GS500 vs. EX500

[alexei]

just so you kawasaki haters know - suzuki and kawasaki is one company now  

[The Buddha]

OK new point...
The ontake valves in the kawi's... the ZX 900/ZX1000 series motors... the ZL - eliminator too, and the ZG - concours too and basically the EX 500  which is 1/2 of these motors... have intake valves that are shaZam!... I have seen over 10 of those... and all of the intakes are worn to crap in under 10K... Yea exhausts are great, intakes are shaZam!... how you ask... ha...
Kawasaki knows that intakes run at a cooler temperature than exhausts... and they made valves out of cheaper material... yea cooler does not mean cold... idiots... I am yet to see a kawi head off the ZX series motors that didn't have intake wear. POS... hope kawasaki doesn't make suzuki's valves go to shaZam!...
Cool.
Srinath.

[scorpi0]

just so you kawasaki haters know - suzuki and kawasaki is one company now  

That's news to me. When did that happen?

I found some old news on the net about them forming an alliance, but did they actually merge?

[The Buddha]

Nope its not... these is a simple reason that wont ever happen.... the japanese govt has the habit of supporting all the manufacturers... so instead of getting say 25% a piece... the joint company will only get 33% ... The 2 agreed to cross sell, and rebadge and sell each others crap... so the big Marauder is actually a kawasaki, and some ATV's and others are re badged...
Cool.
Srinath.

[ghettorigged]

The 2 agreed to cross sell, and rebadge and sell each others crap... so the big Marauder is actually a kawasaki, and some ATV's and others are re badged...
Cool.
Srinath.

..kinda like how the DRZ400 & the KLX400 are the same bikes & the DR650 & KLR650 are the same bikes.... ?  

NOW I understand!!!  

[The Buddha]

OK are those the same... OK then.. I thought the 400's were theose bleeding edge new race displacement for 4 stroke dirt bikes and so they wont swap... maybe not.
Cool.
Srinath.

[cernunos]

From what I have read and heard the "merger" was not a merger but was instead an "alliance". It looks similar (to me at least) to the sharing of resources and development that went on in the eighty's and nineties between Ford NAAO and Ford Euro, especially during development of the "world concept vehicle...which essentially became the Contour/Mystique". This was the first time two countries had actually worked on simultaneous and concurrent engineering to develop one vehicle utilizing the resources of both countries. As anyone who has owned or owns one of these vehicles may realize, the concept was egregiously consumated. I was Resident Engineer for liaison between production design and manufacturing of accelerator, speed control and hood release systems. The whole process was a nightmare of compromises and the end result was far from perfect. It did however help to bring about the increase in automation and establish Europe as a true world player in terms of competition in the manufacturing sector. In other words, we dragged them kicking and screaming into the twentieth century. I would assume the Japanese will be a bit more successful in this endeavor as they don't have anywhere near the egotistical thinking and back-stabbing inclinations as is common in the more westernized countries. I even remember having similar problems when working with the Aussies during development of the "new" Protege'/Escort platform of the nineties. I am so glad I do not work in the industry anymore...waaay too much stress. But now I'm free to scoot around on the beloved GS and read the twin forum.

C.......