Precautionary post, could use some advice

[J_Walker]

Thanks guys, any ideas on the urethane or sikaflex?

ditto. urethane, and poly are pretty much the same deal.. idk if gasoline would ever even get to these areas, I would try using some red RTV high temp silicone as that's what I always use and have on hand, as a quick fix. and its pretty easy to peel off if you ever wanna do a proper repair.

[nuclearfenix]

Thanks guys, any ideas on the urethane or sikaflex?

ditto. urethane, and poly are pretty much the same deal.. idk if gasoline would ever even get to these areas, I would try using some red RTV high temp silicone as that's what I always use and have on hand, as a quick fix. and its pretty easy to peel off if you ever wanna do a proper repair.

Thanks man. Not trying to make it seem like I don't care about the bike, but this bike has been a problem since I got it. Not saying Gs's are bad, but I bought this bike from a dealership 2 years ago in Maryland. I loaded it up into a truck and drove it home. Dealership promised there was nothing wrong with the bike. 10 miles into riding it I start having issues, I call the dealership and they guarantee it had been looked over and it must have been something I did. They refuse to help me. I take it to a mechanic and he took it apart. The carbs were filthy and the rubber pieces were severely degraded among other things.

I've easily dropped 1500 in parts and repairs into this bike (between work I did and what shops have done). Now I just want to switch to a FI bike.

[Watcher]

Sorry to hear you had such issues, dealerships can really screw you sometimes.


If you like the GS the Honda CB500F is basically the same bike with new styling and fuel injectors.  Great little bike.

[J_Walker]

Sorry to hear you had such issues, dealerships can really screw you sometimes.


If you like the GS the Honda CB500F is basically the same bike with new styling and fuel injectors.  Great little bike.

b-b-but the GS500 has 487cm^3, and the honda CB500f only has 471cm^3 MUH HORSE POWER GAINZ HOW DARE YOU!

all seriousness, Its my personal opinion that if you've already got a GS500.. don't get another GS500...  Well that's my thoughts anyway, as I have a hard time on the highways around here on the GS...
[don't know if any of these stats are at the wheel, or at the crank]

Hondas 2016 CB500F
49.6 horsepower arrives at 8,500 RPM, with 31.7 lb·ft torque delivered at 7,000 RPM.

Suzuki 2007 GS500F
51.3 horse power arrives at 9,500 RPM, with 30.4 lb·ft torque delivered at 7500 RPM.

Suzuki 2016 SV650
75 horse power arrives at 8,500 RPM, with 47.2 lb·ft torque delivered at 8,100 RPM

tried to find a bike from honda that was close the SV650, in terms of price, and power unless I've missed something.. there isn't one. you can say I have a bit of a fetish for the SV650s power plant.. I had 50x less problems with the SV's engine, then I've had with the GS's engine. guess I got a lemon too.. don't feel bad.

[nuclearfenix]

Sorry to hear you had such issues, dealerships can really screw you sometimes.


If you like the GS the Honda CB500F is basically the same bike with new styling and fuel injectors.  Great little bike.

Well it made me feel better to find out that they got sued last year and closed down. I only found out about it when I was looking for a CBR, I noticed that dealership was selling a ton of bikes for really really cheap. But didn't think anything of it because I thought it was a ploy to get people in and sell them a more expensive bike. But nope, they were liquidating. I found out from their Facebook page they were closing and on yelp the reason why. I guess someone with more money than me got screwed and took advantage of the lemon law.

I'm actually looking at a CBR 600RR, It's my dream bike.

[J_Walker]

I just checked craigslist locally, 2014+ they seem to be going for about 6k used. and my market is over priced.

idk if I have a dream bike though.. there's bikes I'd like to ride and see how they are.. but I can't have nice things, they always end up with holes drilled in them, an stuck in 2 feet of mud.

[nuclearfenix]

I just checked craigslist locally, 2014+ they seem to be going for about 6k used. and my market is over priced.

idk if I have a dream bike though.. there's bikes I'd like to ride and see how they are.. but I can't have nice things, they always end up with holes drilled in them, an stuck in 2 feet of mud.

LOL.

Yeah, i'm not looking for a recent model. Like 07-09, they seem to go for around 5 - 6k for those years here. Also I think I may pick up so RTV Red tomorrow, But I saw there is Ultra Black that is Oil Resistant. Would that matter at the Boot intake to the engine or should I stick with Red.

[Watcher]

Suzuki claimed really high figures for the GS, the reality is much lower.

According to Wiki the GS makes only 40 HP and 26 lb-ft at the wheel.
The CB by comparison is 43 HP and 29 lb-ft according to a dyno run I found on motorcycle(dot)com.
Not much more, but it is there and at slightly lower RPMs.

The Honda felt really good.  Seemed more versatile around town and more willing to respond to throttle input without begging for a downshift.  Of course that could have a lot to do with the factory gearing.
Liquid cooling is a plus.

If the 90s GSs were "GS 1.0" and 2001+ was "GS 1.5" the Honda would be a solid "GS 2.0"


If the OP does want to upgrade the SV650 is a classic for middle weight sport on a budget.
Still, I'd be remiss if I didn't suggest to the OP a Yamaha FZ07.  Those are FUN.  Not much bigger but the torque they got from that little twin is quite impressive.  Power-wheelies no problem.

I'd put both of these bikes on the radar of any GS fan who wants to upgrade without really stepping up the power.

[J_Walker]

I just checked craigslist locally, 2014+ they seem to be going for about 6k used. and my market is over priced.

idk if I have a dream bike though.. there's bikes I'd like to ride and see how they are.. but I can't have nice things, they always end up with holes drilled in them, an stuck in 2 feet of mud.

LOL.

Yeah, i'm not looking for a recent model. Like 07-09, they seem to go for around 5 - 6k for those years here. Also I think I may pick up so RTV Red tomorrow, But I saw there is Ultra Black that is Oil Resistant. Would that matter at the Boot intake to the engine or should I stick with Red.

the only difference I know of between the ultra black and red, is the temperature difference.. I just have red because its red, and RED IS A GO FAST COLOR! [the jokes] anyway, black will work I think its "max" temperature is 500F and the red is 650F. so if the black is cheaper, go with it. I promise you that area of the engine won't even see 300F. I've taken spot temp readings all over the engine after traffic, and the only thing that gets super hot is the manifolds.

[qcbaker]

Sorry to hear about your stealership issues. I had a similar story with my Corolla: when I bought it a few years ago, the dealer told me it had been in a front end accident (i have a feeling they only told me because I already knew via vehicle history report), but that all the damage had been repaired. I went and looked at the car and everything seemed fine. No visible damage, nothing apparent under the hood, car drove fine during my test drive. They told me everything worked on the inside, including the AC. Now, when I bought the car it was March. So, when I tested the heat, it came out warm, when I tested the AC, it came out cool. So I figured everything was fine. A few months down the road, when it shot out, the AC doesn't come out cool. I take it to my preferred shop, and they show me something I hadn't noticed: the high pressure line on the AC has a pinch in it (from the accident) and that's why it doesn't work right. I call the dealership, but they just say "it worked when we sold it to you, must've been something you did". Eventually I got it fixed, but it was a hassle and a half. It was a dealer-only part so my normal mechanic couldn't order the part, I had to go to a Toyota dealer to get the part, and have them install it since I didn't have the tools or experience necessary at the time. Expensive as hell too.

[nuclearfenix]

Sorry to hear about your stealership issues. I had a similar story with my Corolla: when I bought it a few years ago, the dealer told me it had been in a front end accident (i have a feeling they only told me because I already knew via vehicle history report), but that all the damage had been repaired. I went and looked at the car and everything seemed fine. No visible damage, nothing apparent under the hood, car drove fine during my test drive. They told me everything worked on the inside, including the AC. Now, when I bought the car it was March. So, when I tested the heat, it came out warm, when I tested the AC, it came out cool. So I figured everything was fine. A few months down the road, when it shot out, the AC doesn't come out cool. I take it to my preferred shop, and they show me something I hadn't noticed: the high pressure line on the AC has a pinch in it (from the accident) and that's why it doesn't work right. I call the dealership, but they just say "it worked when we sold it to you, must've been something you did". Eventually I got it fixed, but it was a hassle and a half. It was a dealer-only part so my normal mechanic couldn't order the part, I had to go to a Toyota dealer to get the part, and have them install it since I didn't have the tools or experience necessary at the time. Expensive as hell too.

"it worked when we sold it to you, must've been something you did"

After the dealership (Or stealership, I like that, i'm gonna use that from now on) told me that, I was furious. If i'm on the phone with any other dealership and they tell me that... and I hang up, it can be guaranteed i'm on my way to beat some ass.

Edit: So i've come to the conclusion That the last shop that worked on my bike removed the boots from the engine instead of leaving them on and disconnecting them from the carb side. I used a bit of water to attempt to find the Vacuum leak but wasn't getting anything. Switch to carb cleaner and got dropped RPMs. I switched back to water and instead of spraying it I started pouring it, and thats when RPMs dropped. I carefully poured it on other parts of the bike just to make sure. When the bike cools down i'm gonna put some RTV Red on the metal side and check back in 2 hours to see what happens.

[mr72]

When the bike cools down i'm gonna put some RTV Red on the metal side and check back in 2 hours to see what happens.

Oh ... boy.

Just replace the o-rings. They are 50 cents each. You don't even have to remove the carbs from the boots. Just pull the airbox and then remove the boots from the engine and replace the o-rings. Put it back together, problem (most likely) solved.

If you have cracks in the boots themselves, then you have to replace them. They are about $17 each IIRC. I had to replace one of mine.

It could be that the hose clamp holding the boot to the carb is loose or that interface is not seated correctly. It's fairly easy to get it to flex to the point where there is a gap around the edge in one spot where you can't see it.

Toss the RTV and fix it right. IMHO. It's not hard. It's a lot more work to fix it wrong and then try and chase down what's still not working.

Those intake boot o-rings are a super common failure in GSs.

[nuclearfenix]

I saw your post after I put the RTV on. I did tighten the clamps as they were a bit loose. One of the screws ended up getting stripped as I was tightening them. I'm gonna go out in about an hour or so and start the bike up and see what happens, then do it again in 24 hours. If no improvement then my only option is to replace the o-rings.

[mr72]

If no improvement then my only option is to replace the o-rings.

You are going to be replacing the o-rings. Bet on it. Might as well order them.

http://www.thisoldtractor.com/for_sale_dr350_orings.html

SPN# 09280-40010

[nuclearfenix]

If no improvement then my only option is to replace the o-rings.

You are going to be replacing the o-rings. Bet on it. Might as well order them.

http://www.thisoldtractor.com/for_sale_dr350_orings.html

SPN# 09280-40010

Yeah, all this was meant to be a band aid till I got rid of the bike within the next month or so. So I started the bike up with choke on, let it warm up, and turned choke off. It was a little better, but the RTV needs a full 24 hours to cure. So tomorrow i'll change out the spark plugs and then try and run it and see what happens. I'll order those O rings just in case.

[nuclearfenix]

Also is it possible fouled spark plugs could cause rough and hanging idle? I believe I did a decent job at sealing the intake boots. But I still getting that low idle, increasing idle speed causes hanging idle.

I've ordered the O rings and plan on going ahead with the repair. But i'm concerned that may not have been the issue.

[1018cc]

Fouled spark plugs would cause a rough idle (as if they are badly fouled that cylinder won't be firing). I've never had fouled plugs cause a hanging idle though.

Simple way to check is just to pull the plugs out, have a look and give them a clean with a wire brush and reinstall.

[Arpee]

Rough and hanging idle is almost always a condition of leaness somewhere.  For me, what finally solved a pesky hanging idle was a thorough cleaning of the pilot jets, getting the float height set to the highest limit (a little over 15mm) and 3 turns out on the air/fuel mixture screws. 

[nuclearfenix]

So i'm having a rough time finding time to do this repair. The O rings came in and I forgot I don't have hex key set to remove some of the hex screws. So, rough estimate, how much do you guys think a shop will charge me to fix it.

[mr72]

how much do you guys think a shop will charge me to fix it.

If you just ask them to replace those o-rings and nothing else, probably an hour of labor whatever that is. $80?

If you ask them to fix it which would include diagnosing whatever is actually wrong with the bike and remedying it, I'd bet a competent shop would do it for $200, including replacing the o-rings you supply as a customer-requested fix regardless of whether they think it needs it.

Make friends with someone on this forum and I bet you can get it done in a half hour for nothing. If you rode the bike to my house I'd walk you through it and be done in a half hour. You will spend most of your time removing the tank and airbox, then reinstalling them.