Beginner biker n00b questions.

[GS_in_CO]

Vibration could be something as simple as the old tire being out of balance or flat spotted or as complex as a bent rim or blown out rear shock(s).

You need a new tire anyway, have a shop put on a new tire, balance it and check for rim trueness.

Go from there.

I'd be pretty wary of getting a bike from an owner who was too cheap to get a $12 part to fix the bike before selling.....

[Hanson]

Andy,

First, welcome to the Total Motorcycle Forum.

I think Ron (GS_in_CO) is correct and a new tire would be my first item to check for fixing you problem with your back tire bouncing around at 70mph. As you already know that you are going get a new tire, just go ahead and take care of that and see if it will also fix your rear end problem.

When I bought my Suzuki I ordered the shop manual at the same time. It was a rather expensive and Suzuki prints their shop manuals on demand so I had to wait about two weeks before it arrived. Jack of the Green gave you some great advice, if you are going to do your own wrenching get the manual for your bike. It is an investment that will easily pay for itself.

As you get these items sorted out, please take a moment to post a follow up to let us know how it went.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Outtatime]

I will not be doing my own work and as for the bouncing the previous owner said, the bouncing didn't start until the bald tire. As for the $12 part he said he would buy it and fix it i just didn't want to wait i was overly excited to get it.

[JackoftheGreen]

If you wont be doing your own wrenching, this is all pretty academic. Talk to some other local riders you trust and get a recommendation for a shop, drop off the bike with them and get that rear tire replaced. It'll be difficult to diagnose any other problems with stability until you can rule out the worn tire as the culprit, so, get that done and go from there. I would go with whatever tire the manufacturer recommends, there's most likely a sticker on your swingarm with the recommended brand and size of tire. For reference, your bike came stock with a 130/70-17 on the back end. If a brand of tire isn't recommended either on that sticker or in the shop manual, the staff at your chosen shop should be able to figure it out.

Expect to pay somewhere between $180-$230 for the tire and installation, maybe a few bucks more if they do the clutch pin for you while they're at it. And let the guys in the shop know beforehand your concerns about the rear end, they'll keep an eye out for any obvious deficiencies while they're doing the tire.

[gsJack]

The GS500F bikes came with the Bridgestone BT45 tires as original equipment, the Pirelli Demons linked above are popular with GS500 and EX500 (Ninja) riders as a handling tire, I like the Avon Roadriders for good handling and very long life on the GSs. I think AMT has the best prices right now if you're ordering online, and 130/70-17 rear with 110/70-17 front are stock sizes best to stick with for now. I've run 10 different sizes on my GSs.

If a new rear tire doesn't fix your handling problem be sure to check your rear shock for leaking. I've had a couple leakers on my 02 GS in 100k miles, actually check it anyway. Bike can be a bear to handle when shock fluid is gone.

http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/

[Lion_Lady]

Hmmm. Tires. Just get what fits the bike and your budget. Same for battery. You just need something that will get the bike running. Has the bike been looked over by a mechanic? Before you do anything else, get it a safety inspection, even if not required where you are. I would have made that a condition of completing the sale.

I'd do that first. Not free, but for $50 or so, you'll know whether or not the bike is a money pit. . . BEFORE you start dumping in random cash.

[Outtatime]

Hmmm. Tires. Just get what fits the bike and your budget. Same for battery. You just need something that will get the bike running. Has the bike been looked over by a mechanic? Before you do anything else, get it a safety inspection, even if not required where you are. I would have made that a condition of completing the sale.

I'd do that first. Not free, but for $50 or so, you'll know whether or not the bike is a money pit. . . BEFORE you start dumping in random cash.

I already purchased the bike and set a limit on what i want to spend on it, if it becomes a money pit i'll ditch it for a different bike. I'm registering the bike on thursday and bringing it to a shop saturday.

I've already bought a battery,chain,clutch push rod and now getting a tire and a state inspection is mandatory in Massachusetts. So far $280 in parts not looking to go crazy but the engine seems solid so i might keep the bike for at least 3 seasons.


There's this rod sticking out to the left of the sprocket, the clutch push rod. The pushing comes from a Clutch push mechanism on the inside of the drive sprocket cover. The push rod was not easy to push in, but it came out very easily. I pushed it back in and left it there for the duration.

[BRUMBEAR]

Hey bud welcome, if you are riding this machine for 5 years or 5 seconds GET GOOD TIRES they are not something to go cheap on they are all that is between your A$$ and the pavement. Tires are always worth it. BTW there are many good choices well within the inexpensive realm.
Dave

[Outtatime]

https://www.bikebandit.com/cart
Item / Description Unit Price Your Price Quantity Total
Part Number: 1483127
Avon AM26 Roadrider Motorcycle Tire
Rear, 130/70-17, 17, Tire, Tubeless, Bias Ply, V $112.95

Part Number: 1483116
Avon AM26 Roadrider Motorcycle Tire
Front, 110/70-17, 17, Tire, Tubeless, Bias Ply, V $92.95

Im thinking about this tire combo how about a battery and chain advise please?

[Outtatime]

More problems found did a tune up on the bike and it just so happens that the mechanic says i need a rear shock. There's other issues as the front fork seals are blown in order to pass inspection this will need to be fixed.

Where can i find a cheaper shock for the rear because $300 bux is a tad steep I'm seriously regretting my purchase at this point