1997 GS500E

...So one followed me home today at the right price (free.) Been siting for a few years and the carbs are gummed solid, battery dead, tires shot, etc. Whats the word on these things? Seems like a decent beginner/around town bike.

fairly bulletproof motor, surprising torque, pretty smooth and nimble, cheap parts availabilty....fun. if you were closer my son jake would probably make you an offer

G, this might be just the thing for you. Rebuild it, take your time and then learn to ride slowly. Don't get in a rush, I am sure this bike when it's properly built will have plenty of power for you to play around with, and then when you build up the experience you can graduate to something bigger. Make sure you get some gear too.

I started to say I was waiting for the GS build thread but then it dawned on me......don't you have an RD ?

Track bike! Racers Corner

I got flipflops, a wifebeater, and oakleys...what else do I need? Ya, the RD is supposed to be this winters project. This GS ought to up and running in a few weeks, then sell it for money for the RD.

Don't you have an RZ that needs some love ie cash, thrown at it?

effing california gas. One year and it locks up a pair of carbs SOLID, rusts the tank, and I got half a bucket of putrid smelling "gas" that looks like watered down chocolate milk

For the carbs try spraying some PB Blaster everywhere you can get it to the slides. Then dribble some marvel mystery oil in the same places. If that doesn't free them up after a day or two mix 50/50 water and pine sol in a bucket and drop them in (pine-sol won't eat rubber)....see if that helps. If they are still stuck after all that you may need heating/cooling cycles......boil them in water on the grill then cool them in the fridge.

For the tank remove the petcock and rinse it well. Make a plug for the petcock hole with a piece of scrap aluminum and some gasket material. Go to Home Depot and get a jug of Behr Concrete Etch (if they have two types be sure and get the phosphoric acid type and NOT the muratic acid type). Mix it 50/50 with water in the tank. You should see it etching the rust within a couple hours, leave it in the sun if you can...it won't hurt the solid metal ( just keep it off the paint)...just the rust. When the rust is etched drain it. Rinse with water and baking soda to neutralize the acid (when the rust is gone to your satisfaction). Rinse it well and then rinse with isopropyl alcohol to get rid of the water. Put your petcock back on (you should have been rebuilding that while etching the tank ) and add gas to prevent flash rusting.

I had one of these. A really sweet bike.

Thanks. The tanks not real bad, just some surface rust. I redid a YSR50 tank once that was so bad i had to agitate it with a couple handfulls of bolts in to knock off all the loose stuff then Kreem it. Thanks for the acid tip, I was thinking vinegar or something. I have a 40% phosopheric metal etch I use to parkerize steel parts, that ought to work. Carbs are apart after soaking overnight, new rubber parts on order

I had one for a while and it successfully carried my big ass from. Nashville to the Keys twice... Something said in that alone.
Chris

Not trying to tell you your business......its just these issues are something I have to know how to deal with because of the dinosaur bones I gravitate towards

I didn't figure it was to bad, that's why we never got to the nails and clothes dryer

I appreciate the tips

Great read!

Wow - Something tells me Flexi has done this a couple of times.

I'm filing these tips for future reference.

Same here.

The guy with old junk can be handy at times. I know many of you are techies so you would maybe rather use the homemade electrolysis rig

Long time StaBil fan here. We just started carrying/using this at work in the spring for our lawn/garden/small engine equipment. Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - HOME I can't give a long term report yet but seems to work well with no issue. This spring when we start all the stored units I'll know for sure. I also used it in the small engined stuff at the farm when I winterized them. The real bonus is it takes such a small amount and it comes in little "shooters" you can carry on the bike for each fill up.