New rider, "new" bike: 1995 GS500 with under 100 miles on it. I'm buying it from the original owner. It's basically been in storage, probably hasn't been started since 1998.
What should I check, replace, or preform maintanence on when I pick it up? I plan on changing the oil and tranny fluid, oiling the chain, perhaps washing out the gas tank, checking the tires, spark plugs, air filters, etc... I know rubber tends to break down over time. I know I'll have to install a new battery. What else should I look out for? Any tips in bringing this bike "up to speed" will be greatly appreciated.
BTW, salutations and such to all. This looks like a great site, and I'm looking forward to learning more about these bikes.
I've wanted to ride for a long time, and originally wanted a crotch-rocket, a 600+cc sport bike. After taking the basic riding course, looking at my thin wallet, and doing a good bit of reading, I decided to start with something smaller, more forgiving, and easier to learn to work on. From what I've read, the GS500 will fill my bill for now, and I have the funds and a seller. Eventually I will probably still get a bigger, faster bike, but I want to have some fun with with this one for a while. Maybe some mods (pipes, carb jets, K&N, front suspension) will keep me entertained for a while.
Thanks ahead of time for your help.
what you need to check fully depends on how the bike was stored. If he just simply stopped riding it and parked it in his garage you probably don't want it unless its a really good deal. If he mildly winterized it and it sat its probably still going to have a decent amount of issues. If he did a full storage job on it most things should be ok. Get more info on how it was stored first
LOL, I couldn't afford anything that wasn't a good deal, but that's a relative term... I'm hoping this will be one.
I don't think he really did anything to it. What kind of issues? Hit me with as long a list as you care to type.
With only 100 miles, i dont see how many things could be bad. If you sit bearings on a shelf for five years, do they go bad? I dont see the difference here.. i have a 1991 that sat for three years when i owned it(outside!), and i replaced chain, tires, motor (lol) and went riding. Intake mani, all rubber plastic etc.. in good shape.
Mmm, guess I'll just have to find out...
I just told him, no matter what, don't try to start it! I knew someone who bought a used car, cranked it, and locked up the engine: it didn't have any oil in it! LOL!
I'm going to go over everything I can, especially fluids and lube points.
What's a good way to clean the gas tank?
Quote from: goingoutsideMmm, guess I'll just have to find out...
I just told him, no matter what, don't try to start it! I knew someone who bought a used car, cranked it, and locked up the engine: it didn't have any oil in it! LOL!
I'm going to go over everything I can, especially fluids and lube points.
What's a good way to clean the gas tank?
First things first, install an inline fuel filter between the carbs and petcock. Check the tank for rust etc.. and if there is any, you might as well get the POR or KREEM kit and coat the tank. AND check all fluids, and youll probably need to bleed the brakes. Actually change the fluids.. all of them. Especially the oil. ecck.
Hopefully the bike didn't just sit with gas in the tank and carbs for 12 years. Check for rust in the tank. If it's rustly, then thats a big pain to fix. You'll have to reline the tank and likely take apart the carbs, thoroughly clean them and then reassemble them.
Tires, and anything rubber (hoses, brake lines, gas lines etc) may have dry-rotted. You'll want to examine this bike quite closely. My 1991 GS was purchased after it sat in the Arizona desert for 7 years ... I now know alot more about bike repair than I did six months ago.
Adam
if it sat with gas in it you have bigger problems than a rusty tank, the gas probably carmalized in the carbs and the engine. If you you let brake fluid sit in the lines on cars for that long it'll completely eat away at your break system. seriously if he just stopped riding it one day its going to be a bigger pain in the ass than its worth.
(Check the tank for rust etc.. and if there is any, you might as well get the POR or KREEM kit and coat the tank...)
Tell me more about these kits. What are they, and where can I get them?
You pays your money and takes your choice, have a good look and go with your judgement either way you will get a good hobby. If Rashad is right (How bad can it be) then you'll be out on the twistee black-tops in no time or alternativley you might find yourself into restoration which is very rewarding in itself but rather less thrilling than the black-tops. GOOD LUCK with it but be prepared to get dirty hands for quite a while, if not it's a bonus.
The warnings about gas are because gas turns to jellied goo after a while. If he stored it with gas in the gas tank, then the tank, the in-tank filter, and the carbs are going to be filled with guk. On the other hand, if he didn't fill it with gas, then the tank is going to be very rusty. Either way, you're in for some work.
I'd suggest:
Click on the "Buy a repair manual" at the top of this page, and buy the manual.
It sounds like you're not going to start the bike yet, so it's probably coming home on a trailer? Good! Leave the bike on the trailer, and follow Srinath's instructions at http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3595, except do it with the bike on the trailer. Except that Srinath says to shake the bike every few hours, but instead, you can just leave it on the trailer and drive around town with the carbs full of cleaner for a few days (much easier!).
Also, Srinath says to leave the tank on the bike. But your tank is gummed-up, and needs some attention, so remove it from the bike (see the instructions in the repair manual), drain it out the top into an oil drain pan (don't just dump the old gas, burn it in a controlled method). When your carbs are done soaking, you can drain the carb cleaner mixture out of the carbs and put it in the tank. Throw in a few dozen very small nuts to help clean off the surface rust (no bolts!). The nuts have to small enough to get sloshed around with the cleaner. Wrap the tank in carpet and duct tape, and throw it in the back of a pickup truck for a few days; make sure it is free to roll around the truck bed, or you'll only clean one side of the tank. Drive over as many railroad tracks as you can :) . If you buy 2 bottles of carb cleaner, you can "clean" the tank while the carbs are being "cleaned". Again, when the tank is done, drain it out the top into an oil-change pan.
Then replace the fuel hoses (you can buy the tubing by the foot at Pep Boys), but add an in-line clear fuel filter between the tank and petcock. This will catch most of the rust that will be coming out of the tank in the near future.
Change the oil.
Now you can put back the tank, add some gas; put the petcock on PRI for a minute to fill the carbs.
Leave the gas petcock on ON, put the kill switch on OFF and turn the starter a few times, and listen for anything which sounds suspicious. When you think it sounds good, move the gas petcock to PRI, the choke all the way on, wait a minute for the carbs to fill, then put the kill switch on RUN and fire it up...but no real riding, because you still need to replace the tires; after sitting for 6 years, those tires are hard and chunky. Those old tires will dump you on your butt. This is critical! :nono:
You can probably do some light riding at this point, but watch-out: the brakes may not work much. You probably want to replace the brake fluid ASAP.
If this seems to be a bit much, it is: most people would rather buy a bike which has been ridden every day, to a nicer bike which has been sitting idle.
I think the bike is still within the (600 miles?) breaking-in period, no? So I suppose no high RPM as well.
If it has no rust, I think it is a very good deal. Carb gum, brake gum, engine oil gum, all this can be easily fixed. IMHO.
Cheers,
Ed.
Ok, here's my initial list so far:
Battery - replace
Gas tank - clean with Yamaha brand cleaner, possibly reline with a KREEM or POR kit (found those online)
Fuel lines - replace, add fuel filter
Carbs - clean with Yam stuff and rebuild (found gasket sets online)
Air filter - check, replace if paper with a synthetic filter
Spark plugs - check
Oil - change, replace filter
Tranny fluid - change
Chain - oil, replace if damaged or rusty
Brakes - drain and bleed, check lines and replace if needed
Tires - replace if needed (how could they not be dry rotted and scary)
Yes, I will be trailering (is that a word?) it back. I'll do 90% of this before ever starting the bike. I also need to find out what the break in period is for this bike, since I'm sure it's still under that mileage. Thanks a bunch for the info, folks, much appreciated. I can't wait to hit the asphalt, and hopefully put some miles down before it gets uncomfortably cold (as if I'll stop riding anyway).
I'm pretty mechanically inclined, and do most of my own work on my 4 wheeled transportation. My thinking in looking at this bike is that were I to buy any used bike, I'd be doing most of this stuff to it anyway, unless I knew the previous owner personally. I hope to correct the time-induced wear on the bike, and not have to deal with the wear-induced... uh, wear... yeah. I'm told it only has 50 miles on it, and he wants $1000 for it. He said he paid extra for some farings when he bought it, though I don't know what kind. I asked him if his kid had pushed it over in the garage or anything, and he said, no, it was still in like new shape. He admits to not knowing much about bikes, i.e. the price, and lack of storage prep. I think I can come out on top with this one. We'll see, eh?
:thumb:
Gas goo is easy to fix Use yamaha carb cleaner. Follow instructions on the bottle....I hope it sat with a tank ful of gas though...cos else it will probably have rust. But the 89-92 rusted more easily than later or earlier bikes from any manufacturer. I have an 82 KZ that sat in North dakota for 10+ years no less and srill has less rust than my 89 GS that pretty much has been active for much of its life. I had a 90 I bought with 1700 miles in 98 though and it sat for 5 years as well...and it was great...carb cleaning, fork seals...were all I had to do due to its sitting. You change the oil (tranny and motor use the same BTW) drain the tank and clean the carbs, squirt a bit of oil in the combustion chambers, put in new battery, take out the spark plugs and turn over by hand a few times, then turn it with the starter. You then should make sure the oil is all out of the chambers...by turning over few more times...and sometimes a squirt of gas and turning over with starter with the plugs out helps. Then fresh gas, new plugs and try to start. Simple...these things dont usually break from just sitting.
Cool.
Srinath.
Welcome to the sport, be careful but its an awful lot of fun and if you use some common sense you can avoid many risks that riders fall prey too. I think you've got the right idea in buying a first bike, also take into account that you are fairly likely to drop your bike at least once. Buy something you woulnd't mind seeing some scratches on and that holds it resale value well (a used gs ranks high by both factors). You'll learn a lot more on a small(er) bike, whether or not you have the discipline and control to use less throttle on a fast bike. Its about learning motorcycle dynamics and how to be safe on the street.
I'd suggest doing some research to make sure you are getting a good deal, I often see super-low mileage bikes selling for a premium even though they can require a lot of work to get back into good running shape. Clean but used 95s go for $1-1.5K around here regularly (10-20K mi) and there's a 91 with 12K advertised for $750 right now because someone didn't want to pay $160 to clean the carbs (pretty straightforward do it yourself job), if the ad is to be believed. Pretty looks always commands more money than solid running, in my experience.
Prices vary from region to region, of course, but be patient and you can find a great deal. As a first bike, don't be afraid of cosmetic issues, just make sure there isn't too bad rust, the forks aren't pitted, major engine parts are ok, and no major bending in the frame or forks. Rust is the real enemy of the GS500E, if it gets bad under the triple tree or around the rear shock linkage, walk away.
That said, you can often fix things if you're willing to put into the work and there are a lot of helpful people and useful information around to do it. Cleaning/rejetting the carbs can be a pain, but its not too hard if you're patient. Make sure to factor the cost of new tires, battery, hoses, and fluids into your purchase decision (say $2-300). I'd leave some room both time and expense wise in case you need to replace the chain, brakes, or deal with lack of lubrication issues. I don't mean to scare you away from this bike, but try to be patient and take into account the total cost you're dealing with.
Also factor in some good protective gear (helmet, jacket, and gloves as a bare minimum; sturdy boots and armored pants recommended) and liability insurance (full coverage is a waste with an inexpensive gs, imo)
Good luck.