Was sure i had a good deal, should i question it?

[Madkour]

I just bought a 00 gs500e with 18000 mi, and so far i'm thrilled with it. unfortunately i've only ridden it twice, and its sitting in my garage while i'm out of town for a month. i've been reading and researching everyday for the past week trying to 1) figure out how much damage i'm doing by having forgotten it set to PRI (i'll figure that out later, but i did have a friend drop by and change it to on) and 2) familiarizing myself with what's in store for me as a newbie.

i hadn't given much thought about it, but someone was talking on another message forum about the dangers of buying salvaged bikes. see, my bike has a salvage title, and though that did set off alarms in the beginning i talked about my concerns enough with the guy i bought from that he was able to assure me that it was in terrific shape. he hadn't done too much to it to get it up and going as the damage that resulted in its salvage title was almost entirely cosmetic. you can still see the scratches and they dont seem bad at all. it really looks to be in great shape, and its runs and drives well (nothing to suggest a bent frame).

regardless, i was going to have it fully inspected upon returning home, but have i made a bad purchase? i dont care much about resale value, all i want to know is am i taking a risk riding it (above and beyond the obvious)?

[dgyver]

It does not take much damage to total out a bike. Parts from dealers are expensive, as are the repair costs. From your description, it does not sound like there was much damage. Check the forks to make sure they are not bent or twisted in the triples. For a bent frame, there would be a lot damage than cosmetic. Enjoy your ride!

[pantablo]

If you've ridden it and it feels right likely its fine. You would probably have noticed something bad enough to make it risky to ride. Your only other concern should be insurance. Some insurance co.'s wont insure a salvage title bike. Resale on them is usually lower only because most people are put off by a salvage title.

You should NEVER leave your bike parked in PRI. That's really only for when you are starting it for the first time after having drained the carbs. It pumps fuel into the float bowls without any vacuum needed. Leaving it on PRI could result in you finding a puddle of gas on the floor on your return, overnight. THAT could cause larger problems. Have your friend put it on ON and leave it there. Its safe to park your bike with petcock in that position. When you run out of gas put it on RES and get gas, remembering to put it back on ON again.
NOTE: I think that on some bikes instead of ON it says RUN. Could be wrong on that one though,

[Madkour]

I'm pretty sure the sure the frame is fine, but like i said i'm still going to have it inspected when i get back. I have it insured with progressive which i bought over the phone. no one asked about the title or state of the bike, so i figured they could get all the info from the VIN and if that's ok with them its ok with me.

i did have my friend change the valve to ON, but i'm worried about what damage i may have done that way. it was left on pri for about 3 days. What should be my first move when i get home? should i drain the carbs? turn the engine with the plugs out? What if i tried starting it first to see how it reacts?

[pantablo]

What if i tried starting it first to see how it reacts?

That'd be my first guess...may have done nothing. Also look for tell tale signs on the floor of gas having leaked out, lots of gas. Check your tank to make sure there's gas still in there too....

[Kerry]

Since your friend didn't report a big gas spill when he dropped by, you should be fine.  Leaving the petcock on the PRI setting is nowhere NEAR a guarantee that you will have any problems whatsoever.  Several board members have removed (or bypassed) the frame-mounted petcock entirely, and run a fuel hose directly from the fuel tank to the carburetors, which is like having the petcock on PRI continuously.

If your carbs are reasonably clean, the needle valve in each float bowl will close when the fuel level gets to a certain height.  That's their job - it's what they do.  End of story.

But I think it's time to get to the bottom of this perception.  I'm gonna start a new thread!  

[dgyver]

Several board members have removed (or bypassed) the frame-mounted petcock entirely, and run a fuel hose directly from the fuel tank to the carburetors, which is like having the petcock on PRI continuously.

I only have the tank mounted valve, so the line runs directly to the carbs. No problems here.

[500rider]

I would think that on a '00, the float valve should be in good enough condition to stop the gas from overflowing while on prime.  I have an '00 as well.  Just have a look and smell for spilled gas.  If there's lots of gas around you should clean it up before starting the bike so it doesn't go up in flames.  Other than that, prolly worst case is that you flooded the engine.  If you are gone for a month, it will have evaporated by the time you get back anyway.

About your frame.  If you are concerned/suspicious you should consider getting a second opinion.  Obviously the guy selling it is not going to try and turn you off of buying it.  The others are right though.  It doesn't take much to write off a bike.  The gas tank alone could be worth $500 alone (or more).  

Rob

[Madkour]

There are few things i can think of as satisfying as coming back to a thread, your concerns still looming, and reading a couple of very useful and informative replies. Thanks. Yeah, i'm not going to be too worried about gas overflowing. like 500rider mentioned, it'll have had plenty of time to correct itself should something have gone wrong. i'm keeping my eye on that thread Kerry started

If you've ridden it and it feels right likely its fine. You would probably have noticed something bad enough to make it risky to ride.

My fears about the frame have been somewhat allayed, as nothing i've noticed the few times riding it has set off alarm bells. i'm still going to have someone take a look at it, but also because i want to be brought up to speed with anything i may have missed (i suspect i may need a new front tire for example)

[Kerry]

my bike has a salvage title, and though that did set off alarms in the beginning i talked about my concerns enough with the guy i bought from that he was able to assure me that it was in terrific shape.

I never addressed this aspect of your original post.  My yellow '99 is among the ranks of the "salvaged" bikes out there.  I broadsided a cow at mile 6,420 and sustained the following damage:

* 2-inch hole in the left engine cover (the oil poured right out!)
* smashed headlight and gauges
* bent handlebar
* ruined ignition switch
* damaged turn signal(s?)

* 1 cosmetic ding on the left fork tube
* 1 paint chip on the fuel tank
* scratches on the exhaust
* scratches on the side plastics[/list:u]Since the dealership listed every part with the slightest scratch on their repair estimate, my bike was "totalled" by the insurance company.  I bought the bike back from salvage and had the dealership fix the first set of items above and leave the (

expensive!) items in the second set alone.

Like I said, that all happened at mile 6,420.  "Ole Yeller" and I recently passed the 30,000 mile mark ... after three trips of 3,000+ miles, lots of day trips, and a ton of 11-mile (round-trip) commutes.

EDIT: Replaced 6,240 with 6,420.