what are the most common problems with the gs500?

Petcock failure.  Most other mechanical issues are one-offs, user error, failures to maintain, etc.

Weak suspension and lean jetting from the factory can probably be considered a "problem" but lots of people use factory setups without issue.

kk because i found a gs500f 2009 for 1500$ on craigslist and it looks like its in good shape but one faring is cracked from being dropped

Yeah, well, these are high up the list of "beginner" bikes so cracked fairings are very common.

ya but its so cheap i thought it might have something wrong with it lol

I can't think of anything else Watcher didn't already say... oh the whole goats thing happens from time to time... often enough to have its own name on here... still thinking but coming up with nothing lol! Need more coffee I guess haha

$1500 seems like a good price, can ya link us to the thread? I paid $1000 for mine ('98 E) in 2012 and it was pretty bad cosmetically but ran/runs great. Had I think like 11k miles on it then.

goats thing?

wont let me upload photos

Here is a current thread going on about goats: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=71531.0 You can also search to find more threads about it.

And yeah, unfortunately the site uploader is full and won't take anymore pics. You hafta upload your pics to photobucket, imgur, facebook... or any of those kinds of sites really... and then link the picture's address using the image tags like this [ img ] your photo's address here [ /img ] without the spaces

Honestly, $1,500 sounds like you're just getting a pretty nice deal on an '09. I bought mine about 14 months ago for $1,700 and have seen others in the same price range. Superficial damage like cracked fairings is common on these, and easily ignored or fixed if you want to spend the money on new plastic. I'd love to see the CL ad if you don't mind posting a link.

I've heard of the signal generator going out on a lot of these bikes (mine included). If that happens it either won't start, or it will die when it gets hot. It's easy to diagnose, and a relatively inexpensive fix if you can find a used one on ebay.

Other than that, I don't think there are a ton of common problems with the GS. Good luck 

Leaky "big rubber head gasket" is a pretty common issue with bikes that have had theirs replaced. the aftermarket stuff you can find seem to be slightly under sized for some reason.

its on fb not craigslist and how would i link it? all i get is a link for the global search .....

Going back to Watchers "failure to maintain" point: how many miles are on the bike? I think most of us have seen owner neglect...... carbs need cleaned out, valves have never been checked, rusty / seized / broken bolts, fuel & brake lines not being replaced at the proper intervals, etc.

If you mean how do you get the link from a picture off of facebook, all ya do is right click on the image and then click "Copy Image URL" and then put it in the IMG tags I explained in my previous post.

Many apologies if you are using a smart phone cuz I don't have one and I can't help ya there lol!

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-0/s50x50/17012596_10202704672735506_1056883720_n.jpg?oh=468afaa8ae2a57fd99bf219524c9d7c1&oe=5900F96D

it just says low miles but not how many im assuming from how this guy talks about the bike that he dropped it and it scared him

Can't even see that picture.  It's about the size of my pinky nail...

Can you just copy the URL to the page it's on?  Usually you can do that on mobile by holding down your finger.

thats the link it gives me

Regulator/Recrtifier failure is pretty common. Melting down of the connector connecting it is also somewhat common.

Carbs getting clogged is a ubiquitous problem, they require regular maintenance in terms of breaking down and thorough cleaning.

Vacuum leaks can be a real annoyance that cause a lot of running issues that are hard to diagnose. Better to just replace all the carb o-rings and eliminate any possible causes of vacuum leaks.

O-rings going bad between the cylinder and intake boots, also a half dozen in each carb, are pretty routine problems to expect on any 10+ year old GS500.

I mean, these aren't serious problems at all and are not really unusual for motorcycles in general but just things to note and maybe expect for your first GS500 ownership experience. They are all easily fixed or maintained by any owner.

One thing I'd caution is be sure you take a longish test ride or at least ride it after it is FULLY warmed up, meaning 10-15 minutes of running time. Expensive problems show up when the bike is fully warmed up, and may not show up at all on a short or engine-cold test ride. Likewise it would be smart to insist on seeing the bike start cold before buying it.

kk ill be test riding it friday
hopefully there r no major problems

Quote from: dominickbuff on April 26, 2017, 07:02:23 AM
kk ill be test riding it friday
hopefully there r no major problems

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.