I just bought an '04 Suzuki GS500F and found this board. I'll probably be spending some time here. I already have a problem I hope you can help me with. My GS500F has had a bad case of carb leaking the past two nights.

There was a big puddle of gasoline under the bike Tuesday morning. The carb on the left side (side-stand side) was dripping gas. I stuck a rag underneath the carb, and the rag was dry when I got home from work. This morning, the rag was soaked and gas was again dripping from the carb.

It's been very humid here, and since the problem occurs only at night, I wonder if the floats are sticking and if weather has anything to do with it.

Also, the bike tends to idle down to about 1,000 RPMs at a stop and then cuts off. Could that be related to the fuel leak?

The valve is "on," not "pri" or "reserve." I turn off the choke right after the engine starts, so that's not causing the idle-down-to-stall.

Any suggestions for causes and fixes are welcome. Thanks for your help.

I'd make sure that the float bowl drain screws are closed snuggly.  Then check all fuel line connections from the tank, to the frame mounted petcock, to the carbs to make sure that they are secure.

Welcome!

Did you buy it new or used? If new, it's under warranty, and take it to the dealer; it's probably something simple, like something causing the float needle to stick open. Aha, there's an idea - tap the floatbowl with the butt end of a screwdriver to see if that loosens up the float needle.

Thanks. I bought it used, about a month after the warranty expired. The dealer has a 50/50 warranty on used bikes. I'm pretty handy with carbs, so I'll take a closer look at these before I take it to the dealer and pay half.

I was curious if it was a case of "they all do that, here's how to fix it." Thanks for the tips. The bike is a blast!