Hey,

I'm seriously considering getting a bike... I have done a little reading about the GS500F, and from what ive read it is a good starter bike.. Anyone here have any experience riding that bike? Pro's/Con's?? Please!, Thanks for reading

 

good bike to start with, my brother started with that bike before buying his Duc.

 

i actually just got approved for one of these its a 2005 model, i also want to know the cons and pros

 

same thing mechanically as the naked gs500 which has been in production since 88 or 89 with a few tweaks and improvements since then. Very reliable and pretty much bulletproof bike. Very low maintenance because its an air cooled twin and if down the road something did go wrong there's so many of them out there you can find all kinds of parts for them. Easy to mod as far as suspension and other things go. A lot of suzuki complete front forks/brakes/wheels are almost bolt ons. Not crazy on hp but its enough to get you around and do shorter distance non-high speed 2 up riding. They're also a popular bike for a few amateur racing classes. With the fairing and the comfortable riding position long days aren't a problem. The best part is it looks good for a starter oriented bike without looking as dated as the ninja 500 and ninja 250. People who aren't really into bikes heavy will mistake it for a higher performance super sport type bike.

cons......depreciation is going to suck and it will drop in value a bit if bought new. Its still almost $5k new and that will buy 2 decent used starter bikes like an older katana, ex500 or hawk gt. Could pick up a lightly used sv650 for about the same cash too. For a starter bike I'd still get something used that you can drop and make mistakes on unless you have to finance a new bike and then I'd look at an sv650 for $1k more


(only know a bit about them because a neighbor was looking at getting one)

 

Thanks for your help, does anyone else have advise that they could offer?

 

ok so im at work and this guy comes in and we start talking about bikes, i told him i was looking to get a 500, long story short.. he said it was a mistake and that i'd get bored on it.. he said i should start on a 600 or 750.. anyone have anything to say for or against this???

 

I have one...2004..been humping it for about a year and half now.

pros
lightweight - you don't tired as much as you would on twisties
great gas mileage - almost 50mpg
responsive - you can lean alot faster and smoother than any 600 bike
sticky tires - they use bridgestone battleax
cheap insurance - 18$ a month full coverage
maintenance = cheap - most if not all can be done by yourself
You will learn more about riding on this bike than you would on a 600. I have two bikes, a 600 and the gs. I ride the GS in the twisties more than i do the 600. A a lot of times i pass unskilled riders on bigger bikes with the 600 with less than half their horse power.

cons
not a lot of mods can be done due to limited availability
low end torque is ..well...low
sounds like a lawn mower
soft front end...if you're above 200 lbs..the front will often bottom out on breaking.
not a "true" sportbike..its standard so ergonomics are geared towards more towards a straight body.


as far as mods....here is what you need to do in priority

1. buy progressive springs - about 60$ very easy to do.
2. buy a suburban machinery bar - 120$ ..makes for a more agressive riding position, not to mention it improves handling by about 100%
3. rejet - they are carburated bikes. rejetting them even at stock exhaust gives you a much better response on the throttle.
4. chop the fender
5. buy some short stalk signals, the ones on them are huge and long

if you have any other questions let me know. here's what mine looks like. i live next to the amphitheater if u ever wnat to ride after you buy it.

 

PS.

Octane also has a gs500 modified to godliness. You outta see his gs500.