Just got a 2007 gs500e with 1500 miles for 2000 from a guy on craigslist! I think it was a good deal.. it was dropped once at low speed though by the guys wife but fully repaired and the only damage is some scrapes on the exhaust.
heres a pic
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/moregS500pictures001.jpg)
Anyways i have a couple questions... I tried clutchless upshifting tonight at like 7-9k rpms and it worked perfect, felt smooth as butter.. i just let off the throttle slightly and tried shifting exactly the same except without the clutch, it was beautiful. If i get it wrong can it damage the transmission or anything?
also.. mine has the center stand.. is this dangerous to leave on if i try some tight turns with some decent lean? is there anything i should do to improve handling? Is the rear shock adjustable and should i adjust it? (i weigh 150 if that matters) I did not get an owners manual with the bike :(
Few things they didn't make an "E" in 2007! Your fairings have been removed probably due to the low side so not "fully" repaird. Also, not a stock paint job not even close. Have you riden it yet? Would change the oil, check the tires, and make sure the frame and other structual components are not damaged.
The shock is adjustable most swap it out for a Kat one. Progressives' or a kat front end is a big change out here too. A rejet is on the list as well cause out of the box these bikes run lean!
Oh, and welcome to the board :cheers:
Mary
At 150 pounds you are perfect for the crap stock shock.
Center stand is a personal thing - leave it if you want. It will snag, but if you are leaning that far, then you need another bike.
I would check the oil and the tires first of all.
The center stand scrapes, take it off if you plan on leaning over that far. I didn't at first and it was dangerous.
Lol, what an odd paint job for a bike. I guess I like it, especially the repainted fork lowers. However, definitely and E conversion after the crash. You can tell because it has an oil cooler, none of the real E models have an oil cooler.
Thanks for the welcome!
I knew i never had seen any other gs500s like this,, but it has the gs500e headlight and everything so it thought it was an original one..
I thought it was some Canadian gs500e or something.. it has no S or Suzuki anywhere on the painted areas. guess its better than a gs500e because of the oil cooler,,, sounds good to me lol
anyway .. i liked the look of it too , so i bought it. It seems to have been repaired very well as the only damage i can tell thats on it is a scrape on the underside of the exhaust.
ive put about 150 miles on it so far, everything seems to work good except rear brake squeaks pretty loud.
Anyone know where i can get a rev limiter? i keep going from 1st to neutral on accident and revving it to like 11-12k.. is this really bad for it?
Also, my chain looks kind of dirty, what should i do for chain maintenance? is there some link to basic gs500 maintenance procedures? I havent changed the oil yet because the guy I bought it from said it was clean, and I checked it and it looks clean.
oh, and the rear tire is plugged.. it does not seem to be leaking though and has a ton of tread left.
Andy...
Do you know What oil he put in it?
Nope? Well, change the oil
Change the oil and you might find the neutral shifting issue goes away.
But in the meantime, when you shift up, take it Slower and let the clutch out and twist the throttle GENTLY. There is no need to rev the crap out of it all the time. Everyone expects motorcycles to race off. Be the cool guy and ride as if you have all the time in the world. This will get you used to the bike. THEN, you can race off :icon_mrgreen:
*I* would change the tire. YOu don't know anything about how old the plug has been in, or the type of riding the guy reckons his girl did on it.
Curious... is that HIS car in the pic? If it is, maybe this guy's a bit of a wheeler dealer, know what I mean? Buy, repair, sell.
CHAIN... ok...what *I* do is... I lube it with WD40 the same day I tank up. So I tank up on the way to work in the morning, also checking the tire pressure at the same time, then lube that chain later that day when I get home. So far no probs. And the bike was just serviced on Saturday and the mechanic didn't say anything detrimental about the chain.
Other's use dedicated bike lube.
Search and you'll see our endless discussions on it.
The Manual says... clean with kerosene and lube with Suzuki chain lube or an equivalent lubricant.
Clean chain... might be new or whatever. If it's clean it may not be lubed, right. So you need to lube it to be sure.
Remember, he had an interest in selling the bike so everything he said had that in mind so you need to be circumspect about what he said.
Rear break... yeah, there is That. So check the break pads first to make sure there are still some. Then, when next they are changed make sure proper break pad grease is put on the Back of the pad - the side with the metal shim on it that the piston pushes on. Others suggest double checking your rear wheel alignment. Both have worked. But the rear wheel break squeek is normal. It's one of the GS's quirks.
Anyway. So first things first.... change the oil & the filter to be sure. Lube your chain. *I* would also replace the rear tire myself. But that's up to you, but at least do the oil and chain.
Michael
Well the guy was a good guy, i trust him.
he said this about it when i asked
"I still have the bike it ws dropped at a very low speed from some one else learning to ride & had some cosmetic damage only which I fixed there is nothing a matter with this bike now besides a scratch in the front fender where I droped something on it in may garage."
The title he had said 1424 miles when he got it, when i got it it only had like 1444 miles lol.. so he only put like 20 miles on it i guess. He has multiple bikes of his own (cruiser style). So your prob right about him buying fixing then selling.
The most miles the oil could have on it is 1600 because thats the total mileage of the bike. How often do you guys change your oil in these motorcycles? i go 3000 on normal oil in my car 5000 on synthetic.
After further inspection i think it might have an aftermarket front fork/shock.. it has a motion pro sticker on it and looks diff than the stock gs500e or gs500F shocks, it lacks one screw toward the bottom.
Andy
You don't change the oil because it might be old - even though That is a possibility. You change the oil because you don't know what it is. The oil in there is an Unknown Oil. Could be discarded vegetable cooking oil for all you know. Could be 20-50 oil and not 10-40. Could be car motor oil and not bike motor oil. Who knows? THAT is why you change it. So YOU know for 100% certain what oil is in it.
My service guy uses Motul 1000. I've heard of other Suzuki Dealers also using Motul 1000. And people have reported good stuff from Motul 5100 in their bikes. Some use different brands. But the No.1 concensus is... whatever brand you use for your oil, keep using that brand and do NOT change it. The additives the different brands put in can Clash.
Michael
Thanks for the suggestions i will try to find some the correct oil and chain lube, probably from a local bike shop that does carry suzukis.
One more thing i did notice about the bike is it sputters at low rpms ,, like below 3000 rpms its kind of jerky and sputtery.. i think it does go away mostly after its completely warmed up though. Is that pretty normal?
For warm up i put choke on full and turn it on,, it revvs its self to about 3500-4000, i leave it there for about 30 seconds then turn choke down to where the RPMS are about 1500, ride off and within about a minute i turn the choke off. Is that the correct way?
Your bike isn't properly warmed that way.
Put choke to full and start bike.
Leave on full choke for about a minute.
Turn down choke to around 2k. Doesn't need to be precise, just not 3k & above.
Then you put on your jacket, attach anything to bike, put on helmet & gloves.
The idea is to warm the bike Before you put load on the engine.
Michael
welcome -
looks like the same color was sprayed on the mustang (tail section) and your bike. nice blue, but definitly not stock.
yes, your fairings are missing, so he was dishonest about that. would have been simple enough to say "Ya, I prefer the naked look, so I converted it to an E instead of fixing all the F parts." oh well. live n learn.
that rear tire would be replaced, if it were me. i've ridden with a nail in the rear for more than a few hours @ freeway speeds, but that doesn't make it wise. ;)
check your brake pads. it's easy enough to do with a flashlight. make sure your brake lines are ballooning when you apply the brakes.
check your chain for kinks/tight links while you're cleaning it. cleaning means knocking the dirt off, not trying to kill it with brushes and crazy expensive degreasers ;) - you want to apply motor oil, wax, or whatever you find that makes you happy. and you want to do it often. chains love to be clean and lubed, and they'll last a long long time if they're aligned proper.
you mentioned the fork wasn't stock ? post pictures on the forum. while you're at it, post pictures of your chain, forks, tires, and disks. folks spot stuff quick here.
be CAREFUL, you never know what wasn't tightened by a fix-it-quick guy. your life is in his hands right now.
change your oil.
:) welcome to gstwins :)
It's hard to tell for sure with digital photos and different monitors, but that paint looks levandar to me. The color scheme looks very, um, girly. Don't like the color-matching barend weight, headlight and fork tubes - it's too mono-tone. I can understand it if an owner wanted to personalize her bike, but if this bike was a fix-and-sell, then it's weird that the guy didn't choose a more mainsteam color scheme. It's not a salvage title? The whole thing (the lack of full disclosure on conversion from faired to naked, repaint, year, mileage and price, etc.) just doesn't feel right.
HEY! another light guy!. im only 130 so suspension mods arent huge for me but I got a free Kat 1000 shock I might put on my bike later on.
I like that paint job, think its pretty sweet actually epescially the forks.
OHGOOD:
You said to make sure his brake lines ARE ballooning? did you mean ARE NOT ballooning? or do you mean ballooning as in they have pressure, not like they get super puffed up?
its a 07 for sure it says manufactured 01/07 gs500fh on the frame
its blue i wouldnt say lavender because there is nothign purpleish about it, and im not even sure if it was the guys wife who dropped it he just said it was dropped at a low speed by someone learning actually i just assumed it was his wife, now that i think about it more it was probably the previous owner. Nothing about it really looks excessivly girly to me. He sold it as a "gs500" didnt say anything about F or E.. Not a salvage title.
ill get more pics sometime soon
When you change the oil dont necasarily get 10W-40, it depends where you live. If you live somewhere where it never gets cold, like Arizona I guess, IDK im from Missouri, but anyway, if you live in an always hot area, or dont plan to ever ride during cold wheather, then you want a higher second number, and the W number like 10W isnt important. 10W is just better than 20W in cold times because its the viscosity of the oil the number refers to and W is for Winter. (might stand for somethin else but I go as winter cause thats what my teacher tells us.) But the second number like 40 in 10W-40 is for regular temperature operating. so if you can get a 50, its better in a warm climate.
I personally will be useing (will be as in once bike is running again) the 10W-40 in the colder seasons and 20-50 during late spring through summer.
more pics, does the fork look like a stock one to you guys?
notice the big bike lock on the back, i use that to lock my helmet, normally its bungy corded down.
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/IMG_0283.jpg)
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/IMG_0284.jpg)
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/IMG_0285.jpg)
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/IMG_0286.jpg)
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/IMG_0287.jpg)
I kind of want to get this windshield for it f15 :
(http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/uploads/Upgrades/f15.jpg)
and my forks do look like this ones forks ^ so mabe they are stock
or spitfire
(http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/uploads/Upgrades/spitfire.jpg)
(http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200611/2007-suzuki-gs500f-1_800x0w.jpg)
see the screw on this forks above the bottom bolt? mine does not have that.. This is a pic of a 2007 gs500f and mines a 2007... not sure whats up with my front fork
and no that white mark on my fork is not a painted over screw, its a chipped piece of paint, probably hit a pebble or something at like 70
Then it probably means that the forks were changed out too! I don't think this guy was at all honest with you. Change out that tire! Check and make sure the front is straight and triple check for frame damage etc....
I dunno why but I got a bad feeling bout this bike. Please make sure it gets a really good once over. Where you at again? Maybe a fellow GsTwinner is near ya and can do a walk through with you for a six pack or something.
Mary
Not sure why you all have a bad feeling about the bike, is it because the price seems too low to be true? The guy was a good guy .. he didnt lie about anything.. i just didnt ask specific questions. He drove it to my house with no helmet, so i knew HE trusted it with his life.. Anyways ive looked over it many times extremely well, everything important is great it seriously seems like a professional repair job, the paint is also perfect. Ive rode it almost 200 miles and had it up to 90 (with protective gear and with a 30 mph tailwind) so it only felt like 60 or so lol... it was on a bridge... one way i was going into a 30 mph headwind and 70 felt like 100 mph, other way i went 90 and it felt like 60.
Ive looked over the bike for hours, ive sprayed some areas that started rusting with rust preventative spray
anyways the bike works perfect, theres no safety issues at all
pics of the only damage i could find (other than some rust that i attempted to fix) after looking everywhere on it
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/andy13186/IMG_0289.jpg)
you can see the chain looks kind of dirty/slightly rusty in this pic, i gotta get some lube for it or something.. the flash makes it look alot worse than in real life
after seeing this pic im gona go clean then spray that rusty area
That's alot of rust for an '07. I have an '04 kept outside mostly in Florida with 13,000 miles that doesn't have that much rust on the pipes.Sorry, but this is not a "perfect" repair job. Keep looking a seals and such to make sure they are not rotted and stuff with that much rust would probably mean other things were not kept up! BTW not wearing a helmet while riding doesn't necessairly mean that he trust it with his life. Could mean he's a squid and has no value for his life. Or he doesn't own gear and doesn't ride motorcycles which is not a good sign.
We are protective of other GsTwinners here if you haven't noticed. We want to keep you around in one piece!
Mary
Its not alot of rust actually its a very small spot, just looks bad with a flash,i bet yours has rust too if you take a macro pic with flash of it. The guy had multiple cruiser motorcycles of his own and was like 55 - 60 years old.
I live in FL too and bought it in FL (tampa bay area)
to me its a better than perfect repair job lol, i like gs500e's looks over the F's, and it keeps the oil cooler so thats an upgrade over a gs500e, also the paint and lack of any markings like suzuki nice.. to me this repair job is an upgrade
the rust would have been there even if it wasnt crashed
Andy,
That thing on your fork is not a Screw. It's an Emblem signifying it was Made In Spain. The Plate should have Place of Manufacture as ESP.
Now that you see how the chain looks - and how it looks worse with a flash - you understand the advice to Lube The Chain, right?
The scratches are longitudinal. The bike was dropped at speed. The faring was totaled on that side. Less costly to remove the fairing all together and make it a naked bike. The exhaust cam would have been scratched too. The pic makes it look kinda yellowish instead of the silver it should be, both hinting it has been replaced. The forks have been replaced too I'd say (with forks from a GS not made in Spain) and most probably the handlebars as well.
This doesn't mean the bike is no good or anything. Just that, these are the things likely to have been replaced - as well as indicators and the like as they get scratched in a lay down real easy.
Michael
Quote from: mister on October 27, 2009, 03:06:26 AM
Andy
You don't change the oil because it might be old - even though That is a possibility. You change the oil because you don't know what it is. The oil in there is an Unknown Oil. Could be discarded vegetable cooking oil for all you know. Could be 20-50 oil and not 10-40. Could be car motor oil and not bike motor oil. Who knows? THAT is why you change it. So YOU know for 100% certain what oil is in it.
My service guy uses Motul 1000. I've heard of other Suzuki Dealers also using Motul 1000. And people have reported good stuff from Motul 5100 in their bikes. Some use different brands. But the No.1 concensus is... whatever brand you use for your oil, keep using that brand and do NOT change it. The additives the different brands put in can Clash.
Michael
Ive used car oil in it without any ill efects whatsoever. this vs moto oil is a matter of opinion, there is NOT any proof one is better than the other. BUT youre NOT sure what type is in it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO change it first and foremost. also tires, chain and brakes, easy to do on this bike, if you get frustrated talk to us well be glad to help
Andy, welcome to the forum. Since you are new to the GS500, here are two things to note. OK, so you are riding along and things are perfectly fine and then all of a sudden your bike starts sputtering and you loose power. Panic sets in and you are like what the heck is wrong with my bike? Stay calm and switch the fuel petcock to RES and get your bike to the nearest gas station. Yeah, when you open up the gas cap there will be gas in the tank. Just fill the tank up, set the fuel petcock back to ON and you should be good to go. Don't forget to set your trip odometer back to zero so that you know exactly how far you have gone between fill ups. I go about 200 miles before its back to the gas station.
Pay attention to the ignition key position. When you are ready to take the key out, make sure that the key isn't in the ACC position. This leaves the turnsignal lights on and will drain your battery.
Please Andy, ride safe. The GS500 isn't a race bike. Full protective gear is a must. Real gloves, a good motorcycle jacket with protective padding, long pants, and good boots. Try newenough.com, they have good stuff-cheap prices.
Enjoy your new bike. I hope that you will get many miles of enjoyment out of it. :thumb:
Quote from: Andy13186 on October 27, 2009, 11:43:58 PM
Not sure why you all have a bad feeling about the bike, is it because the price seems too low to be true? The guy was a good guy .. he didnt lie about anything.. i just didnt ask specific questions.
I think most people just feel uneasy about the unknown and the lack of full disclosure up front, as in, what other surprises am I gonna get? Maybe you didn't ask, but if the guys did extensive repairs and passed it on as a minor drop, that's dishonest, and I don't know how I can trust a person like that.
It's not to say that your bike was not fixed right - many people have the skills to do full restoration from the ground up. If the seller was up front and explained exactly what was done, priced the bike accordingly, and somehow you have confidence in his repair skills and still decided to purchase the bike, then it's a fair transaction.
With the new photos I see the color is a medium blue, not lavendar. Still not used to the painted barends, headlight and fork tubes. Without any graphics or emblems (like that shiny "S" on the tank), the bike looks a little unfinished. (just personal opinion; what you like for your bike is way more important than what I like.) ;)
Yup, rust has a part number ...
Anyway it looks good and I wont quite clutchless shift it. If you make a mistake it can kill your transmission in a hurry.
The rest - what they said.
Cool.
Buddha.
Thx everyone, i have a shoei x11 helmet and a tourmaster intake 2 jacket, very nice gear imo.. the jacket is very breatheable probably perfect for florida with the inside liners removed.
I allready ran out of gas once lol... just like one of you said it started sputtering etc, i learned about the prime and reserve positions in the MSF course so i switched that and it started right up and i went straight to the gas station.
lol.. some funny stuff. I have that bike. It's been great. Yes, it takes a while to warm up. I'll use the choke and keep it under 3k rpm. After I get all my stuff on, I make sure its been about 5 minutes for the warm up if its cool outside.
Helmet cable, why someone didn't ask you; "Why dont you use the helmet lock under the seat?" is beyond me.. There is two hooks under the seat for helments.. lol
As far as gas goes, about 170-180 miles, I start cutting out and I switch to reserve. Since I know I have a gallon left, I'll run til about 200 miles then get gas. I clean my chain properly every 600 miles and change the oil every 2k with the filter change every 4k. I have nearly 12k on the bike now and its been flawless!
(http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o423/Roguesuzuki/100_6134.jpg)
i knew it had those helmet latches under the but you cant fit a real good thick cable though there and still lock the seat, do you guys just put your helmet strap through there? someone could cut that i would think..
Quote from: Andy13186 on October 29, 2009, 06:42:58 PM
i knew it had those helmet latches under the but you cant fit a real good thick cable though there and still lock the seat, do you guys just put your helmet strap through there? someone could cut that i would think..
They could cut the strap, yes. Could poor some sticky drink into your helmet too. Or fill it with mud. Or whatever. Plenty can be done to a helmet without stealing it.
Solution = carry your helmet with you. :thumb:
Michael
well i figured what would be the point on doing that stuff like pouring stuff into it or putting gum in it
the point in them cutting the strap is so they could steal it
with my lock it goes through the visor part so they couldnt steal it no matter what basically unless they totally destroyed it and made it worthless anyway
a helmet is a pretty bulky thing to carry around. My MSF course teacher said the same thing as you though.. carry it.
Quote from: Andy13186 on October 30, 2009, 01:00:56 AM
well i figured what would be the point on doing that stuff like pouring stuff into it or putting gum in it
What's the point of vandalism? Why break into a school and wreck the joint?
Same answer... the fukwit who does it gets a few seconds of joy. HA HA HA. Joke's on your. Fuked your helmet. very funny.
Hey. You think it's too big and bulky to carry around. Then don't. Chain it to your bike. Whatever floats your boat.
Me? I'll carry my Personal Protective Equipment with me thanks. It's designed to Protect Me. Be buggered if I'm leaving it out for all the assholes in the world to maybe use as their plaything.
Michael