Buying my first GS, is it a good idea or not?

[VelascoRaptor]

Hi all,

I currently ride a 150 Sym Wolf Classic. Small, nimble bike. I've had it for 2 years, but I'm looking to upgrade to something bigger.

Cue this lovely, 1979​

View attachment 59439

GS1000e I found on Craigslist. For starters, apologies if this isn't being posted correctly or isn't in the right place. I'm new to the forum and it's rules. I'm just hoping I could ask the community to share some of its advice with a fairly new rider.

As far as this upgrade goes, 150 to 1000 is obviously a big jump. Even with my riding experience, and though I consider myself a careful rider, I don't know if any of that counts for anything with these bigger, classic bikes. I also understand that since the bike is about 40 years old, it actually rides more like an 800 than a 1000, but again, I don't really know if that's true, or if it should make a difference to me, 150 to 800 is still a huge jump. And while I absolutely love how it looks, and its priced perfectly for my budget ($3,500), I'm also a pretty small rider (125lbs). I just don't want to be putting myself in more danger than I already am when riding a bike.

Another concern is that I've never ridden a carbureted bike like this before. I talked to the owner, and he said the worst thing about the bike is that it'll occasionally "bomb" if he doesn't warm it up for long enough. According to him, that means warming the engine up for about a minute, otherwise the bike gets a huge burst of energy that can sometimes lift the front wheel lift up off the ground. This piece of info is what's really worrying me, because the current owner says he's about 200+ lbs. I feel like if this happened to me, I'd literally fly off the backseat.

My last concern is that the owner disclosed a problem with original speedometer/tachometer not working anymore. He referred me to some digital odometers, which really look nice, but I'm a bit intimidated that it might not be as easy a job as I might think, given the age of the bike. Additionally, if I were to buy it, I would have to ride the bike home for about an hour without rpm or mph information, obviously really dangerous.

All in all, I'm feeling a mix of intimidation, anxiety, and absolute excitement that I might be able to own this bike by the end of the week. I just want to make sure I'm making the right choice here and not getting in over my head. Rather than make the decision alone, I figured I'd look to the experts for your wisdom. If anyone could weigh in here and share their thoughts, even if that advice results in discouraging me from purchasing, I would greatly appreciate it. ​

 

[Rob S.]

Welcome aboard.

First thing I'd say is knock $1,000 off the price. At least $1,000.

What year is (or was) that, 1978?

How tall are you?

How many years/miles do you have under your belt?

Weight-wise, I would say that 40-year-old bike is more like a modern 1200, not 800.

 

[allojohn]

Walk away.... $3,500 worth of trouble awaits you.

 

[VelascoRaptor]

Hi Rob,

Thanks!

And are you sure? I don't know what I could say to convince the guy it's worth that much less. We talked earlier this weekend and he explained to me a good amount of customizations that have gone into the bike, so I assumed the price was fair. Plus, I've seen some GS's much worse for wear around the same price, or just a few hundred less. Could it be we just live in a region where GS's are overpriced?


And to answer your questions:

The bike's a '79. I'm only 5'4", but with my boots I add an inch- or two lol. And my experience riding isn't much, I've been with my current bike for two years.

Also, 1200 only seems that much more intimidating. Might be time for me to reconsider then? :/

 

[1978GS750E]

Stay away from that bike! The last thing you want is an old motorcycle that someone else has "customized". These things are hard enough to keep running if they are kept in stock condition!

My suggestion is to start smaller, maybe a Honda Rebel, Suzuki GN250, or the like, then after you get comfortable with a slightly bigger bike, and..... take a rider safety course, you may want to get something larger. You can always get a bigger bike, but not if you get killed on one too big for you! A GS1000 is not for a beginner!

Just my $.02

 

[Redman]

3500 would be a price for either
a) a show condition collectible rare bike in original stock condition (which it is not).
or
b) a buyer that wants to pay a lot for it being customized that way.

Actually, that WAS a collectible bike, untill someone customized it.

I cant say if a 40 year old bike is right for you, but I suspect not, especailly if you dont want to work on it yourself. If you dont want to work on it, and even if you can find a mechanic that will work on a 40 year old bike (a customised 40 year old bike), any little thing will cost more than you want.

If you do want to work on a 40 year old bike, getting a GS would be better than any other, because of this web forum.

PS: A more common GS will be 1/2 or 1/3 or even 1/4th that price.

PS: THe abruptness in the carburation is probably due to having the pod filters instead of the original airbox. Having the pods requires a lot of fussing with changing the jets in the carbs to get it to run right. A person familiar with the GSes would know that. But then again, a person familir with GS would also know a 78 or 79 1000 is somewhat collectable in stock condition.

 

[allojohn]

I just looked at the photos in your profile, it actually looks like the guy did a pretty good job. But it's still not the bike for you as it will need constant maintenance...... and he's already hinted it has a carburetor issue...

 

[steve murdoch]

Welcome to the site.

imho, that bike is physically too big and powerful for a new rider of your size.
Also, not sure if a vintage bike that needs some work is a good idea for a new rider.

As Rob mentioned that bike is seriously over-priced even for your area.
If you want an older bike this one is properly priced, a bit smaller and being close to stock will retain its value.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/mcy/d/south-gate-susuki-gs/7007603035.html

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I?d have to agree with the others that say this is not the bike for you. Too much$, constant maintenance you likely don?t know about (but you can learn), a seat that is not going to be comfortable for anything but short trips. It is a beautifully done caf?, if that?s your thing. The customization appears well done in the pics. But the ?bombing? is a problem. Can?t stress enough, if you?ve never taken a MSF course, please do it. The bikes they use are typically 250cc.

If you?re looking for caf? that?s already done, look more in the 500cc range. Check out a YouTube channel Urban Monk TV. He caf?d his GS550, video documented the entire tear dow, finishing, and rebuilding.

 

[salty_monk]

I saw that on Craigslist too.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/mcy/d/long-beach-1979-suzuki-gs1000-cafe/7000464744.html

It looks reasonably well done on the cosmetic side but too expensive and a couple of things concern me. Firstly the cheap a*s air filters. No with your information about the warm-up "bomb" I have even more concern about whether its is jetted correctly - sounds like it's not.
If that's the case I doubt they have been fully rebuilt properly either.

With carbs, a bike that is properly tuned (keep in mind I have the same bike with effectively the same mods done properly) should start straight up & run properly with no warming up necessary (in our climate at least!)

The pipe appears to be a Basani sprayed with rattle can black ceramic paint. That will need a respray every season (I used to run a Basani pipe finished the same way) also you don't know what shape it was in before painted. It's a mild steel pipe so may be pretty rusty.

The brake calipers have been sprayed but the lines are still 40 year old stock ones. They will need a flush / rebuild & new lines.

The shocks are cheap Ebay ones. They are "ok" but variable quality. There is a guy that rebuilds them to make them work properly. Has anything been done to the forks?

Has the charging system (the GS's nemesis) been sorted out?

I wouldn't be so worried about riding without a speedo (or RPM's the 1000 is pretty tolerant on both ends) as you can just shadow other traffic.

At the least you are in for decent filters (and probably a jet kit), brake lines and a speedo. That's $500+ if you can do the work yourself.

I'd be pleased to get $3500 for the one in my signature which has a lot more properly done mods than this one....

 

[Steve]

Yet another vote for ... DON'T GET IT. :-k

Not only is it quite a jump in displacement and power, the increase in maintenance is sizeable, as well.

You mentioned in post #4 that you are a whopping 5' 4" tall. There simply aren't very many GSes that will fit. One thing that would help is if most of your height is in your legs, rather than your torso. That would at least give you half a chance of reaching the ground. My wife is also 5' 4", and rides an 850L that has been lowered. Even with the lowered suspension and the cut-away seat, she still just barely tippy-toes for support.

If you are set on getting a GS, something in the 450-650 range would have a better chance of fitting. Especially if it were an "L" model.

We have been hinting (rather strongly) about the increase in maintenance. Any time you get a "new" bike, you need to assume that the previous owner has done virtually nothing, no matter how much he brags about it. YOU will need to assume the duties of general mechanic for your own bike, as there are very few bike shops that will let a bike that old roll through the door. Yes, we are here for moral support, as well as technical support, but you will have to do the bulk of it yourself.

Let the search continue. You should be able to find a bike that fits you, for less than half of what that 1000 is going for.

.

 

[Nessism]

1) only buy a classic bike IF you are either rich and know a good mechanic or you like to wrench.
2) (as the others have mentioned) that bike is drastically overpriced. Even for So. Calif.
3) the bike strikes me as a styling exercise, not modded for riding. The GS1000 has one of the most comfortable seats ever to grace a motorcycle, but that board replacement seat looks like an evil joke in comparison. As for the tires, there ain't much dirt in So Calif...


The running problems strikes me as a bike that's dropping cylinders at idle and low speed only to have them kick in unexpectedly causing a surge of power.

 

[Brendan W]

What they said and more.
Your current ride is a well developed machine and probably has never let you down and needs minimal maintenance?
You ride a lot in urban or suburban traffic and it's weight and size make journeys a joy?
If I was you I would be looking at twins in the 400-500 class in stock condition. They will have double the power or more, a bit more weight. My son has a '79 KZ400B which I find is a hoot to drive around town, smiles all around. Almost impossible for it to get away from you and I'm a 200# jockey.
That ex-GS1000 will break your heart and wallet in the first six months trying to get it working properly if you can find anyone willing to touch it.

 

[Jedz123]

First, WELCOME!

My Statement: $3500 is a good budget to get on a great motorcycle...

I'm in the party that buying that would not be in alignment to my statement...

A 40 year old liter bike is going to be cool to own but if your not on-top of maintenance (or have deep pockets) it will get to non running condition very quickly.

I'm a sucker for a Suzuki GS (like the rest of the knuckleheads here) but there is a reason why i don't own them anymore... They spend more time getting worked on in the shop than on the road... I found my TU250X to be a great compromise for a modern classic bike, classic look, modern technology and new reliability ( I bought my TU250X brand new for $3500 FYI).

If your looking for a reliable motorcycle that is a good next step I would say look at the 600-750 class. My mind is going straight to the early 90's to early 2000's Honda Nighthawk 750s. Uber reliable, inline 4 cylinder, very docile, easy to work on and parts galore. As stated I love Suzuki GS's but they require allot of work to keep miles on them and I rather spend my time behind the handle bars, not a breaker bar. Honda had it dialed in with the Nighthawk 750, dare say one of the most reliable UJM I-4's that were produced... Self adjusting vlaves, many bikes breaking 100K miles with only regular maintenance services performed. Price wise well... Here is one that's on your side of the country. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/mcy/d/paso-robles-1995-honda-cb750-nighthawk/7008165844.html

With a $3500 budget I go straight to the FZ6. Fuel injected, proven reliability and dependability. Fast as all heck yet docile enough for beginners ( I know 2 guys that started riding on these bikes and still own their FZ6 from brand new and one has 70K miles and the other 50K miles). The best bike if you want motorcycle you can get on and ride from California to Maine. One that is also more local to you: https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/mcy/d/murrieta-2007-yamaha-fz6-great-condition/7004706096.html

My buddy is damn near your dimensions (5' 6" with the right boots on) and he loves his FZ6.

Options to think about! Welcome to the world of motorcycling!

 

[rphillips]

I'm with them. It's not for you. Way Too much $$$. There's a big difference in a 150 & a full sized street bike, For a rider, 5'4" @ 125 .lb, short legs & not a lot of experience, that 500 + lb. bike will be a little hard to handle. I'd consider maybe a GS550 "L" model. Lower seat height, lower center of gravity, & less overall wt., with plenty of power for hwy. use. After a yr. or so maybe another step up. A nice 550 should be found for less than "2K. The Kawa "LTD", the Honda "Custom", the Yama. "Special", as well as the Suzuki "L" models, all have the lower seat & center of gravity. With a little more hwy. experience you can grow into anything. Just my opinion>

 

[Guest]

agree with what's been said here. For 3500 you can find a much nicer, unmolested, more modern bike that will be a big upgrade, more reliable, much lighter (for a smaller framed person) etc etc. Look at sv650's, fz6 (as mentioned) or something along those lines. I would pass on this gs, were I in your situation.

 

[Guest]

If it were me and I had that sort of budget, I'd skip over vintage bikes altogether and look into the current crop of beginner bikes.

https://safer-turn.com/article/ultimate-beginner-motorcycle-guide/

Once you have some more experience with handling larger, heavier, more powerful bikes like the ones above, and also learn how to wrench on motorcycles, then you can look into the vintage bike scene. Older bikes tend to be rather large and heavy for their displacement. Also, you'll likely need to be able to fix your own bike as most motorcycle shops won't work on older machines. With the experience gained both in the saddle and in the garage on a newer bike, you'll be ready to tackle your first vintage motorcycle.

 

[Guest]

on another note, it is somethin' else to go on a forum full of folks dedicated to these bikes and come away with "don't get one". Take it as a good sign.

 

[allojohn]

on another note, it is somethin' else to go on a forum full of folks dedicated to these bikes and come away with "don't get one". Take it as a good sign.

LOL, we've all felt the pain.

 

[Nessism]

There is nothing wrong with vintage bikes. You just gotta know what you're getting yourself into. I remember reading one time that old vehicles are like wooden boats. There is always something (maintenance) that needs doing. To guys like me that's a plus because I enjoy wrenching. If you don't own a tool box though it's a negative.