[reggae]

hey,everybody! i am undecided in the purchase of my first street bike and i was hoping to get some positive feedback from the group. i have a choice between a 01′ suzuki gs500e (milage=22k) or a 99′ kawasaki ninja 500 (milage=15k) both are very well kept amd maintained with extensive service records. i just want a safe reliable bike without alot of upkeep. so can you guys give me some suggestions?

[Gary856]

I was cross shopping those two bikes too, but they are pretty evenly matched it’s like choosing between pizza and hamburger. For me it came down to having a good bike and good deal available when I was ready to buy. I ended up getting a ’01 GS500E and still enjoy riding it even after owning a YZF600R and a SV650N also. The main attraction of the GS is it’s simplicity and user friendliness, although it can feel a bit under-powered and crude when riding back-to-back against a newer/bigger bike. I’ve never ridden a Ninja 500 and always imagined it to be just a bit smoother and more polished than the GS, but a comparable Ninja 500 usually cost a few hundred dollars more than a GS500E so that slightly cost difference sort of balances out the slight performance difference.   

[WeaponZero]

The Kawasaki is slightly more powerful and known for performing (in both handling and acceleration) more like a “sportbike” while the GS is essentially a standard wrapped in sportbike plastic.

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