450s

[2Wheel_Kungfu]

Hey, good luck with the new bike.

I was in the same situation about 3 months ago when I bought an '82 GS450E. (Well, still might be... but I'm glad I bought it and it's been a great little bike) Before this bike I had done almost zero wrenching on any bike and it's really been a breeze. I like the Clymers book, I don't have a motorcycle haynes manual to compare it to but it blows any haynes car book out of the water for accuracy and completeness. BassCliffs top ten list of things to check on is a great place to start if you're having any troubles with the bike, has a lot of stuff I wouldn't have thought of to check.

Only other thing I can think of is don't fix it if it isn't broken. Sometimes these bikes are 30 years old and stock, but you never know, you could have one that's had it's valves adjusted regularly and been really taken care of too. Especially if the seat and tank are in great shape, sounds like it either didn't get ran much or was well taken care of. Maybe a little tune up, valve adjustment and carb cleaning and she'll be good as new? Mine's sitting at 19k miles right now and running really well.

[Buster-boy]

Ditto what Steve said. By the time you're done paying a dealer you could have bought this bike three times over, and what he said about the 10 yr rule is true - they won't touch it.

Do what all the others have suggested - buy a Clymer's, get your knuckles ready to be scraped, and DIY! Not only will you save money but you'll learn a lot about your bike and doing it yourself instills a sense of pride second to none. Yeah, it may not be perfect. Yeah, it may not be the prettiest machine on the road, but it's YOURS and YOU did it!!

When I first bought the 850 pictured below I had no clue what I was getting myself into. It didn't run and it certainly didn't look like it does in those pics. I got suckered big time when I bought that bike. I shelled out almost $1k in parts and labor trying to have some guy fix it because I didn't know how.

But, I found GSR, found a world of advice and information, made a few friends (and enemies) along the way, and now my bike runs almost perfect.

The folks on here will help you more than any dealer or mechanic will - and best of all it's FREE!! The guys on here a special breed in that they eat this $hit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and after sex, everyday, 365, and they can't get enough of it. There is no better source for info than on this website, trust me. Books can tell you a lot, don't get me wrong, but these guys have the "been there, done that, doin it twice this Sunday" type of experience that no book can provide.

How do I know? Been there, done that!!

[koolaid_kid]

Hey, wait a minute Buster-boy, after sex all I want to do is....Wait, is that a GS at the corner?...Doesn't it seem a bit lean on cylinder 2...

But seriously, heed the advice and train yourself. It ain't rocket science. Just build a quality tool set and knowledge base, and you will be fine.
When I first started, I justified tools this way: The mechanic wants $100 to tune this. I pay $10 for parts, $90 for tools, I end up with the same results (a tune-up) and $90 worth of tools.

[Steve]

When I first started, I justified tools this way: The mechanic wants $100 to tune this. I pay $10 for parts, $90 for tools, I end up with the same results (a tune-up) and $90 worth of tools.

Then, ... next time you need to do it, it's only $10 for the parts (OK, maybe $12 by then) and you get to use your tools again.

.