Firstly a potted history of the mighty GS500. The GS500 was introduced in 1989 and has been in continuous production since. It's also been the subject of derision in the British biking press ever since, although the Americans and Euros seem to really like them.
The motor is a derivative of the GS400 introduced in the mid 70s (wow all that technology), and is a two valve per piston air cooled vertical twin four stroke. It's NOT fast, but very strong.
The frame is a square section perimeter type, similar to some domestic market smaller GSXR's but in steel. Again a bit heavy but very strong.
The only changes made to the GS that I've been able to track down were a change to the specs for the camshafts to reduce noise, changes to the body work in 2001, and a fully faired version in 2004.
If the 70s Japanese bikes had engines that overwhelmed their chassis, the GS is completely the opposite with an engine that rather underwhelms its chassis.
I've owned my GS500E for 3 and 1/2 years now, and have made a few changes to suit my requirements.
From front to rear changes/mods are:
Progressive springs, spacers, heavier fork oil in the forks
Braided brake line
Givi A755 screen
Replacement pilot jets, remove blanks to allow adjustment of idle mixtre (US spec model)
Replacement rear shock (Hagon with adjustable rebound damping)
Bridgestone BT45s
Pros: The GS is absolutely reliable. I use my bike to commute every working day, and the occasional weekend ride. It's never failed to start, and has never left me stranded. Maintenance is fairly cheap too. Naked, simple etc, etc.
I regularly get 65+ mpg (sorry but speedo is in mph), and could get by filling up every second week. Should be great touring.
The GS is surprisingly comfortable for a smaller bike. Ergonomically it's almost an exact copy of a CBR600 F2/F3 with higher bars, so no problems.
Handling is great, especially with upgraded suspension and the BT45s. Chassis dimensions seem pretty similar to 600s of the late 80'/early 90's and corners/direction changes are a breeze.
Good brakes. The GS is 170kg dry so the single disc front and rear are fine. Don't actually notice it so I guess they work.
Cons: GS stands for goes slow.There isn't any getting around the fact that a 500cc air cooled twin isn't going to be quick. In truth performance wise it's probably similar to an old Triumph 650 twin (or even a new Bonneville??).
It's still quicker than a car from the lights, but pretty well any sports bike will see you off in a straight line. It might be a bit closer in the corners.
Conclusion: The GS is perfect for what I need at the moment. I think it's one of the best commuters that you can buy in NZ. It's big enough to do a bit of touring on, and it's not too expensive to buy or run.
Ok it's not fast, but in all honesty too much above 120k isn't really practicable on most NZ roads.
I reckon that even when I can afford another bike I'll have to keep the GS to ride during the week.
Paul :cool2:
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Originally Posted by Posh Tourer :P
) and check tyres, chain etc every weekend!
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