Hello all, I've decided to move from the ranks of the lurkers and join y'all here :) . Although it's not the greatest time of year, I am starting my search for a GS500 and thought where better to seek advice then from you fine folks. I'm looking for a bike to primarily to learn to ride on and eventually commute with. What do you recommend Looking for, and what do you recommend avoiding?
My budget for the bike is $2k (and $150 or so for new tires). I prefer the naked look, but it's not paramount. I already have most* of my gear (DOT/snell helmet, jacket, gloves, overpants) just need boots. (recommendations?))
I am scheduled for the BRC in early November, so I plan to take (and hopefully pass) that, and then get my Bike as soon as possible after that. Hopefully this way i'll have a little under a month to soak up as much info as i so as to make the most informed decision when the time comes to buy.
Thanks for lookin'
-JDezle21
If the bike looks neglected, it has been. Bikes should be kept indoors when not being ridden, and stored properly if not used for several months. I only ever bought two bikes that hadn't been looked after because I was on an extremely tight budget, and I couldn't get rid of them fast enough. Their constant problems and the cost of fixing all the stuff on then that had been neglected was a good lesson.
Depending on where you are, there should be lots of good GS500's out there these days for 2K.
Read this for starters... http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
With a GS500... in 2003 the faired versions came out with an oil cooler - small radiator like thing that sits in front of the frame near the horn (just above where the exahust pipes come out of the engine, but on the outside of the frame). If you see a naked and it has an oil cooler it either means: the first or one of the previous owners did not like fairings and made the bike naked - or - it was crashed, the damage too costly to fix with fairings, so the fairings were removed and the end result was a naked bike (most likely).
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5hrT.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zO1SJ.jpg)
See the scratches on the exhaust of the 2nd pic and on the engine cover? Signs of a crash.
Michael
Quote from: JDezle21 on October 08, 2011, 07:52:49 AM
Hello all, I've decided to move from the ranks of the lurkers and join y'all here :) . Although it's not the greatest time of year, I am starting my search for a GS500 and thought where better to seek advice then from you fine folks. I'm looking for a bike to primarily to learn to ride on and eventually commute with. What do you recommend Looking for, and what do you recommend avoiding?
My budget for the bike is $2k (and $150 or so for new tires). I prefer the naked look, but it's not paramount. I already have most* of my gear (DOT/snell helmet, jacket, gloves, overpants) just need boots. (recommendations?))
I am scheduled for the BRC in early November, so I plan to take (and hopefully pass) that, and then get my Bike as soon as possible after that. Hopefully this way i'll have a little under a month to soak up as much info as i so as to make the most informed decision when the time comes to buy.
Thanks for lookin'
-JDezle21
Simplest thing is to bring someone who knows what a good bike looks like. We can explain things to you all day but how are you supposed to know what a bad chain looks like if you've never seen one? My suggestion is find a mechanic or friend who's good with bikes and have him come with you.
As for boots, I have Sidi Cobras and they're amazing. A little cold in the Winter but I have a faired bike so my feet are the least of my worries. I lose more heat through my neck :(.
THanks for al your replies so far
Michael- that is a good tip, i'll be sure to keep an eye out.
Safe- Thanks, I'm avoiding bike that have been sitting like the plague... really don't want my first bike to be a lemon.
Doc- I plan to bring my dad.(Car/Motorcycle experience) I like those Sidi's... and have heard almost all good about the cobras, but alas, $250 is outta my range.
I've been browsing the Wiki rtying to learn what i can, an i have a few more Q's for ya.
Any thoughts on year? is one more preferable, or is there a year that's more difficult than others? i know on other bikes atleast, some parts are year specific and therefore more of a PITA to locate.
I was thinkin Battlax b-45s tire wise, as i hear they're good and inexpensive also.
Anything you wish someone told you before you bought your first GS (or Motorcycle in general) ?
As far as storing inside, its ideal but not necessary, I have no garage so I make sure to store my bike under a cover and I ride it almost every day either to work or for play.
Remember GS500s are starter bikes, 90% of them have probably been dropped... They hold up well though and unless its MAJOR damage then its probably not too big of a deal, if your going naked though signs of a hard drop are
Bent forks, always look at the fork brace above the front fender if its broken or twisted walk away unless the bike is nearly free and you feel like a nice big project.
Twisted frame, look down the lines of the bike, look at the frame rails, if they look twisted or bent walk away fast don't even think about it. Feel behind the rails on both sides for buckles or bends, they might of been able to pull the bike strait but it would be a lot of work to get the backside of the frame strait.
Side covers, These almost always get a hit from a drop unless its got frame sliders. If the damage to these is extensive walk away, small scrapes without much rearward movement means it might of just fell over. If the side is road rashed completely out of shape run far and fast that bike went down fast and hard.
Bar ends, These also hit the ground on almost every fall, along with the brake or clutch levers. If they are damaged badly again walk away. If they are missing and the grips look rashed then its probably even worse. Check that the balls of the levers are still there and aren't rashed again another sign of a drop though it might not be a hard one.
Muffler, The silver part like the picture above is basically a magnet for road rash in any drop at any speed. Small vertical scratches probably mean a tip over, long horizontal scratches mean a drop more at speed, if the vertical scratches are big and deep it was probably dropped and slid sideways down the road.
Turn Signals, These get hit A LOT, especially on faired bikes. If they are broken or hanging the bike most likely was dropped, if the fairing or mount is bent or broken it was probably dropped hard, Stock blinkers are pretty flexible and will bend before metal or fairings.
Pegs, Check for bent foot pegs, these take a good bit of the weight on a drop if they are bent or cracked it was dropped hard.
Paint, this is a big one, if a bike has been repainted again its probably been dropped. Most people don't buy a bike and repaint it, they buy the bike the color they want. if its faired look inside the fairings and see if they changed the color, if its not look under the tank or under the seat, the factory paint over spray is generally never covered up.
Remember small drops and slow speed stuff is generally fine for a GS they are tough and rock solid, I have dropped mine a few times being new. It still runs great and I fix her up as she gets dings, If you see a bike has light drop damage you can probably get a few hundred off the asking price, I bought my 2004 with 13k miles for only 1500 I have put maybe 200 into making it looks good and will spend a bit more to finish up my paint.
Shinkos are good cheap tires Ninja guys love them and they work great on GS's, I run a Shinko in front and a Brigestone in the back. Good tread and it made it through the rain yesterday just fine.
Check the VIN plate and numbers havent been tampered with and match those on the docs, that the engine starts from cold with no smoke or nasty noises, check the charging sytem functions, that the header bolts havent been butchered, the front sprocket hasnt been welded on, the base gasket isnt leaking, the forks are not leaking or misaligned, that there is no play in the headstock and swingarm/suspension linkage and that the clutch isnt slipping......Then start worrying about the cosmetic stuff.
Year wise, after 2001. That's when the GS got 3 jet carbs and the larger gas tank. Nothing wrong with pre then, just that you'll have a slightly smaller tank and only 2 jets is all.
You might want to double check the engine number as well. As far as we can tell the engine numbers with M501 are all pre 2001 and the one that start with M504 are post. We worked this out over a couple of threads you can read...
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=57536.0 and http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=57564.0
Knowing this can give you an idea if the engine has been swapped out.
Michael