new bike

[fatboy420]

I just bought a 08 gs500f,anyone have any performance parts for sale or advice on what I should do to it?

[Trwhouse]

Hi there,
Welcome to the board.
I must say, however, I think you have it all wrong.
First, you just bought a 2008 GS500. It's new. It's still under warranty. It has few miles on it. I also imagine you just started riding.
And you are looking for "performance parts" already?
Think again.
First, you don't want to do anything until the engine is broken in with at least 1,000 miles at varying loads and speeds so it is properly broken-in. You don't do that by hopping up the engine. You leave it alone for this critical break-in, which will determine much about how the engine will perform and last in the future.
Second, if you did just start riding and this is your first bike, get some miles and years under your belt and LEARN how to ride it the way the bike is. It is plenty powerful enough for a new rider and even for those of us who have been riding for 33 years, like I have. The GS500 goes plenty fast and handles great (with good tires and Progressive fork springs) for street use as it is designed. It's a 500cc motorcycle, NOT a superbike. If people use it like it was designed, it does everything you can ask of it. I've owned bigger bikes and smaller bikes in the past, but this is the bike that I have kept for the longest because it does everything I want it to do. It is truly a universal motorcycle.
I have toured 2,000 miles round trip on my 1991 GS500E, commuted, ridden the Interstates and more and it does it all.
Just keep learning for now and ride the thing.
You have no one to impress with the bike.
Just my thoughts and some words to keep you alive and not be one of the idiots who speeds himself into a major crash because he's impressing his buddies with his "performance parts."
It's a GS500, for God sakes! Not a Hyabusa!
I hope you take this all in the way it is meant -- as helpful advice aimed at keeping you safe and happy with your new toy.
Let the discussion begin. 
Best wishes,
Todd

[The Buddha]

trwhouse is right.
You will upgrade a little now, and use it all up and want to upgrade again next year.
The better value for $$ is to do all the final upgrades and call it a day.
As in, forget stickier tire if you will swap to a wider wheel, and forget progressives if you want to finally go to Katana FE, and dont custom paint the fairing if you'll crash later ... 
Cool.
Buddha.

[Trwhouse]

Hi again,
No, S****h <---- incognito ..., that's not what I'm saying.
Read my post again.
I'm saying:
Learn to ride first.
Break the bike in and leave it alone for now.
I think the whole "rebuild a GS500 into a Katana with a Katana front end and wider swingarm and all that other crap" is overkill.
It's a GS500. Two or three years from now if he wants more motorcycle, let him buy one instead of turning a GS500 into a Katana freak bike.
Just my opinion.
Yours,
Todd

[The Buddha]

I am not saying that was what you said ...
Just adding to what you said.
Cool.
Buddha.

[The Buddha]

Also, nothing handles too well stock ...
The Katana needs better FE and shocks and maybe wheels.
The GSXR needs - OK I dunno never ridden one recently, my old 1100 also needed better shocks and FE and wheels.
You need to upgrade suspensions on literally everything made.
Cool.
Buddha.

[wreckhog]

Buy a pipe and rejet. Better to sound fast than to go fast.

[mojonixon]

"The Katana needs a better FE", then previous post states "then finally you want to go with a Kat FE". WTF, jezuuz make up your mind! You are advising people to replace a new FE with a used POS? Remember this is a "NEW" bike not some clapped out out 89 sitting in a shed out back! Listen new dude(fatboy), just enjoy the bike, do some cosmetic changes and read, if more power is what you are looking for, a pipe and a filter change is not going to do much on this twin, I say save your cash, ride your bike, and when you have enough trade up to a 600 or liter bike. 

[ben2go]

Anything you do to your bike will void the warranty.There has been an out break of dead engines lately.You don't wanna blow the warranty.Wait until it's gone and modify everything.I held off a year and there's not much that's original on my bike.Just the core engine and frame.I stock piled parts over that year and studied this forum.Now the bike in my avatar has almost every upgrade possible.Short of replacing the rear frame section and adding a different tail.