Ok, my neighbor has 2003(?) Suzuki GS500E with ~3400 miles. He tells me he used to have it covered but his cover blew away/was stolen one winter so he left the bike uncovered. When summer rolled around it wouldn't start so he's just had it sitting there for a year or so. So the bike doesn't run right now and he thinks the tank might be rusted, though there is no visible rust on the outside. He told me he'd sell it to me for a grand. This would be my first bike so I have no experience fixing them, but I am reasonably competent with fixing a car. Is this something I should stay away from or does it sound like a good deal?







Thanks,
JC

Looks like a 1999... I would buy it for that much. Sounds like the carbs are just dirty. Go for it.

It's not an '03, but in fact a '99 model. As for the non running part, he probably didn't prep it properly for winter so there is undoubtedly bad gas in it, as well as a possibility of other crap. Does it turn over? Crank at all? At minimum you're probably looking at: flushing out the gas, new battery, cleaning/rebuilding the carbs, changing the oil, and maybe a few other things. See if you can talk him down to $800 or so, I'd say.

definitely a 99'

ain't she purdy?

if you are handy with a wrench, she will be a dream to work on. Simple, cheap and reliable.

not running I wouldn't pay a grand.  a 99 is worth 1K running.  Take him down a notch.  if not he'll have to get it running to make a grand.

SHe looks good though.  if you don't buy her I got DIBS!!!!

I'd only give a grand for it if I were buying it from a close friend who was in serious need of the money.

$500 would have me driving wherever it is to pick it up, though.

1000 is a bit much for it, although it does loko good. I just got my yellow 99 for 1200 running great. It could be asimple fix of getting the crap outa the tank and carbs, or it could be somrthing major. 5-6 years ago I bought an old ninja 250 from a "friend" that said it just needed soemthing small to get back running. Turned out it pretty much needed a new motor and was a lost cause at the time. I'd have a mechanic loko at it and see what is wrong before buying so you know the total cost before you put a grand into it.

looks clean, but figure, carbs have to come off and get a REBUILDING not just a cleaning, Battery and both FRONT AND REAR tires and a full flushing of brakes. thats just off the top of my head.  with only 3400 miles on the clock, yeah, 1000 would be worth it, youll be putting about 120$ in tires, about 60 for carb kits and about 40 for a batt. and the rest is wrench time. if you can work on a car you can work on a bike just get a book for it 20$, so all in all 1240 for a 99 with low miles aint bad, ive seen worse deals.

Hey there AWD,
Tell us where you live.
If you are in central PA, I'd come and help you learn all about it.
$1000 is an OK price, as other said, if you can be SURE the engine spins over. Figure tires, battery, carb rebuilds and it's a good deal, if you do the work yourself. I'd also adjust the valves, change oil and filter, and lube everything. It is a bit rusty. Check for rust inside the tank, too.
Let us know,
Yours,
Todd

Quote from: Blueknyt on February 16, 2006, 03:00:21 PM
youll be putting about 120$ in tires

Where you getting these $120 (set) tires from? and who's putting them on?

It really depends on wear you live.  Around here, you'd be daft not to jump on it.  But in other parts of the country, it seems like they practically give 'em away.

Put a fresh battery in it or try jumping it from a car ( CAR NOT RUNNING )-but get a good battery if you can .
If it cranks over- pull the air cleaner out and spray some ether or even some carb cleaner in the airbox as you turn it over...if it fires off - Hand him 1000$ and take it home.  Likely the pilots will be clogged and you may have some other crud in the carbs...a thorough cleaning of the carbs (buy a clymer manual)  and a new  battery  ( do an oil change too.) and you should be all set. 

Yeah...all of this has already been said...

$1000 is a very fair price.

Book is just over 2 grand for a 99 and that bike looks clean and is low miles. If it's Anywhere near MD and you want to pass on it...I'll buy it.

Quote from: Trwhouse on February 16, 2006, 03:04:03 PM
Hey there AWD,
Tell us where you live.
If you are in central PA, I'd come and help you learn all about it.
$1000 is an OK price, as other said, if you can be SURE the engine spins over. Figure tires, battery, carb rebuilds and it's a good deal, if you do the work yourself. I'd also adjust the valves, change oil and filter, and lube everything. It is a bit rusty. Check for rust inside the tank, too.
Let us know,
Yours,
Todd

Im in central PA.. Johnstown! I would be willing to help as well  TRW.. we need to ride in a few months 

It's been said before, but I'll reiterate.  If you can jump it and it cranks, and preferably will start and run a bit with starting fluid, then that's a steal.  Take it.

No such animal as a US-model '03 GS500E; Suzuki didn't sell the GS here that year. In 2004, they introduced the GS500F, with the full fairing...

See if you can get the price down a bit, the lower, the better. No telling how much work it needs yet, but the price of the tires, battery, carb rebuild, and everything else will add up quickly. If you decide to install better fork springs (a recommended mod), add another $100 for the springs, fork oil, and tools.

Sale on good Pirelli tires at a very good price:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24125.0

You'd save about $70 by ordering a pair; if you didn't need them right away, you'd have them on hand. Free shipping if you order the pair, which is an excellent deal, because tires are heavy, and not cheap to ship...

You can order a Clymer manual from here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892878339/ref=nosim/gstwincom

Buying it through that link will help keep the GSTwin sites online; you can read more here:

http://www.gstwin.com/

Good luck; if you don't want it, you know who to call...

Wow, a lot more responses than I expected. Let me try and answer some questions. I live in Atlanta, so thanks for the offer of help but PA is a little far. One of my friends here said he has experience fixing up older bikes and offered to come help me get it running if I can wait a little while. So I think the two of us could handle most mechanical repairs, I dunno about tires. The tires look like they are in good shape (no cracking) but they are a little low on tread, so replacing them is probably a good idea. I was just out talking to my neighbor one day and we started talking about bikes. He told me he was thinking about selling the GS and that since he doesn't really know anyone to ride with anymore he hasn't bothered to fix it, and basically arbitrarily offered it to me for a grand. I thought he said it was 3 years old, hence me infering it was a 2003 but I wasn't sure. He mentioned that it might need a new tank because of rust, so I'd take a look inside of course. He said he had a new battery for it, so I guess I'll try and see if we can't hook it up and try to crank it.

Thanks all,
JC

I just bought an '00 model non-running for $1600.00.  It's needed  about $200.00 more to get it back to like-new.  I'd say $1000.00 is a great deal if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.  All the information you'll need is here on this site.  Here's how my cost breakdown went:

1. bike - $1600
2. new battery + charger - $50
3. oil, oil filter, plugs - $18
4. chemicals (carb cleaner, rtv sealant, penetrating oil, etc.) - $10
5. 2 carb rebuild kits from partsnmore - $35
6. new gas cap and pilot jets - $35
7. POR15 tank sealer kit (my tank was in bad shape too) - $35

total: $1783.00

Well damn.. there's a bike right near me... too bad I can't swing a grand right now.. Good luck with it! If you ever want someone to help you out, I'm good with cars (also never worked on a bike), and decently mechanically inclined.. I'd love to cut my teeth on a GS... I'm here at GATech, drop me a line!

Instead of buying a battery if you are not sure if the engine spins or not... Put the bike in fifth gear and try to spin the rear wheel (in the direction it would normally turn if the bike was rolling forward) and see if the engine turns over. I paid $500 more for mine in worse shape and more mileage...

Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on February 16, 2006, 08:33:32 PM
Well damn.. there's a bike right near me... too bad I can't swing a grand right now.. Good luck with it! If you ever want someone to help you out, I'm good with cars (also never worked on a bike), and decently mechanically inclined.. I'd love to cut my teeth on a GS... I'm here at GATech, drop me a line!

Yo I go to Tech too. I'll hit you up on AIM sometime.

The guy said he has a new battery for it, so I wouldn't need to buy one.

well figure about 55 for average price front, 65 for average priced rear, install em yourself.  EVERY one who owns and maintains thier own bike should be able to change a tire or repair a flat its not hard, really.