i just bought a used 94 gs 500 w/ 14500 miles on it.  in really good shape, well maintained fro what i can tell and waht the previous owner says.  Its runs/rides very good.  I have 2 questions though.

I hear some cam chain noise at idle (not alot but some)  is that normal,  I had a 78 gs550 before this and the motor was very quet on that bike.  Once the engine starts tio heat up say 15 mins  it becomes more of a louder ticking/ knocking.  Does that sound like the valves or something more internal.  Or is it just kinda of normal to hear the valve train on this motor.  Its not scary noise, nor does it get worse with rpms like its rods/crank.  Compression is good also and very low leak down, so eng seems in good shape. 

Also when i take off in 1st gear from a stop,  I feel sort of a chug type vibration/hesitation from the back end of the bike from what i can tell.  Its not motor,  brakes are not locked up.  What else should i be looking at.  The sprockets seem fine, tire is ok,  My chain is loose,  could it be that or is this feeling also normal for this bike since the chain rides on that guide rail on the swing arm?

THanks
Vinny

Hearing the valves tick is normal. Start to worry when you don't hear them. The cam chain, however, should not be noticeable, at least not in my experience.

Re chugging: The motor does that when you lug it. I assume you have good clutch control? maybe she is just a tad more picky concerning smooth clutch engagement than the bikes you knew.

i am pretty good and easy on the clutch and i was trying to take of nice and easy yesterday like around 2000 -2500 rpms.  so maybe that is just a tick low to try and take off.  I did notice once when i revved it a little bit more to take off she felt much smoother.  Prolly just how it is and i need to get used this bike.  I love it already,  so much lighter and smoother than my old gs550's 

Quote from: vinny8524 on May 05, 2006, 09:49:18 AM
i am pretty good and easy on the clutch and i was trying to take of nice and easy yesterday like around 2000 -2500 rpms.  so maybe that is just a tick low to try and take off.  I did notice once when i revved it a little bit more to take off she felt much smoother.  Prolly just how it is and i need to get used this bike.  I love it already,  so much lighter and smoother than my old gs550's 

Yeah. You have to rev it to at least 3k for a takeoff. I usually have it around 4k or 5k and slip the clutch as necessary to get the takeoff I need. That's the nature of high RPM engines.

Since compression and leak down tests were good the engine should be fine.  It would be a good idea to to remove the valve cover and check the cam/shim clearances.  There's an instructional video posted by Kerry floating around that details the process.

I agree that you probably need a little more throttle on takeoff, especially if you're used to riding a different bike.  Go ahead to tighten the chain to spec if it's loose.  It might fix your problem.  I remember reading a post by someone who was amazed at the difference a new / properly adjusted chain made on his bike.

-M