kawi kawi ninja 500 vs. suzuki gs500

[Alphamazing]

(The increase in power band is most noticable at the higher RPM's, and is largely due to the increased engine size. Yes the ninja is also liquid cooled, but that can be bad because that adds one more failure point.)

Actually, the increase in power in the Ninja 500 in the upper rev range is mainly due to the fact that it is a 4-valve-per-cylinder engine. 12cc displacement advantage is not really all that, especially not 11HP worth. If 12cc produced a net result of 11 HP, we'd have 1000HP liter bikes.

[RedShift]

I may be late to this thread, but then the closest I've ever been to riding an EX500 was sitting on one in the dealership so I'm no expert to this question.

But from my independent sources, you should get the one that fits you best.  Both have been around and basically unchanged since the bronze ages of motorcycling and should last.  (Fairings on the GS5000 are a recent occurrence and seem to be a "level the playing field" move by Suzuki.)

If they feel the same to you, toss a coin.  If it comes up GS500, we'd love to have ya come by and visit.  As a matter of fact, you could be our token Ninja 500 member if it goes the other way, which is okay by me as well.

Roy...

PS. Truth be known, I was also leaning towards the Ninja on specifications alone, until I sat on one and the tank flair cut into my thigh with feet on pegs.  Sat comfortably on the GS500, and now that's my ride.  

[aevans17]

Alpha Fire read this:
http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/model_eval/NinjaGScomparo07a.pdf

I was wrong, it was 11cc's larger and 12 more HP. I got my numbers backwards. Anyways, I don't really care, I was just recapping the article that I read.

[TarzanBoy]

Ah, the bike is only the first part.

Riding jacket = ~$100
Helmet (if one doesn't come with your bike) = ~$100-$150
Insurance (ranges, but...) = ~$100/year (for me)
New tire (assuming you'll have to get at least one new one) + mounting = ~$120
Disc lock = ~$20

That is anywhere from $340-$500 so far....and those are fairly conservative bike-owner start-up costs.  I didn't include gloves (~$30), pants (~$150),new oil(?), vehichle registration/license costs (~$60), or MSF (~$250)

I'm not trying to scare you off.  A lot of these costs can be mitigated or spread out over time (i.e. you can borrow
a helmet for a while and hold off on the jacket until you start riding on the road and you might not need new tires just yet).

Still, keep that stuff in mind as you bike hunt!

Good luck

[answer]

Alphafire, what do you consider low speeds ? You said the GS handles better at low speeds.

[Alphamazing]

By low speeds I mean anything under 10 or 15 mph, and it was especially uncomfortable at the sub-2mph speeds, like trying to stop evenly at a stop sign, or make a clear exit from said stop sign. Also, parking lot maneuvers aren't nearly as clean.

aevans17 - I figured you were recapping something, but I wanted to inform you of the true meanings! Introduce you to motorcycling mechanics!

[FortyFive]

okay well i know of at least one ninja that is not faster than a gs 500F.
Today i was cruising down good old route 66 with my brother on our new gs 500f's and low and behold just outside of luther oklahoma one of those new 500 ninjas were all hearing so much about on other forums jumps out of an intersection about a mile up the road. Being as it was so for up there i didnt know it was a ninja but none the less i was gaining on him as he saw me in his mirror and tucked and gunned it, now me being one for sport looked back at my bro giving him the old thumbs up/down question witch was returned with another thumb up.... and so it was on. Now im going to catch flak over this being as my bike is new but about 2 min later i was passing this mistery bike wich i had only seen from ther rear with my bro close behind me. As i passed it a look of sheer joy came over my ace as i saw those big black letters NINJA 500, i was so giddy i had forgotten about how fast i was going (110 mph) as this gentle man was tucked and i was, well, cruising. After a brief wave and acceleration past the gentleman i pulled into the next gas station at my exit looked at my brother, and with a smile form ear to ear told him "well guess we just put that gstwin.com question to bed."

[ckirtner80]

Yeah, I don't know what some people are talkking about.  I've gotten my f up to aroud 125mph (that what my speedo said anyway) but then again I'm light (150 lbs) quick enough though, huh?

[Alphamazing]

Your speedo is more optimistic than most. Either that or you were going down hill, or had some wind assistence. I've only topped it at 115 before I had to slow for the next sweeper. I was flat out wringing it all the way out.

Also, weight doesn't influence top speed.

[Mk1inCali]

I'm a lanky-ass 6'6" goober with a long neck, and my rejetted but otherwise stock '00 will scream to right around 120 indicated on the flats.  I drilled 3 holes in the exhaust baffle, so that might be helping, and it's got 14K on it now...

[JustinNoob]

They both have more than enough power to get you in trouble.  I keep coming back to the GS.  

I'd keep coming back to the GS500 too if my other bike was a Booger 400 scooter. :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Old Mr. Wilson]

In my humble opinion the Ninja 500 is just a cheap looking bike. In the looks dept., the GS500 has it beaten to hell and back. And from the complaints I've read about it, it is not a super reliable machine either. That is something you can't say about the GS500! You'd be light years ahead if you forgot about that Kawasaki. I do have an affinity for the 500 Mach lll triple made back in '69 though.............what a machine even though it cornered like a broke duck dog .....it was a screaming hellish nightmare in a straight line........those were the days.....

[Birdmove]

I owned a pre-Ninja EX500 for a few years.I don't own a GS500, and have never ridden one, but I did own the GS500s ancester-a 1982 GS450ST.The EX500 was a pretty potent 500.It handled pretty well, but I used to regularly scrape the aftermarket fairing lower section.I had to remove the lowers every time I did an oil change-a bit of a pain.I was amazed at the great gas mileage that bike got-about 65mpg!The EX was the only bike I ever had to tow home (of the over 25 I have owned) when the vacuum-controlled fuel petcock went out on me in the middle of nowhere.
   I am interested in the GS500F, as I had very good memories on the 1982 GS450ST. The ST came from the factory with chrome bar end mirrors and a little "bikini" sport fairing, much like the small ones the older BMWs used to come with.I rode thet bike a lot, and, again, got great  gas mileage-about 65mpg.
   Water cooled engines may be "better" than air cooled, but there is certainly more maintenance, and they are harder to work on.Many years ago, a friends Goldwing had a t-stat stick shut in the middle of nowhere.We were able to remove it and he rode home.But a water cooled bike has lots more to go wrong with it:hoses to spring leaks;water pumps to go out;t-stat to stick open or closed;a radiator, or radiators to plug or spring leaks;coolant to replace every year or two;the electrics to tell the cooling fan when to turn on and off;the possibility that your cooling system isn't up to the job sitting there idling in traffic on a 95 degree day;more crap to have to remove for access to do maintenance on your bike;the possibility of blowing a head gasket and filling up your engine with coolant-and ethylene glycol is about the worst thing to get into your crank bearings.If coolant gets into your combustion chamber, then when you go to start said engine it can "hydrolock", and since a liquid can't compress, something has to give, and sometimes that something is a con rod bending.
   You may not get the longevity on an air cooled engine that you could get with a liquid cooled, but motorcycles did pretty well with air cooling for like 100 years now. The motorcycle makers have done a good job with thier water cooling in general.You'll get a few years of trouble free use most of the time.Its as the bike ages that these problem can show up.
   For me, I think I'll get a nice, old-tech GS500F.Easy to maintain, good comfort and rideability, pretty darn bulletproof.That engine in your GS500 started out as the GS400;which bagat the GS425:which begat the GS450, which finally became the GS500 of today.It goes back to the 1970's, and is the last of the excellant GS-series engines.
   I once asked a pro mechanic which engine he thought was the toughest of all time-thinking he would choose the old KZ900/1000 series, since they were known as being super tough, and had replaceable cam bearings.I was a little surprised when he chose the old Suzuki GS series as his favorite.He said they were flat bulletproof, and he saw less problems with them.
   Sorry to be so long-winded.When my nephew came to me for advice in choosing his first street bike, I, with no hesitation, found him a good, used GS500, and he loves that bike.

[Oni]

I ride a '91 EX500.  I've spent plenty of time on newer EX500/Ninja500 (2002, 2001, 1999).  Spend time on a '98 GS500 (DragonLover's) often.  I spend time on this board to be able to assist DL with her bike and have a better understanding of it.  As well as spending time on other boards related to my EX.  Do I have an opinion? Sure.  Simply leaving you with my opinion of ride what you like and be safe about it.

[Phaedrus]

I am trying to round up some information abut this topic for the FAQ.    But while perusing the web, I noticed on several other forums, newbie riders are almost ALWAYS pushed towards the Ninja over the GS. Most of them because it is quicker and has the liquid cooling.  

Is liquid cooling really THAT big of a deal?  :dunno:

[Mr.7]

Personaly, I would pick the Gs for the air-cooled feature. I mean, who really wants a big ugly radiator lurking on the front of your bike.

[GeeP]

I compared the EX and GS briefly when I first started looking.  To me, the EX seemed to be lower in build quality, and Kawasaki tends to stress maximum power over everything else.  Everyone I talked with who had ridden both said that the GS had a better chassis.  Personally, I'd rather have a better handling bike than a *marginally* faster bike.

Also, I prefer an air-cooled engine over a water-cooled engine.  This probably stems from my backround in aviation.  I prefer simple, robust, and easy to maintain.  This is because I maintain all my vehicles to aircraft standards.  I've called a towtruck once in 2.5 million miles, and that's because I forgot to refill the transmission oil in my pickup.  I've been known to perform major repairs on the side of the interstate out in the middle of nowhere, so the fewer tools and supplies I have to carry the better.  

I guess it depends what you're looking for.  I can't really say that the EX is a bad bike, it's just not geared to what I look for in a bike.  I prefer the styling of the GS-E, and I prefer it's easy to maintain engine.  On top of that, there is "THE BOARD".  I know I can get used parts here on the cheap, and I have a place to discuss ideas or problems with like-minded people.

I say go with whatever bike tugs at your heart.  It's YOUR bike after all.  Why buy a bike because someone else says that's what you should ride?

[Cal Price]

"Hendling" is a very subjective term as has already been said, ride 'em and see.

What I can tell you is that when I was looking for a new 500cc bike in the summer of '03 I considered, Suzuki GS500, Honda CB500, Kawasaki ER5 and the Kwacker you (in US) call the Ninja. Just out of personal preference I soon narrowed this down to the Suzuki and the Honda which I had ridden a lot. I ended up here and have no regrets.

Whilst I was doing this a guy just up the road from me was doing the same and his final two were the two Kwackers. From time to time I see him and chat in the parking lot and he is usually spitting blood about how long it takes to do very simple jobs on the Kwacker, even removing the plugs is a pain the way the rad is positioned.

Just my two pennyworth.