Hello everyone. I am located on the East coast of the U.S. I am going tomorrow morning to buy my first bike and its a 91 GS500E. I did a ton of research and I was looking into buying a Katana or something like that but I found a GS500 with low miles that needed NOTHING and is in great shape for 1,050 USD. I googled GS500 forums and this was the first to pop up so I joined!
Welcome.
This is a fum place. Many of us have an odd sense of humor. If you like cats, that helps a lot (you'll soon understand why).
If you don't have a place to post pictures, you can use gs500.net.
General rule: Pictures or it didn't happen.
Anxious to see pictures of your new ride.
Thanks a lot! And haha I do get on several car forums that I have been loyal to for years but I will def. be posting on both sites. I am like a kid the night before christmas. Like I was saying, it's the smart choice to get the GS500 because I am a newby at riding bikes and I will be commuting it as much as possible. Pictures will be posted tomorrow after I get it!
I went out and bought a helmet yesterday. Need more gear but need more money. Haha.
Welcome!
I think you'll find out soon that gear costs more than the bike..... My recommendation? Since you bought a new (hopefully) helmet, look for other gear on Craigslist. People sell old stuff pretty cheap.....
Yep I bought a brand new helmet that is DOT rated from a local bike shop. And yeah craigslist is where it's at for stuff if you can be at the right place at the right time. haha.
Welcome to the site. I also love CL. I bought a new Galaxy Note 2 off a guy on CL today for the wife. Got a stupid sweet deal on it
Post some pics of the bike
Pics or it didnt happen!!!
welcome to the best gs500 forum on the web :icon_mrgreen: and dont mind us, we have interesting senses of humour around here :thumb:
Cats!
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Thanks a lot guys! It looks like there is a decent bit of active users on here for sure! And I am stuck at work for another hour until i can go pick it up. I can't wait. I will post pics as soon as I get home.
Like I said before I am on several other forums for cars. I get the mod bug, even before i get something. Anyone know of any good places to start, other than the obvious exhaust upgrade. Pics or links would be appreciated as well!
Quote from: CCmatters on April 20, 2013, 03:51:44 AM
Thanks a lot guys! It looks like there is a decent bit of active users on here for sure! And I am stuck at work for another hour until i can go pick it up. I can't wait. I will post pics as soon as I get home.
Like I said before I am on several other forums for cars. I get the mod bug, even before i get something. Anyone know of any good places to start, other than the obvious exhaust upgrade. Pics or links would be appreciated as well!
Welcome! Youll find this place great not only for mods but for maintenence. I dont know what the previous owners have done but your gonna want to change the fork springs and maybe even the rear shock depending on your prefrence. The springs are prob the only downsise to the gs they bottom out easuly and are extremely soft other than that you have your basic mods such as led in gauges, if your going to do exhaust put a k&n lunchbox air filter in there...oh right i forgot PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN welcome and good luck :)
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Welcome to the forum!!
Thanks a lot guys! I picked up the bike and it is officially in my name and sitting outside! There was a freak snow storm and it was only 38 out today but the guy I bought it off of was nice enough to haul it to my house for me for only 50 dollars extra.
And as for mods, the bike is completely stock. When he bought the bike the tank was missing(he bought it as a project) and he bought a used tank(cover thingy) and had it powdercoated and put it on. The bike isn't perfect. The plastics have scrapes, along with a little bit of the exhaust and headlight(the glass itself) but its a percectly WORKING bike. I will probably eventually make it a project bike for asthetics and maybe a little performance but until I get riding down I'm not going to worry too much about all of that. It's not a bad looking bike by anymeans, if not a good looking bike so I'm in no hurry.
I know I know, pictures. I will upload some tonight. The only camera I have is on my Droid and I don't have service where I live atm. (I live in the booneys)
Can you plug the phone into your USB port and download the pictures to your computer?
Possibly. I just took it out for it's first ride for me and oh man it was a lot more intimidating than i expected. hahaha. And my hand muscles are def going to need to condition for it. But it was fun!
I don't know if it's just because I dont know what to look for but it seemed to take a looong time to warm up. When I first turned it on I put the choke up full and it was still around or below 2k RPMs. And also I dont know if it's because i'm so used to a car being able to be shifted at like 2.5-3k RPMs but it seemed to put when i was around 2-2.5k. Is all this normal and I just have to get used to it some more?
I am going to get a bite to eat and going to try to take it to a spot to get some pics. Wish me luck getting there! hahaha.
Yes, shift later.
Go for a ride (any excuse) so you get service, then email the pics to your email, then use your computer to extract them from your email and load them up that way :thumb:
I went and picked it up this morning after working a 12 hour 3rd shift and have only slept 45 minutes today because of it. It isn't perfect but it needs absolutely NOTHING. The brakes, air filter, front tire, spark plugs, gas cap, turn signals, oil, were all just changed including the carbs being cleaned(and a fresh inspection sticker). I will make progress thread eventually I am sure for repairing some of the cosmetics(a few scrapes, dings, etc) but my priority now is to learn and get better at riding it!
Here is my new, old 91 Suzuki GS500E:
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa189/WanHaneTenshi/Bike_zpsc3137386.jpg) (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/WanHaneTenshi/media/Bike_zpsc3137386.jpg.html)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa189/WanHaneTenshi/529163_581819925175266_1858577828_n_zpse55b8779.jpg) (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/WanHaneTenshi/media/529163_581819925175266_1858577828_n_zpse55b8779.jpg.html)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa189/WanHaneTenshi/379946_581820045175254_1174441892_n_zps094c5b38.jpg) (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/WanHaneTenshi/media/379946_581820045175254_1174441892_n_zps094c5b38.jpg.html)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa189/WanHaneTenshi/311059_581821405175118_1894389572_n_zpseab0a59c.jpg) (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/WanHaneTenshi/media/311059_581821405175118_1894389572_n_zpseab0a59c.jpg.html)
(I didn't make to take this picture of my crotch area but I kinda liked it for some reason. Haha.)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa189/WanHaneTenshi/431795_581821728508419_166637390_n_zps1731b2ac.jpg) (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/WanHaneTenshi/media/431795_581821728508419_166637390_n_zps1731b2ac.jpg.html)
My ferrets loves the fact that I got the bike because they have a new box to play in! :P
I took more pics than this but my cell didn't save them for some reason sadly because I got some real nice ones and it was the perfect time of the day to take them. More will come soon! (sorry if some of this is a repeat but I had to copy and paste it from another forum bc my browser crapped out on me! haha)
Welcome, CCMatters. I'm new myself over the last few months. It's a great forum. The guys on here are really helpful and understanding. Nice looking GS. I like the blue. You'll have a ton of fun on this bike. They are great all around machines for any kind of riding. Be careful. Take your time. Remember that most bike accidents are NOT the rider's fault, so beware of everything around you. The cell phone is the worst thing that has bappened to riders-EVER. Keep your eyes open for cell phone users and stay clear from them. My son was rear-ended waiting to make a turn by a girl takling on a cell phone. He was tremendously lucky that no cars were in the oncoming lane where he ended up after being thown over the handlebars. Good luck and have fun!
Quote from: dmoore on April 21, 2013, 08:19:44 AM
Remember that most bike accidents are NOT the rider's fault, so beware of everything around you.
Err.. lets put that another way. I know what you mean, but it's wrong on two levels.
1. MOST bike accidents are single vehicle (ie: bike only) accidents. Therefore, 100% the rider's fault
2. of the 30% that remain.. while they may be a result of someone else doing something wrong/crazy/illegal, they are almost all avoidable by a rider who is driving with awareness and caution. So in a way, all bike accidents are the rider's fault to some degree or another. Lets keep that in mind.
My sympathies on your son's accident. Let's all remember though, that we need to keep awareness of what's BEHIND us, as well as just what's in front of us.
Thanks and I like the color as well!
And yes I have seen that the number 1 reason why ppl wreck is actually from thinking they are taking turns too sharp, are taking turns too sharp, or dont know how to take a turn as quickly as they are going, and then they lock the brakes and straighten up and go into the other lane or just panic. BUT I understand what you are saying. Some other ppl just simply don't know how to drive. Haha.
Ok so I have another question guys... I don't know if its just becasue i'm not used to the gear ratios(yet again) but it feels like once she hits 55-60 MPH she gets a little wimpy. I would like to commute this bike via the highways eventually where the speed limit is between 55-70 MPH. Should it be able to handle it? Or should I just worry less about the RPMs being around 4.5-5k? I am trying to put it in the highest gear possible to save fuel and to just cruise when I am cruising around where I live.
Thank you to PhilB for pointing out the worst fallacy in motorcycling ~ that is, that motorcycle 'accidents' are usually caused by someone other than the motorcyclist.
I remember the editor of Cycle Canada commenting on this oft-repeated piece of BS, and that if his likelihood of being harmed while riding was truly in the hands of others, he would give up motorcycling.
Also, please take a MSF course, stat. You are clearly in over your head at the moment.
I already have the MSF setup and it's not the road safety that I am having trouble with atm, it's the idle of the bike.
Quote from: CCmatters on April 21, 2013, 08:53:36 AM
I am trying to put it in the highest gear possible to save fuel and to just cruise when I am cruising around where I live.
Thats good keep doing that :)
The gs500's strongest pulling is 10-50mph, yes.
If you want lots of acceleration at 60mph, you're gonna need a 600cc or something.
The bike itself goes to 100 just fine though.
If you want "strong(er)" acceleration at 60, you'll just have to drop into 5th.
6th is basically like "overdrive" on an old AT car transmission.
Meh I don't care about how strong the pull is. The bike is plenty fast enough to get me out of sticky situations but I just wanted to know if it was strong enough to maintain 70mph on the highway.
Odd question. You've seen the 250cc bikes out there,and you know they've been rated for freeway riding, which is 70. logically, a 500cc should have no problem then.
I've been with rides of liter bikes. Going 70+ and having to pass a car - they are a little faster at acceleration. I go WOT and just keep going up to 90 with no problems.
Sustained 70mph not a problem for the GS. That's barely above half the max speed of 120.
I find the 500 ideal for highway and city.
If you want to go 90mph all the time and ride like a squid, then get a 1000cc bike and have at it wrapping yourself around a tree! :icon_lol: (Around a tree, sideways under a truck, or off a cliff - they do all around here.)
You'll enjoy your GS500. I am amazed at how many people want one after they see mine.
I figured I'd just throw in my opinion on the accidents.
Obviously they're called accidents for a reason. Someone messes up. If you ride safely and have a good brain between your ears, your biggest danger will be others on the road (in my opinion at least). That doesn't mean you can't avoid them though.
An old quote comes to mind: Think of how stupid the average person is -- then realize half of them are stupider than that.
Ok ~ you just seem to have a lot of pretty basic questions for someone that took a motorcycle course, plus you specifically mentioned being intimidated by the bike.
I rode the GS on roads where traffic pace was 60-80mph and although it felt like it was working to keep up it never felt like that was all it had. You could still roll-on some throttle to pick up speed or downshift a gear to pass. Mind you, there wasn't a lot left so it was never like flipping the supercharger switch in Mad Max, but it still had some.
We rode 400 miles down I-77 at 70-80 mph indicated to get to the Smoky Mtns a number of times, no problem. Our only concern in not going faster was the law not the bikes. Piece of cake for a couple of GSs, my GS500 following JP's GS1100E. :icon_lol:
Most memorable trip was from NE Ohio to Lake George NY, a 530 mile day with most of it across I-90. We were on 2 Valkeries, 2 Gold Wings, and my 97 GS. We had a couple kids in their late 40's leading the way in moderate to heavy rain, high winds, and they maintained a 80-85 mph pace. A memorable trip and the last one I took with a big Plexi 2 shield on my GS.
I use to ride with a bunch of big twin riders I hung out with uptown evenings. When running the local freeways with them I just left the GS in 5th gear to match their roll-ons. A small twin like the GS is made to rev and max performance is found between 7-9k rpm on a stock one, just don't understand all the longer gearing on the GSs around here. Being thrifty with the gas budget is laudable but you save enough money buying a GS to afford all the gas you need to have fun with it. :thumb:
Better gas mileage was never really the issue ~ it just happened to get better gas mileage as a bonus.
Keep in mind that with stock gearing you are never going to be able to put the bike in 7th for lower rpms on the open road, but with longer gearing you can always choose 4th gear if you need to keep pace with others in a group.
Wow thanks a lot guys, I am very happy about how many helpful ACTIVE members on this site. One of the other forums I get on is of a dying car and the active members are scarcer than they have ever been.
SAFE-T - I didn't say I took it, I meant I am signed up TO take it. Haha. But your input is very helpful. I have road around where I live(I live in the middle of no where on top of the mountains in PA, USA.) and caught on really quickly and am far far more comfortable now. It is a real advantage to live where I live. I live in a beautiful state park with long good roads with nice long sloping twistys(but not even close to too sharp) to cruise around. :)
I won't to a surplus motorcycle store today and picked up some good vented leather gauntlets for only 20 bucks. Score. :D
Quote from: adidasguy on April 19, 2013, 06:08:10 PM
Welcome.
This is a fum place. Many of us have an odd sense of humor. If you like cats, that helps a lot (you'll soon understand why).
If you don't have a place to post pictures, you can use gs500.net.
General rule: Pictures or it didn't happen.
Anxious to see pictures of your new ride.
..... FUM ?? .... ;) .... Is that like .... Preparing for ... Or halfway to FAP?? ...
And to CCmatters .... WELCOME!! .. :thumb:
This is an example of odd sense of humour! ;) :icon_twisted:
Sorry for the double post but:
Adidas - I will have to look for a thread or something of your bike! I love looking at nice bikes to give me inspiration!
Janx - Hahaha I it's good to be able to have a good time with a bunch of other guys that share the same interests!
Quote from: CCmatters on April 21, 2013, 03:11:59 PM
Sorry for the double post but:
Adidas - I will have to look for a thread or something of your bike! I love looking at nice bikes to give me inspiration!
Janx - Hahaha I it's good to be able to have a good time with a bunch of other guys that share the same interests!
addy looks at nice Bikes to fap!! .... Oh and cods does too.... Hmmm... Mister looks at himself .... Yama looks at big goped pipes .... Bahahahhahaha
Hahaha whatever does it for you I guess. :P
SOOOO I just took the bike out for an awesome 15 miles run and back since it's a little warmer out now (51F) and when I came back and was pulling it into the parking spot the idle went way down to like .5-.75k RPMs. And I watched it and it died a few seconds later. I turned the bike back on and it turned right back off. Turned it on again and gave it a little gas and it stayed on but as soon as I let it go back to idle it would shut off again. I tried to choke it, and it died before it even had time to work. There is a stop sign right up the road from me and I stopped at it for at least 6 seconds and it seemed to idle fine, but I may have been giving it a little gas I didn't really have a reason to pay attention. Any ideas?
Quote from: CCmatters on April 21, 2013, 04:07:26 PM
Hahaha whatever does it for you I guess. :P
SOOOO I just took the bike out for an awesome 15 miles run and back since it's a little warmer out now (51F) and when I came back and was pulling it into the parking spot the idle went way down to like .5-.75k RPMs. And I watched it and it died a few seconds later. I turned the bike back on and it turned right back off. Turned it on again and gave it a little gas and it stayed on but as soon as I let it go back to idle it would shut off again. I tried to choke it, and it died before it even had time to work. There is a stop sign right up the road from me and I stopped at it for at least 6 seconds and it seemed to idle fine, but I may have been giving it a little gas I didn't really have a reason to pay attention. Any ideas?
Are your handlebars turned all the way? It may be a cable routing issue.
Fuel?
I ask because it is a common noob thing, with similar symptoms. And we were all noobs once!
Play with the idle adjustment knob under the carbs. Its white and plastic. You can adjust it when your stopped with the bike running if you have gloves on so you dont burn your hand.
My bike was very picky with how it idled at different temps and I frequently had to adjust it.
Good to hear a riding course is in your future. A friend of mine years ago bought a Honda PC800 Pacific Coast along with his brother, who had 'lots of experience' riding dirtbikes. On the way home with his NOS PC800 with his brother he drifted a little close to the centre line on the highway. He used his mad skillz to steer right and immediately went left directly into the path of an oncoming car. Not dead but seriously injured. Absolutely true story.
Haha yes there is fuel in it. I checked 3 times actually. And I will have to look for the adjustment screw you are referring to. I want to trouble shoot this more when I can ride it and sadly it is freezing cold outside in these PA mountains a the moment.
SAFE - Yes the safety course I looked into even before I figured out which bike I need since you don't need to use your own bike during the course. And that sounds awful. Guess no one told him what counter steering is. :/
About countersteering, it's not enough to "hear" about it, or "know" about it. You have to DO it. It is not intuitive. I suggest new riders consciously "press left to go left" and never "lean".
Yeah I know what you mean. i went out yesterday and took a windier road just to practice counter steering some.
Quote from: Phil B on April 21, 2013, 10:00:57 AM
Quote from: CCmatters on April 21, 2013, 08:53:36 AM
I am trying to put it in the highest gear possible to save fuel and to just cruise when I am cruising around where I live.
Thats good keep doing that :)
The gs500's strongest pulling is 10-50mph, yes.
If you want lots of acceleration at 60mph, you're gonna need a 600cc or something.
The bike itself goes to 100 just fine though.
If you want "strong(er)" acceleration at 60, you'll just have to drop into 5th.
6th is basically like "overdrive" on an old AT car transmission.
The power peak for the GS500 is between 8000-9000 rpm. Hence you get the maximum acceleration by shifting down to a gear that puts you near the bottom of that power peak before accelerating hard. At 70 mph you will get maximum acceleration in fourth gear and it will be dramatically quicker than you'd get in sixth. This typically is only important when passing on a two lane road when it's safest to minimize the time spent passing or when merging with faster traffic in limited space. Generally, if you're already going 70 and need to accelerate hard, you'd best be on a racetrack.
Hey CC welcome to the site!
Yes it sounds like you need to rev more. Did you bike sit for awhile before you got it? You might need to get a bit more intimate with your carbs and fuel system before to long. When I first got my GS it would not idle at lights, starved out on the freeway and made taking my driving test to renew my M classification and real PITA!
I used to ride bigger bikes years ago but now that I am older I find that the GS works just fine. I can cruise down the freeway to work at 80+ no problem and find my self backing off the throttle all the time to stay within the limits of the law. Mind you I am riding a naked '93 and I tip the scales at about 260lbs. When I first got my GS it would struggle just to do 70, after going through the carbs, rejetting to bigger jets and running with the fuel petcock in "Prime" instead of "On" it goes much better. Also I think riding with a slicker jacket makes a difference too, it seems to require less throttle when I have my motorcycle jacket on compared to my loose fitting leather and cloth jacket I used to use.
Quote from: adidasguy on April 20, 2013, 12:41:00 PM
Can you plug the phone into your USB port and download the pictures to your computer?
or he can ( like i do) send my pics to my email. charged as a text message, then edit or upload from there. to the OP, you can also change gear ratios in front. but ride it first and see where you want more
Thanks for the info guys.
Cal - I really need to look into a shop to take my bike to to get it checked out and to look over these things. Is rejetting very costly? I am about the same size of you so this info was helpful. Does it hurt to leave it on prime? And do you think I should try it?
Yama - I just uploaded them to my facebook and then got them off of there.
CC, where about in PA are you? There might be some members near you that could help out.
I live in dead central PA in Altoona.
CC,
Are you mechanical at all? Paying a shop to fix it could lead you down an expensive rabbit hole, heck the hardest part for me was just getting the throttle cable back on. It is not to difficult to rejet it yourself and the jets cost less than 10 dollars. One of the potential pitfalls you ewill hear about is stuck screws in the float bowls but I had no problem with that. Also doing a carb sync makes a big difference, again not to hard to do and you can make a sync tool yourself (manometer?) for pennies. I personally feel that working on your bike yourself makes you more comfortable with it and is a great bonding expierience :) Between this site and Youtube you should get all the help you need to do just about anything to your GS and if you get stuck there always seems to be another GS'er in the area that is willing to lend a hand.
First off can you give us some background like what the previous owner did to it and how long it sat before you got it?
Also can you list out all issues you seem to be having?
Yes I am mechanically inclined to an extent. I have worked on all of my cars, though I have never done any internal engine work.
The previous owner bough it as a project bike because it had some body work that needed to be done. The only mechanical issue I can see, feel, or hear is the idling problem. The previous owner said he road it close to 500 miles so far this year, replaced the spark plugs, cleaned the carbs, changed the oil and filter, new air filter, new front tire, and brakes all around.
Quote from: CCmatters on April 22, 2013, 03:09:59 PM
Cal - I really need to look into a shop to take my bike to to get it checked out and to look over these things. Is rejetting very costly? I am about the same size of you so this info was helpful. Does it hurt to leave it on prime? And do you think I should try it?
I only leave mine on prime because of the starving issue, it does not hurt to leave it on "Prime" when you are running, just turn it back to "Run" or "Res" when you park it so fuel does not get past the floats. Its easy to try and see if it helps on your issue.
Quote from: Calpantera on April 23, 2013, 09:21:42 AMI only leave mine on prime because of the starving issue, it does not hurt to leave it on "Prime" when you are running, just turn it back to "Run" or "Res" when you park it so fuel does not get past the floats. Its easy to try and see if it helps on your issue.
If you flip the valve core, selector, and face plate 180 degrees it turns it to a manual petcock with reserve functionality. On and reserve petcock inlets are reversed, and the 'prime' selection is your new off. At least on the older petcocks, that is. Not sure about the new ones.
4.5k-5k is cruising rpm on the GS. The power doesn't really kick in until 7k. Don't be afraid to rev it! No point in going above 9k-10k because the torque drops off, so no point to go all the way to the redline.
Alright guys thanks a lot, I'll try puting it in prime when I can ride it. I havent been able to ride it yesterday or today because of working but I will try to hop on it tomorrow and try it out.
Quote from: bombsquad83 on April 23, 2013, 11:20:07 AM
4.5k-5k is cruising rpm on the GS. The power doesn't really kick in until 7k. Don't be afraid to rev it! No point in going above 9k-10k because the torque drops off, so no point to go all the way to the redline.
Ya I was thinking about his post yesterday on my ride home and I don't think I drop below 6k at anytime unless I am slowing for a stop..
Is that optimal for maximum fuel efficiency?
Quote from: CCmatters on April 23, 2013, 12:49:42 PM
Is that optimal for maximum fuel efficiency?
I would think that there are way to many variables to define that one. Of course the less throttle you have open the better fuel economy you are going to get. Some guys on here are getting mid 50's MPG but I think I average in about the high 30's, of course a naked bike is going to be worse than a full fairing bike too.
Quote from: CCmatters on April 23, 2013, 12:49:42 PM
Is that optimal for maximum fuel efficiency?
I'm not sure about optimal for fuel, but anything below 3.5k is almost starting to bog down on this engine.
I can't remember anyone ever asking what the best rpm and/or gear was on a motorcycle to optimize fuel efficiency. Most people with sub-500cc motorcycles only ever want to know how to make them more powerful or go faster.
Quote from: SAFE-T on April 23, 2013, 01:43:37 PM
I can't remember anyone ever asking what the best rpm and/or gear was on a motorcycle to optimize fuel efficiency. Most people with sub-500cc motorcycles only ever want to know how to make them more powerful or go faster.
I don't know how to take this.. haha. I bought the bike to commute. Hence, I want to be able to drive it as efficient as possbile. I am just used to a car and have the mind set that 4k+ RPMs is hard on an engine and hurts fuel economy. This is something I am getting over and am getting used to.
Don't think too much about it CC. It's a whole nother animal than a car. Don't worry about wringing it out from time to time, but don't thrash the motor either.
.... Mmmm yes.... When I ride my bike alone I feel so fast ... Wen I ride with the mates who nearly all have litre bikes or custom street fighters with big power .. Or metric cruisers.... Open roads I feel slow again.... Till we get to the mountain twisties .... Then somehow we all level up again ;) ... The GS is much more flickable a lot of the time ... For me anyway ....
And filling up every SECOND fuel stop .... That kinda shits them too!! .... Bahahahahaha
Thanks a lot again guys. And yea I heard these bikes are agile.
Quote from: CCmatters on April 23, 2013, 03:57:53 PM
I don't know how to take this.. haha. I bought the bike to commute. Hence, I want to be able to drive it as efficient as possbile. I am just used to a car and have the mind set that 4k+ RPMs is hard on an engine and hurts fuel economy. This is something I am getting over and am getting used to.
lolol.... well, it isnt so great on fuel economy, but you have the manufacturer's official word on what hurts the engine:
redline @10k rpm.
(edit: sheesh people, dont take 10k so litereally.. look at the actual Red Line on your tach?! :D )
3k-6k is just stretching its legs ;-)
If you want good fuel econ, keep it around 3-4k and you'll be good.
trying to accelerate LESS than 2k without clutch, and you are hurting the engine I think. "lugging"= bad.
mmmm 10k ... not disagree... but on occasion i have been 'up it for the rent' .. and left my shift just a little long... bounced the needle to 11.5 ish ...
i dont do it deliberately... and wince a little each time... maybe once a month ... (yeah yeah i know i'm a bad person and should be more responsible/sedate :flipoff: ) .. but ... no bad issues yet...
:icon_rolleyes:
Hahaha... ok so cruising at 5-6k rpms isnt a horrible thing. noted. :D
Stock GS turns about 4800 rpm indicated at 60 mph indicated in 6th gear so:
4800x50/60= 4000 rpm at 50 mph in 6th
4800x80/60= 6400 rpm at 80 mph in 6th
GS was designed/geared to cruise at 4-6 or7k rpm
Performance wise, little is to be gained by revving a bike or car more than 10% past the peak HP which is at about 8500 rpm for a stock GS. When you are accelerating and up-shift at about 9k the revs drop to about 7k in the next higher gear which puts you right around the top of the Torque curve. That's why I say best performance is had in the 7-9k range and I ran my 97 GS like that in the mountains for hours on end.
But for everyday running about or commuting to work/school/etc the 4-7k rpm range does the job nicely and economically. Takes some time getting use to it on your first bike, my first bike CB400T turned about 6k at 60 mph in 6th and I thought it was screaming down the road and had no power to pass. I traded it in 6 months and 6k miles later on a CB750K which cruised down the Interstates smoothly and quietly but the truth is I just didn't know how to ride the 400 yet.
Quote from: CCmatters on April 24, 2013, 07:24:16 AM
Hahaha... ok so cruising at 5-6k rpms isnt a horrible thing. noted. :D
Cruising along at 5-6k RPM, your GS500 is about as far away from its red line as a typical car is when it's parked.
GSJack's info was about as good an explanation as you're gonna get :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Very nice Jack, thank you very much. Honestly I regret saying I didn't think it was strong enough. Now that I have gathered all of this info I took it out for an hour ride today and i was cruising with MORE than enough power. I am going to ride it for another week or so up around where I live then I think I am going to start to commute with it.
BUT... it is still having an idling issue. After riding all that time I parked it and left it on in neutral and it idled find at 1.25-1.5k RPMs for 15-20 seconds and then started to slowly bog down. And I parked it 5 - 6 times throughout my trip around and some times it would idle fine for a little while and some times it would just shut off right away.. It's frustrating. Haha. I need to have someone look at it or something.
You said it's a 91? I would suggest an air leak around the carb boots between the carbs and the head. Personally, I would just replace them and the little orings all at once and be done with it.
Ok well.. if it isn't 1 thing, it's another. And I would also like to use the term "when it rains, it pours" in my situation.
So I was at work yesterday and we got a severe weather storm. Well it rained so bad it wore the dirt out from underneath my kick stand and my bike fell over. Well it layed there for like 4 hours because tehre was nobody home to pick it up (i found out bc my grandma called me and she is 100lbs so obviously it wouldnt budge) and I couldn't leave work. When I got home I picked it up and did a quick inspection and there was nothing damaged, it was just covered in mud.
Went out today to try to turn it on and nothing. It turned a few times and then wouldnt even turn. And now it just clicks, which is what I would assume is the starter, if it does anything at all. I DID check the oil and it is full and you can tell it was just said, as described by the last owner, that the erl was in fact just changed but it DID smell strongly of gas. So.. any ideas?
Look at the battery first, if it laid that long with the vent side of the battery downward most of the acid could have drained out if it's a conventional lead/acid battery which would account for it being dead.
Also where was the gas petcock valve set, if on prime a lot of gas could have drained thru the carbs into the engine but if set to "on" or "res" there might not be much in engine, float valves in carbs won't stop flow with bike laying down. Set the bike up straight and check the oil and smell it for gas. Is there a lot more in there than when you checked it recently?
Might cost you a new battery and another oil change to make it right. Need to get a piece of wood or stone or something under that kickstand if you have to park it on dirt.
I smelled the oil and there was gas in it AFTER it was laying. So you think it's a dead battery? SHART. I heard they were expensive. How do I check to see if the acid drained out?
It's under the seat. Unhook the cables and pull it out to check it, there's marks on it showing where acid level should be. If acid level is OK then might just need a charge or jump to get going. If there's a lot of gas in the oil it should be changed before starting.
Ooook well I just had my GFs step dad look at it who is a mechanic and he bled the carbs for me and said that the gas smells like crap, so that probably means it has been sitting in there a while. I did see the acid on the inside and there was none leaked so he is taking it and putting it on a charger for a little while and then i am going and picking it up in a little to see if it starts up. As for the oil, I am going to try to get it to run so I can drive it somewhere to get the oil changed. How hard is it to change the oil in these things? I am sure i can find a video or something that shows how it's done but you know. I need a service manual! hahaha.
No!!!
If gas got past the carbs and into the motor, don't try to start it. You can do some insane damage to the motor.
If you can change oil in a car, the GS is probably 100 times easier than that.
I dont know if it is too much gas tbh. I will have to go and sniff it again. lol.
Ok well today I went out and changed the oil and oil filter, and also put new fuel filters on my fuel lines after I drained all of the gas and bled the lines. I put new gas in it and primed it, tried to start it up, and only after 2 or 3 cranks the battery died. Sooo I sent it to get charged at my GFs step dads garage and went down to town and picked up a battery. Sooo I am going to get this new battery charging over night for 6-8 hrs and then try to hook up the old one just to see if i can get it running ok.
It wouldnt turn on when the battery had a little juice(like i said 3 or 4 cranks), so i put it on prime since i drained all of the gas from the bowls and the tank. Well after a little gas was coming out from what looked like between the carbs up in there some where. And when I held the start for a little it sounded like air was slowly coming out of the gas cap assembly thingy. Any ideas on this?
Hopefully the petcock isn't still on prime.....
Pull the spark plugs out, and try to spin the motor over. If you leave it on Prime too long, it floods the motor with gasoline, and can fill the combustion chamber up.
So take the spark plugs out, turn the key on, and press the start button right? My new battery charged all last night and I work 8am till 9pm today so I won't be able to do it till tomorrow but I will be tearing into whatever I need to then. I really hope this new battery was the idling problem too because after I put the old battery in it last night I took it up the road real quick and it was doing the same ol' shutting off with the clutch in but since I could see my lights I noticed the lights dimmed real bad when It started shutting off like it has been.
I got a plain oem lead battery, I figured that was fine, correct? Oh and I got my permit today so my bike, and myself, are 100% legal for whenever its up and running!
Quote from: CCmatters on April 27, 2013, 10:01:25 AM
So take the spark plugs out, turn the key on, and press the start button right?
No. Turn engine by hand (19mm socket on the end of the crank under right side cover). If a cylinder is full of fuel, and you crank it with the starter, you'll have gasoline on the ceiling--best case. Worst case would be gasoline on the ceiling and vapors ignited by your electrics now live when you turned on the key.
This fuel won't burn off?
Liquid gasoline actually doesn't burn off very well. The vapors on the other hand, do. Just expel as much liquid gas as possible, give the cylinders some time to air out, and try again.
And thanks Paul for the clarification. That's what happens when I'm rushed and online.......
Yeah I know the fumes burn not the liquid haha. and ugh. I will try to figure it out before I run it too much if it doesnt idle very well after I put the new battery in it tomorrow. Haha. Thanks for the info!
Excellent choice for a first bike! Mine was also a GS500F you'll love it. Welcome to the club!
Quote from: Slayingelliott on April 28, 2013, 11:56:21 AM
Excellent choice for a first bike! Mine was also a GS500F you'll love it. Welcome to the club!
Thanks man I am still not regretting getting it even after all of this nonsense happening with it! haha.
Ok so everyone, I did put the new battery in it during the rain storm today and it started right up, though be it with the choke/idle/not staying on at first issue still going. It's too cruddy out for me to ride it so I hope it is nicer tomorrow so I can ride it to work and see how it does.