I've had my bike sitting in my back yard for quite a while 93 GS500 and it seems to have developed a oil leak and a lot of rust. Runs great though. I'm still very new to working on motorcycles, I've always been a car person but I'm planning on doing a oil change and replacing all the gaskets and such, what else could I check to fix this oil leak? Also what is the best way to get rid of the rust, I've tried brushing at it for hours with different products with no sucess. The rust really kills the bikes apperance. Thanks!
First find the origin of the oil leak, then you'll get adwice which gasket is involved.
So: clean the whole motor down so there is as little oir residue there as paossible. dusting the motor with talkum powder prior to the test run helps, this will help you trace the leak. Then make a test run (ride if the leak doesn't show at idle, kinda spils the talcum effect with all the nice powder being blown away.
About the rust: depends on where it is. Rust on headers is pretty standard. Sandblasting is the only way of really getting rid of that once it's eaten deep. Rust on the frame: Clear up as well as possible with sandpaper, brushes, then overpaint with Hammerite. This stuff is pretty good over rust.
I've had pretty good luck with Rust-Oleum's Rust Stripper (http://www.cornerhardware.com/productdisplay.pl?item_id=269835&cid=46464):
(http://ts.smoothcorp.com/cornerhardware/201148.299x299.jpeg)
See this page (http://www.bbburma.net/Trips/Canada_2002/Preparations.html) for pictures of some luggage rack pieces that my brother and I fashioned out of steel bar, and which I de-rusted after our trip with this product.