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Looking to buy first bike

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pallotta24
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Pallotta24

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Hello I'm looking for some opinions before purchasing a 2006 GS500F. The current owner was one who I can tell beat it up and took no care for the bike (literally told me himself he never even changed the oil). He says it just needs the carbs cleaned and I've done that once before with my father so it's no problem for me but I want to be sure there's not a deeper issue. I went to look at it yesterday and the battery was dead, had to jump it to start it which it did with no problem. Pretty sure choke was up the entire time, idle sounded a little rough which was to be expected however for the first 30 seconds or so it had no response from trying to rev it. I could tell he was trying to time revving it with the sound of the motor but I couldn't pick up on his cadence. After about a minute it was warmed up and would rev but it was a serious delay. Mainly I want to ask what causes a delay in the throttle response and if it's something to worry about or could be fixed by an amateur. Other than that he drove it up and down the street it sounded good but I was unsuccessful to drive it because the delay was making me nervous and couldn't let the clutch out in time. He says he took it to a shop and they estimated about $400 to get it running good it also needs a back tire and battery. As of now I talked him down to $1400 and really want to see what other more experienced people have to say. Also curious what people think of this 2006 model and how it would be as my first bike. Any input helps thanks in advance.
 
Run don't walk. This is not the motorcycle you are looking for.

This $1,400 bike could end up costing you thousands and thousand of dollars. The GS 500 is a nice bike to learn on, but not this one. Neglect is expensive to fix.

Besides, everything the seller says is a lie.
 
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If you are a beginning rider, then my first recommendation is to sign up for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, or whatever rider training course is available in your area.


You are likely to be far better off spending a little extra $$$ to buy a good bike than buying a bike that needs work and spending a lot of $$$$$$ to fix it up.
This bike just isn?t worth the aggravation, even if you talk him down some more.
 
that bike is easy to fix and if you can get it going you can handle almost any bike on the market. basically yes you have to invest time effort and parts - and yes it is easier to pay more and get something "turn key" - but it is better to get something you can make mistakes with and no loss to value.
 
I agree, that bike doesn't sound bad at all. Plan to do a bunch of maintenance work on the bike, hopefully yourself. Don't ever buy a cheap bike with the expectation that some shop will take care of the work because you will be upside down almost immediately.

Clean carbs, adjust valves, new battery and tires, change brake fluid, just normal maintenance stuff.
 
In great shape it's a $2500 bike, even after spending thousands on repairs and parts it will only be a $2500 bike. They are all over the place in that price range. I guess the OP didn't specify if he wanted a motorcycle to ride, or one to spend money on, repair, and tinker with forever. Judging by his questions in the first post he just wanted to ride, doesn't sound like he has much experience fixing or maintaining old bikes, has no idea why it's not running right, probably has no idea how much it will take to get a neglected piece of junk like this in roadworthy condition....

There are better bikes out there to waste time and money on.
 
Still carbureted in 2006? I don't keep up with new bikes anymore, but I figured they'd all be fuel injected by then.
 
Thank you for the responses so far, just wanted to say that I'll have free time to spend on the bike and really want to learn how to fix it myself. I'm not interested in just taking it to the shop unless it's something I can't fix. I would like to learn the in's and out's of how it works so in the future I can afford myself a nicer bike. My only experience is with my dad and his 74' BMW r90 and him leading the way but I know how to read and follow instructions and know I would love the bike so much more if I got it back on the road myself. Mainly what it comes down to is do these problems really sound like multiple thousand dollar repairs? Like I said I'm ready to devote time into the bike but don't want to screw myself.

Thanks again!!
 
+1 on the MFS course - go sign up at the NOVA Loudoun Campus on 7 in Sterling. They will supply the bikes and lids if needed. Riding in Northern VA is fracking dangerous and you must be aware of your vulnerabilty. Good luck with the purchase - whatever it is, and enjoy sensible, safe riding for the rest of your life!
 
Multiple thousands of dollars? No. Expect to sink a few hundred depending on the condition of the charging system. Expect to invest a number of hours as well. Personally I'd try to talk him down a couple of hundred dollars more if possible. Just be prepared for some heavy learning curve and hours with us here and you'll be OK.
 
Plus one on the MSF courses at Nova. I took the class last summer at Alexandria campus and it was perfect for a beginner. Since I've gotten zero miles on my bike since the class, I'll probably take another class this summer.
 
Pallotta24 said:
Thank you for the responses so far, just wanted to say that I'll have free time to spend on the bike and really want to learn how to fix it myself. I'm not interested in just taking it to the shop unless it's something I can't fix. I would like to learn the in's and out's of how it works so in the future I can afford myself a nicer bike. My only experience is with my dad and his 74' BMW r90 and him leading the way but I know how to read and follow instructions and know I would love the bike so much more if I got it back on the road myself. Mainly what it comes down to is do these problems really sound like multiple thousand dollar repairs? Like I said I'm ready to devote time into the bike but don't want to screw myself.

Thanks again!!
Click to expand...

When thinking about the cost also keep in mind the cost of tools. If you don't already have them you'll need to buy that as well and that going to be part of the upfront cost. You can work on a bike that's already in good shape and learn how to do it from that. You don't have to learn on one that's already busted.
 
I would pass on that bike. 1400 bucks is to high for what it might cost you to fix. Never changed the oil? The single best thing you can do for a engine I think. I had a 2005 GS500F black one, they are tough as an iron ball. But mine nearly looked like new, mabe 28K miles. I traded it in on a bigger bike, the dealer gave me 1900 bucks that was 2010.
 
I'm with the others on a pass. $1400 should get you a decent running well-maintained bike even if it's a little on the vintage side. If you want a project bike, get one that's priced like a project bike. (i.e. Under $500.) They are absolutely out there, especially around spring cleaning time it's not even out of the question to find them for free. Our old (erm, vintage) Suzuki GSes are great bikes with lots of OEM-available parts and are relatively cheap to buy and maintain compared to the Hondas and Kawis of the same generation.
 
What do you want out of the bike? (sport bike? Learner to trade out of quickly? Commuter? Project to work on all the time?)
How much work do you want to do on the bike to get it up and running? (jump on it and ride it away from the sale only doing regular maintenance? frame off restoration as a bonding project with dad?)

Definitely take the MSF before you buy any bike. You'll learn a lot at the class and if you try you can find out a bit more about the different types or bikes and what size fits you etc.
 
The GS500E is rock simple and easy to work on. I had one for a year as a stopgap between more interesting (read, "fast") bikes.
 
trippivot said:
that bike is easy to fix and if you can get it going you can handle almost any bike on the market. basically yes you have to invest time effort and parts - and yes it is easier to pay more and get something "turn key" - but it is better to get something you can make mistakes with and no loss to value.
Click to expand...

I think this advice would be good for a relatively experienced rider, or someone who already has a working bike. I've made the mistake of getting 'fixer-uppers' with no other ponies in the stable, and no matter how much you like working on bikes it can be frustrating.
 
Pallotta24 said:
Thank you for the responses so far, just wanted to say that I'll have free time to spend on the bike and really want to learn how to fix it myself. I'm not interested in just taking it to the shop unless it's something I can't fix. I would like to learn the in's and out's of how it works so in the future I can afford myself a nicer bike. My only experience is with my dad and his 74' BMW r90 and him leading the way but I know how to read and follow instructions and know I would love the bike so much more if I got it back on the road myself. Mainly what it comes down to is do these problems really sound like multiple thousand dollar repairs? Like I said I'm ready to devote time into the bike but don't want to screw myself.

Thanks again!!
Click to expand...

I can definitely appreciate where you are coming from. I bought a bike that 'just needed the carbs cleaned' and found a mess of other problems when I took it home. I really love working on that bike, but in the meantime I have nothing to ride and it's taking a lot longer than anticipated.

My recommendation to newer riders, or anyone without a running bike, is to buy something that you can ride. There are plenty of things you can do to improve or restore a fully operating bike, so you don't need something that doesn't run to learn how to fix a bike.

I appreciate the fine line that exists between a bike being too expensive to make mistakes on, and a bike that 'needs work'. If you take your time, do your research, and PREP for your repairs, you likely won't make a 'mistake' that can't be fixed. The biggest disappointments, in my opinion, are scratches/gouges/chips in parts due to lack of proper preparation. If you pay attention and are not in a rush, it's not that likely you'll make a major mistake that can't be repaired by yourself.

Steve showed me how to clean carbs, and when he 'cleans' he has a habit of repetitively stumbling into the polishing wheel in his shop. The point being that you can take a used bike that runs, and still clean and adjust the carbs and make it beautiful. I would think you'd learn more from making upgrades because you can appreciate the 'before' and 'after', as opposed to something not working before you touched it, not working right after, and wondering if it was something you did wrong or something else wrong with the bike that you didn't catch before.

This forum is amazing, and so are the bikes. There are plenty of them out there, so try not to rush and you'll find the right bike and/or project. But if you do rush into something, we are here to help :)
 
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