Hey guys!! I am new to the form and to the gs500, but not to riding, I recently destroyed my R6 on the track and decided to try something a little different.. I bought a 1993 gs500 last week, it is in pretty good condition for the age. The first day started like this: I rode it home and it cut off twice, replaced the battery no big deal.. the next day after doing my pre-ride inspection (oil was showing half on the dipstick) we went on a good 160 mile ride (she was rode hard and took everything I gave to her) the bike died again, it turned out to be a short on the negative battery lead but my buddy said that I had a lot of valve chatter, though I thought she was running hot I did not pay any attention to the sound (My R6 was loud too especially when hot). When I got home I checked the oil and it was still low, until I read the manual and it said not to thread the dip stick( why ??) and of course there was very little if any oil registering. My question is have I done any damage ? She still starts and revs although it sometimes makes a hissing sound from the top of the motor but no oil light or smoke. Thanks in advance, I have never had a carbureted or air cooled bike before.

The GS500 has a big sump for such a small engine. You said that the dipstick was showing oil when you screwed it in?  How much oil did it take to get the bike back in range? Chances are good that you didn't blow anything up.

The GS500, like all oil cooled bikes, consumes oil. Check it before every ride, and every time you fill up the fuel tank.

The noise you heard. Valve or bottom end? Has it always been there, or is it a new sound? Are you positive it's from the top end?

The top ends of our bikes are pretty bullet-proof. I blew up an engine due to low oil and the top-end is still fine. Rod bearings tend to be the first to go. Balancer shaft bearings are also a big of a weakness.

Thanks for the reply, yes when I screw it in( how I have checked all bikes and four wheelers) it reads just above the low mark, but when its resting on the top there maybe a hairline on the tip of the stick. And yes the sound is in the top... Just like a chatter sound that matches the rpms, if I rev it up the sound goes up, and I do believe its been there, I may just notice it more due to the oil lever. Another odd thing is it sometimes makes a "hissss" sound when I start it up..

I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I believe the dipstick should NOT be screwed in when checking the oil (on center stand). I've got 15k on mine by always checking oil level unscrewed.

According to the manual you are 100% correct, which is why I am concerned, it reads low when its screwed in which is how I have always checked my bikes oil

Not screwed in...

Not on side stand

Not on center stand


Bike on both wheels touching ground held level side to side and front to back (if you want to be pedantic about it!)

Quote from: pliskin on April 29, 2014, 10:18:28 AM
I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I believe the dipstick should NOT be screwed in when checking the oil (on center stand). I've got 15k on mine by always checking oil level unscrewed.

I always put it on the center stand, blocked the tire so it sat level, then sat it on top of the threads, 1-2 full turns down. I was getting the oil idiot light before when it was screwed in and i checked it.

Ok, so the question is have I done damage?

The reason you don't want to check it on the centre stand is the back tire is suspended and so your bike is not level.

Although this suspension is not a HUGE deal I still check my oil that way and have no issues. Even Adidas Patrick showed me that its fine.

DO NOT CHECK OIL BY SCREWING IN THE LID.
DO NOT CHECK OIL WITH THE SIDE STAND.

The oil has to be at least visible. If its that low, there is a possibility you will ruin your bottom end.

If that red light EVER comes on DO NOT RIDE THE BIKE ANYMORE. You will need to tow it or push it home. 1-2 miles with a red light and your bottom end is toast.

If the oil pressure sensor and light are working correctly and didn't come on, you had sufficient oil pressure so there's little chance of any serious damage.  With low oil levels the oil and engine will run hotter which isn't ideal, but it isn't going to kill the engine in a few hundred miles.  As others have noted it's not unusual for the GS to go through oil relatively quickly, especially when driven at highway speeds, so you will want to check it regularly.