$8. Bar Risers - How To

[Hornchurch]

I found after riding my Bonneville for a year that the big problem with the gs ergs is the length of the tank.

Motorcycle ergos are not that simple.

'


  I did wonder about that at first ("length of the tank"), but then, dismissed it, because.....


  I've also got a 1979 (built), 1980 (registered), Honda CB.900-FZ  (the very first model that you Yanks never got   


   IMAG1491 - Hornchurch's own CB.900-F at ANMER (full 2,500pixel) by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr



  The fuel-tank on that is like the (scaled-down), size of a Nimitz Aircraft-Carrier, or at least "looks it", length-wise.

  Pretty clear to me that Honda got the ergonomics "absolutely spot-on", even WITH the aforesaid long-fuel-tank in place.

  Given that bike (albeit, old), is double the size (cc) & power of my GS, it makes Suzuki's ergonomics rather baffling...
         
            (To me, at least)

  I can go out for an 8-9 hour ride (w/breaks) on the Honda, but, BEFORE bar-risers on my GS500, uncomfortable by around 45mins

  Having said that, my walnuts & wedding-tackle WERE scrunched-up into the GS's tank, prior to fitment of these 'new' bar-risers.

  It's been my experience, that the older (1996) GS500 models that I rode, back then, for work, WERE more comfortable (to me).

  Does anyone actually 'know' the comparative "tank-lengths" between the 2001/2002 GS500's and the 1989-2000 models ?

  As even (both) the saddle-types between the two different GS500 models seem to make a difference.

  I used to have a 1978/1979 Suzuki GS400 in my garage, which I used to work (commute) & that was SO comfortable

             (BTW ; It looked identical to THIS one, seen on the Suzuki GS400 brochure, albeit naturally a bit more tatty !)

[Sporty]

The photo of the GS400 has me thinking that the GS Twin is probably the longest made Suzuki engine from 1977 model year through 2009.

It can't compare the Honda Cub engine (for years of production) but that Suzuki air cooled, two valve/cyl, DOHC engine had a very good run.

[Bluesmudge]

that Suzuki air cooled, two valve/cyl, DOHC engine had a very good run.

The good run is still going. GS500's are still in production in Columbia:

As of 2016, Suzuki Motor Corporation is producing the GS500 at its Latin
American manufacturing subsidiary Suzuki Motor de Colombia S.A. for sale in
Colombia and for export to Chile (where it is marketed as a retro model) as well as to Ecuador.

2021 GS500:

Probably why we haven't seen any decrease in availability of most OEM Suzuki GS500 parts. Its been over 10 years since the GS was sold in USA so you would expect availability of some parts to be drying up, but they are still being made! I'm sure it must have some record to its name, like "longest running production of a parallel twin motorcycle engine." 30 years, not counting the GS450 versions! It would be fun to know how many GS500's Suzuki has sold over that time period.

[ShowBizWolf]

I love that there are YT videos showing the new GS500s. The last one I saw was for the 2019. Thank you for posting the 2021 vid!

Those new side bits... they come up at least once a month in the FB group... people wanting to know where they can get them for their bikes. I'm not a super fan of them but I wouldn't mind trying a set out on mine some day... would be neat to see them combined with the belly pan and nose fairing.