After restoring and eventually selling an '89 GS500 a couple of years ago, I may be returning to the fold.  Today I'm looking at a '98 that went down on the stator side, breaking the stator cover, stator, turn signals, handlebar (bent), etc... 

Now here is where my bad memory hurts me.  The current owner says the bike won't start without the stator.  Is this the case?  If so, is there any way to check the engine other than putting it in gear and making sure the engine turns over when the rear wheel is turned?

Take of the right round cover and turn the engine with a wrench. Clockwise I believe, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. It should turn easy, with some resistance when the cams are opening the valves. No grinding, snaps or clunks.

While the stator is not essential, the left cover must be on because it holds in the oil. DO NOT try to start it - you will fry the engine. Only turn by hand. Probably a turn of the rear tire in gear will work, too, though you won't have the same feel for the engine as when turning with a wrench. Harder to do it by rotating the rear wheel (Ever push started a GS500?). Using a wrench, you will see the rear wheel turn if in gear.

Side cover with stator is easy to locate. Post a WTB ad and state what color you need. Plenty of parts whores around.

Confirmed, it's clockwise to turn the engine forward. If it's been sitting for a while, pull the plugs and put some oil in the holes to lube the cylinder walls. That way when you're checking out the rest of the bike in five minutes you'll be ready to turn the engine. On 1 full turn, air should come out of the spark plug holes and should be fairly audible. The oil that you put in there should also squirt out.


If he's pulled the stator case off and confirmed that the wires are goners, that means that the rotor likely tossed a magnet. If that's the case, I would discount at least $200 for the stator and generator, plus the time it's going to take you to source them, and then put them on.

If it just cracked the stator cover, I would take it off there before you buy to confirm that the magnets on the rotor are still good.

If the engine wrenches over when you turn the ignition advancer, you should bring a battery to test all of the electrics and the starter (you'll have the plugs out and wont fry the engine from lack of oil).

Bring a compression gauge and check for numbers at or above 150 (engine cranking and throttle opened full) with both plugs out.

This is all advice I wish I could've received before buying my first bike, so sorry if you knew all of this. Good luck with the sale! 

If magnets are OK, then some of us parts whores have stators and left covers.

Trey has compression of 140 and 145 so I think you're OK if in that range.

The parts bike I'm buying has compression of 90. But with oil in the cylinders it is 150 meaning bad rings (seller does dirt bikes so he knows how to do that as is honest about the problems). Dizzle might know better how to do a proper compression test with an engine that has been sitting, as there's no oil on the cylinders and adding oil could mask bad rings. (Any tips on this one?)

Can't wait to pick up the parts bike I just bought on Saturday. Now I'm truly a parts whore!

OH, and by "fry" the engine, I meant bearings due to no oil, not electrical. Maybe I should have said "melt" the engine?

With the one I bought, to compression test, I cranked it by hand plugs out to check that it wasn't seized, then open up throttle with the tester in spark plug hole and check the numbers. If you don't get a reading, then you put some oil in. Definitely check that the engine will spin first before cranking the starter up.

I would be making sure the crank-end is not bent before anything else. In fact I wouldnt even contemplate buying a bike that has suffered damage in the way described without getting a DTI on it and checking it for run-out 

I just looked at the bike.  The damage isn't on the stator side, it is on the side of the ignition rotor.  The ignition rotor cover is broken, and I'll probably replace the ignition rotor while I'm in there.  There is also an oil leak from the engine.  Any thoughts? 

Is there an online manual anywhere?  I sold my GS500 manual when I sold my old GS500.

Oh, and the bike is on sale for $500 so I don't have much room to haggle.

You can download a manual here:  http://www.shchuka.com/hosting/gs500_90-97_haynes.pdf

$500 sounds kind of high to me for a non-running 14 year old bike that is wrecked.  Does it have a clear title?  What do complete running bikes sell for in your area?

-Jessie

The title is clear, and the bike is registered till April.  The handlebars and brake lever will also need replacement.  The shocks, forks, swingarm, tires, wheels, sprocket, chain, seat, and instruments look great.

Where is the leak coming from? It may be unlikely, but if it hit hard enough (especially to bend the ignition advancer) there could be internal damage to the crank (which would have cracked the block). I definetly wouldn't offer up more than 300 for it, assuming clean title.

Here is the Craigslist ad: sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/mcy/2773134277.html
You can see the oil leak if you look closely.  The leak is on the bottom of the cylinder heads, and oil appears all the way around the cylinder head.  The leak is not on the bottom end.  In fact, the leak appears to be much worse on the other side of the engine since the bike has been on the side-stand, and the other side is the lower side.

It appears to have been dumed on both sides.
Oil leak may be nothing, torque the heads ... or serious, like needing a base gasket. My GR needed that.
Cool.
Buddha.

250 to maybe 300 would be my offer on that,...just my .02.  I'd tell him to keep me in mind if he didn't get his 500 and keep looking.

Quote from: Juan1 on January 05, 2012, 08:01:04 PM
I just looked at the bike.  The damage isn't on the stator side, it is on the side of the ignition rotor.  The ignition rotor cover is broken, and I'll probably replace the ignition rotor while I'm in there.  There is also an oil leak from the engine.  Any thoughts? 

Is there an online manual anywhere?  I sold my GS500 manual when I sold my old GS500.

Oh, and the bike is on sale for $500 so I don't have much room to haggle.

$500 is a ripoff for the damage that bike has had.. Just sold PITA for $425 and really she just needed either a carb overhaul or just a new set of carbs.... She was a '96