Hey all.  Earlier this year I decided I really wanted to buy a bike.  I wasn't even sure what kind of bike I was into until I stumbled across a picture of a late 90's GS500E online; I immediately knew that was what I wanted.  Fast forward to today, and I now own an 02 GS500 which has just turned 16k miles.  The bike runs lean, but other than that seems mechanically solid, and she looks great.  I know you don't know me, but I already have to thank you for your help.

1.  When I bought the bike, the PO warned me that the carb boots seemed to be leaking and he hadn't been able to fix the problem.  I didn't know what he meant until I took the bike for its first ride.  After it warmed up, the idle started surging.  I was disappointed at first, thinking I wouldn't be able to ride the bike right away.  However, with the help of the GSTwin boards I found out the PO (or the PO before him - last owner only put 100 miles on bike) had set the idle screw when the engine was cold.  Backing the screw wayyyyy out when the bike was warm solved the problem.

2.  I've been trying to run the bike down to reserve so I know what my fuel range is.  My first tank got me 250 US miles with no signs of hitting the reserve.  I just ran another tank out to 280 miles, again with no indication of hitting the reserve.  Peering into the tank with a flashlight, I can clearly see that the fuel level is within an inch of the bottom of the filter/tank petcock.  Again, with the help of the GSTwin board, I found out that one of the PO's had reversed the fuel lines on the tank at some point.  I'm glad I didn't run the thing until it was empty!

Now here come the questions.

1.  The meter/gauge panel is missing the green cap for the neutral light, and the blue cap for the high beams.  Is it possible just to replace these caps or do I have to replace the entire panel?

2.  When I roll off the throttle, the RPM's hang for a couple seconds before dropping.  Would this be due to running lean or would one of my throttle cables be sticking?

3.  The plastic piece that contains the kill switch and starter switch, as well as the throttle tube, rotate/slide freely on the handlebars.  How do I stop this from happening?

4.  The bike will make this pulsing humming noise.  It only occurs at high speeds, approximately 75+ mph, and only when the throttle is open.  At first I thought it was the tires, but the noise disappears when I left off the throttle.  The most accurate way I can describe the noise is if you start counting "1...2...3...4...5..." but hum instead of saying the numbers.  It's not very loud, but definitely noticeable.  Is this normal behavior for these bikes?

5.  The front brake lever snags at certain points on the perch.  Lubing the lever solves the problem for about a day, but it ends up presenting itself again.  Is there any solution other than to replace the lever?  Would it be safe to assume that replacing the perch is not necessary?

6.  Something happened with the tiny spring that holds the fuel door flap shut.  The spring is clearly visible, but it is not applying tension to the flap.  Is this something that can be repaired/replaced?

I realize this may be a long post, and I realize I'm asking a lot of questions right off the bat.  I appreciate your help in advance, as you guys have helped me a lot already.  The community surrounding these bikes is definitely interesting.  I had a stranger approach me at work last week and comment on how much he loved the bike, saying he had three of them at home!  I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you.  Of course, no introduction is complete without pictures.  All I have is a cell phone camera, but here you go:

1: Those are the common lenses to come out - somebody else will have a better answer soon......

2: Not your throttle cable - could be the slides sticking or a small air leak.

3: Are the mounting screws tight? I believe there's a pin on the housing to stop it from rotating, but a lot of people cut it off when mounting new bars.

4: Can't really help with that......

5: Is it the lever or the piston inside the perch? Sometimes a rebuild is needed to smooth it out. Or just find one on eBay that is "slightly used"

6: Can't help with that one either - sorry.

And welcome to the site!

Welcome! Great looking bike!

We have a couple parts whores around here who hoard parts and let them go to forum members at fairly low prices. They might be able to assist with things like replacement indicator caps, depending on which ones you're looking for. From what I understand, the High Beam is the most common cap to break/lose due to the heat generated by the bulb using the high beam a lot. The Neutral cap is the second most common, but because the turn signal is also green (after a certain year) they are slightly easier to come by. As an aside, you might consider swapping to LEDs to minimize the heat generated by the indicator bulbs and improve indicator visibility on sunny days. Post a Want To Buy (WTB) in the For Sale/Trade area.

Please do the parts whores a favor and update your profile with your location. It will help estimate shipping costs should you need to purchase larger pieces.

Unfortunately, I can't really help with the other questions. Some of the others should be around soon to chime in, though.

Air Leak / Hanging Idle


Start the bike, let it warm up and idle. Spray some starter fluid around the intake manifold. If change in idle results, you have an air leak which will result in fluctuating idle and hanging idle after you rev it. Either you need to tighten the boot clamps (not very likely this would be the problem, but you never know) or tighten the boots to the engine (two screws on each boot), or if that doesn't fix the leak the big O-Rings on the boots need to be replaced. If you are too inpatient to order the O-Rings you could do what I did. I had this exact problem and used "black" high temp gasket sealer from the auto parts store (follow directions). It absolutely solved the fluctuating and idle hanging problems for me. Now, if you aren't inpatient I would order the O-Rings and do the repair right, as the gasket sealer, while still working wonderfully for me, is probably only a temporary fix and in time I'm thinking I'll have to replace the O-Rings. However, only time will tell.

Big Rich - It seems the screws are tight on that switch housing, but I'll have to pull it apart to see if that pin is there.  The handlebars seem original, but I'll make sure to tear into it this weekend.  Thanks for the heads up!  Also, as far as the brake lever is concerned, it's definitely not the piston.  The bike has been dropped on both sides, and both levers are broken.  There is some vertical play in the brake lever.  If I apply downward pressure while squeezing, it doesn't snag.

jdoorn14 - I'll make sure to post a WTB soon.  Also, the LEDs sound like a pretty good idea.  Updating my profile as soon as I post this!

FredSled - I'll make sure to lay into the carbs with some WD-40 or starter fluid this weekend.  Thanks for the info.  I'll make sure to post the results when I get them.

Thats a great looking bike! I have one just like it 

Quote from: FredSled on July 18, 2012, 07:06:23 AM
Either you need to tighten the boot clamps (not very likely this would be the problem, but you never know) or tighten the boots to the engine (two screws on each boot), or if that doesn't fix the leak the big O-Rings on the boots need to be replaced.

Well, there is the 4th possibility - the boots themselves being cracked and needing to be replaced. It does happen. Rubber parts don't live forever.

The gasket-glop method would provide a temporary fix for that as well - then shop around for new ones (probably ronayers.com - the o-ring is $2.35 from them, the boot (AKA Pipe assy, intake) is $29.08 (each, get two if you need one, the other will fail soon enough)

As for the neutral and high beam lenses, they are not sold separately. Improvise. Someone was supposedly going to do a run of replacements for the high beam (the most common one) but I don't think it ever happened. A little bit of green and blue plastic, some cutting and filing (do it carefully and it won't look like crap, do it carelessly and it will) and some hot glue or silicone caulking. Or blue and green electrical tape The only way to get them from Suzuki is with a whole new meter bracket at more than $100...and that's just as prone to failing again as the one they put on in the first place.

An update for anyone that might've been interested:

The hanging decel was due to my idle being set too high.  I was using the idle screw to compensate for a lot of idle issues that were caused by all the valves being way too tight.  Performing a valve adjustment and tuning the carbs correctly solved this problem.  I did inspect the intake boots and replaced the o-rings while I had everything apart.

The right side switch housing was indeed missing the little mounting pin as Big Rich suggested.  I tightened the screws and it's holding strong for now.

As far as the brake lever is concerned, I removed the pivot pin and greased it with automotive grease.  I also hit all the contact points on the lever itself.  Smooth as butter now.

I never did figure out the humming noise, but after adding a lunchbox filter my already loud exhaust is MUCH louder, and alas, I can no longer hear the humming.

Cheers,
Sean

Quote from: Nedry on July 27, 2012, 09:51:27 PM
Thats a great looking bike! I have one just like it 

Sweet!  Personally, I think the 02's are the best looking of the GS's.  Between having the newer sculpted body lines of the F's and still being naked, I think the 01's and 02's just hit it out of the park.  The paint schemes on the 02's just put the 01's to shame though.  Har har.