GS500 without rear decals?

[Yianna]

So I have an appointement to look at a used 2002 GS500 and there are a few things that weird me out a bit.

1. There are no decals on the rear. Its seems to have the original paint (I think) but there are no decals.
Its the blue one with the triangle Suzuki decal on the tank. Or is it a straight line? I dont know which brings me to the second problem.

2. The seller removed his ad after I made the appointment. Why would he do that?

3. The rear is the old pre-2001 part without the little vent. The seller claims it was built in 2002.

4. On one picture I could see a lip under the seat and the bolts that are near the handle were visible. I guess he lifted his seat and didnt push it back down properly?

What do you think?

Also your verification images are way too intense.

[user11235813]

All that matters is that you are uneasy about it, that really is enough to cross it off the list and move on.

[Yianna]

I prefer to make decisions based on knowledge rather than gut feeling. So maybe someone can give me useful info to either bring down the price or make it easier for me to decide rather I am interested at all.

[JAS6377]

1. Could be he bought new plastics after a wreck. Decals are extra if you buy them new (mine doesn't have decals...). Check title and frame.

2. He's confident you'll buy it, or someone else already did? Maybe contact him again and ask.

3. A lot of parts are interchangeable across model years, and a lot of people customize these bikes to their liking. Maybe he wanted an earlier style seat? Couldn't tell you. Title will tell you the model year.

4. Could be he popped the seat for the tool bag and never pushed it back down. I've done that before and didn't realize it until I sat on it again.

My thoughts:
I'm with him ^. But if you'd prefer solid facts, ask the seller. If you have the time, it never hurts to go look. If the guy seems honest, hear him out. If not, walk away. Gut instinct is typically right.

Just don't get so happy about finding an affordable bike that you buy a money pit. It'll be worth it to wait and find your gem.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[lucas]

Pretty clear he or a previous owner replaced the plastics or peeled off the stickers.

It could be that the ad expired shortly after you saw it.  I have removed my craigslist ads when I got too strong of a response which made me think I under valued my item and sometimes I just change my mind.

[ShowBizWolf]

That's a really good point lucas... I never thought of that but you're right. If the seller got a decent amount of appointments scheduled to see the bike and more people kept responding to the ad, I'm sure that could get quite overwhelming.

Jas has a good point too. Just straight out ask the seller any questions you have. I've sold a number of things in the past and because I've had nothing to hide, I always welcomed questions and answered them as thoroughly as I could. If you get a feeling this seller is bending the truth or omitting things, that's no good.

Also, don't worry about the verification images... post 2 more times and then they disappear 

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

[Joolstacho]

If you told us the asking price it would help advise you on it's value.
This bike could be a real bargain if it's the right price. Or, it could be a dog!

[SuzukiOnly]

Its a gs500, I'd buy it. I paid 500 for mine, it was an abused machine. But I rebuilt the whole thing (for fun, and to fix an annoying little oil drop from under the bike every time I parked it), and when I cracked open the crankcase, everything looked good as new at nearly 30k miles. These bikes are simple, super easy to fix, parts are cheap, and they're nearly bullet proof. If you like the price and don't mind picking up some tools and spending some time on this forum, you can't go wrong.