a case of GS Fever 
Cool!

[AnonRider]

Just a little update: The bike is in temporary storage until I can make arrangements to get it over here. I've been gathering up a nest egg of videos, tutorials, parts, tools, hard liquor and pizza- so i'm just waiting until then to ask more about the bike.

Actually, question: if a used exhaust is 60-80, why are the new ones so pricey? Also, I don't believe the bike has a center stand, is that weird for the 00' models? I can fit  a center stand onto the bike? That would make the bike much easier to work on-- or rather--

tips to make the bike easier to work on would be appreciated. (not tools, but lifts or jacks or whatever- links would be appreciated)

[adidasguy]

Someone took it off. They all come with a center stand.
Some people remove them when they put on an aftermarket exhaust. Put one back on.

[Jimbob]

There is a heaps of exausts here: http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=gs500+exhaust&rt=nc

Some are slip on but some are full

[AnonRider]

Thanks so much! For some reason I'm just not the most savvy internet user like i used to be in the early 00's, haha. I already decided that I wanted to go with the delkevic system, it looks gorgeous and sounds beautiful- I'm going to be turning this bike into a real looker after I fix it up nicely.


I don't want to go with the stock exhaust because they all seem to get really gross really quick.