Suzuki GS500F 2011

[ghostrider_23]

I thought 2009 was the last year for the GS500

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/suzuki_gs500f_2011.php

I guess I was wrong

[NorwayGT1]

bet ya its an 10' lol...

and why didnt they do ANYTHING TO IT??? you might as well buy a 08-09 and save a few thousand lol

[ghostrider_23]

That's what I did last year. I got a leftover 09 new for $3100

[tb0lt]

WOW... VERY VERY lame on Suzuki's part. Every other company redesigned their economy models to bring them up to current styles and standards. 

[mister]

Um, why are you all suddenly hating on the bike? It's remained unchanged since 2001 for naked and 2003 for faired, but you gotta hate on this whining they didn't update it? WTF?

Dudes, it is NOT a 2011 bike. I know the USA didn't get any 2010 models. But that doesn't mean Bikez has some inside secret knowledge that this is what the 2011 bike will look like. It's NOT listed on the USA Suzuki website, Global Suzuki has nothing new. What Global Suzuki has under GS500F as Sep 21, 2011 is the 2010 bike as sold in Australia NOT a true 2011 bike. It would seem Bikez is merely putting up pics of the bikes sold in 2011 not the actual 2011 model - which we are still waiting to find out on, cause as yet, as far as our research can ascertain, none have been made and all current sales are merely 2010 over stock!

Michael

[NorwayGT1]

no one is hating man.. i love my gs.. no need to get mad homie!

All we are saying is it might be a good time to updated it just a tad... maybe some led lights... hmmm?
or just bring it into the 21st century by putting a gear indicator on it.. they can borrow it from their sister model GSXR..

Thats really all we are saying broham 

[Dr.McNinja]

no one is hating man.. i love my gs.. no need to get mad homie!

All we are saying is it might be a good time to updated it just a tad... maybe some led lights... hmmm?
or just bring it into the 21st century by putting a gear indicator on it.. they can borrow it from their sister model GSXR..

Thats really all we are saying broham 

The GSX600F is closer to the GSXR than the GS500. As far as Suzuki motorcycles are concerned, the GS500F sits in a category pretty much by itself. It's a standard bike when naked, and when faired it's closer to a sports touring bike (a standard faired bike for the record) with a budget suspension and carbs. If I had a request I wouldn't request aesthetics. I'd request a full engine/suspension overhaul and fuel injection.

I've said it 5 million times at this point. The GS500F is a budget bike with ultra budget parts. Suzuki won't invest more money into it because they know they won't see returns on it. No one is going to be sold on the GS500 because of a gear indicator and some LED lights (which are really cliche and look real stupid on bikes that aren't dual-lighted). The key selling point of the GS500F is the fact it can be ran hard enough to destroy any other bike in it's class and it won't flinch. The engine is old (which, imo, is bad) and has rich roots. The base design of the GS500 hasn't been updated since it hit market 20 odd years ago. Much like every other 500, they're beginners bikes. Why put super expensive parts, flashy indicators and lights, and awesome features in a bike nearly no one will keep longer than 2  years? If they push their price up any farther they risk having beginners that would previously buy the bike shy away because they don't want to drop it and instantly burn 10 Gs.


/rant

[sledge]

I call  ........ in fact I call 

Any bike sold as a 2010 on model has to conform with the current emission regs applicable to the market it is sold in.  We all know the GS doesnt conform in Europe and the USA and never will in its current form owing to its archaic engine design. That is why Suzuki offloaded their stock of GS5 as 09 models at a discount......they wanted rid of them while they still had the chance to legaly sell them.

Its very expensive and next to impossible to get ANY carb fed aircooled mill through the latest regs and instead of trying to get their stone-age poor selling GS5 through Suzuki are dropping their coin on R&D and better selling, newer and more technically advanced models that will give them a far better return on the investment than some 23 year old bike that the competition left behind 20 years ago.

The GS5 is dead....it wont be coming back, accept it.

[ohgood]

no one is hating man.. i love my gs.. no need to get mad homie!

All we are saying is it might be a good time to updated it just a tad... maybe some led lights... hmmm?
or just bring it into the 21st century by putting a gear indicator on it.. they can borrow it from their sister model GSXR..

Thats really all we are saying broham 

Do you really want a bike that changes wiring harnesses every year? I don't.

Let the 20 year old design be. Its fine. Just ride it already.

[the mole]

+1 to the last two posts.

[mister]

500s are beginners bikes? WTF Dr.McNinja? The bike can do the ton - 100mph / 160kph. I'm pretty sure there was a time that was considered top speed in bike racing. Any impact at this beginner speed will be your last. Just because a bike is "forgiving" isn't a 600+, doesn't have gear change indicators for fools who cannot count the gear they are in, fuel injection and other stuff, does not make the bike a Beginners Bike. It might be the better option for a beginner to learn on, but that doesn't make it a beginners bike.

Calling gsjack, you better hand your bike back man, it's only for beginners. You shouldn't be putting 100,000 clicks on your second one cause you're not a beginner anymore. Hand in your riders card until you get a bigger capacity bike.

You know Dr.McNinja, the old "no-one will pay that price" arguement just doesn't work so well. In Australia, the CB400 has outsold the GS500 naked - although total sales of GS500 and GS500F have it beat. Yet, it is priced $3,000 - $4,000 more than the GS500. So people ARE willing to pay high prices compared to the GS. Currently, a new naked GS500 will set you back $6,990 down here, while a CB400 will set you back $10,000 and then more for ABS version. Plenty of people are paying the higher price for the CB400.

If you keep thinking the GS500 is a "beginners bike" you will get rid of it. If you think of it as just a bike, then not so. Understand, down here in Australia, only recently have you been able to buy a GS500 as a beginners bike. Previously you needed to have had an unrestricted motorbike license.

Michael

[gtscott]

i think its a great cheap fun bike that is also good to learn on, and for what its worth my bike in another week or so is going to have 0km on it

[ghostrider_23]

Mister,

I agree that one must get it out of their minds that this is    ONLY    a beginners bike, but it is listed and reviewed in that fashion. Many, many threads, articles, and magazines have placed its image into that category. What they failed to leave an impression on the readers is, it's a great daily/commuter fun bike as well. I have stated it many times here and when speaking in public that this is the best bike (out of the 3 that I owned before it) that I have ever had. With that being said, I am on or thinking in that terms too as I have found myself looking and thinking about upgrading even though this GS does everything I want it to do!

Yes, this GS does everthing I need and want it to do so I don't understand why I am looking. The only explanation I came up with is that I don't want to sink money into a bike for options that I want when other bikes come standard with them. ie, I am one of those so called "FOOLS" that would like a gear change indicators because I would like to have one.

In my opinion the best thing this bike has going for it is what you said:
very forgiving
Simple & easy to wrench on
it can be ran hard enough to destroy any other bike in it's class and it won't flinch "McNinja"

But how much more would it take to bring up the standards just alittle bit from the manufacture?

[sledge]

But how much more would it take to bring up the standards just alittle bit from the manufacture?

Bring the standards up???

First thing it would need is the one that most seem to be overlooking....an engine that meets current exhaust emission regs because without one Suzuki CANNOT sell it in the major USA and European markets and that is, at least to me, a pretty important consideration. Lets sort out the major issues first eh, no point in tweaks and mods if the government has banned them from selling the bike in their country on account of the amount of shite it pumps out of the exhaust.

I have no idea of the cost to design, develop, tool up for and produce a new 500c twin that meets current regs but I know it wont come cheap!!.....and then you want to put this brand new state of the art engine into a 23 year old frame with 23 year old suspension and braking to give you a bike that presently doesnt even dent the sales figures?? I think any Suzuki exec` making a suggestion such as this would be laughed out of the boardroom. They might as well take the yen this new engine would cost, flush it down the nearest crapper and save themselves a lot of time and effort.

Only one thing is for sure, if Suzuki thought a GS5 that meets regs would have been a viable proposition they would have gone for it......they didnt and to me that says it all.

[Ourea]

[POST HAS BEEN REMOVED BY USER]

[mister]

Suzuki showed a 400cc Gladius at the Tookyo motorshow. Word is, it is a resleeved 650 Gladdy - so the bike will be the same as the 650 even the same engine just resleeved to be a 400 - and that it is for the Japanese market where getting a license to ride something bigger than a 400 is a proverbial pain.

If the 650 Gladdy is their answer to replace the naked SV650, then I can see it as also being their answer to replace the naked GS500. Faired bikes in that category? Who knows  But, if it's not dead in the water already cause Australia and New Zealand are not large enough markets to carry the sales alone, then it is bashing the heck out of death's door. Once the Honda 919 couldn't meet European Emissions Honda killed it off. Suzuki has not been sold in Europe since 2008 (no 2009 model) so the signs were there a couple years ago and I'd say only the US market kept it alive. And now that market has changed it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the next step is.

Michael

[NorwayGT1]

Alright ill bite...

so if the GS is a "beginner bike" then shouldn't it come with a gear change indicator? ??
hmm i for one had the biggest pain in the ass trying to figure out what gear i was in.. sH*t i still try to go a gear up when im in 6th doin 65 man. As a "beginner bike" it should have features like that to help the "beginner driver" get more comfortable on the bike and pay more attention to the road and his driving habits instead of counting gears and stalling his bike out which will lead to an accident in the "beginner hands".... If anything this is more of a intermediate bike, that even the advanced drivers can have some fun on.

and ohgod... You dont have to change the wiring harness out to add a simple gear indicator but simply add an extra wire to it... or two...
Besides what difference does it make if they do change it, if you dont have a 2011 or whatever year bike the changes were made on.. then the changes dont apply to you anyways.

And as far as LED lights... i personally believe ALL vehicles should come with LED lights! This helps visibility and will help avoid accidents SPECIALLY on bikes! Cliche or not dude... i go with safety first ! Besides we are talking about a 5-10$ led bulb here the bikes value will not go up by the thousands, if anything it will be a better selling point for suzuki, and i for one would love to see a flood of NEW GS owners coming to this forum and roads near me!

I for one dont get why yall made this into a such an ugly discussion, this is the worst i have seen this forum so far..
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that dont mean you should talk down at ppl and think your right because you like you bike just the way it is.. Looks like everyone decided to have a bad day! Cheer up m8s

[sledge]

so if the GS is a "beginner bike" then shouldn't it come with a gear change indicator? ??

YEAH.....it should....and a set of these...

[NorwayGT1]

wow look at that you read, the first sentence! Congrats do you fell smarter yet?
Now try to read the rest and piece it together on syllable at a time, before you post more ignorant shaZam! like that....

[ghostrider_23]

Sledge, now that is so funny shazam

Thank you very much that made me laugh so hard. Maybe the timing or I just wasn't expecting that, but good one