Hey people I went to go look at a 2002 gs500e today that I am looking to buy and there seems to be some problems with it.
First the bike is a 49 state model brought into california, with 11,xxx miles.
I checked out the entire bike, and it has been droped like once and everything looks good sprockets, tires, etc..
Here is where the problem lies, it does start but first it needs the choke which is not that uncommon but once I switched the choke up which is off, the engine stops and needs to be restarted. I try to restart it and it doesnt work but works after a bit of time. when he adjusti a knob on the bottom of the seat, which im not sure is, he was doing that part. The real problem is when I rev the engine, I rev the engine up to 4 RPM and it stays there and idles there without droping down to 1-2 RPM, so my question is, is this an easy fix? should I buy the bike he is asking $2000. what is wrong with the bike, I think the carbs need to be rejetted, or spark plugs replaced. The owner doesnt seem to know exactly what is going on. He has not done any major service just oil changes and tires replaced. Any help?
where in CA are you at? If your close i can try help.
Well first off, the knob under the set is the petcock; this is used to turn on and off fuel. To me this sounds like a carb problem. Those carbs prob need a good healthy cleaning. I am not a mechanic ,but that is where I would start.
Start with a vavle adjustment unless it has been done recently.
MacDuff
Sounds carb related to me, and vacuum related in particular. Make sure the vacuum caps are on the carb ports and the vacuum hose is not cracked or missing.
A cold GS will need the choke to start and it needs it to remain on for a while. If you turn off the choke too fast, before it's warmed up, it will stall. The knob "under the seat" was the idle adjustment. If you turn up the idle before it's warm you'll get a high idle. From what you've said, it doesn't really sound like there is a problem. Let it warm up for a while, like 5 minutes with varying amounts of choke and then set the idle adjustment back to 1200 RPM. How does it run now?
Has the bike been sitting for while? Like more than a couple of weeks? If so, it may need to have the carbs cleaned.
Hey thanks for the reply the bike has been sitting for liek 3 months without riding, and im guessing it is the carbs problem. As far as the idle knob i waited about 4 mins warming up the bike and the switch went back down and the engine would just stop... im guessing it needs the carbs serviced, how much does that usually cost?
I can't tell for sure whether you've got the right "idle knob". On the 1989-2000 models it looked like this, as seen from the left side of the bike:
(http://www.bbburma.net/MiscFotos/DSCF2431_Idle_Drain_Mixture_Screws.jpg)
The 2001+ models look a little different down there, but close enough.
I wouldn't doubt that your carbs need cleaning and your valves need adjusting, but you should be able to get the bike to run without choke.
Even with the still-warm temperatures lately I start my '99 with full choke, let it sit for 45 seconds or so, and then ride off with the choke still on. By the time I get to a stop light that's about half a mile down the road my idle is too high and I push the choke lever forward about halfway. Between a half mile and a mile further down the road I can push it all the way forward.
But it's fairly common for me to reach down and "tweak" the idle adjust knob to get the idle to sit at 1200. The warmer the bike gets, the higher the idle will be until it is fully warmed up.
Kerry: As usual, thank you very much for your helpful pics!