I have had a hard time starting and running my gs500 for the last couple of weeks, and would like some advice on what to do next. The person I purchased it from had said it had a k&n filter and a rejet done to it, but there is not a k&n filter, so I'm not sure if a rejet has been done or not. I can't get it to start at all now and the last two times I rode it was hard to start, and when it warmed up it would bog down and stall and not start until it cooled off. I checked the plugs and one is black and wet with gas I don't think its oil its smells like gas and wipes off easy, and the other is brown and white so it looks lean. I checked the float height by useing the plastic tube and opening the drain screw on each carb and it looked fine but I'm not sure if it really is the right height. I pulled the air box off and there was gas on the back of the carb that had the black wet plug. I guess I need advice on what to do now I don't know anything about carburetors and I don't know if the carbs are the cause of all the problems or not, any advice is appreciated.
Hi there delsol,
First off, pick up a copy of the Clymer's manual for the GS500. It has step-by-step instructions with plenty of photos to guide you along. It also has a section in the front which deals with the common tools you'll need to do the job.
My guess is the previous owner got in there and screwed around with something. If you have no K&N filter and stock exhaust you should have no problems running the stock jet sizes. I suggest you remove the carbs and inspect them. Once you know the jet sizes you'll be able to make an informed decision about what is going on.
Also, remove the black plastic vacuum caps on the top of the carbs and pull the needles. They should have one circlip groove only. If they have more than one somebody has installed dynojet needles. Remove these, they have a different taper than stock.
Carbs are easy to work on if you follow directions carefully, take your time, work clean, and DON'T GET IN A RUSH! ;)