guy im buying a bike from says "Only work that it needs is the front brake cable needs to be tightened (about $60) or you can do it yourself." but gs-500 are hydraulic are they not? and this is a 89 gs btw. so i know the front brake is bad (loose), so does that mean it most likely just needs bled?

Is it really a GS500? Have you seen the bike? Find out what the shop rate is for a one hour service or for bleeding the front brake on a GS500, and use that to bargain down the price. He doesn't seem to know what he's talking about, using this knowledge would be to your advantage. Unless it's a post crash modification. A drum brake front end on a GS500? Must be a wire spoked chrome front rim...

Brake cables?!?  I would be very weary of this guy.    Plus tightening a cable for $60!  shaZam! give me a can a beer and I'll tighten a cable for you.  Do you have any friends that ride bikes that would be able to help you out? I mean like go with and check it out with you to make sure it wont fall apart the day after you take it home.

It needs to be tightened is it... why is it loose now... Just being sarcastic... Anyway what is the symptom... and each one means somehting else... for example brake lever moves a lot and brakes dont work means you dont have a decent fluid level... or the master cyl is shot. or the lever moves and the brakes bite the caliper but then the lever acts spongy and the brakes dont bite harder when squeezed further means there is air in the system... some like that... Get a brake bleeding kit and some dot 5 fluid and suck out the old crap and be very careful with it cos it will eat paint... and refill it with dot 5... which is great cos it wont take water or eat paint like dot 4 and 3...
Cool.
Srinath.

ya a friend of mine who has been riding for 22 years is going with me when i pick the bike up and do a final overlook, and yes it is a gs500 here is a pic of it http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rksdc/lst?.dir=/My+Folder i should be gettign it friday afternoon, after talking to my friend he said he should know whats wrong with it when he sees it and can help me fix it so we should be good to go!

mine is dot 4

Sounds like the seller is a dope .. I hope he didn't do his own repairs.  I picked up a bike in the summer that was also owned by a dope but I am taking the whole thing apart anyway.  I am no bike expert either but before I do any work I fully research it before hand.  

You may want to do several maintenance type things before riding it.  I'm sure there are a few threads on this site if you search under maintenance.

R