Hey everyone. I just bought my first bike over the weekend, a 91 gs500. Found this forum while looking around the internet for information about this bike. I picked up the bike for cheap. Its been sitting for a year or more and it hasn't been started and fuel was sitting in it. Thanks to this forum I already ordered a Clymer manual and a Por 15 cycle tank kit to get rid of the rust in the tank and seal the tank. I also picked up some marine vinyl at a fabric store and am planning and recovering my seat sometime this week.

I am currently working on getting the carbs cleaned up. I have a few questions about these carbs and the rebuild kits available. I was wondering which o rings come in the kit and what o rings I would need to buy separately. It seems the o ring/seal under the slide guide isn't even listed in the parts fiche. Is there a way to get that seal. So far I have only taken one carb apart and that seal is somewhat dry rotted. I also noticed there is a small hole in the diaphragm. So far It seems I would need to rebuild kits, one diaphragm, those seals under the slide guide and any other o rings seals that don't come in the kit. Does anyone know the best and cheapest source for these?

Hopefully I will have a free weekend soon so I can take a local MSF course and get riding. I don't have any safety equipment yet and need to buy at the very least a helmet to be able to take the course. I don't have to much to spend on a helmet  but I also dont want to buy something that will get me killed. Any suggestions on decent helmets out there or where to get a decent helmet that wouldn't break the bank.


Thanks everyone this community has been great so far.

This is a great forum!  "Need pics!"  Wait I just said that,....

I'm sure you'll get some answers on your carb questions shortly.

I think there are plenty of decent priced helmets.  AFX makes quite a few good looking ones that aren't pricey.  "Need pics!"  Sorry, it's like tourette's syndrome.

HaHa I knew some one would post "need pics" right away. Sadly I didn't get any pics when I picked up the bike and started tearing into it before taking any pics. I guess I can post a pic of the bike with no tank, plastics, seat, headlight and carbs if people really want to see that lol.

I bought a carb kit from partsnmore.com (they have kits for the older, two-jet carbs like yours but not the newer three-jet carbs) and the kit was very complete. Also the price and service are good, the owner even drive across the border to mail me the parts from inside Canada!

However, I don't think I remember it coming with a diaphragm.

Welcome to the forum!

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk

Hell yea,....all pics welcome!

Pics as promised.

The bike when I got it.


As it sits now being worked on.


I took apart the other carb today. It looks like I will be needing both diaphragms, two rebuild kits and the seal both seals for the slide guides. I am also contemplating ordering a K&N lunchbox and re jetting the carbs. Would you guys advise against that since I don't have an aftermarket exhaust yet?

How's your sprockets looking? Your chain?

Michael

A replacement diaphragm can be pretty expensive. It actually might be cheaper to buy different carbs on eBay.

I just got a set of diaphragms for $35 shipped on ebay.  That being said, I've replaced just about every part in the carbs, so I'm sure I've spent more than just getting another set of carbs.

are your diaphragms torn or brittle? I don't see that very often, even an old bmw my friend had had great looking diaphragms and theyd been sitting around doing nothing for years!

Quote from: Funderb on March 29, 2012, 12:29:57 PM
are your diaphragms torn or brittle? I don't see that very often, even an old bmw my friend had had great looking diaphragms and theyd been sitting around doing nothing for years!

The rubber was actually in good shape but someone who had previously taken the carbs apart must have pinched the diaphragm while reinstalling them and cause the rubber to tear. Ill take some pics of it and try to get it online later so you guys can see how how they looked. They damaged both diaphragms in the same manner which sucks but at this point I am just replacing everything I can in the carbs so they are like new.

I haven't thoroughly inspected the sprocket and chain yet. There is a lot of grime on the chain and around that area that I need to clean off. is there anything in specific I should look for. Worn or tight links in the chain, broken teeth in the sprocket?

Any tight spots in the chain (that won't fold), stretched spots, "shark teeth" on the sprockets, etc, etc......let me see if I can find a link to chain maintainence.

edit: This guys site is great. But number 114 is "chain and sprockets"

Quote from: Big Rich on March 29, 2012, 05:03:03 PM
Any tight spots in the chain (that won't fold), stretched spots, "shark teeth" on the sprockets, etc, etc......let me see if I can find a link to chain maintainence.

edit: This guys site is great. But number 114 is "chain and sprockets"

Hey Big Rich, Can you re post the link to the site you are talking about. I haven't had the time these past two nights to take a look at the chain yet or get photos of the carb diaphragms. I will definitely be able to do that tomorrow. I passed my state knowledge test today so I have my permit now. Now I need to get the bike running so I can try it out, just need the parts to come in now. I still plan on taking the MSF course but the school I was planning on taking it with looks like they are booked til mid may, Going to have to try and find another school close by that isn't as booked so I can take the course.

Sorry I can't help you out with the carburetor issues but one of the best helmets for the money is a Bell.  For about $100.00 you can buy a very good Bell helmet.  I prefer a full face helmet I can move the front up on.  Try on many and be sure it fits you very well, snug but not to tight.  Collect many wonderful memories on your new bike.  Ride safe my friend.

Bud

Oops! Haha, sorry man.

http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm

Diaphragms for a GS are fairly cheap, slides are $$$, and the slides are brittle buggers, drop one and its going to break.
Cool.
Buddha.

Thanks Rich. I took a look and even though it seems ok I still want to clean and inspect the chain better and lube it up.

Buddha, I ordered the diaphragms already and my slides are in good shape. I might be getting in touch with you for a jet kit after I get my bike running right.

Quote from: bud_44 on March 30, 2012, 08:41:36 PM
Sorry I can't help you out with the carburetor issues but one of the best helmets for the money is a Bell.  For about $100.00 you can buy a very good Bell helmet.  I prefer a full face helmet I can move the front up on.  Try on many and be sure it fits you very well, snug but not to tight.  Collect many wonderful memories on your new bike.  Ride safe my friend.

Bud

You can get replacement carbs for between 100-200 bucks used. May be worth it depending on what you need to replace.... I was checking ebay today. i saw 165 with free shipping..

As for the helmet, Bud is right. I got an HJC and got a Bell for my girl, they were about the same price but the bell is much more comfortable. If it weren't pink and flowery, I'd wear it all the time!

Its been a few days since I last posted in this forum, been to busy working on the bike and doing some research on this forum to post. I got the carbs rebuilt and everything back together yesterday and the engine seems to be running great. I ordered an hjc helmet and that should be in this week so I should be able to take the bike for a spin this week. I still haven't done the por15 job on the tank. I have an inline filter in to keep crud out of my carbs for now and if everything is running great I am going to take care of that when it gets a little warmer and also repaint the tank and plastics.

I'll try and get some pics tomorrow. Thanks to everyone on this forum hopefully Ill have a great running bike.

It might be trivial, but keep an eye on the inline filter you added. They can be problems to begin with, and will definitely get worse if it's catching crud from your tank. 

When I ran n inline on my Honda, I made sure to have a spare one in the toolkit along with any tools to change it out.