Possible GS500F owner

[adibee]

Hey everyone just wanted to stop by and say hi, seems like a great forum. I have been looking for a beginner bike quite some time my search has been mainly 500ex, gs500 and the 650r. Recently I came across a 09 gs500 with about 8000 miles on it for about 1650$. I have no idea on prices for these bikes as many dont show up and it's range of prices. Do you guys think it's a reasonable price? Also do I have to look at anything in particular in this model that I got to check?
   I am a noob and looking for some advice here from the veterans  .

Thanks

[i8ball]

awesome man first good price for miles and year then don't just buy the bike cause you want one make sure it is safe and right,
2 is it clean and straight if the bike looks like it crashed and has a bend to it i would walk away a bent frame is dangerous the check forks leaking bent from the side view or when pushed down on bike they don't sink. Forks would be easy fix and cheap if can find from a junk yard for sure pretty sure all forks are interchangeable on the gs i got i think 89 on my 01.
3 has it been raced/abused try to talk to him about wheelies or going fast signs if he has story's that are way out there might be buttering you up if they seem believable i be a little concerned
4 check the brakes clutch (not a hard pull but not to soft) and gas tank bring a cow magnet on a wire or string ask if you can check tank for rust dip it is let it rest for a little and check tank for dents.
5 tires Dry rot means he didn't store it right or it sat for a long time.
6 engine/oil if the oil is milky color to it there is water in it which means not getting lubricated and could have some bad damage
7 ask to see if it has service records i keep mine in my repair book every little thing i do to it so i never forget.
8 quiz him on it make sure he knows what he is talking about
9 exhaust check so first if he warmed the bike up before you got there could be hiding something tell him you will come back another day when the bike is cold don't be mean about it just tell him you have to be there for start up tells a lot about the bike try to get there early morning that way you know if it is warm from sunlight or from saler warming the bike up, then if the bike starts fine bring a water bottle and small rag with let it warm up and after you get a test ride (don't ever buy a bike if you cant ride it bring a friend who can ride the bike if you don't know how or are new Sellers don't like newbies riding there bike so if the friend shows up on a bike bigger chance of him getting to ride it) take the rag get it wet and put it to each exhaust pipe about 5-7 inches from the engine no near the exhaust but closer to the headers should sizzle on each if the rag only sizzles on one then it is not firing from both exhaust and not worth buying.
10ask what he changed on the bike 
My last piece but i think is the most important look for a motorcycle repair shop that is in the town just drive it there and ask them if the bike sounds like nothing is wrong with it those mechanics might look/sound mean but they will look at the bike and listen to it to help anyone out and i never been charged for them listening to the engine not everybike sounds the same, and they will know if there is a noise coming from the bike that could mean trouble just explain your new to the bike and want to make sure its not gonna be a waste of time/money buying something that will need a lot of repairs to have fun on.(they are really nice people and you might think you sound dumb for asking but trust me they completely understand)

[i8ball]

i totally forgot check the chain for rust see if he just cleaned it up and has it freshly oiled then check the spokes for bends same thing check the chain for bends or dings if you put it on center stand and is in neutral you can spin the rear tire to check it all.

[adibee]

Sweet diggity! Awesome information man, thanks alot. I am pretty excited if I do end up getting it I will do motorcycle safety course they have going here.

[bmf]

Firys yourself- Do the msf before you start riding.
For the bike get it warm and watch the oil light like a hawk , make sure it never flickers even at very low revs.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[adibee]

Firys yourself- Do the msf before you start riding.
For the bike get it warm and watch the oil light like a hawk , make sure it never flickers even at very low revs.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Thanks for the advice bmf. What would the flickering usually suggest? low oil pressure?

[i8ball]

oil light flickering could mean low pressure, not enough oil, bad oil pump i would assume more but thankfully i never had an oil issue to deal with. Have fun be safe and remember cars might look like they see you but just assume they don't.

[sledge]

Get a 650R..its light years ahead of the GS5 in every way 


EDIT....especially in plasma blue 

[i8ball]

650 is fun but the best part about the 500 is full coverage is dirt cheap so if in the case of a accident from a novice driver insurance will help you get back on your wheels saved me about 1000$ of damage from a low speed crash that caused more damage then I thought it would.

[sledge]

And if everyone shared that belief everyone would be riding GS5s and no one would buy anything else 

[bmf]

If oil level is right and light flickers you probably have blown crank bearings. Could be the pump but they are very reliable.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[adibee]

Thanks y'all for the advice! Got some interesting update went on Friday to take a look at it with my mechanic friend who is also a rider. The bike is clean the guy bought it brand new in 2009. So we figure out the logistics and he agrees to bring it in to my place on Sunday. On Sunday he calls up and says that after he put it up on the trailer it fell on the side and the mirrors broke and there were scratches on the upper fairing. He sends me the picture and it does not look that bad at all.
     I asked him to give me some time to think about it, and he lowers the price 650$ more and I decided to go for it! Right now the only thing i need to replace is the right hand mirrors. I took her for a little ride first time ever it was fun though I did notice my hands got really sore cramped up after the ride  . Overall it's all good but I noticed that the gear shifting is a little hard on it, thinking it might be the oil? Here are some pics Enjoy! :

[anoopb]

Seeing a turned handle bar and a forward facing headlight just freak me out but it looks great for the price and miles.

I paid $1000 for mine in 2012 with 8700 miles on it and it was 9 years older than yours.

i may have overpaid.

[i8ball]

wow that i forgot how stunning they are and amazon sells mirrors that look great on these bikes. for him to drop that much is amazing you sir had a leprechaun helping you with that steal, and hows the tread on that back tire picture makes it look bad but then again not a close up or good lighting picture.
Sledge i agree with you there my first bike was a 89 Honda hurricane i was just throwing the insurance thing out for a new rider to think about only reason i got my gs500 is due to a gasline explosion with basic coverage cause i couldn't afford full when i started riding.

[adibee]

wow that i forgot how stunning they are and amazon sells mirrors that look great on these bikes. for him to drop that much is amazing you sir had a leprechaun helping you with that steal, and hows the tread on that back tire picture makes it look bad but then again not a close up or good lighting picture.
Sledge i agree with you there my first bike was a 89 Honda hurricane i was just throwing the insurance thing out for a new rider to think about only reason i got my gs500 is due to a gasline explosion with basic coverage cause i couldn't afford full when i started riding.

Yea I was shocked too I guess he felt guilty about it. I took it for a ride yesterday and man was it fun! Though I always feel way nervous when i had someone behind me. I too feel like the back tire needs replaced I wish I could put a little wider tire than what I have now.

There is a bike dealer that is 5 mins away from me who has some rebate offer for bridgestones and they charge 90$ to change them. I went there yesterday and saw another 2007 GS500F that they were selling for 3000$ and mine looked way cleaner than that.

Also here is a video I took of a cold startup of the bike I noticed that it had a weird idling on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HReAkI-7wf8&feature=youtu.be

[i8ball]

idle sounds like mine at cold it likes to blip though mine has a different exhaust air filter and been jetted by past owner so that is part of the reason why and yours look like the idle is just a touch to high find  the idle nob on the carbs and slowly adjust it when warm to about 1300 rpm i think is what they should be at warmed

[adibee]

idle sounds like mine at cold it likes to blip though mine has a different exhaust air filter and been jetted by past owner so that is part of the reason why and yours look like the idle is just a touch to high find  the idle nob on the carbs and slowly adjust it when warm to about 1300 rpm i think is what they should be at warmed

Nice, can you link me the mirrors that your were talking about from amazon?

[anoopb]

dat fender! woof!

[ShowBizWolf]

Congrats on the bike!! Yes indeed it does look very clean!! 

Yes yes take the safety course... I took the one my state offers and I would take it again if it wasn't so hard to fit in around my shift schedule at work. They also have a more advanced one that I'd like to take... you can never learn too much!

I just recently put a bigger rear tire on my bike... got a 140/80 and I love it. Here is a good read about tires from the wiki:
http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.Tires

Update us on all ya do and don't forget the pics 

[i8ball]

http://www.amazon.com/2004-2008-Suzuki-Gs500F-Mirror-56600-01Da0/dp/B0055DQKYM
there you go buddy