My GS500E clean up

[Al Capwn]

Oh yeah, good point - could be leaking past the intake or exhaust valves. I checked mine by hooking up an air compressor to the compression tester tool. I set the engine to R TDC and sure enough, air shot through the intake port.

Remove your air filter/airbox and seat - place your hand behind the carb and try to rev the bike a bit. If you feel air/gas blowing back into your hand, you have a stuck valve on that side. Which is exactly the same issue I had, left side on mine.

[MrSporrer]

Alright, so this is what happened.. I took my bike to a local shop that said that it would be a grand with parts for a top end rebuild. Then after a few weeks they called and said the parts got there and they don't have a mechanic so they could make it into a winter project and they would finish it in the fall possibly the winter, I called another guy who said it wasn't worth fixing but I'm in the hole 1250 now with the cost of whatever parts the shop bought already, I have no where to do the rebuild myself.

I feel kinda screwed. 1250 into a bike that doesn't run and is only worth 1300 in great condition, if I pay the shop for 10 hours of work over the winter there's no guarantee that it runs perfect...

Any one know a good mechanic in the Pittsburgh area that I can trust. Any advice on my next move?

[Big Rich]

Wait, you're in the Pittsburgh area? Where at? I'm in Ellwood City (near New Castle) and might be able to lend a hand.

[MrSporrer]

I live in west view in the north hills. I took my bike to Crossroads Motorsports in Gibsonia and they had like 3 techs quit in the past few weeks.

[Big Rich]

Yeah, bike shops are always a gamble.

Let me see what's going on for my days off, and maybe we can see about getting that GS on the road. Do you have a truck or something to haul the bike around? I prefer to work in my own garage.....

[MrSporrer]

I do have a truck, the bike is currently at their shop I will go get it this week sometime, I honestly don't even know what they bought. She said $250 for parts and as far as I can tell from looking around that must include pistons right? If so I wonder if they are stock or if they expected to have to bore it out and the pistons are .30 over to account for the machining? I'll know for sure when I go and pick it up.
Also thank you to any help you can give!

[Weedy64]

Very nice Mr Rich.  Hopefully you can teach him a trick or two and he will end up with a runner.

[Big Rich]

It's tough to say what all they bought for parts. Send me a pm when you get the bike (and parts) from the shop. I still need to see what's going on this week....I work 4 days on, 4 days off so I really have a 50-50 chance of being off any given day.

[MrSporrer]

Great Day!!!
So I went up to see BigRich and he went through the valve clearences with me and we messed with the petcock, and eventually...
She ran! on both cylinders!
Then the problem arose of the bike dying when shifted into gear. after doing a quick test we found that either the sidestand relay or the sidestand switch and I'm just going to delete the safety feature for the time being.
TO GET
new steering stem bearings
a multitude of gaskets and O rings
carb boots
clutch lever
valve clearance shim

Anyone have a trusted place for aftermarket  steering stem bearings?
Big thanks to BigRich! Great community we have here.

[Big Rich]

I always get my bearings from www.denniskirk.com, but it doesn't matter too much where you get them from.

Glad to help man!

[MrSporrer]

Do you have a link to them at that site it doesn't have any listed that match the gs500e.

[Big Rich]

Hmmm, Denniskirk didn't have them. Motorcycle SSuperstore does though:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/21652/i/all-balls-steering-stem-bearing-kit

[The Buddha]

Bearings are common power supply store item. Motion industries, bearing distributors, grainger etc etc etc have em.
Get tapered roller ones with a steel cage, not the cheap a$$ plastic cage.

Shims - yes, make sure they're not the Chinese crap breaking kind.

Cool.
Buddha.

[Skript]

I think the first 2 wires are for a turn signal- 2 of the second bundle of wires may be for a turn signal as well.

This guy is right I'm doing some work on my turn signals at the moment.

Left turn signal
- White/Black : Ground
- Green(ish) : 12v

Right turn signal
- White/Black : Ground
- Black : 12v

[MrSporrer]

7 years later I now own my own garage so I brought this bike back from my parents in the hopes of finishing what I started when I was a teenager. Unfortunately it seems the years have not been good to her.

- left carb is seized

- photo attached looking in on left intake, Gonna take the top end off and look in there better but I'd say it's over.

[Roofaloof]

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you. Good luck!

[cbrfxr67]

7 years!  Goes by so fast eh?  I hope you'll post your journey bringing it back!