Hi guys i have a 2006 gs500f it has roughly 12,000 mi.
I bought it cheap and not running. I got it fixed for the most part but i dont have alot of top end power. I rarely need to go above third gear its so sluggish.I will be syncing the carbs and was wondering if anyone had any other ideas to get it running better. Also i will be checking float heights. Valve clearance? Or maybe even new rings? Thanks in advance

You may as well take the carbs off and open them up just for the peace of mind, you never know it may have been left sitting with stale petrol, and there could be gummed jets, I would do that before balancing the carbs.

Yea i did that last year to get it running but i took them off yesterday im gonna clean them real good and bench sync and then dynamic sync. Just because its not too hard anyway. Just wondering if im missing something. Ive got about 2 months before im able to ride a decent amount so i wanna have it running good in time to start.

A carb sync will really only make the transition off of closed throttle smoother and minimize the herky jerky when trying to hold the throttle under power just off an idle, it really won't do much of anything for power, basically it just makes using the throttle down low smoother.

EDIT: It makes the carbs work as a team, instead of one working harder than the other.

Any suggestions on what my problem could be? I noticed the seal between the air filter and carb was loose the boot wasnt in the airbox groove completely. Maybe it was a vacuum leak causing it?

If it has poor top end or open-throttle power then it's probably never getting on the main jet.

Many things could cause it, vacuum leaks are chief among them. Also sticking float needles, float level too low, bad fuel hose (collapsing), clogged jet passageway, etc. Probably not valve clearance or carb sync.

If you haven't already, try this procedure.

Well i got into the carbs today and i totally forgot that when i cleaned them before i never backed off the pilot jet and it was snug. I backed it out 2 turns we will see if thats any better. As far as the jets go they are all stock as is my exhaust and air filter. Any other adjustments i need to make? I tried to find some info it only specified pilot jet position though. Thanks

"i never backed off the pilot jet and it was snug"
Yep done that

Quote from: Battman on February 20, 2018, 12:29:54 PM
never backed off the pilot jet and it was snug.

That'll make it hard to get it to idle or run at low revs and 1/4 throttle or less, but it won't affect top end performance much.

On that note, when the shop did my top end rebuild they left one of the carbs like this. The other wasn't adjusted correctly at all, way, way too lean. It still started and ran pretty much fine. Idle was just funky.

Well the carbs are clean just got it all back together and it went from not revving over 5000 rpm at warm up to dying and not running at all.. Time to tear back down and see where i screwed up

Quote from: Battman on February 20, 2018, 12:29:54 PM
Well i got into the carbs today and i totally forgot that when i cleaned them before i never backed off the pilot jet and it was snug. I backed it out 2 turns we will see if thats any better. As far as the jets go they are all stock as is my exhaust and air filter. Any other adjustments i need to make? I tried to find some info it only specified pilot jet position though. Thanks

Unscrewing the pilot jet will cause it to ... who the hell knows, you put it in there finger tip tight ... not loosen it 2 turns.
You should be setting the air mix screw out 3 turns. Its on the bottom side in the front part - under the manifold.
Cool.
Buddha.

Well shaZam!... Thanks for clearing that up i liked the link that mr 72 shared good process. Ill let u know what happens when i do it right
Thanks for all the help

Also worth doing is follow the cable that comes out the bottom of the signal generator (that's the round bit on the right hand side) it goes to the left hand side of the bike next to the CDI under the cover. Uplug that, (as well as the CDI) and spray some electrical contact cleaner in there and let it dry and plug it back in. A slightly bad contact can mimic fuel starvation issues that come and go.

Great news! Everything is running smoothly i have all thr top end power i could ask for. Now i see my bike in a whole new light. It was in fact the main jet that was the culprit last year when rebuilding my carbs i accidentally switched the mid main and the main on the right side. Thank you all for your help and info. Couldnt have done it without you! Now i can focus on making the body mods that i want. Now if it would only warm up in new york i could start riding!