Hey ya'll,

I am new to GS500's.  Am looking at getting my wife a used one within the next month or so.  She is a new rider and is taking her MSF starting tomorrow and this weekend.  All good, assuming she passes the course and doesn't come home in tears

So, I went and looked at a 2002 with 2800 miles on at a local dealer.  Was told the bike had fallen over in a driver and that it happened right after the previous owner (a female) had bought it new and rode it the first time.  Looking at the scratches, they were indentations rather than vertical or horizontal scraps....so I believe the background as far as that much goes.

My concerns though are:

Stalled 3-4 for times when I tried to take it for a ride.  I have ridden for years, so no, I don't think it was me.....to get the thing underway, I had to give nearly 3/4 throttle.  I suspect bad gas and setting as the cause.

Very little power.  I didn't feel comfortable riding on a main rode with this bike.  Because of the stalling, I suggested the salesman at the dealer take it out first to make sure it was ok.  He did, and the bike ran a little better afterward.  It didn't immediately stall, and while still requiring a larger than expected amount of throttle...it seemed to run ok.  No popping or smoking.  There had been some popping and slight smoke when revved hard after start up, even though left for a while to warm up.

Neutral....was almost impossible to find on this bike.  I tired every which way to get the thing into neutral.  The dealer was able to do it, but only after 4-5 tries and actually rolling the bike back and forth.  Then, he reached down and used his hand to pull it out of first.

I searched and read of others having this problem with neutral...I know the oil needs to be fresh and exactly the prescribed amount.

Otherwise, the bike looked ok.

Are the symptoms I describe likely the result of just sitting and not being ridden?

Will a couple tanks with some seafoam be enough to get the carbs cleaned out or am I gonna need to disassemble them to clean if I were to buy the bike?

Thanks for any direction you all can provide, i really appreciate it.

Sounds to me like the problems you have described are relatively minor. I'm sure the bike would need some cleaning and maintenance which should help clear up these issues. It would all depend on the price of the bike.

Dealer is asking $2500 but I was thinking $2000 or $2200 at most OTD.

Just found Sanjay's wiki.  Reviewing it now.   

Hmmm, I would expect a dealer bike to be cherry. If they are not willing to put fresh gas into it and change the oil and let you ride it in half-decent condition, I would give what a private seller would give. No more than 2 grand, esp if dropped.

My GS, I picked up for 3.5 OTD. It was a 2000, but this was two years ago. I was very excited (just got my license) so I probably could have gotten it for 3. The bike had 5000 on it, but was almost mint. Never been dropped (as far as I could tell), and 9000 miles later is still great. I think any "compromised" bike looses a LOT of value, just because of the risk involved and the time spent troubleshooting.

Quote from: mismith356 on January 16, 2008, 11:24:53 PM
Hey ya'll,

I am new to GS500's.  Am looking at getting my wife a used one within the next month or so.  She is a new rider and is taking her MSF starting tomorrow and this weekend.  All good, assuming she passes the course and doesn't come home in tears

So, I went and looked at a 2002 with 2800 miles on at a local dealer.  Was told the bike had fallen over in a driver and that it happened right after the previous owner (a female) had bought it new and rode it the first time.  Looking at the scratches, they were indentations rather than vertical or horizontal scraps....so I believe the background as far as that much goes.

My concerns though are:

Stalled 3-4 for times when I tried to take it for a ride.  I have ridden for years, so no, I don't think it was me.....to get the thing underway, I had to give nearly 3/4 throttle.  I suspect bad gas and setting as the cause.

Very little power.  I didn't feel comfortable riding on a main rode with this bike.  Because of the stalling, I suggested the salesman at the dealer take it out first to make sure it was ok.  He did, and the bike ran a little better afterward.  It didn't immediately stall, and while still requiring a larger than expected amount of throttle...it seemed to run ok.  No popping or smoking.  There had been some popping and slight smoke when revved hard after start up, even though left for a while to warm up.

Neutral....was almost impossible to find on this bike.  I tired every which way to get the thing into neutral.  The dealer was able to do it, but only after 4-5 tries and actually rolling the bike back and forth.  Then, he reached down and used his hand to pull it out of first.

I searched and read of others having this problem with neutral...I know the oil needs to be fresh and exactly the prescribed amount.

Otherwise, the bike looked ok.

Are the symptoms I describe likely the result of just sitting and not being ridden?

Will a couple tanks with some seafoam be enough to get the carbs cleaned out or am I gonna need to disassemble them to clean if I were to buy the bike?

Thanks for any direction you all can provide, i really appreciate it.

This is a VERY low milage bike, for starters. Lets cover stuff one at a time:

1) Drop marks on the bike, you already know how to diagnose them- that's cool. Hello there rider, nice ta meetcha.

2) I doubt the stealership put Stabil in the tank before it sat, if ever. Count on bad gas, semi clogged jets, etc, and messy carbs in general. This means flushing fresh gas through at the minimum, a rebuild (cleaning only, hopefully) of the carbs at the maximum.

3) Was the bike fully warm when you rode it? The lack of power could simply be you not being used to having to rev YOUR machine to get going. The gs makes it's 'good' power between 5,500 rpm and 8,500 rpm, and dies off quickly at higher revs. IF it's plenty warm, and you're actually revving it decent, I'd bet on #2 being the issue.

4) Neutral is very difficult to find IF the gs is overfilled with oil, almost impossible. If the gs is filled proper, and with 10w40 (it says so on the dipstick) and it's not 32 degrees outside, it should slip into neutral quite easily. You may need to take the preasure off the drive train by a short 3-4" of rolling before it drops into neutral though. 

I generally drop mine into neutral just before stopping at waht I know to be a loooong redlight. If you have difficulty getting into 1st after sitting for a few moments at a redlight, let the clutch out for a second to get things spinning again, then pull it in and it should drop into 1st very smoothly.

You'll hear from allot of people and reviews that Suzuki makes a very slick gearbox, the gs seems to have a good one.

5) The oil level is checked with a) you supporting the machine fully upright OR b) the machine on it's centerstand, level ground either way of course. Pull the dipstick, wipe it off, and SET it in the hole, DON'T screw it in, then pull it and check the level. Screwing it in will give you a false reading, that is lower than it should be.


You likely already know allot of this from riding yourself. The gs just has a few quirks that are it's own. It does need to be fully warm before you can expect smooth power from idle up. Given you found one with very very few miles on it, for a really good price, I'd say get it. I bought my 98 model 3 years ago with just 3,000 miles on it. Obviousely it sat a good bit also. I rode it home 400 miles with a nail in the rear tire... on the interstate (dumb) and it was fine. After cleaning out the carbs and doing simple maintenance, it's been a great ride, with only two things I can really complain about after putting 20,000 miles on it:

1) the petcock on my model is junk. it causes fuel starvation at speeds >85 IF more than 5-10 minutes.
2) #1.

The gs will make a great 'starter' bike for your wife, and after it starts running smoothly you may just find it's a blast in the twisties also.

Keep the revs up, oil changed, and chain lubed and you'll have a dependable bike for a long time. Apparently I'm still a newbie with over 20,000 miles on my gs, as some of the guys push them past 40K even up to 80K.

Good luck !

Thanks for the detailed point by point response OHGOOD!

I think I am gonna offer the dealer $2000 OTD and see if they will accept $2200.  It clearly fell over and it does need some restoration as far as i am concerned.

The dealer said they put fresh gas in the bike and they had started it before I got there...I sort of wish they hadn't though.  I would have preferred to see it started cold.  As for used dealer bikes being cherry....it doesn't seem that way in Orlando.  This particular dealer had about 25-40 used bikes and clearly wasn't into washing and pampering them.

As for the throttle needed to get underway and take off....perhaps you are right ohgood, my ZRX1200 starting without the need of hardly any throttle at all, it could be my expectations are too high for GS and I am sure the carbs are dirty and that it negatively impacted the whole ride experience.

Quote from: mismith356 on January 17, 2008, 05:42:49 AM
Thanks for the detailed point by point response OHGOOD!

I think I am gonna offer the dealer $2000 OTD and see if they will accept $2200.  It clearly fell over and it does need some restoration as far as i am concerned.

The dealer said they put fresh gas in the bike and they had started it before I got there...I sort of wish they hadn't though.  I would have preferred to see it started cold.  As for used dealer bikes being cherry....it doesn't seem that way in Orlando.  This particular dealer had about 25-40 used bikes and clearly wasn't into washing and pampering them.

As for the throttle needed to get underway and take off....perhaps you are right ohgood, my ZRX1200 starting without the need of hardly any throttle at all, it could be my expectations are too high for GS and I am sure the carbs are dirty and that it negatively impacted the whole ride experience.

I'm over in tampa, and http://tampa.craigslist.org has a ton of used bikes for most major cities in florida. If you decide against that gs, start shopping there.

Hey...it just occurred to me...the dealer bike....on the right side of the frame, near the fork head....there were two revits were a some type of vin tag maybe should have been....but there was nothing there.  The left side had a rectangular sticker with some specs on it....opposite were the revits were on the right, if that makes sense.

Any idea about those revits?  I ask because I want to make sure I am not looking at some retitled POS.  It just seemed odd to have revits in the frame with nothing being held on by those revits. 

I think those rivets are used for putting a plaque on like in some other countries.
Anyway, for 2K that GS better be perfect. The coughing sputtering BS ... what, yu then get to pay retail shop rates for them to fix it ... no sheite. Tell them you want the valves adjusted, carbs cleaned and it needs to be running like a swiss watch before you're paying anything like 2K for it.
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on January 17, 2008, 07:12:13 AM
I think those rivets are used for putting a plaque on like in some other countries.
Anyway, for 2K that GS better be perfect. The coughing sputtering BS ... what, yu then get to pay retail shop rates for them to fix it ... no sheite. Tell them you want the valves adjusted, carbs cleaned and it needs to be running like a swiss watch before you're paying anything like 2K for it.
Cool.
Srinath.

I agree! For $2.5K the bike should be in better condition than what they are offering you... all that issues you have described don't seem to be a big deal, but what sense does it make to pay that much and get bike which is NOT running perfectly?

just my $0.02

cheers and good luck
Kamel

With only 2800 miles on it, that bike should easily(once it's in sell-able condition) go for $2500.  $2500 tax included seems like it would be reasonable to me once the dealer gets it ready for sale.  I'd tell them to get it ready, fix the issues, service it and have some kind of 30 day warranty in place in case those issues should rear their head again.  I don't know what I would offer for that bike as it sits, the dealership that I sell for services all of our stuff and keeps it sale worthy.  I would have been asking $2995 for that bike if it was in nice shape.  I probably would have let it go for around 2500 PLUS tax... but it's hard to say without seeing it.  But you do need to tell them to fix it before you buy it and then guarantee what they sell.  If they wont do that... 2 grand.

I agree, get the dealer to adjust the valves and clean the carbs before you take the bike, Otherwise you'll be like me, having to do this stuff myself and the dealer getting away easy.  I was in the same situation you are in and I wish I would have been more attentive to these issues then. Good luck

Thanks Fellas.

I appreciate the feedback.  The thing is, there are almost no GS500 naked bikes around here.  All are the fairing glad models which I don't want for my wifes first bike.  The other bikes I have seen on Craigs are all really old (93) and folks are wanting $1800 or more for them and they are in the 8k 15k mileage range.

The dealer is Buell dealer...so they might not even be willing to do the valve adjustment or clean the carbs.  I am going to take my wife out Monday (after she finishes the MSF course) and go looking at bikes with her.  I am not at all committed to this particular GS though.  I am gonna have her sit on a Ninja 500 and 250 also.

Are you guys up north able to find low mileage, newer GS bikes for $2500?  Down here, with all year riding, it seems everyone wants top $$

Most everything has been covered so I'll try not to repeat...


I wouldn't be afraid of a 93 Gs500e at all. 15k miles isn't bad at all either...  Ask GS Jack how many miles he's put on his Gs's.

$1800 for a 93.... In  pretty good Shape (ready to ride..maybe some age/use  blemishes) ...$1400-$1500  might be a better high end cap. Supply and demand...Used bike values seem to be on the rise...

This is going to be her bike for how long?
This is her first bike....and ( hopefully not ) she's likely to have a mishap or two  during the learning curve..
So maybe an older- already scratched up a little model might be a way to go considering the learning curve. Spend less going in... less potential loss in value come time to resell for when she wants her next bike ( or she may love the Gs500 and want it forever...).

ZRX1200.....Nice... No wonder you felt like the Gs had no power...(ZX11 rider here..and a VX800...and...). Definitely need to rev the gs a little to get it moving.

All the time I sell low mileage GS'es from $1200 to $1600 (In fact I dont belive I've even made the $1600 on a GS). Maybe $1500. And they have all had between 6K and 12-13K miles max. And I go through carbs, valves, clutch, brakes, charging and everything else that needs attention. And it was in places with year round useage. NC, Northern CA etc. I'd never sell one that didn't start and run and hold idle and stay running the duration of your test ride, and make what I'd call acceptable power (Stock bikes barely make that IMHO - so you know).
Anyway, I am in houston TX now and dont have a GS right now.
Cool.
Srinath.

Thanks Srinath.

I would be thrilled to get a bike in good condition for the money you are talking about.

In my mind, it's between a GS500 and an EX500 (aka Ninja).

Seat height is a big issue as my wife is short.  Only 5'3" with an inseam of 29".  Whatever bike I get her will likely require lowering.

We are going to go have her sit on some bike Monday as she how she feels about the ex500 and the gs500.  The GS500 naked (is that a GS500E?) in my mind is the better choice...no fairings to get damaged and no coolant to change out at valve adjustment time.  I want my wife to part of the process though, and we'll have to see what she thinks.

Can the GS500 be lowered or is it a PITA?

it can be lowered using the dog bones, seat or shock

Bought my current 02 GS500 in Sept 03 with about 4500 miles on it for $2600 from a dealer about 90 miles from me and rode it home.  It had been dropped and bars were twisted a bit but I knew from experience it was a minor problem.  The bike has over 56k miles on it now and never ran better.

The 02 replaced a 97 GS500E that I had bought new in Mar of 99 and that was totalled in a mishap in July 03.  Bought it back from the ins co after settlement and fixed it up.  I put about 80k miles on it myself and it mostly sat unused for 3 years till I gave it to JP (son) last spring.  He ran it up to 88k miles and put a low milage used 00 engine in it and is still using it. 

I wouldn't hesitate to buy that 02 your looking at if I needed a bike but would be looking for a better price on it now.  It was the last of the naked GS500s sold in this country.

I put lowering links on my 02 to lower it a bit, cost about $50-60 and I changed them with the bike on the centerstand and without even pulling the rear wheel.  Quick and easy to do.  Can give you more info on it later if you need it.  I'm about 3" shorter than I was when I bought the first GS.

The GSs were my 5th and 6th bikes, not my first and hopefully not my last.   

Quote from: gsJack on January 19, 2008, 08:00:13 AM
I'm about 3" shorter than I was when I bought the first GS.

The GSs were my 5th and 6th bikes, not my first and hopefully not my last.   

Man, if you're getting that much shorter that fast, get out of the mud puddle !

OK, i'll bite, what happened ?