hey yall, my name is sal, im totally new to the bike scene and im totally excited for it. im goin to look at an 89 gs500 tonight and im wondering if theres anything in peticular i should be looking for. the guy said it needs a chain and sprockets and a carb job. im workin on my ME degree at UVM, so im pretty mechanically enclined and im looking forward to working on it. but is there anything that maybe isnt really replacable or really hard to find that i should know about?

Greetings to GSTwin and I envy your choice to look at an 89. That's also the year I want to complement my 90 project bike.

What to look for? Wow. The list could be legion. It really depends on if this bike is a project intended for light duty after completion, or a daily rider. All bikes are going to need the same common things for safety.

Tires - what shape are they in
Chain & sprockets - look for rust on the chain (bad) and excessive wear on the sprockets.
Gas Tank - shine a light into the tank if not full. Look for crap and other signs of rust (bad). Are there dents due to dropping?
Rear wheel - is it straight on the swingarm? This would affect the chain & sprocket question.
Front fork - look for signs of oil leakage or rust around the dust seal.
Engine - active oil leaks? Does it start up? Is there road rash due to dropping?

GS Specific

The Headlight Bucket. This is a high rust prone area mainly on the back and inside.
The Gas Tank. The "crap pockets"on either side could catch condensation and lead to spot weld leaks (like mine)
The Left Side Engine Cover - often rashed and probable cause for "Goats Syndrome" where the stator winding foul the generator magnet and destroy either or both (very bad).
The Right Side Engine Cover - often rashed and sometimes damages the iginition rotor and coils under this item.
The Instrument Bucket with Speedo and Tach - A favorite victim of wrecks and drops. Check to see that the tach or speedo has not broken loose. They are only held in with two acorn nuts each.
The Handle Bars - another victim of dropping...but in the case of the 89, clip ons - the damage would be more obivious and probably very noticeable.

Also check under the seat for the tool kit, and look around the battery box for signs of battery terminal arcing around the rear brake reservior and chassis mount of the same. The battery box shouldn't be totally eaten up due to acid overflow (another common problem).

I can't decide if I would want a black or white one. Those were the original 89 colors. If the bike is any other color, be suspicious that it is rebuilt. Also check the frame number against GSTwins listings of correct years.

Good luck! Take some pics and let us know what he is asking. I am keeping a running log of ebay sale prices and can give you a high medium low comparison for different markets.

I am no expert.. but if it is a running bike.. take it for a spin.. since you don't mind to get your hand dirty.. there is expert here to help you diagnose anything to make it running perfect!  Just make sure the price is right for the conditions of bike.