Quote from: 007brendan on May 04, 2010, 05:11:09 PM
I have to admit, $800 is a pretty good deal.  But I see GS's on craigslist all the time for about $1500-1600, that are newer, have less mileage, and don't have any "issues". 

very true. most people would prefer a non-project bike for thier first ride.

Quote from: pandymai on April 30, 2010, 09:33:10 PM

Quote from: Paulcet on April 30, 2010, 07:37:04 PM
Head gasket and valve cover gasket are two very different things.  If it's the head, it is not common, and would be some trouble to fix.  Not impossible, but not a 1 hour job.   If it is the valve cover gasket, it's easy.  But if the sellers are "no strangers to maintaining bikes" and they said "head gasket", it's the harder of the two.

very true. make sure which one it is before purchasing. honestly, im not sure how different it is for motorcycles compared to cars, but on cars it's usually best to get the head resurfaced before torquing the head back onto the crank case with a new head gasket.  if the head gasket is leaking, it could mean a warped head which wont be easily fixed, without getting it machined again.
800 sounds pretty good though. valve cover gasket is a cheap 30 dollar, half hour change. a bit more if you do valve clearances since the head's off anyways. =D

good luck friend.

Hi there,
Well, to start, congrats on looking for your first GS500.
A great bike to learn on, work on and live with.
I've been riding for 35 years and have had a wide assortment of motorcycles, but I've kept my 1991 GS500 the longest. I bought it in 1993 and have owned it now for 17 years. A perfect all around motorcycle that is inexpensive to buy, maintain and ride. And it does everything well.
With that all said, I disagree a bit with the writer above.
I have worked in motorcycle and sports car shops and absolutely disagree on the head gasket replacement method that he noted above.

NEVER sand a head gasket, or any other new gasket for that matter.
The head gasket in particular is specially prepared to be installed dry, just like it is, without any sealant or sanding, for the best bonding.
And I would not sand the top of the cylinder or the bottom of the cylinder head, either. Just scrape them clean being sure not to damage the gasket surfaces and make sure they are clean. It is great to check the surfaces to be sure they are not warped, and you do that with a metal straightedge tool.
One more thing -- a leaking head gasket does not automatically mean that the head is warped. When I worked as a mechanic at a Suzuki shop, we always retorqued the cylinder head bolts on every engine at valve adjustment time. I have always done this on my GS500 and have never had head gasket leaks. It takes a few minutes and is easy to do with a good quality torque wrench.

At $800 -- if the guy hasn't changed the price yet again -- this might be a good bike if all else if in good shape. But at $1000 or $1200 or who knows how much more, it could still need other things and likely does because it is older.
If it needs a chain and sprockets, add $$200. And on and on.

Keep looking and find one that is nicer.
I haven't heard about GS500's having leaky head gaskets much here on this Web site. So I'm sure you'll find one that doesn't leak.
Besides, I prefer my bikes with stock paint and this one has been repainted. You don't know why? Could it have been crashed, dented and filled with body filler? Use a magnet and check for body filler.

Good luck and let us know when you find a nicer one for our help.

Best wishes,
Trwhouse

Ok so my searching has led me ALL OVER craigslist, i even looked at places 200+ miles away from me. Well after all that searching online i finally went to a dealership thats about 40 mins from my house, the dealer just happens to show me a 2009 GS500F White/blue and its $3800 with 1000 miles on it. It was used as a demo bike, is this a good deal?

if you have cash, try to get the price lowered. they'll usually get you a "decent" price, then when you finish the deal you have taxes, registration, admin fees that all stack it right back up. try to work out an out-the-door price.

and the honest question, is if it's worth it to you.

They are already discounting '09s, some dealers are putting $3999 on them.  Of course, "out the door" is usually different. 

I would say $3800 out the door with documented 1st service already done might be a ok.

NEW 09 for 3999!?! That will definitely give me some wiggle room to negotiate with the dealers! Maybe i can get some gear out of it too!!