SHOULD I GET A NINJA 500 OR A GS500f

[ME-A-Rookie]

ok im a beginner and need to ask a couple of questions on what bike will suit me best,and heard that ninja500 is better in quality than the gs500,can someone help me to decide on which bike i shuld choose?

[Frost]

HAHA...you're gonna get the MOST biasd answer here...wonder why...

but seriously...i used to own a EX500...but hate the "FEEL" of it...so i bought a GS...not as much horse power...but feels so much better...

much easier to work on...and this site is great...you can find ANYTHING on this site...

[airbrush]

and the GS looks way cooler with the fairings than the ninja

[The Buddha]

The Ninja looks better right out of the showroom ... the GS (OK I am talking about older GS'es not the new F) looked like crap in comparison ... prompting the magazine weenies to Oooooh and Aaaaah over the EX ... But with the years or use, abuse and neglect piled on these beginner bikes ... not only do they get used to learn to ride, they also get used to learn to wrench ... abuse and neglect are rampant in both of these bikes lives ... and a GS stands up to that 1000 times better and is easier to bring back to life once you do buy it. There are some other problems with the ninja like soft valves in the intakes making them sink into the heads etc ... GS ... much better motor even if a bit gutless.
Cool.
Srinath.

[juggernaught]

Ninja 500's are just ugly.  Sorry N500 owners.  Get a GS  

[chuey]

I liked the GS better cuz it was torquier than the Ninja. Plus your gonna drop your bike, so you won't have to deal with the plastics getting all messed up.

[sprint_9]

He is comparing to an F so if he drops the fairings are toast just like an EX.  The GS runs pretty good when you get a pipe, filter, and jet kit all rigged up, I guess more power would be good but you dont know what your missing if you dont have it.  The GS is a heck of a good time though, had mine out last night in 30 degree weather for the first time since I got my jets and clip-ons installed, talk about a riot.

[RedShift]

Not mentioned here are the differences in Ergonomics between these two bikes.

I found the fit of the GS500 to satisfy a greater range of riders.  Being vertically gifted, carrying a 36" inseam, I came into conflict with the agressive tank flair on the Ninja.  To stay comfortable on the Ninja I had to restrict leg placement and movement.

There was no problem on the GS500.  Seemed to be less reach and there was plenty of leg room.  Not sure who has the best seat, but suspect both could be softer.  Distance touring is not what these bikes are built for, but there's nothing stopping anyone from using them for that.

For me it was about fit and feel.  All other differences were minor to me.  Both bikes are mechanically solid.  I liked the GS500 the best and bought it -- still no regrets entering my fourth year.  

[94suzuki500]

I like the gs better than the ninja because of the styling.  even the older gs bikes i think look better.  I saw one up at the kawasaki shop and it just doesnt look as good.  It really does look like a beginner bike.  the gs on the other hand had way better looks and looked like a "real" bike.  It just the old school kawasaki styling they put into the ex makes it look bad.  Sorta like there older ninjas (600, 1100, 1000....)they all have the old school styling just till now.  Compare them to the gsxrs of the same year.  Kawasaki looks like a toy you buy at the store.

[tdan553527]

My buddy bought a EX at the same time that I bought my F, I've ridden both, the EX has more power, but thats it, the F is a much better bike. IMO

[Changemanager]

I thought the GS was a bit smoother on the throttle - the Ninja kept lurching about as if it had a mind of it's own (very likely just that bike and not necessarily a characteristic of all Ninja's).  The riding position on the GS was also much easier on my lower back . So I went with the GS since I wanted to be in control rather than the bike.

It's great to have a choice.

[Jake D]

The GS sucks!  Only a flippin' idiot would buy one.  Get the Ninja.

Just kidding.  

GS is  

Get one.  I did!

[cernunos]

I like both bikes myself. When I bought the White Owl (Baby GS500) I had also looked at a '98 500 Ninja. The bike was in about as good a shape as the Baby and was slightly stronger when wound through the gears. But, I have always liked air-cooled motorcycles...just like the way God and Harley intended them to be. The big plusses to the GS are easier maintenance, ease in modifying to make it your own (just browse through the pics in the GStwin gallery) and it is air-cooled; no problems with leaking coolant, blown radiator, bad water-pump, thermostat etc. In the end it just depends on the individual but in my opinion the little GS is a better deal...and, hey, where else are you going to find a forum with such a bunch of friendly, helpful motocycling fools? I love my Baby G and this forum.

C........

[RedShift]

We love you and your baby too, cernunos.   :kiss:

[SuZuki10]

Also, a big plus for the GS is that for insurance purposes it's considered to be standard and therefore cheaper than the stupid, ugly ninja.

         :kiss:
my GS and me

[ME-A-Rookie]

Ok....so obviously everyone agree's for the gs500f,i love the looks and feel,but how about the noise level? does anyone have any video clips of a gs500f revving? i want to hear it...i tend to like louder bikes so people know im coming =]

[chuey]

Oh in that case buy a used GS! You will drop your bike! Lol. It sucks but that's how it goes. I don't know any rider who didn't do it when they first began. It's usually happens when going real slow believe it or not which might be a good thing.

[stefman722]

Oh in that case buy a used GS! You will drop your bike! Lol. It sucks but that's how it goes. I don't know any rider who didn't do it when they first began. It's usually happens when going real slow believe it or not which might be a good thing.

Or when not moving at all. LOL. My GSF was parked on the street when it fell. haha.  

[Rema1000]

I've heard that they're both great first bikes.  The main difference to someone new to riding, is which one fits your body better.  

For example, I sat on some Ninjas at a dealer last fall.  The EX500 tank has a couple of indentations on the sides, where your knees should go.  It flares out and gets wider at the top.   I have only a 32" inseam, but with my feet on the pegs, my knees were too high to fit into the "indentations".  It just didn't work at all.  My old GS also gets wider towards the top, but my knees fit there.

There are also a few other differences in the posture: on the EX500, you lean forward a bit more, which some people like and some don't.

Basically, you really need to sit on both of them.  Try to squeeze the tank with your knees, like you might do if the bike were shaking back and forth and you were trying to hold on with just your knees.  And while doing that, can you reach the handlebars comfortably?

Forget looks, if you can't ride comfortably, you might quit riding... and that would be a shame.

[Oni]

Forget looks, if you can't ride comfortably, you might quit riding... and that would be a shame.

This is great advice.  Find which you are comfortable with and go from there.  The EX500 puts out more power but I feel it's handling overall is a little more "radical".  The GS is quite a bit calmer in comparision.  I honestly feel out of the two the GS is the better beginner bike for that reason if it's comfortable for you.  Both are great bikes, but I'd have to say that (being an EX owner with access to a GS), the GS is the bike your more likely to get better faster with.