Looking to get a GS500F. I'm impressed so far what I've read read and seen. After some research and looking around on Craigslist, I came across an 06 with about 5900 miles on it. All stock. Called the seller up and ended up test riding down a small strip of road. The bike was in near excellent condition. The only things I noticed were a dirty chain, the rear brakes felt soft, very small scuff on the front fairing, and the tires looked to be original so they will need replacing very soon. Brought up to the dealer how long he has had it. He said an older man brought it in about a week ago and ended up trading it in for a Cadillac. He really didn't ride anymore, so it's been mostly garage-kept. Seller is asking $2100 but will settle for $2000. What do you think?
damn good deal imo. i got my 04 w/15k on the clock for $2000
bring him $1800 in cash and see if he takes it, if not then go "oh look i found the other $200 in my other pocket :D"
Quote from: rayshon on September 07, 2011, 09:37:01 AM
bring him $1800 in cash and see if he takes it, if not then go "oh look i found the other $200 in my other pocket :D"
I did this and it worked well. The carbs were dirty and it had a couple nicks on the fairings. Told him 1800, took it without question. Don't low ball, but throwing out a number 200-300 lower than asking (in this case) to test the waters wouldn't hurt. You can always offer more.
Only 5,900 miles and the tires need replacing? You should be able to At Least get double that out of the rear alone, more than triple that out of the front - unless the roads where you are are totally crap.
Michael
Quote from: rayshon on September 07, 2011, 09:37:01 AM
bring him $1800 in cash and see if he takes it, if not then go "oh look i found the other $200 in my other pocket :D"
:D One step ahead of you.
Quote from: mister on September 07, 2011, 11:32:11 AM
Only 5,900 miles and the tires need replacing? You should be able to At Least get double that out of the rear alone, more than triple that out of the front - unless the roads where you are are totally crap.
Michael
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
Michael
[/quote]
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
[/quote]
What ??? :cookoo: :cookoo:
I think you have that mostly backward and mostly wrong.....racing tires may last only one race or only a couple of races........a "good" road tire on a gs 500 (like the OEM Bridgstones) will go way over 10,000......I got 13,000 on the rear since new...and at 14,500 the front was still in good tread, but got "cupping" so I changed...........
Frankly $2000 is too low for that bike with that miles, unless something is really wrong....maybe odo was disconnected for 10K or so??? Or PO ran the snot out of it.....?
Buyer beware!!!
Cookie
Seems like a good deal. You could take it to a mechanic for an inspection if you are unsure.
FWIW, I got my 06 this summer with 4.8 for 2250, but it had scratched up fairings. I thought that was a fine deal.
I just sold my '05 with 5900 miles on it and some cosmetic damage for $2200, just wanted it to sell fast :icon_razz: I'd say you're getting a pretty good deal there, but it never hurts to try the cash approach!
The rear tire on my 01 had very little tread left at 10k miles. I only replaced it because it got a nail in it.....otherwise, I would have ran it another 2-3k.
Quote from: mindraider on September 07, 2011, 03:24:53 PM
Quote from: mister on September 07, 2011, 11:32:11 AM
Only 5,900 miles and the tires need replacing? You should be able to At Least get double that out of the rear alone, more than triple that out of the front - unless the roads where you are are totally crap.
Michael
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
You "read somewhere". Dude, stop passing on info you "read somewhere", unless you got a link. That doesn't help even though you are trying to be helpful.
The GS500 comes standard with Bridgestone BT45s. They last LOTS longer than a pissy 5,900 miles (9,400km). I changed out my first rear at 23,000km (14,000 miles) and my front at 30,000km (18,700 miles). My Sport Demon rear got me 10,600 miles (17,000km) but I did more commuting so the wear was more centered instead of spread like previous.
These are the kinds of distances a bike Should be getting. A tire change at 5,900 miles is due to either a very Soft compound in the tire or totally crap roads.
A lot of supersport riders choose softer compound tires for extra grip in twisties. I know guys who do this, and they get pathetic mileage. Like 3000 miles before needing to change. But they do track days, drag knees on weekend rides and basically think weekend riding is pseudo racing.
The GS500 is NOT such a bike.
Michael
Quote from: mister on September 08, 2011, 04:56:01 AM
Quote from: mindraider on September 07, 2011, 03:24:53 PM
Quote from: mister on September 07, 2011, 11:32:11 AM
Only 5,900 miles and the tires need replacing? You should be able to At Least get double that out of the rear alone, more than triple that out of the front - unless the roads where you are are totally crap.
Michael
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
You "read somewhere". Dude, stop passing on info you "read somewhere", unless you got a link.
Okey dokey.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5164744_change-motorcycle-tire.html
That's a crock and I don't believe a word of it. Go by tire wear, not mileage.
At the end of the day mindraider, if you think it's a good deal you'll buy it. If you feel somewhat hesitant then don't buy it. I just got my 09 F for $4800 with 7,700 miles on it. In Oz that's a pretty good price. It had a plastic weld in the front fairing from a garage drop but no other damage. It's had some good mods such as larger front sprocket, heated grips and pirelli sport demons but most of all I'm happy with my purchase. The bloke I bought it from was really friendly and didn't BS me in any way. Even told me more of her quirks . ;)
So my advice, follow your gut and then you'll be happy.
Quote from: mindraider on September 07, 2011, 03:24:53 PM
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
I'm assuming you are new to bikes and I'm glad to see you are doing some research before buying. The GS500 is a great bike to learn on! I saw the link you posted too and here is the text you read:
"Milage
Keep track of miles you put on the tires. Tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires."
I see where things got confused. They are saying you may get 7,500 miles out of race tires but expect to get 3,000. The GS500 is not a race bike and it does not have race tires. Racing tires are made out of soft compound rubber that wears out quickly. Street tires are made out of harder compounds that last longer. Just like NASCAR tires are worn out after one race while a Toyota Corolla will go 25,000+ miles on a set of tires. Car or motorcycle, tires are always some sort of balance between wear and traction.
People around here are quick to call B.S. but most mean well. As far as the bike, sounds like a good deal at $2,000 if it is clean and well maintained. Good luck whichever way you go :thumb:
-Jessie
Quote from: mindraider on September 08, 2011, 05:04:23 PM
Quote from: mister on September 08, 2011, 04:56:01 AM
Quote from: mindraider on September 07, 2011, 03:24:53 PM
Quote from: mister on September 07, 2011, 11:32:11 AM
Only 5,900 miles and the tires need replacing? You should be able to At Least get double that out of the rear alone, more than triple that out of the front - unless the roads where you are are totally crap.
Michael
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
You "read somewhere". Dude, stop passing on info you "read somewhere", unless you got a link.
Okey dokey.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5164744_change-motorcycle-tire.html
====
This decreases the lifespan of the tire from 3,500 miles for the
average motorcycle tire, to sometimes as low as 1000 miles.
Milage
Keep track of miles you put on the tires. Tires designed for
racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
====
What a crock of sheet.
3000 miles is 4,800kms. Wow, according to this "writer" my 30,000km is 6.25 times the life he reckons and I must have been skirting death for a very long time.
But like Jessie said and guys I ride with do, much softer compounds than the GS500 is designed to run with for riding around will have a Much shorter life span.
Also this...
====
Locate the wear bar on your tire. It's a horizontal bar that runs across the tire and is as deep as the deepest groove in the tread. Within this bar is a bump that comes up about 2 centimeters lower than the surface of the tire but 3 centimeters above the deep part of the groove.
====
What? I've read this over and over and cannot make sense of what he is saying... the bar is as deep as the deepest groove, this bar has a bump that come up to 2cm below the surface of the tire, but 3cm above the deepest part of the groove, thus the deepest part of the groove is 5cm deep. What?
There ain't a motorcycle tire anywhere that has tread that is 5cm deep or even half that deep. That's tread that's two inches deep. Baloney. Does this guy even own a bloody bike? Let me see his bio...
"Simon Breedon has been freelance writing for Newspapers for the past 8 years. He has written for The Washington Informer, Edge Magazine, The Yeti, The FSView and Florida Flambeau Newspaper. He has a BA from Florida State University in Creative non-fiction/ Journalism and a Masters Certification in Editing and Publishing. He is currently attending Law School and studying for a computers science degree."Nope, nothing there about riding a motorbike there.
@Mindraider, this is the Danger of reading things online from such places. You 'think' the info is legit when it is actually misinformed and misleading.
If you're concerned about the tires, then the Distance is in no way a useful indicator of whether the tire needs changing. At 5,900 it may or may not need changing based on other factors independent of the distance. In this case it is an 06 bike. That doesn't mean the tire is 06, the tire could be younger or older, you don't know by the age of the bike. In this case, you need to find the manufacture date stamp on the tire....
Have a look at the tire for a four digit number by itself - though it may be three digits if the tire is real old. The numbers will be somewhere near where it says DOT and may be in an elongated oval shape (rectangle with rounded corners). The numbers are the tires manufacture date. For instance...
(http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l94q2rwLjc1qd4p9yo1_400.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/RWgbh.jpg) (http://www.barrystiretech.com/dotcode6.jpg)
What those 4 digit numbers mean is the Date the tire was made - first two is the Week Number of the Year, last two are the Year. So the first tire is made in the 42nd week of 2002, second one was made in the 14th week of 2008 and the third tire was made in the 51st week of 2007. If it's only 3 digits long the tire was made before 2000! :o
You may find an 06 bike with a tire made in 04. That would mean it is presently seven years old. Once you know its age you need to look closely at the side wall for cracking. If the side wall is riddled with cracks, then it is time to put new tires on - regardless of the distance the tires have done.
Michael
While were adding pictures: wear indicators/tread bars. There is usually an arrow (or a Michelin man pointing :laugh: ) on the side wall to help you find where to look on the tread :thumb:
-Jessie
(http://srilankaauto.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/4/5/3145529/4116651.gif)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2418/2449159214_070d0ba6f0.jpg)
Hate to say it, but most of this thread is 100% irrelevant. If the bike is on it's original tires, those tires are now at least 5 years old. Whether or not there is any tread on the tire, it's time to have them changed.
Check the date. Past 3 years or so, it's a good idea to change the tires.
FYI: I got about 3000 miles out of a BT003RS rear on my race bike at track pace. My K1300GT is unlikely to get more than 6000 miles out of a quality sport touring tire. How you ride and what kind of bike you ride will have a huge impact on how long the tire lasts. I'd expect a GS500 ridden at a street pace with sport touring tires to go 10K miles if pressures are maintained.
Quote from: burning1 on September 09, 2011, 02:22:44 PM
I'd expect a GS500 ridden at a street pace with sport touring tires to go 10K miles if pressures are maintained.
Do you consider the stock tires to be Sport Touring? Do you consider Sport Demons to be Sport Touring? Either way, I posted my distances - 23,000km rear oem and 30,000 front oem (commuting and weekend riding). 17,000km Sport Demon rear 90% commuting so it had uneven wear more so in the middle and its life was shortened prematurely compared to the previous tire.
Michael
Those numbers sound reasonable, especially since you seem to be into hyper-milling (going by the MPG figure in your sig.)
Well, I ALMOST went through with this, however I am glad I gave myself some time to think about it. I just received an email from a CL seller that I emailed about a week ago while bike browsing.
His listing was an 05 GS500F with only 625 miles. :icon_eek: He was asking $3600 for it. I made a lowball offer of $2700. He said he wouldn't budge. Just today he said he would take it because he really needs the money and the room in the garage. Should I jump on this while I still can or settle for the 06 for $2000? Both are well within my price bracket. I could probably show up with $2500, and being as desperate as he is, would ultimately take it. Will be checking out the bike tomorrow to see if it's as good as it seems. Judging from the pics the bike looks pristine and damn well should be. Also, new battery.
Both sound like decent deals if they are what they seem to be, I'd say it depends on your financial position. Keep in mind if this is your first bike you will also have to invest a couple hundred dollars if you want a decent helmet and riding gear.
-Jessie
Quote from: BaltimoreGS on September 10, 2011, 04:18:17 PM
Both sound like decent deals if they are what they seem to be, I'd say it depends on your financial position. Keep in mind if this is your first bike you will also have to invest a couple hundred dollars if you want a decent helmet and riding gear.
-Jessie
Not my first bike - started out on a Blast, looking for a sportier, spunkier upgrade. I have all the necessary riding apparel, so this is not an issue.
Quote from: mindraider on September 10, 2011, 04:24:13 PM
Not my first bike - started out on a Blast, looking for a sportier, spunkier upgrade.
You sure you want a GS?? :laugh: Don't get my wrong, it is a nice bike but I don't think it is really a step up from the Buell Blast and I wouldn't use the adjectives "Sporty" or "Spunky" to describe it. Will either seller let you test ride the bikes so you can compare it to your Buell? If you want to stick with a 500cc machine, a Ninja 500 has almost 20 more horsepower than a Blast or a GS500 in stock form. It also has a liquid cooled engine with 4 valves per cylinder. If you want to go bigger but stay away from race replica 600's I'd recommend checking out an SV-650, Ninja 650, ER-6N's, Katana 600's and the GSX 650. Used models of all of those bikes can be had in good condition for $3,000 or less. My unsolicited 2 cents... ;)
-Jessie
Quote from: BaltimoreGS
You sure you want a GS?? :laugh: Don't get my wrong, it is a nice bike but I don't think it is really a step up from the Buell Blast and I wouldn't use the adjectives "Sporty" or "Spunky" to describe it. Will either seller let you test ride the bikes so you can compare it to your Buell? If you want to stick with a 500cc machine, a Ninja 500 has almost 20 more horsepower than a Blast or a GS500 in stock form. It also has a liquid cooled engine with 4 valves per cylinder. If you want to go bigger but stay away from race replica 600's I'd recommend checking out an SV-650, Ninja 650, ER-6N's, Katana 600's and the GSX 650. Used models of all of those bikes can be had in good condition for $3,000 or less. My unsolicited 2 cents... ;)
-Jessie
Yes, I've dabbled in all of those you listed. I'm bouncing everything off what is available in my area (<1 hour drive), within my budget ($3000) and the biggest bang for my buck, and meets the desired overall appeal and feel. The GS500 is really what I'm left with at the end of the day and I'm okay with that (well, that and katanas but I was warned to stay from katanas they're garbage and look ugly). It has the pick up I want and pulls off the sporty look well.
Quote from: mindraider on September 10, 2011, 05:16:15 PM
I was warned to stay from katanas they're garbage and look ugly
That is one of the biggest myths in motorcycling and I hate seeing it perpetuated!! Katanas are my favorite cheap inline 4! I can see where people don't like the styling but I've owned a few over the years and all of them were reliable, fun bikes. The engine is a 4 valve per cylinder air/oil cooled design derived from the original GSX-R and it is about as bullet proof as they come. The main problem I have heard of is a bent 1/2 shift fork but I think some of that has to do with the novice riders that buy Katanas, never had that problem on any of mine. I think a lot of the bad rep the Katana gets is from people who buy it thinking it is a super sport bike, it's not. The Katana is a sport tourer at best, it is not a GSX-R. If someone buys it thinking it's going to be a crotch rocket they will be disappointed. I wouldn't call it slow (it has double the horsepower of a GS500 and will do 60 MPH in first gear if tached out) but it is a heavy steel framed bike. That weight gives it stability at highway speeds though. There is also a great online community at katriders.com Pretty much a Katana it is just a bigger GS500: a fun, reliable and easy to maintain motorcycle. Rant ended... :)
-Jessie
Here ya go Baltimore... taken with my phone the other month. Was nice to see this 1982 model still kicking around. Sure it's a little beat up, but I thought it looked ok for a 29 year old bike. Good just to see it, instead of disappeared into a scrap pile never to be seen again...
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FTfjT72vnZY/Th4vKJXUqrI/AAAAAAAAAwI/anXPmpxQYYw/s912/GS650.JPG)
Michael
Awesome! I can't tell you the last time I saw one of those on the road!! A dealership I stopped at in Pennsylvania had a super clean Katana 1100 on the floor that was a trade in. I will admit the styling is definitely an acquired taste :laugh:
-Jessie
Well I took the leap and bought the 05 GS500 with 600-some miles. I must tell you, coming from a baby Buell Blast... this bike is so smooooth. I love just about everything about it. The get-up, the ease in starting from first, the acceleration, the handling, and it looks brand new. It's everything I wanted for a healthy upgrade. Every time I go out I want to ride the GS. Hopefully this isn't just some fleeting passion.
A few questions though:
Compared to the Buell, the bike sounds like it revs awfully high. Not high on the tach, but sounds high. I've never ridden a sportbike before so I guess this is normal? (yes, my choke is completely off)
What is the normal RPMs for a high gear? I am usually sitting around 4-5K rpms.
Shifting isn't as obvious as it was on the Blast. Is it safe to upshift anywhere before the redline and after about 3k RPM?
I noticed that my rear brakes squeak. Is there something I can apply to the brake pads to keep that down?
I looked at the tire's date of manufacturing and the rear is late 04 and the front is early 05. The tires have a deep and clean tread with no cracking. Is it smart to keep these on? I would like to.
Thanks.
Congrats on getting the bike and I'm glad you like the ride :thumb:
I can answer a couple of your questions but you'll have to wait for the other guys to turn up, they're a bit smarter than me ;)
Quote from: mindraider on September 27, 2011, 03:43:32 PM
Compared to the Buell, the bike sounds like it revs awfully high. Not high on the tach, but sounds high. I've never ridden a sportbike before so I guess this is normal? (yes, my choke is completely off)
What is the normal RPMs for a high gear? I am usually sitting around 4-5K rpms.
Shifting isn't as obvious as it was on the Blast. Is it safe to upshift anywhere before the redline and after about 3k RPM?
I noticed that my rear brakes squeak. Is there something I can apply to the brake pads to keep that down?
I looked at the tire's date of manufacturing and the rear is late 04 and the front is early 05. The tires have a deep and clean tread with no cracking. Is it smart to keep these on? I would like to.
Thanks.
Squealing brakes is normal. They should only squeal up until they've warmed up, but if you hear of any ways to fix this let me know.
I'd keep those tyres, if they look good (no cracking and good thread) then I can't see why you would replace them. Just keep a good eye on them and as soon as you see some fault, replace them.
I believe shifting in the 5 - 6k rpm area is the optimum. I read that on a previous post http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=57739.msg654085#msg654085
K8
Personally, I'd replace the tires. Even if they aren't cracking, heat cycling from just sitting around will tend to harden the rubber and compromise traction.
Yes, the GS500 does rev higher than the blast. It will tend to sound like it's spinning faster; smaller displacement, more cylinders, etc.
4-5K RPM is a pretty comfortable speed for the GS. I'd try to keep it above 2-3K for normal riding. For fast acceleration, 8K is a sweet spot for the engine. I'd advise against going above 9.5K or so; redline is 10.5 IIRC, and there is no rev limiter, so it's not difficult to damage the engine by spinning it way too fast.
Glad you're enjoying it. :)
Quote from: mindraider on September 08, 2011, 05:04:23 PM
Quote from: mister on September 08, 2011, 04:56:01 AM
Quote from: mindraider on September 07, 2011, 03:24:53 PM
Quote from: mister on September 07, 2011, 11:32:11 AM
Only 5,900 miles and the tires need replacing? You should be able to At Least get double that out of the rear alone, more than triple that out of the front - unless the roads where you are are totally crap.
Michael
the only part that article got right was the cords and the wear bars. your gs will (as folks attest here) be very gentle on tires. 10K mile rears is the norm, if you're ginger you can get 15k miles out of a rear.
3k miles- HA ! i get 3K out of my knobbies !
I read somewhere that tires designed for racing bikes can last as long as 7,500 miles, but, on average, you don't want to go longer than 3,000 miles without changing your tires.
You "read somewhere". Dude, stop passing on info you "read somewhere", unless you got a link.
Okey dokey.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5164744_change-motorcycle-tire.html