Tips on buying a GS...

[BadFeet]

Hello all,
I am about to go look at a '79 GS750 and would like to know any tips on what to look for when test driving one. It is up for $1,300 and looks like its in pretty good shape aesthetically. Mechanically i am told it is fine, is there anything i should do to check this thing out? Any trick to tell what kind of shape its in besides the norm?
Does the price seem right?

Thanks

[Steve]

Take a voltmeter to check charging output.

.

[tkent02]

Does the price seem right?

Thanks

Depending on condition, location, what it needs to be safe to ride, maybe.
That's a high price for an old 750 in most of the country this time of year, especially this year. Wait, which country are you in?
They all need certain things to be done, valve adjustments, new tires unless the date code proves they are only a couple years old, probably needs the carburetors cleaned unless it has been ridden often. Look for rust in the gas tank, rust under the paint on the gas tank, nasty smelling gas tank, corroded wiring and connectors, everything electrical working properly, leaky forks, seeping gaskets around the engine, rust around the battery area, date on the battery, does it run and ride correctly? Steering head, swingarm and wheel bearings good? Shocks still working? Cables good?
Any of this stuff can be fixed at home in your spare time, but it takes money and it takes time.

Post your location, probably a forum member in your local area would be happy to go check it out with you.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

See your "mega-welcome" in your other thread. The price seems kind of high unless the bike is in near-mint condition. What kind of maintenance history does the bike have?


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[jhicok]

did you end up buying it?? and for what price?

[ChicagoBob]

Lots of stuff you can look at easily before even riding it: tires, tire pressure, oil leaks (engine and shocks), chain and sprockets, brake pads, steering head bearing play, rust, electrical connections and charging, air cleaner, carb plumbing (drains and vents). I'd look at the plugs and compare exhaust pipe heat at idle and after riding.

What always turns me off immediately is dirt, poor maintenance and a poor idle (an indication of all kinds of potentially expensive problems).

Expensive parts to replace include exhaust, intake pipes, stator, side covers, petcock, gauges.

A 750 should idle and run smooth, and try to yank your arms out of their sockets when you hit 6000 rpm.

Anything you can point out as incorrect or poorly-maintained is leverage against the price. It should be in pretty good shape for that price at this time of year.

[SqDancerLynn1]

For that kind of money it should have new tires, battery and chain and run good

[1_v8_merc]

Yeah, these GS bikes are routinely UNDER $1000 all day long, unless they run in tip-top shape and are in good condition.
(If you're in the USA)

For a gs750, $1300 is high, Unless it's in great shape and low mileage.
But then again, this depends on Your definition of "great shape".
But $1300 is more of a Summer price, so if it's Winter Time where you live, that price needs to drop quite a bit!

If he won't budge much on that price, walk away.
GS's are literally a dime a dozen, you'll bump into them a lot.
A better one will come a long in no time.


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Just because it's running doesn't mean jack either.
Make sure Idle is smooth, no major leaks.
(idle should be around 1100 RPM's i believe, so make sure Idle isn't set real high or anything, because that can be used to "cover-up" dirty carbs...but that's not a big deal really, carbs usually needa get cleaned routinely)

No overly-weird/violent vibrations in the handle bars or while riding.
Are the exhaust pipes rusted, or extremely "blued"?
(exhaust is around $350 for a new setup)

You really have to crawl and look UNDER these bikes, with a flashlight.
Does it look suspiciously clean? Like someone cleaned the motor up, but then you find very dirty oily parts underneath or in corners?

Start the bike up Multiple times over a 15-30 minute period.
Check the Stator Papers on Cliffs web-site, so you know how to look for Voltage Drop and correct numbers that indicate Charging Problems with the bike.

This website will have LITERALLY EVERYTHING you need for your GS.
It's been a complete life-saver for me and everyone here!

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

Check the Oil, and lights, that kinda stuff.

Usually the lights dim when you Rev these older bikes up, no cause for alarm right away. 90% of the time, you just trail a long the wiring harness, and clean all the connections a long the way, problem solved. But be aware, these bikes DO have a big problem with Stators and Rectifiers going Bad.....so you might wanna bring a volt meter.

But usually a dead battery is a quick sign of the problem....unless the owner hurried and charged it before you arrived.

[gs1150streetracer]

SOunds like the guy went and bought a Kawi