im about to go check out this gs500 this guy has its a 93 and it looks to be in top condition by the pictures. the guy reports that there is a gas leak situation with the bike. i have read up on the forum and have found out about the problems and causes with others and their own fuel leakage problems. (float needle, carb cleaning necessary, or petcock replacement) i havent gotten to look at the bike yet but want to know how to make sure it is one of these "easily" fixable senarios and not something that is going to cost more than i pay for the bike to fix. just check the hoses? the petcock? leakage from the air box? rust? is that all i can do? i was thinking of taking to a mechaninc. i can confidently say i know nothing about bikes but absorb info fast by reading up. thanks in advance.
this is what he said "The bike starts up everytime and runs and rides good... there just isnt any gas in it because of the leak... which im either thinking its leaking from the carbs for from the petcock. I also have the service manual for it, i just dont have time to work on it anymore, but i rode it for most the summer to work and stuff."
How much is the asking price?
I'd say look at the bike first and report back here. The pros can help diagnose what's wrong. If you can take and post pictures, that'd be better
Is it the tank that's leaking or the carbs? A carb rebuild can fix the latter but a leaky tank will probably need to be replaced.
-M
yep-check the location of the leak. if he doesnt know-RUN. he surely knows where its leaking. one of the first gs500's I looked at had a leak he didnt tell me about, until I had it drip on me-it was dripping from hairline cracks in the seam of the tank along the bottom edge (from rust).
What they said: As long as its not leaking from the tank it's probably an easy fix.
If you do decide to get the bike and the tank is leaking, you ll probably have to bite the bullet and by an 04 tank unless you can find another one. Its what i did, im just waiting on it to get here...
Mikuni's on this bike usually dont leak from anywhere but the float seat. not the T fitting inbetween, not the float bowl gasket thought that can leak, it usually is pretty good on the nummerous carbs I have split ... so now I am reversing course on my theory. Anyway float seats and needles. now if you got rust and holes in the tank, rust can clog up and cause stuff to stay open when it should close, and stuff to close when it should stay open ... very good possibility that its clogged up and made your floats stay open ... or you got rust and blown a hole in the tank ... yea - good luck with that. A swap out tank is your best bet. Count on it costing you $200 minimum, and that doesn't include painting it. Coated tanks are your best bet, if it was done decently. Else the mofo will leak from under that coating.
Cool.
Srinath.
4200,srinath? :laugh:
You just recieved topnotch advise from a few of our best. :cheers:
I have a couple pennies though.
I am a sucker for a do-it -yourself fixer upper. if all you have is a gas leak, buy the biatch.
o'course only if your willing to grab a wrench and the price is right.
most of the fuel system for this bike is super inexpensive, save for the tank and carbs. The tank is a pain to repair but it is doable. Buying one may be a bit more of an investment than you might be willing to go with. As for the carbs, I highly doubt you would need to replace the entire carb(s). rebuild kits are relatively cheap($25-$35 per carb) see our home page or the Wiki for an in depth how-to with pics.
I suggest you take a look at the bike. Have him dump a couple gallons in and start her up. (the chances of fire are minimal, just be safe)
find the leak for yourself.
You have more than enough resources here on this forum to map out the fuel system and arm yourself with the knowledge necessary to find that leak for sure.
ALSO.. be sure not to be blind by the leak. be sure to check all other parts of the bike for wear and tear and other deficiencies.
Good luck. :thumb:
You know where to find us. :cheers:
oops i was waiting for my email to tell me that people were posting...thanks for the responses guys. this guy is ...s l o w.... its been taking me almost 2 weeks to get a chance to look at the bike. the pictures he gave me show me nothing but a bike in pristine condition no visable rust signs. he had or he says he had the tank pressure tested for leaks and it checked out. he says gas comes out of the petcock which i have read from other posts that it could require float checking or replacing, or a good cleaning of the carbs or petcock assembly, and at the worst a replacement of the petcock. i would actually enjoy fixing the leak with your guys help. get me some knowlege about the internals of he bike.
the bike is running for a nice $1000 its hard to beat at this point in the season in seattle and im flat tired of waiting but not impatient to the point where im going to settle for a heap of trash. i was thinking about bringing a gas can and filling up the tank and checking to see where the leak was for myself and im wondering just how big of a leak it is. i go in on wendesday he says but he also said this last weekend i could see it too but he bailed. i figgured i waited almost 2 years looking at bikes and wondering if i should get one, whats another few days.
thankyou so much for your help.
when buying from private party is it just sales tax that you have to pay for on top of the asking price or are there more fees for title transfer for instance.
well usually you pay the taxes on it when you take the title to the courthouse and register, but you can lower it (taxes), by 1. either he fills out a gift form, or 2. get a bill of sale with a lower price on it O0
here i go!!!
good luck with the bike! i'm still waiting on mine to get back from my buddy's mechanic (a friend of a friend of an acquaintance, etc)...aargh.
i have it at my house right now. i put some gas in it to chek for leaks in the morn. i got the price down cause the hoses are "aftermarket" some tubes with zipties and the break lights kinda messed up and one of the blinker lights are out. other than that looks like a champ. and runs well. im thinking the leak is from those tubes though. kinda hoping so that i can just easily replace em. thanks for the help.
Gas leak? Cake. Do it. (If the price is right, but act all worried about the gas leak)
Gas leak - Join the club ...
Remember that old SNL skit about Cheese burger, cheese burger, cheese burger ... yea ... we can do that like this here ... Gas leak, gas leak, gas leak ... Yea O0 ...
Its a standard feature ... you get free with purchase ... like you get a steering wheel in a car ...
Cool.
Srinath.
Quote from: iakona808 on August 24, 2006, 12:35:02 AM
i have it at my house right now. i put some gas in it to chek for leaks in the morn. i got the price down cause the hoses are "aftermarket" some tubes with zipties and the break lights kinda messed up and one of the blinker lights are out. other than that looks like a champ.
Sounds like a perfect GS! :laugh: Congrats on your new bike! :cheers:
Quote from: seshadri_srinath on August 24, 2006, 10:34:20 AM
Gas leak - Join the club ... Its a standard feature ... you get free with purchase ... like you get a steering wheel in a car ...
I thought it was the *oil* leak that was standard....*I* didn't have a gas leak!! I was RIPPED!!!! :mad:
Oh...wait...the gas leak came later....nevermind! :icon_mrgreen:
so far so good i put in about a gallon of gas and it hasnt leaked all day. however shes a little shy of perfect. i still want those tubes replaced and my back turn signal isnt working after replacing burnt bulb. any ideas? im going to check the electical. also it seems when i hit the rear break the break light doesnt kick in. the front does, back doesnt. those are my last remaining problemmos.
fixed the turn signal. still no leaking. what do you guys say about insurance?
15 bucks a month.
haha! my father got a bit pissy when i brought home a bike. what did he think was going to happen after an MSF course and buying a few hundred bucks of gear? he demanded i get insurance for it for "WHEN you Crash into someone!!" he says. he said he wouldnt let me drive it until i show proof. i just got insurance in a jiffy. now this thing is full proof nothings keeping me from the road now see yall there. woohooo!
Congrats on the new ride. Fuel lines are cheap at the auto parts store, and get the spring type hose clamps instead of the screw type, they work better and are cheap. The first thing to do about your lights is to clean all of your connections. if that dosen't work, check the continuity of the wires with a multi-meter or circut tester, if that checks out, your pressure switch is probally bad. Just use your front brake whenever you stop till you fix it.
I got my '94 GS 500e 3 week ago and I did not think much about a leaky tank. After the first week , I went to warm up the bike and I found a pool of gas on the floor! :mad:.
The cost for a brand new tank is $469.00. so you got to be sure of what you're getting! :thumb:
Quote from: Merkurio24 on August 25, 2006, 01:45:20 AM
I got my '94 GS 500e 3 week ago and I did not think much about a leaky tank. After the first week , I went to warm up the bike and I found a pool of gas on the floor! :mad:.
The cost for a brand new tank is $469.00. so you got to be sure of what you're getting! :thumb:
dude that stinks! i hope thats not my situation. i think and hope that the leak was comming from these makeshift hoses he put in the gas line. that or the usual float bowl stuck open.
Only a sucker would buy a new tank. Go ebay, or search around on here and spend $40-ish.
-Turd.
you know that saying nothing lasts forever? now my bike starts up but as soon as i put the choke off it dies. maybe i just need to warm it up a bit more.
Quote from: iakona808 on August 26, 2006, 01:05:30 PM
you know that saying nothing lasts forever? now my bike starts up but as soon as i put the choke off it dies. maybe i just need to warm it up a bit more.
Probably, it takes a few minutes to warm up if the engine is stone cold. If it keeps happening try adjusting the idle screw (big one under the carbs) in a bit to keep the revs up when you take the choke off.
-M
ok ive been going thru problems with my bike and have just been looking them up on here and fixing them. oil was too high. was kicking into my airbox and spewing out my drain. fixed that but to start my bike i have to jump it with my car. if i let my bike sit for a while then go to start it up it works the first time. if i shut it off and try again...no spark horn dies so ulitimately i lose power to the bike after i start it once. then if i let it sit for a while it seems to build up enough juice again to start up just once. battery i was told was new looks pretty new have never seen batteries like these before. alternator problem? i may just end up replacing the shanty hose getting a tach for it which it doesnt have at the moment and selling it trying to turn a dime.
tried to shift up while riding and it stalled out about two blocks from my house and had to roll it all the way back. I think my neighbors think im an idiot now. is this a clutch problem or electrical problem? with my previously mentioned problem im thinking electrical (no sparkage).
anyway to tell from a battery or alternator problem. if it is an alternator problem is the only way to fix that to just replace? i think the battery is brand new. i dont know what all the dials on the thing are for but the thing looks brand new. when i go to start it it make this dying cow sound. the lights will dim but never fully turn off and the horn eventually dies out.
i charged the battery found that it was half charged. put it back in this morning rode like a champ about a mile then sputtered and died, tried starting it up several times took the battery out found that it wasn't fully charged again. what does this mean?
Some times when a battery gets drained of juice it never can hold a decent charge again...something about the plates or the acid in the battery. You can try adding more acid I think. Also if your brake light is still out when you use the rear brake, maybe there is a short somewhere that drains your battery. :dunno_white:
happy hunting
thanks for the advice ill check out that break light, i also got a tip that it could be the voltage regulator/rectifier? what does this thing do and is it expensive to replace?
Quote from: iakona808 on August 27, 2006, 06:54:10 PM
---snip--- when i go to start it it make this dying cow sound. the lights will dim but never fully turn off and the horn eventually dies out.
Your horn makes noises when you are trying to
START the bike? ???
You got a short there guy. (Unless you are hitting the horn button, instead of the start button. :cookoo:)
Quote from: Toledo Jim on August 29, 2006, 03:44:39 AM
Quote from: iakona808 on August 27, 2006, 06:54:10 PM
---snip--- when i go to start it it make this dying cow sound. the lights will dim but never fully turn off and the horn eventually dies out.
Your horn makes noises when you are trying to START the bike? ???
You got a short there guy. (Unless you are hitting the horn button, instead of the start button. :cookoo:)
haha guess i didnt explain myself well, i just tried the horn cause its hooked up to the electrical power...i noticed that when i pushed it the horn would eventually stop working so i pin pointed that there was a power issue. now that ive pin pointed that problem i charged up my battery, thought that would solve everything since my battery wasn't fully charged. when i put my fully charged battery in, the bike worked for about a mile and then stalled and wouldn start up again. i took the bike back home and the battery was dead again. im trying to find out why i lost so much power so fast. thanks
First of all check the acid level of your battery, if it's low fill it to the max level with distilled water. Then charge the battery fully and allow it to cool down and stabilize for 1/2 hour or so then check the voltage (if you don't already have a multi meter, get one they are less than $10 at an auto parts or electrical parts store) it should be at least 12 volts. A brand new battery will be more like 13 but anything over 12 should be okay. Let the battery sit disconnected from the bike overnight then check the voltage again. If the voltage decreases by more than a couple of tenths of a volt, it's probally bad.
If the battery passes the first test put it in the bike and start it up. Check the voltage again, if everything is working properly (obviously it isn't) the voltage should be about 14 volts. If it's low, rev the bike to about 4k and see if anything changes. If yout alternator or regulator is shot, the voltage will continue to fall, and it will fall faster as the RPM increases. If you only get 12v at idle but 14v at 4k or so you're fine. If the voltage jumps arround a lot or is over 15v or so then your regulstor is probally shot. I think I saw a regulator for cheap on ebay. You may want to just buy it, if you can get it for 20 bucks, that's cheaper than going to a shop. I'l check my manual and see if it says anything about charging system testing.
With a fully charged battery - test voltage across the terminals with the thing running atleast 4K rpm. You'd have to have atleast 13V. Else your charging system is dead. There is more tests but try this and I'll tell you the next. IMHo this is the first step.
Cool.
Srinath.
so far my bike seems to idle alright, the voltmeter seems to be around maybe a little less than 12V when the batt is fully charged and when i turn on the bike the volts go up to about 13 or 14V. i had it running for about 5 min. i think im ready for the next step srinath. question: when i idle my rpms fluctuate a lot and eventually it goes SUPER high just when im idling. it revs up really high and i just shut off my bike. anyone know about this? this causes my voltmeter to go up and down too.
Well, high idle, or hanging idle can be caused by the bike being too lean, due to a vacuum leak. do a search for "hanging idle" or "vacuum leak", you'll find plenty to read about.
just got it on the centerstand thanks to the ol 2X4 method. had it running, power seemed ok. still gets into the higher rpms for no reason maybe just a warm up issue. im beginning to think that all these problems i had was jsut because the previous owner hadnt ridden it for a while. well im crossing my fingers, and hoping that this rainy weather clears up.
earlier i emptied about a quarter of a literbottle of oil out and thought that that was enough after oil was flushing out of my airbox. apparently not. after experiencing still some oil leakage here and there i decided to check oil leve again and noticed that it was still a little high. drained more into this liter pop bottle and not thinking there was more than a liter in there left it draining in there, i come back and the bottle is over flowing and i check the dip stick and its just at full still. this previous owner...was he trying to fill the thing with oil? im pretty confident the leak he noticed was oil and not gas. what problems could be caused by way too much oil? im going to see tomorrow if it affects my hanging idle problem or the high revving and stalls i get periodically that i dont think are caused by my poor driving.
You filled a liter bottle and it's still at the full mark????? He fill that to the top of the valve covers? Just me but I always change all the fluids when I buy a new bike or car. Even the brakes on a bike, it's cheap, easy and safer.
Idle issues, check all your cables. Make sure they're routed right. Check the bolts, everything. Let it idle on the centerstand, turn the bars left and right, see if the idle changes.
Quote from: iakona808 on August 24, 2006, 09:10:32 PM
haha! my father got a bit pissy when i brought home a bike. what did he think was going to happen after an MSF course and buying a few hundred bucks of gear? he demanded i get insurance for it for "WHEN you Crash into someone!!" he says. he said he wouldnt let me drive it until i show proof. i just got insurance in a jiffy. now this thing is full proof nothings keeping me from the road now see yall there. woohooo!
haha, i didi the same thing, except it was int he middle of our family reunion. :icon_lol: i dropped it off at my work on the way home. i told one of the cousins and she eventually found out. i have never seen my mom so bad.
she eventually came around tho. she did have to expect it after i took the MSF class tho. O0
Quote from: ducati_nolan on August 24, 2006, 11:16:54 PM
Congrats on the new ride. Fuel lines are cheap at the auto parts store, and get the spring type hose clamps instead of the screw type, they work better and are cheap.
Nope, get fuel injection clamps. They're flat on the inside and don't use a worm screw -- they use a regular screw between two plates. Only problem is that you have to get the sizing just right for them to seal well.
-b.