According to the seller:
- mileage is 16k
- new brakes
- tires 3k miles ago
- clean title

Mods are:
- turn signals
- upgraded handlebars (elevated like 4")
- additional lights added to frame (where? not sure)
- windshield (hard to miss)

I've seen these GS500s come on and off the market in my area and I think this is a pretty solid deal.

My question for you all is what should I ask the seller to make sure that this bike is safe and mechanically sound? It's going to be my first bike and I don't want any surprises on the road if possible

The ad came with a bunch of photos, and the bike looks pretty darn clean. Honestly the big question in my mind is How is it possible that the bike looks this clean after 16,000 miles?

Any advice is much appreciated! (By the way, the activity level in this forum makes me MUCH more confident about buying an almost-20-year-old-bike. You guys rock!)

That does look damn clean !!
Hate the bars and screen but thats just not my thing , anyway looks like its been garaged all
Its life and never been riden in the rain.

If it looks nice/sounds nice/idles nice/runs nice/chances are it is nice,so the most important question then is.........what's your best price.
BTW...also hate the bars and screen but that's an easy fix IF u want.

Ask the seller if after it's been ridden around awhile to warm up really good, if it will hold a steady idle

Ask if he still has the original handlebars!! ...holy cow those things are ridiculous.

Ask when the last valve adjustment was done.

Ask if it's original or Frankensteined ( if this is a US bike, the frame and wheel colors don't match for a 96).

What is he asking for it?

@cWj - could it be a '95? The rainbow spray paint decal looks like the 1995 bikes on this wiki page, but other references say that the Candy Anteres Red color was only used in '94 and '96, not '95. What are you seeing about the frame color that makes you think it's not from a '96? I thought they were all silver until they were all black.

@joweaver88 - haha yeah, I already did. My first step is going to be to ditch those bars. But I just might try to make a quick-release mount for the windshield. 

@bigfatcat - thanks, I'll do that! He said he was having the carbs cleaned, supposed to be done as of today. Maybe he already lost a sale over a bad idling sound.

@suzuki stevo - he's a little more than the blue book value, but not a lot more. Given the apparent pristine condition of the bike I think it's a fair price. I didn't plan to bargain down, I'm more interested in making sure that the bike is free of problems.

Was this thing actually ridden at all, a quick sum puts it at 800 odd miles a year. Have a good look to see that it hasn't been "done up" in terms of painting the frame, swingarm ect (for example, aren't the rearset bolts supposed to be chromed?) An 18 yr old bike should have signs of fading and nicks and scratches. If it's all original, then it's a scoop.

It has been painted.  As bryan pointed out, there are several bolts and things that should be chrome like the kick plates, and not the same color as the frame.  That doesn't mean its a bad thing, just something to be aware of...

From the pics, things that could not have been painted look to be in excellent condition as well for the age...
I'd ask him in a way that already suggests you know something - like 'how long/how many miles has it been since it was painted?'  ... 'Was it also mechanically restored?'  ...'Why?' It may give another angle to the work that has been put into an otherwise cheap bike.

- Bboy

Edit: Something I did noticed that looked out of place was the rear rim - very scratched up on the edges... that is something I'd expect from an average '96... not the particular '96 it is on 

Yea 96 frame was charcoal grey in US.
I thought Candy antares red was a bit deeper red than this one ...
It may be a 95 with a 96 body set on it ...
The kick plates are chrome, what do they look like ? are they frame colored or chrome (from the pics I cant tell).

Cool.
Buddha.

those bars look like clubman bars mounted to have a rise. I say keep the bars and just flip them around and over and boom they will feel great.

Buddha beat me to it, but as far as I know, frames and wheels for a Candy Antares 1996 should be graphite/gunmetal/charcoal/whatever-you-call-it. My 96 has black/gold decals, but that shade looks right for Candy Antares. It seems the frames for the black 96s are silver, so maybe there's been some parts juggling among two bikes of same year/different colors.

Maybe 04+ wheels, older frame + 96 tins/plastics?

Any signs the wheels were painted?

Not that any of that is necessarily bad, but it's good to know what you're really getting. I think permission to lift and look at things under the tank would be a good idea.

Rearsets seem to be painted, hard to tell from my phone but it looks like the pegs have only been partially painted up to the edge of the rubber.

Ok, just because I can't let this go - and mostly because I'm fiending for my 100th post:

Candy Antares was available in 93 or 94 with a SILVER frame and black engine.

So...maybe the year is wrong?

Dunno.

Happy sleuthering!

Or not caring.

Have fun either way.

I miss my bike.

Other than the "GS500e decals", that looks exactly like my bike. 

I Picked it up a few months back.  (Haven't ridden in about 16 years). It has 7,000 miles, garaged kept it's whole life, never seen rain and looks just as clean as that one.

I agree with the others, if it sounds good, rides good and the price is good, that may be a great first bike for you.

I really dont know if I will ever own a bike that clean.....I ride in the ran, the salt, and the shine. Its more about the ride rather than the look for me. Seams like a solid bike, if some one was going to keep it that nice for that many year or do it up that nicely they obviously cared a lot about the bike.