The Suzuki GS500 is probably the perfect beginner motorcycle for someone who is confident in their ability to quickly grasp the basic motorcycle concepts. Its a pretty small motorcycle, but its also powerful enough to lug around some of the bigger guys (250 lbs+!!) with relative ease. It gets great gas milage overall, the only thing that is a little annoying is since it is carburated it takes liberal use of choke to get this bike to warm up on cool days/nights, but after it gets warmed up it is an absolute joy to ride.
This motorcycle was my first bike and therefore it holds a special place in my heart. I found that it met all of my needs, and exceeded most of my expectations. I loved the fact that this bike was naked so if I happened to drop it (which new riders often do), the damage that was possible was minimal at best. In fact I recall dropping my motorcycle 2 or 3 times at a stand still and you couldn't even tell! Try that with a fully faired bike!
Another thing that rocks about this motorcycle is how light it is. During one of the previously mentioned drops I fell into a bush and managed to pin my leg under the motorcycle, but with just a little maneuvering I was able to life the bike off myself single handedly.
Pros:
- The earlier versions of the GS500 are naked stock, that way if you drop it, minimal damage is incurred.
- 500cc's and roughly 50hp is fun and forgiving
- Relatively inexpensive.
Cons:
- Cold blooded: Takes a while to warm up on cold days.
- No fairing means no wind protection
Specs:
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Gs500
The gs500 was my first bike, I got a 1998 and it was awesome. One thing that sucked was during the winter it was kinda hard to start, you had to use a lot of choke and be kinda patient with it. I'd recommend it, although I haven't gotten a chance to ride a Ninja 500 yet :)
I Have a 98 GS 500 E
I have a 98 GS 500 E and i love it it is a lot of fun and one bad toy when you won't it to be. i can say that it is Cold blooded but thats ok i can put up with that.
Agreed, just got an 05
Agreed, just got an 05 model. Great bike but a bastard to get going in cooler weather. Choke, choke, choke!But runs rings around most other entry level bikes.
Agree with the chock to hell
Agree with the chock to hell to get started for cooler days. Got a GS500F '05 model. An advise ( just experience) is to park on slope with head down (put to 1st for safety) it helps!!!
I have a 07 GSF500, and i's
I have a 07 GSF500, and i's still chock to hell.
Power Delivery?
I'm looking at a starter motorcycle, but I was thinking that I'd probibly need to go for a larger engine due to my size 6'3 280ish. With that in mind though, I was wondering about the power delivery if the I-4 engine on this bike. I'm primarily gonna use it for street driving, but I will need to go on the freeway occasionally (which is why I'm thinking of a more powerful bike). From what you read it sounded like the Hyosung GT250R has the best engine configuration for newbies, I was just worried about it's top end speed with me on it.
Which do you think would be the best choice for me - The GS500, the EX250, the EX500, or the Hyosung 250?
My Recommendation
I would personally stay away from any Hyosung motorcycle until they work all the kinks out, we reviewed teh GT250R and a lot of people commented that the reliability simply sucks.
http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/hyosung-gt250r-review
Basically one of the best things about it was the look, and now that kawasaki is releasing a new version of their ninja 250 for 2008 that looks BADASS, hyosung is going to find it much harder to sell bikes I think. The one plus is the GT250 is a V-twin I believe, and the ninja 250 is an I-4.
The bottom line is the 250 will be able to do everything you want it to do, as long as you don't want it to do triple digits. I would get on the bike though and see how it feels for you, you may find it a bit cramped, but you might not.
If the 250 isn't your choice then I would actually recommend getting the Ninja 500. I started on the Suzuki GS500 and it is definitely a good bike, I think if I had to do it all over I would go Ninja instead. I think it has a few more horspower, and I believe it would be easier to start in the cold weather compared to the GS500 which needed lots of choke to start even at 50 degrees (talk about cold hearted!). Maybe Kickprivate can chime in on this since he just got his brand spankin new kawasaki ninja 500.
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin
The Ninja 250 is an Inline
The Ninja 250 is an Inline 4??? Hahahhhhaa. Dude! You're hilarious!
Doh!
You are VERY right! I just double checked and it is a "Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin".
Haha, I never claimed to know everything ;)
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin
Power
My girlfriend and I together are around 310 and the GS500 has plenty of power with both of us. It will do over 100 with no problem. I have no experience with the other bikes you mentioned.
what are you doing going 100
what are you doing going 100 with your girlfriend on the back? you must not love her THAT much.
Best beginner motorcycle for your weight & size.
From those four choices you give, I would only go with the EX500. Those other bikes are grossly underpowered for someone who is 280 lbs. and you would outgrow all four of those bikes within a very short time...and if you're talking about freeway riding, don't even consider a 250cc. I am 230 lbs. geared-up and I believe a bike should be able to accelerate away from trouble, no matter what your skill level is. I would suggest a Suzuki SV650 (naked-style).
Before I bought the SV650s, I was very skeptical that a 650cc could satisfy my need for speed, but a friend let me ride his; it is very easy to ride, well balanced, handles very well and the V-twin pulls hard at all speeds past 110+. I have taken the bike up to 130 mph, and I think it'll go a little faster . The only thing this bike doesn’t provide is the eye-popping, adrenaline rush of a sport liter bike; otherwise, this bike is great for beginners, but more experienced riders race them (with some modifications). I have been riding for almost 30 years and have also owned a '84 Kawasaki 900 Ninja, ’85 Yamaha FJ1100 and a ’95 Kawasaki GPZ1100; none of these bikes was faster (or easier) through the twisties than the SV650. It doesn’t require a lot of shifting because of it's linear power band; it pulls hard at lower RPM’s.
Typically, for $3,000 you can get a pretty good one with 15k or fewer miles, for $3,500 a very good one with 10k or fewer miles. $4,000 will get you an excellent one with 5k or less miles and modifications. I got very lucky and bought my 2001 SV650s for $2,700. This bike had 4k miles, included lower fairings, rear cowl, fender eliminator, rear wheel hugger, smoke tint double bubble windshield, flush mount turn signals, M-4 exhaust, Galfer steel-braided front brake lines, frame sliders, rear spools and brand new Dunlop Qualifiers. Screamin' deal!
’99-’02 SV650’s are all the same (carburetion) and ’03-’07's are the same (fuel injection). Google the SV650 and get some more information. You won't be disappointed with this choice; while you may choose another style of bike (cruiser, sport-tourer, etc.) or you may want that eye-popping, adrenaline rush of a liter-class sport bike in the future, you will never truly outgrow the SV650's power and capabilities.
Suspension on the Ninja 250R
Suspension on the Ninja 250R really is insufficient for guys our size. I never actually tried the 250R myself, but I watched a guy sit on it that was about 260ish and it literally sank almost 6 inches. The suspension is progressive--gets firmer the deeper into you get. Every expansion joint would be punishing. +1 on avoiding the Hyosung name for awhile. I'm 250# plus and either one of the 500's carry me fine--though I'm only 5'10". Go to a dealership and sit on them.
I would love to have an SV650! I'm not sure if it's what an absolute newbie needs though--meaning I don't need one yet either. I've already proved the 500 class bikes have enough power to get you in trouble. =]
Hyosung
I would not reccomend a Hyosung. I have been looking into getting a new bike and have heard really bad reports. Eg hazards coming on when braking, horrific rust and corrosion etc. They are very cheap to buy but also very cheaply and poorly made. (You only get what you pay for!) GS 500 will also rust if not looked after however would be a much more sensible choice. *The GS500 has an inline 2 cylinder engine not a four as you maybe thought. If you are a really big guy a Suzuki Bandit can be gotten with an inline 4 cylinder 600 cc engine. The GS 500 produces about 50BHP (approx) whereas the bandit produces about 80BHP. The Bandit would also be a good beginners bike however I intend to buy a GS500 as they are cheaper and I am not bothered about the extra power at the moment. Hope this helps you. ;-)
Cold Starts
I have a 2006 GS500F, and it is an absolute nightmare to try and start in cold weather. I live in North Texas, and unless I hook it up to the battery charger in the garage overnight, it won't start. The engine tries to turn over outside, but it doesn't quite make it. Then after a few minutes of trying the battery gives out altogther, I am putting on the choke, and full intake on the fuel line; is there something that I'm doing wrong? Could I do something else to help it start outside of my garage?
Cold cold
My first bike was a gs500 and I can tell you it really was hard to start in the cold weather. It sucked going to a movie on my motorcycle and by the time the movie was finished and I got back to my bike I would have to put full choke on it again! I also messed with my idle adjustment A LOT (probably not a good thing, but I did it anyway). I had a naked GS so the adjustment was just below my right knee, i'm not sure if you can get to it on the F version.
I don't think you should have to charge the battery every night though, that sounds like your battery is dying. Try replacing the battery, that may help. The most you should have to do is put full choke on and then try and start it a few times, you SHOULDN'T have to put it on a trickle charger every time unless your battery is damaged/dead.
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin
I just bought a 2000 GS500E.
I just bought a 2000 GS500E. Today is the first it's ran since last season. I wanted to put some fresh fuel in it, but I found the tank to be almost full. I don't think any winterization was done at all. Anyway, I found the throttle response to be VERY muted unless the bike was partially choked. Also, the unchoked idle was a little low (sub 1K). Dry gas? A bottle of carb cleaner? Or attempt to adjust the idle?
(According to the previous owner, the oil was changed, the plugs were changed, and the carbs were serviced last season when he bought the bike.)
GS 500f - Cold Starts
I bought my 2004 GS 500f back in August of 07 and rode the thing, pretty much through november, and a couple days in december. You can call me crazy, but the coldest day i rode was on a 20 degree day (Full Winter-weather gear obviously). It was freakin cold outside, but i didn't have a problem starting it, and haven't ever had a problem starting it- as long as you do throw the choke all the way up. Does take a few minutes to warm up though in "cold weather" like that. and for the guy in 50 degree weather -If you are having trouble with 50 degree starts, then i would say that it's probably a battery problem you have there.
Flat Battery
Sounds like you maybe need to replace your battery if it only holds a charge for one night....
GS500F
I just bought an '07 GS500F, but i bought it from a salvage auction and do not have the owners manual. Does anybody know what octane fuel is recommended for my bike? Cheap-o or Primo?
Primo man...91 octane
Primo man...91 octane minimum
Thanks for the info, i'm
Thanks for the info, i'm buying a tank full tomorrow
'07 GS500F octane rating
I bought an '07 new like yours just before christmas on Dec. 22, 2007(439 miles already). I have read that higher octane burns slower, and does nothing to help you in a low compression engine and a higher compression engine requires it so it doesn't pre-ignite. The GS500F has a compression ratio of 9.0:1. Don't waste your money on 91 octane, 87 is what's recommended in owners manual.
Octane Rating????
In the UK the minimum we can buy is 95 octane, High octane optional aT 97!!!!
We pay the price though, £1.03.9p per litre thats about $2 a litre!!!!
2007 Suzuki GS500F Octane debate
Here's what I do know. My 07 GS500F does not like low octane fuel. I wish it did. But I recently biked from south Florida to Richmond, Va, (1018 miles in 21 hours) and the better the gas, the better it performed. When I left Florida, I put 87 in just to see how it would do...big mistake. It caused it to bog down frequently. When I switched to higher Octane, she woke right up.
is it worth it?
ive seen a gs500e 98 model with 30k on the clock and taxed and moted till may advertised in my local papper for £950.00 in the local paper is. do you think that its worth the asking price
I think that sounds....
pretty good as long as it's in decent shape. Did they check the valve shims and change the oil regularly?
Octane
You should always use what ever octane fuel is recommended by the engine’s manufacturer. The reason why is that the octane rating of a fuel speaks to the precision with which it will ignite. Higher octane fuel will ignite in a narrower band of conditions than lower octane fuel, meaning that an engine can be tuned more precisely if it is using higher octane fuel. However, if your engine has not been tuned to take advantage of higher octane fuel, you will not see any benefit of using higher octane fuel. The reverse is not true. If your engine is tuned for higher octane fuel, then lower octane fuel will rob you of up to 20% of your power and potentially damage your engine. So, always use what the manufacturer recommends, not doing so is either a waste of money or a waste of power.
Ignore this poster. He has
Ignore this poster. He has no idea what he's talking about.
Gs 500 e, A tall man´s bike?
I´m thinking about bying an old gs 500 e (1993) to use mainly up until my drivers license is fixed, but do you reckon it´s too small??, I´m just about 6´5 (195 cm). I have heard they are kinda small, just so I dont go checking out a way to small bike for my size...
Sit
Go to your local suzuki dealership and sit on one of the new gs500's, they should be about the same hight as the 1993's. From what I remember the gs was a bit on the short side, I think the kawasaki ninja 500 is taller. Try sitting on both of them.
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin
?
I am just over 6 feet tall and I can see a possible problem if you are a couple inches tall than me. But there is only one way to make sure.
6'4" here and the GS500 fits
6'4" here and the GS500 fits brilliantly. I've done touring on her and no worries!
Gs500
Is the Gs500 a good bike for someone who has never rid a bike before? I'm about 5'4 would I be able to balance it pretty well?
Peg height
I just compared and sat on the Suzuki and Kawasaki 500s a few hours ago at the dealership...turns out the Suzuki is roomier for us taller folks (I'm 6'0", 185). Although the footpegs seem a little high on both of the bikes, the cutouts on the tank for your knees on the Kawasaki were about 2-3 inches too low for me, check it out and see what you think.
By the way, is it normal for the pegs to feel a little high on these? The dealership recommended that if I don't feel comfortable on the 500 I might think about moving up to a bigger bike, despite the fact that I'm beginning. Any recommendations?
starting on a BIGGER bike
sure, the dealer will sell you a Haybusa if you'll buy it ... sheesh. of course they're gonna want you to buy bigger. more commission for them!
Just bought one
I just bought a 02 GS 500/naked front end. First bike, little nervous. I know how to ride a bike but the thing that kinda scares me is not being able to make a turn while riding. I am taking the riders course and I know they'll teach that, but still nervous of that. Any tips?
P.S. They are harder to start in colder conditions.
need some help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey everyone, I recently purchased a Suzuki GS 500. I haven't ridden it yet but I thought about putting in a K&N filter. I'm unestimating the bike on how it performs and if I'll get bored of it quickly. Worried that it doesn't have the get up and go so to speak, and if I wasted my money. I have heard read good reviews on the bike but I'd like to know what people think of the bike, people that have had time to ride it. I'm only 5'11" 175lbs. not a big guy. Help me out
first bike
This was my first bike and I loved it. It had quite a bit of "get up and go".
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin
You will love it!
Do not worry about the "pick up". The bike has plenty of juice to scare the hell out of me at 8k rpm. You and I are very close to the same size, and I love my 07 GS500f. I have not been riding very long, but I can see this bike being fun for a long time to come. I was thinking about a Vance & Hines exhaust some time this summer. The only problem is I mite have to mess with the carb. No one has given me a strait answer on the carb rebalancing with the new exhaust yet. But I love the bike the way it is. Check out www.gstwin.com they have a bunch of info. So between BBM and gstwin.com you can get just about any question answered. Let me know if I can help you out any more.
Aaron
GS 500 or EX 500?
When I went out to buy my first bike back in 1995, I look mainly at the GS 500 and the Kawasaki EX 500. I took both for a test ride, and while both were great bikes, I found the Kawasaki felt more solid and was more comfortable (I am 6' 2"...) I think that there is almost no difference in horsepower, maybe one or two ponies, and the weight difference is that the EX is about 4 or 5 kilos lighter than the Suzuki. But also found that the Kawasaki looked a bit more sporting than the naked GS, and that also won me over. I think that if you are looking for a 500cc bike, neither is the wrong choise. I think it comes down to personal preferance.
Maybe even better than the EX 500 is the ZZR 400...but I don't know if it ever got to the US...
OCTANE?
Am not an expert with octane and after reading comments it has me wondering. ATM I have a KLR 650 running 98% and next week I pick up my brand new 08 GS500 and was going to run 98% in it as well.
I spoke to my mechanic about this and his comment was the higher the octane the less crap builds up in the engine and burns much cleaner than the lower octane fuels. He said unless the bike is tuned for it you will see no power difference but engine ping will be reduced under load and less carbon build up will form on piston and combustion chamber giving a longer engine life?
Now I have no idea if this is true or not as I said only going off what my mechanic told me......Can anyone clarify this comment?
Cheers
octane
I heard that higher octane fuels burn longer than lower octane fuels. This will increase performance if you have an engine tuned to use that type of fuel, but if you engine is not tuned for that high of an octane then you could actually hurt the engine since the rings and seals aren't made to withstand that long of burn time.
You should look in your owners manual and see what it says. I have a big sticker on my bikes gas tank that says "Use 91+ octane, if you don't then it could damage your engine!"
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin
Ignore this Admin
He has no idea what he's talking about...
Octane
The GS500 engine is not a very advanced type of engine. (its a pretty ancient design!) but they are good. My point is... you should run the motor on what is recommended by the manufacturer. Running an engine on fuel which is too high an octane can cause serious damage such as burned valves as the higher octane fuel burns at a higher temperture which your engine mayl not be designed for. Hope this helps.
Guys, your killing me!
Please stop regurgitating this crap! None of you have any idea of what your talking about! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating READ!!! AND LEARN!!!
dude, you aren't seriously
dude, you aren't seriously using wikipedia as your source for valid, accurate facts are you?? come on. wikipedia is updated and written by, well, morons alot of the time. I have read multiple articles on nuclear fission in stars that were almost all incorrect. wikipedia is not to be taken as fact, ask any college professor. trust the manufacturer's suggested octane rating.
First Bike
Hey guys, first off i love the site and all the comments are really a lot of help. I was just thinking about my first bike. I want a sport bike, and i need the "sporty look". Do you think this is too much bike for a beginner? Im 18, about 5'8'' and 150. Also i will be taking the safety class. Also any suggestions of what to look for or any information on buying a first bike. Thanks.
Stuck Throttle
I love my GS500F. It is my first bike and I enjoy the heck out of it. My problem is regarding the throttle. It seems to get stuck when I've been riding for a while. The engine will be all revved up and I can't seem to lower the RPMs. What can I do about this? Other than that the bike is great.
Stuck
Is the choke stuck? or the throttle?
Be sure to join the GSTwin
Be sure to join the GSTwin web forum: http://www.gstwin.com/
It's quite helpful.
That aside, I'm pretty sure you have a "hanging idle" issue which is common to the GS. The reason I'm "pretty sure" is my bike done the same thing! It probably idles fine (unchoked) after a short warm up but then after 10 minutes or so of riding it wants to idle much higher whenever you pull in the clutch. The trick is, once you get it warm enough to where the idle begins to hang, then stop somewhere and adjust the idle down using the idle adjustment screw.
Here's a helpful page (with photo) so you can see what you're looking for:
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Maintenance/AdjustIdle
Stuck
sticky throttle cable?
Have you done any work on the bike. possible kink in throttle cable running to carbs unter fuel tank. or squashed cable from tank resting on cable?
Broken return spring on throttle?
Take it to dealer or mechanic to have a look at if you cant fix it. this is dangerous
Stuck Throttle
It is the throttle that is stuck, not the choke.
The only work I've had done is a recent oil change and the dealer reccomended adjustments.
It doesn't always get stuck and it will get unstuck once I engage the clutch. A friend reccomended that perhaps it's a stuck cable and I should spray some graphitte inside the cable.
Octane
Thanks for the comments regarding this issue. I picked up my brand new 2008 GS500 yesterday and went to the petrol station and topped off with 91%.
Hace been riding now for 18 years and have owned a few bikes in that time and as a work commuter bike I am in love with the GS. Maybe it is the new bike love story we all get with a new bike or maybe for me it just runs and performs much better than I expected it to for a 500cc
Will write a short review once I have put say 4000km on the clock.
Thanks again for the octane comments, much appreciated.
Steve
(Honda Elite 50)
(Yamaha RS125)
(Suzuki GSX ES550)
(Kawasaki GPX 750R)
(Kawasaki KLR650)
(Triumph Daytona 1200)
(Suzuki GS500)
lights dont work..help?
i have a 93 gs500, the headlight an tailight work but, the side lights and also the console lights dont work...any answers? i have checked the fuse, maybe a relay?
Check out GStwin.com all
Check out GStwin.com all things GS500, they should be able to help.
disappointed
I just put a deposit on a new GS500f (my first bike ever - yay!) but I have been disapointed with sales people trying to talk me into more bike and telling me I'll 'outgrow' the 500 quickly. How do they know what kind of rider I'll be when I don't even know yet? Do I need a 95 horsepower bike when I've never ridden? I don't think so. I wish salesmen would be a little more responsible when it comes to helping newbies pick bikes. but I guess it's part of the North American attitude; more is better.
$
Don't forget the bigger the bike the bigger the commission!! Find a better dealer, one who wants you back (safe and educated) in a year or 2 for the big bike.
Hey Aaron
Hey mate I hear you about the sales person but remember it has nothing to do with the guy being concerned about you outgrowing the bike. It is about how much commission he makes on a motorcycle and that’s that.
Any sales person will try and oversell or sell you something that is over your budget....hell it is their job. Do not be pushed about by them and if you are not happy with the sales guy tell him to get F****D and request another or go to another shop.
I have been riding for some time now and I tell you now you will love the GS500 or the GS500F as your first bike. Hell I have a Triumph Daytona 1200 as well but I still love the GS.
Keep your chin up mate and as a starter bike I highly recommend the GS.
Hope this helps ya out a little
Old Man With GS
Sorry Should Have Been ShannonG On Above Post
Sorry, Old Man With GS500 Blind LOL
It's all good!!
It's all good!!
maybe one last octane comment
- gas stations may want you to buy their most expensive products - the higher the octane the more expensive.
- surprisingly, not all mechanics - and neither all experienced motorcyclists - are aware about the engineering side of fuel combustion and internal combustion engine - when it comes to octane rating.
This information is all over the web, and the executive summary and/or rule of thumb is:
a) high compression engines can and will take advantage of high octane fuel - someone said it right - the octane additive in the fuel slows the ignition of the fuel that is possible in high compression - if you've heard the term "dieseling", this is where it could happen, as diesel ignites it's fuel by compression, not by spark - but you don't want this in a gas / spark plug engine, so low octane in high compression engines, generally bad.
b) low compression will and can take advantage of low octane fuel - the fuel needs to be more volatile - well, the spark plug will take of that anyway - so burning high octane is a waste of money in low compression engines.
if you don't understand this general rule and you're not sure, there's always the manual to tell you, if it's available.
this is a good website. I am currently in the market for a gs500f.
something about me, i will be a first time motorcyclist this year. I just got my motorcycle endorsement and just finished my msf. last time I rode was 20 years ago in california on a gs1150r - like riding on a gas tank and 4 cylinders - i wiped out on it. before that was another 10 years, wear shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, in a third world country, no helmet, a big smile on my face, a happy-go-lucky teenager, riding friends' motorbikes - the wildest then was a yamaha rd250 2-stroke - that's a scary/fun street bike.
cold start
sounds like the factory leaned the crap out of the idle circuit on the carbs google how to jet an tune bike carbs popular mechanics put out a great book on tuning yrs ago but its still the bible of tuning plugs an carbs exhaust to the factory does that for emissions should just be a small adjustment maybe a jet change easy to do might have to go to a differant plug to i had that problem on two goldwings hard to start in the winter but i in canada it was cold they need the gas an a plug that won't foul an runs at the right temperature
Pricing
In my local paper there is a guy selling a 2006 gs500f for $4,200. The bike has been taken excellent care of in the off season by being winterized and having the battery on a trickle charger. and it only has 500 miles.... is this a good deal?.... and i have also heard that this is a good starter bike is this true?... because this would be my first bike. Thanks
Just bought a used 2004 Suzuki GSF 500
And I love it. It has 2000 miles on it.. The only thing I dont like is it takes a minute to warm it up. Other than that I love it. I used to ride Motocross when I was young and turned 30 this year. It has great power.. more than enough to pass cars doing 80 on the freeway. I am comfortable at 5 foot 9 inches 180 lbs. LOVE IT! Been driving it to work for the last 2 weeks (25 miles each way) I reecomend .. but of course my opinion is biased. ;] -Will
New rider
I'm looking for a bike to buy. I've researched the '08 Ninja 250 and I think it may be a perfect fit. I'd like to hear opinions about which bike would be best for me. i'm 5'2, 125lbs, female and wouldn't use it for long distances. I've never owned a bike and would appreciate any advice.
Buying 1990 GS500
Hey guys, I need a little help here. I think i'm buying this 1990 GS500 with 30,000 km on it. What are things that I should be checking before buying it? I'm 5'6'' and 130lb. I have experience with 125cc bike.Thanks
Why all the whining about the choke?
The issue I don't understand is everyone whining about using the choke? My girlfriend has a 2005 gs500f, When you go to start it, you turn the choke on ...it starts...wait 10 seconds and turn the choke off, why is this so hard for everyone???
Everyone talks like this is the most difficult thing in the world? "this is a great bike, BUT you have to use the choke to start it !!!! OHHH NOOO!!!
The bike is fantastic, its light , handles great , has plenty of power and it looks good. The ninja 500 might have a tiny bit more power but they are so friggin' ugly they are hard to look at!
Just my opinion.
Octane
I just bought an used 04 GS500F and it didn't come with an owner's manual. Does anyone know what the recommended octane rating is in the manual for 2004?
I got an 07
The manual says regular. I was told to stick to reg or mid-grade at the highest because they are air cooled, and over heating in hot weather is a possibility.
/me just fills up with
/me just fills up with premium unleaded... IIRC, going that route won't damage your bike anymore than going regular unleaded will if there is any benefits to using premium unleaded in a bike that is...
Sorry for the nonanswer answer... :-/
---
If there's anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now...
SLIDERS?
I'm a new rider and I've dropped my 07 gsf500 twice at a stand still. I don't know too much about sliders but I would like to know if there is a place to put sliders on the bike? And if they come in different sizes or what ever. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
GS500 Sliders
I have been looking for along time, and have not found any. If you find some be sure to post it.
Thanks
Aaron
I think gs500 sliders exist
The website sucks, but it looks like they exist. whether it's exactly what you're looking for, i don't know.
http://www.demonbikebits.com/index1.html
Scroll the bottom half of the webpage to GS500 unfaired/naked.
Edit: didn't realize the dang site doesn't change the page. Instructions on getting to the page below.
On the left side there's icons of manufacturers. Scroll to suzuki and click on the icon. Click the frame sliders - suzuki link. then scroll to the GS500 unfaired/naked section.
---
If there's anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now...
Got it!
CP0158BL
SRP $96.00 1/2 Sets Available - SRP 55% of Full Kit SRP
Crash Protectors Classic Style - Suzuki GS500 Fully Faired
Fairing Modification: 28mm Holes
Mounting Position: Front Engine Mount
Finally
Thanks megaspaz!!!
GS500 overheating problems on hot day in stop&go traffic?
Hey GS500 owners/enthusiasts,
I am thinking of switching from my Honda CBR600F4 to a GS500 and wondering about any overheating problems anyone has experienced. Since the engine is air-cooled, is it able to handle well in rush-hour traffic in the city on a hot, sultry summer day? Any overheating problems anyone has experienced that they care to mention?
Thanks,
diogo
Link to Frame Sliders for GS500 GS500E
I hate sites that make it hard to link to specific pages.
Goto
http://www.demonbikebits.com/contents/en-uk/d663.html
and search the page for
CP0157BL
Or search Google for
CP0157BL
R
Too many miles
I am negotiating with a private seller for a 2002 model with 25,000 miles. This is my first bike and do not want to spend too much. Is 25000 too much for a bike like GS500? Otherwise the bike is in a decent condition.
Your advice will be greatly appreciated.
I assume you meant $2,500
I assume you meant $2,500 for the '02. I've found a couple of good looking '01's for around $1,500-$1,800 on Craigslist.
Stunt Bike?
I just got an 07 GS500F and was wondering if it is a good beginner stunt bike and if anyone out there stunts on this bike?
Thanks
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