Hey, guys. So I just bought a 2002 GS500E with 47k miles for $1k. Initially the speedo wasn't working but all I had to do was screw the cable back in! I'm planning on doing some (very minor) work on it this weekend and was hoping you guys could help out on where to find these bolts, or just give me sizes that I could pick up at a local hardware store? Perhaps there's a parts list resource somewhere I don't know of yet. Here's a pic of the bike:




The speed/tach assembly is missing the bolts that hold them on and I'd just like to know where to find replacements:



And this brake cable coming down the right fork is missing the screw that keeps it from dangling:



Thanks for the help guys!





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Your best bet will be to see what's available at the store and try to fit them. They will be metric, but for the dash, you'll need to get the nut anyway, so grab whatever will fit.  You'll want a Carriage Bolt for the dash, but if you can't find one that fits right, you can easily get by with an nut and bolt. The parts fiche lists it as a 6x30, so I would assume that it came with a M6 bolt that is 30mm long. A 1/4" carriage bolt might fit well. I'd suggest getting stainless bolts and lock nuts. You don't want to tighten it down too much since it's made to vibrate a little, and with a normal nut, it'll just rattle itself loose. I believe the original nut is a cap nut, so you could only tighten it a certain amount, allowing it to vibrate on the rubber.

Ideally, you want a flange bolt for the Hose clamp bracket. For the hose clamp bolt, I would pull off another bolt from somewhere else and test fit it (if you follow the brake line up, there's another hose clamp that uses the same bolt). Take that bolt into the store to compare.

Here's the parts fiche for them:

Carriage Bolt:
#15 09107-06003 (I think)
http://www.partsfish.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d3f32ff8700230d8b4c048/speedometer-tachometer

Hose clamp bolt:
#17 01550-0612A
http://www.partsfish.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d3f335f8700230d8b4c063/front-master-cylinder

Great looking bike, btw! What's that wire coming out of the frame in the front? Rear tire looks a tiny bit low too. Good luck!

Thanks a bunch, EdChen! Not sure what that wire is... Electrical stuff is a mystery and I'm not sure of all the technical terms but it looks like it connects to the ignition or speedo/tach... something up there.


Side question for you or anyone else: I'm having trouble getting into neutral when I'm sitting at a light. In fact, it doesn't want me to shift into 2nd at all. Is this normal or a red flag?

Also, the stock set of grips suck... anyone got a good replacement?

Thanks.

Does it help if you rock the bike a little bit forwards and backwards? If so, it's a fairly common quirk for our bike (and I think other bikes).

If you're at a complete standstill and it won't go in, just roll the bike forwards a little bit, it should fall in place.

Got it. Thanks again!

So after riding this thing for a few days in a row, I've encountered a more disconcerting problem;

After about 10-15 minutes of riding, the bike experiences a loss of power - unresponsive throttle, doesn't really want to go above 5-6000 rpm, then when I slow down to 1st gear speeds, it stalls, I start it back up, and the throttle/engine is still only partially responsive. But once I wait for 5-10 minutes, start it back up, it's back to normal again.

Here's a video of what's going on:

https://youtu.be/GpmO9C63kRY

It is pretty warm here in California this weekend (mid 90s)... Maybe that has something to do with it? Fuel/air mix too rich? Need new air filter?

I'm not super mechanically inclined, and like I said this is my first bike. Any pointers in the right direction help. I'm changing the oil and putting new plugs in and putting in a new battery soon. Should I add another procedure to the list?

Thanks.


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Do you know when the valves were done last?

I don't... How big of a procedure is that? Could I do it on my own?


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Absolutely. It's pretty intimidating the first time, so read as much as you can about the procedure and take your time to do it. You'll need a couple special tools though - the bucket tool and a set of feeler gauges.

You'd be amazed at what valves can affect when they are out of spec.

Found the video tutorial. It does look a little intimidating, but not impossible. Is there anything else that could be causing the problem? Anything else I should check out while I'm checking the valves? I wouldn't be surprised if they've never been done in the 47k miles that are on the bike. The previous owner didn't seem to be interested in maintenance... Just riding.


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After reading that post again, it could be fuel starvation as well. Usually a semi clogged tank vent or carb vent. Do you have an external fuel filter? That can cause a fuel starvation problem as well.

And that "10-15 minutes of riding"..... is that just putting around, sustained higher revs, etc?

Not sure about the fuel filter. I can look at it tomorrow.


I might be short shifting as I don't really get to the 8,9,10k rpm range often. I went from 3-4 stops within a mile to 55mph for a good 3-4 miles, then came to a stop and it had that problem.


Sorry if it seems I need some hand-holding... just trying to get a feel for the troubleshooting sequence so I can eventually do this on my own.

Stop to stop riding usually doesn't show fuel starvation problems, but that 55mph run could do it.

Check out for the clogs mentioned earlier, but some valve maintenance on a new (to you) bike is always a good idea.

I'd definitely do the valves, but to help narrow things down, you can try switching to PRIme on the petcock and/or open the fuel tank when it stalls and see if it works better/starts back up quickly.

Alright, thanks a bunch guys. I'll try to tear the bike apart (gently) and get back to you after checking the valves and any clogs. Cheers for the pointers!


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Alright, I've measured the current clearances. Unfortunately my feeler gauges don't go to the thousandths but here's what fit:

Left exhaust .13mm
Right exhaust .07mm
Left intake .06mm
Right intake .09mm


It seems could go a size up on shims for the left exhaust and right intake, and leave the others as is??

Anyways, I haven't gotten to actually removing the shims yet as it is getting dark soon. Is the shim removal tool included in the Suzuki toolkit? I have one from the kit that looks similar but not quite the same. If it's not this one, would a nearby Suzuki dealer have one?



Also, this gasket is basically just leather: going to replace that while this project is going on:



Ps: no in-line fuel filter that I've seen. I was reading an interesting thread here from a guy with a similar issue:
http://www.motorcycle.com/forum/suzuki/19022-2002-suzuki-gs500e-problem-after-oil-change-2.html

Does the 2002 GS have a tank vent hose or is the vent a part of the gas cap? If it's part of the gas cap, how do I clean that vent? The only lines that came off my tank were the reserve an PRI lines. I guess I could blast those with air to make sure there's no gunk in them.

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Let's see....: don't worry about that gasket. It isn't in a high pressure / oil soaked area of the engine. You could actually just get some universal gasket sheets (the gray one from Autozone) and make a new one if you wanted to.

While you don't actually need the proper shim tool (iit's possible to use a flat head screwdriver on the valve bucket and camshaft journal), the proper tool does make the job easier. And any decent cycle shop will have one.... but maybe not for sale. Worth calling around for IMO.

I would try the next size down shims in the right exhaust & left intake like you said, and double check the clearances after that. I'd be tempted to try the next size up on the left exhaust as well....  .13mm seems pretty loose.

Also, if you take out the current shims and measure/read off the thicknesses, there's a chance you can move them around and get a good fit.

BTW, the tool you took a picture of is to adjust the rear shock. The vent is through the gas cap, here's a FAQ (although it might be different for your year). http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=41061.0

You guys have been a great help in establishing my troubleshooting check list. Thank you very much.


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Those shims look good to go for me, I set exhaust valves at .003-.005" (.08-.13 mm) now for long valve life.  Never had to change an intake valve shim in 180k GS miles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GSvalvelogs_zpscvcef42y.jpg

Wait... Now I'm confused... Aren't the clearances for all the valves supposed to be set between .03mm and .08mm???


Also, does anyone have a video tutorial of the screwdriver removal method for the shims? I really don't want to have to buy more tools...


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