I just bought a 2000 GS500E. Yesterday was the first it's ran since last season. I wanted to put some fresh fuel in it, but I found the tank to be almost full. I don't think any winterization was done at all. Anyway, I found the throttle response to be VERY muted unless the bike was partially choked. When it IS partially choked, the engine revs freely as you would expect it to.  Also, the unchoked idle was a little low (sub 1K). Dry gas? A bottle of carb cleaner? Or attempt to adjust the idle?  Do fuel additives have any adverse effects on these motors?

(According to the previous owner, the oil was changed, the plugs were changed, and the carbs were serviced last season when he bought the bike.)

Looking forward to enjoying my GS like the rest of you!  Thanks!
--theUBS

Probably just a little varnish in the carbs, I'd say if the tank was full of gas before it was stored, the previous owner did the right thing. It prevents the moisture in the air in the tank from condensing. I'd drain all the old gas put some new gas in it along with some seafoam, I would personally put half a bottle in a tank to give it a real good cleaning, and ride it around you may need to ride with partial choke on untill it warms up. May take a tank or two but it should all get better pretty quick, just ride it more. 

Quote from: qwertydude on April 30, 2008, 08:15:57 PM
Probably just a little varnish in the carbs, I'd say if the tank was full of gas before it was stored, the previous owner did the right thing. It prevents the moisture in the air in the tank from condensing. I'd drain all the old gas put some new gas in it along with some seafoam, I would personally put half a bottle in a tank to give it a real good cleaning, and ride it around you may need to ride with partial choke on untill it warms up. May take a tank or two but it should all get better pretty quick, just ride it more. 

Thanks a bunch.  I'll give it a try.

Quote from: theUBS on April 30, 2008, 08:09:00 PM
I just bought a 2000 GS500E. Yesterday was the first it's ran since last season. I wanted to put some fresh fuel in it, but I found the tank to be almost full. I don't think any winterization was done at all. Anyway, I found the throttle response to be VERY muted unless the bike was partially choked. When it IS partially choked, the engine revs freely as you would expect it to.  Also, the unchoked idle was a little low (sub 1K). Dry gas? A bottle of carb cleaner? Or attempt to adjust the idle?  Do fuel additives have any adverse effects on these motors?

(According to the previous owner, the oil was changed, the plugs were changed, and the carbs were serviced last season when he bought the bike.)

Looking forward to enjoying my GS like the rest of you!  Thanks!
--theUBS

Hi theUBS; welcome to the forum 

How much time did you give your bike to warm up? It usually takes a few minutes before the bike is ready to go.

The idle speed (choke fully off) should be around 1300 rpm. If it idles too low (as you indicated), you can increase the idle speed by turning the large brass screw that sticks out from under the carburetors. Make sure you set the idle when the engine is fully warmed up. If the engine is cold when the idle is set, you may have problems with a "hanging idle" when you ride.

Good luck!

Quote from: beRto on May 01, 2008, 09:24:36 AM
Hi theUBS; welcome to the forum 

How much time did you give your bike to warm up? It usually takes a few minutes before the bike is ready to go.

The idle speed (choke fully off) should be around 1300 rpm. If it idles too low (as you indicated), you can increase the idle speed by turning the large brass screw that sticks out from under the carburetors. Make sure you set the idle when the engine is fully warmed up. If the engine is cold when the idle is set, you may have problems with a "hanging idle" when you ride.

Good luck!

Thanks for the warm welcome.  I did give it a good few minutes the other day, which is why I was a bit concerned.  Today I drained out the old gas and then put in fresh with a little bit of Seafoam--just enough to be fuel treatment rather than create the smokefests I've seen on youtube. After firing it up and giving just a couple of minutes I turned the choke off and it idled at about 1100-1200, and also revved quite freely.  I did notice that there seemed to be some minor rust in the gas tank.  Prior to the previous owner--who bought it at this time last year--the bike had obviously been sitting for quite a while.  Also, the guy I bought it from rode it on the tires that were on it when he got it.  While cleaning the wheels up, I found the tires to be a little dry-rotted.  It'll need both front and rear.  Any suggestions on the best place to get tires?  Any clue what a dealer will charge for mount and balance?  Should I assume that the gas tank won't be a problem so long as I keep it pretty full?

  i think it is probably just an operator error.

Quote from: theUBS on May 01, 2008, 07:54:31 PM
Thanks for the warm welcome.  I did give it a good few minutes the other day, which is why I was a bit concerned.  Today I drained out the old gas and then put in fresh with a little bit of Seafoam--just enough to be fuel treatment rather than create the smokefests I've seen on youtube. After firing it up and giving just a couple of minutes I turned the choke off and it idled at about 1100-1200, and also revved quite freely. 

Good start!

QuoteI did notice that there seemed to be some minor rust in the gas tank.  Prior to the previous owner--who bought it at this time last year--the bike had obviously been sitting for quite a while.  Also, the guy I bought it from rode it on the tires that were on it when he got it.

You may want to consider an inline fuel filter

QuoteWhile cleaning the wheels up, I found the tires to be a little dry-rotted.  It'll need both front and rear.  Any suggestions on the best place to get tires?  Any clue what a dealer will charge for mount and balance?  Should I assume that the gas tank won't be a problem so long as I keep it pretty full?

There are several online sources for tires.  I bought my last set at Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse. Do a search and you'll find lots of related threads? Mount and balance is usually $20-$30 a tire (assuming you take the tires off the bike yourself).

Not sure about the gas tank. Keep it topped up and then keep an eye out for problems!

Quote from: beRto on May 03, 2008, 10:12:27 PM
Not sure about the gas tank. Keep it topped up and then keep an eye out for problems!

You mean like the idle that won't drop below 3500 RPMs now?  I went for a short ride, and by the time I was on my way back, anytime I would pull to a stop and clutch the bike it would settle at no less than 3500--needless to say a little disconcerting for restarts.  By other posts I've seen, I'm guessing this has to do with the pilot jets?  After first warming the bike up, it idled just about perfect at 1200 or so.  Perhaps rust has worked its way into the carbs.  I don't know if that's going to be a job for me or not. 

Input?

Sounds like your choke has gotten stuck try moving the choke back and forth a bunch of times and see it it helps settle that idle down. I just added a whole can of seafoam to a half empty tank, my engines been due for a cleaning after 14,000 miles. Surprisingly there was no smoke out of my exhaust but it did smooth my idle after an hour of riding.

Quote from: theUBS on May 03, 2008, 11:41:21 PM
You mean like the idle that won't drop below 3500 RPMs now?  I went for a short ride, and by the time I was on my way back, anytime I would pull to a stop and clutch the bike it would settle at no less than 3500--needless to say a little disconcerting for restarts.  By other posts I've seen, I'm guessing this has to do with the pilot jets?  After first warming the bike up, it idled just about perfect at 1200 or so.  Perhaps rust has worked its way into the carbs.  I don't know if that's going to be a job for me or not. 

You now have the common "hanging idle" problem. The first thing to do is reset the idle. I know you did set it when the bike was warm, but it may not have been warm enough. Next time you're riding, when you experience the problem pull over and adjust the idle screw to ~1200 rpm. This may fix the problem.

If the idle still won't settle, it likely means that you have a vacuum leak. You will need to spray WD40 around the intake boots to see if the idle increases at all.

I don't think rust in the carbs would cause this problem. If tank rust is a problem, you may want to install an inline fuel filter. Unless the rust is a big problem, in which case you will need to re-line it or buy a new tank.

I haven't messed with my jetting, so I can't comment on that. I would try my previous suggestions before I touched the jetting. My opinion is that the bike idled properly out of the factory, so you know the jetting is at least good enough to hold an idle.

Quote from: beRto on May 04, 2008, 09:34:47 AM
You now have the common "hanging idle" problem. The first thing to do is reset the idle. I know you did set it when the bike was warm, but it may not have been warm enough. Next time you're riding, when you experience the problem pull over and adjust the idle screw to ~1200 rpm. This may fix the problem.

May not have been warm enough.  I rolled it out today, and the it took almost a full 10 minutes for the idle problem to show up again.  At that point, I adjusted the idle down, and for the time being, things seem better.  I restarted it again later in the evening and the idle never got near as high for as long as I had it running.  It needs a good 30+ minute riding!  Pretty much have to wait on the tires though.  It needs them too badly!