Am I throwing good money after bad money

[TheCafeKid]

I have to agree with everyone else here. I don't think you're really cut out for this bike, because you want it to work for you without you doing any work for it.

I fail to see the logic in complaining about carb sync issues when one of the things you did to the bike last year was throw pods and a jet kit on it. Pods are absolute beasts on any bike to get tuned right...especially in a place like Ohio, where when you wake up it's 45 degrees but by noon it's 83 and muggy. It's like Michigan. Tuning my other bike for pods was an absolute PITA, but I eventually got it to the point where it's "good enough" and gave up on trying to make it perfect. Sure, I got it perfect...when it was 38 degrees outside one April afternoon...but then three weeks later I was running rich again when it was 77 outside.

I, for one, bought my GS for two reasons:
1. I wanted a bigger bike to ride around.
2. I NEEDED something to work on, wrench on, modify, whatever.

I have a Ninja 250 that is as race prepped as a 250 can get. There are litereally ZERO parts for it left for me to buy. And I hate to say it, but the joy of owning that bike went downhill pretty quickly when I didn't have SOMETHING to wrench on with it. Sure, there are a couple of parts that I could still throw on, but I've had them on it before and didn't enjoy them, so there's no point in putting those parts on if I don't actually like them at all.

Now I have the GS, and I've enjoyed working on it immensely. I've put some new seals and gaskets in. I've done some body work and paint. I've done some modifications to the bars and lights. I've done a new seat. I've done a new seat cover. I've polished and cleaned. This weekend I'm doing a carb super clean and rebuild, along with intake boots and cam chain tensioners.

I agree 100% with what Lynn said up above...these bikes were sitting and not being ridden for a reason. More than likely that reason was because someone didn't want to do, and couldn't afford to have done, some piece of maintenance that needed to be done. The first few months worth of ownership and repairs SHOULD take care of quite a few of the major concerns, and then you'll be back to just routine maintenance...which may seem like more than a new bike, and it is, but think about it this way...20 years ago routine maintenance was a lot more involved than it is on ANY brand new engine.

Also, if you can't, or don't want to, do the work on your own, then it is probably just best to let this bike go. I noticed you mentioned that you started having an oil leak after a tune up and new gaskets. Which gaskets?? Where is the leak coming from?? Do you even know if it's one of the gaskets that was replaced that si leaking??

The ONLY thing that I won't do to my own bikes is mount tires...and I only don't do that because I don't have any feasible way to balance them, and I don't have any easy way to break the bead on a tire without damaging the rim. EVERYTHING else I do myself...and if I can't do it myself, I seek out help on a message forum for anything from advice and how-tos to actually asking someone local to come and give me a hand for a case of beer.

Good luck with whatever you do...

Easy as pah...well most of the time. Get a big ass C clamp to break the bead with, and a pair of tire spoon/irons whatever you want to call em, and a couple of jack stands. Break the bead, pry the tire off, install the new one, balance with the axle of the wheel on the two jack stands....

Well, it generally is pretty easy, tho Steve and I have had a bear of a time with a couple as well..