This Sunday I am going to look at and possibly purchase a 2009 GS500F with 2100 miles.
What things should I look for and what questions should I ask the present owner? Any recalls? Emergency service bulletins?
It's a low milage bike yet quite old, so you should ask a lot of obvious questions like if they are the original owners, why they are selling it, if they are not the original owners what they know about the original owner and when they themselves bought it. While you're talking use your intuition to see if the person sounds truthful. You won't have to ask if it's been dropped because that will be obvious being an F. I would not take any cash with you to avoid an impulse buy. Or take an ammount of cash that is a lowball offer that way if you do feel a need to purchase you can pull out the lowball cash offer and say that's all you have. If they don't want to sell it you can always rethink the situation later.
The present owner says he is the original owner, but he only has one key and no owner's manual -- a bit suspicious. He's asking $2200 which seems like a very good price.
You could obtain a compression tester from ebay, you can get cheap ones that do the job well like this one... should be 140 to 190 psi, if it runs well and looks good and has good compression you should be right. Have a good look around the engine for oil leaks but if you need to replace a stator gasket or such it's usually cheap and easy to do.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Petrol-Engine-Compression-Test-Tester-Kit-Set-For-Automotives-and-Motorcycles/131279881209
Quote from: user11235813 on March 02, 2018, 06:31:39 AM
You could obtain a compression tester from ebay, you can get cheap ones that do the job well like this one... should be 140 to 190 psi, if it runs well and looks good and has good compression you should be right. Have a good look around the engine for oil leaks but if you need to replace a stator gasket or such it's usually cheap and easy to do.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Petrol-Engine-Compression-Test-Tester-Kit-Set-For-Automotives-and-Motorcycles/131279881209
Thanks for the tip.
Well, this sale fell thru. I drove 140 miles (round trip) and the bike was not as pristine as I was led to believe. In fact, it was dinged up pretty bad. I would classify it as "good" condition, not "excellent" condition. Oh well, my own fault for not asking for high-res pics from all four sides, something I usually ask for when I am going to drive a good distance.
OK, adios for now. I will return if another GS500 pops up. Thanks for all the tips. :thumb:
good luck! maybe post back someday when you pick up something and tell us what you got!
Quote from: cbrfxr67 on March 07, 2018, 07:41:06 AM
good luck! maybe post back someday when you pick up something and tell us what you got!
Thanks. Will do. :thumb:
Once you know you're going to get a bike and which one, you then get excited about it, which happened to me and I also had the same experience of checking out a bike in 'mint' condition that I could see was not photographed from the side where it went down. I just walked away without saying a word after a 2 hour journey.
Now it's time to calm down a bit. You'll know when the right bike comes along. I also decided on an F, but upon further reflection I decided to get a naked GS500 and I'm glad I did, so that's another thing to consider. If you drop an F even just something gentle, it can be an immense PITA having scratches all over the fairing. Also working on the bike is a much more difficult proposition.
When you go to inspect a naked bike there it's much easier to crawl around and see if you can detect any leaks from the left side stator cover. And other general areas. Above all ask lots of questions about what work has been done. Also have a good listen to the engine idling and what sounds you can hear when you give it some throttle. Ask about the servicing it has has, check the oil, does it look low, or dirty, both indicative of a bike not well maintained.
@user11235813 :thumb:
Quote from: Kikuchiyo on March 06, 2018, 07:00:11 PM
Well, this sale fell thru
Why not just talk him down in price? Is the damage cosmetic only? Unless you want a bike that looks clean, you could get a good deal. Also, if you do this and owner didnt maintain engine, note that you'll have to tear a good amount out to replace all rubber o-rings and seals. Carbs, intake boots, etc. They will be dry, cracked, and leaking.
When buying a bike I always looks for integrity in the seller, then you can get questions answered honestly. Any indiction of slipperiness and I'd run a mile.
Quote from: Darkstar on March 09, 2018, 09:29:14 AM
Why not just talk him down in price?
Quote from: Darkstar on March 09, 2018, 09:29:14 AM
Why not just talk him down in price?
Because I wanted a GS500 in excellent condition. I could pick up any ratty GS500 in the Phoenix area for $1000 or less -- that's not what I was looking for.
Quote from: user11235813 on March 09, 2018, 05:03:40 PM
When buying a bike I always looks for integrity in the seller, then you can get questions answered honestly. Any indiction of slipperiness and I'd run a mile.
:thumb: