Hello all, I have been lurking on here for a little bit. Just enough to get a sense of the community. I will do my best to not ask redundant questions, but I could not find an answer quickly enough for my curiosity.
Part of the plan for the build is to "paint" the rear and the tank of the bike with a light gray truck bed coating. I want it to make the bike more durable as a whole, while also giving me the matte look I like. Itll match my helmet too!
One can of Rust Oleum Pro (my intended choice of product) says it will cover 15-20 sq ft. I estimate to get 18 from the can, especially as I do not need a thick coating. Just a coating. - So, my question is; Do you think the GS500, between the gas tank, the tail and maybe bottom forks, is less than 18 sq ft? My gut says yes.
I already have bar end mirrors and the mount to retain the original headlight en route, and I have selected the turn signals I want to replace all around. The front right turn signal is not blinking, so gonna check fuses etc, but worst case scenario, blah blah.
The fairings have cosmetic damage, but they are going away anyways, so....
I think the carburetor needs to be cleaned. Never done that before, so here we go... I can describe why if anyone wants to weigh in, but I figure it needs to be done soon anyway, why not learn sooner?
Other than that, the bike needs nothing immediately. It has just under 6k mi on it, and shifts, handles, etc very well.
Any others who have things they wish theyd known on their builds?
What would I look for as I pull the bike apart? I got such a good deal on it, I didnt look too hard at it. It made it the 22 miles home.
Definitely enough in that rattle can if that's what you want to do. :dunno_black: Why work on carbs if it is running well?
Btw welcome! Hope to see more of your gs experience!
Why ruin that beautiful tank if its in good condition? If its as pristine as it looks in the photo its worth good money. Un-dented tanks with good OEM paint are becoming harder to come by. The tail plastics looks nice too. AFAIK, rattle can bedliner is not resistant to gasoline so within a year its going to be ugly ugly ugly as nobody is perfect at filling their tank with gas. Tanks should be clear-coated with a gasoline resistant product like 2K clear.
If you came here to ask if you should buy a second can of bedliner I can't imagine how other modifications are going to go. Get a repair manual (Clymer, Haynes, or Suzuki) and try to completely understand what you are doing before jumping in. A GS500 is a great bike to learn to ride and wrench on but that doesn't mean you have to mess up a stock bike by "chopping" "bobbing" "café-ing" or "street fighter-ing" it. I say love it for what it is.
If the bike is running well it probably doesn't need carb work.
If only one turn signal is not working then its a bad bulb or loose wire.
Agree completely with Bluesmudge.
I mean, I have done some pretty hardcore mods to my own GS but it was a bit of a basketcase when I got it. Just leave it alone and ride it IMHO. There are meaningful upgrades you could do like fork springs, different rear shock, LED lighting, etc. But seriously if you want to chop on one, maybe it's best to swap this bike for one that's already missing or has damaged whatever you plan to remove or change.