did honda just kill off the gs ?

[Malfruen]

I spoke to my old stealer in Dubbo (Nothing for Honda anywhere I could find in 5 minutes) about them. Apart from them being complete arseholes, they wouldn't give me a definite price. "Somewhere in the 10,000 range" was the response, and then was told that the Goldwing was awesome.

I won't buy a Honda as the dealer there is a scumbag, his mechanic is a scumbag, and everyone who goes in there says they're all scumbags, but hopefully this puts a boot up Suzukis backside and gets them to update the GS.

[The Buddha]

See one more reason why I think suzuki missed a huge opportunity by not ever contacting gstwin ...
Crowd sourcing ... I think they could ahve done it before there was a word for it.
Cool.
Buddha.

[SAFE-T]

The cb500 does not look like the platform that will lend itself to letting the user f%$k-with-it-to-death. I find that GS owners are that kind of group, I am. Who wants to ride a bike that you can't disassemble every weekend and rejet/re-exhaust/chop up/tinker/ridicufy? 

Are you completely bonkers ? The only reason people chopimodify the GS500 is BECAUSE it has so many weaknesses in the first place.

[SAFE-T]

One thing for sure ~ Honda is about to show Suzuki whether or not a modern replacement for the GS500 would sell or not.

Horsepower and Torque specs are pretty similar to the GS, so it's not going to be significantly more powerful, although it may rev up a bit faster having more modern engine architecture 

Interesting that it is only about $1500 more than the GS500 was new ~ that's excellent if the bike feels more sophisticated, even if it's not a lot faster. For me, although I have a true appreciation for the simplicity of the GS500, it's agricultural plainness is sometimes less endearing compared to a lot of other bikes. A back-to-back ride on a GS500 and an FZ6R reminds you how much you like the light weight of the GS500, but get on the FZ6R and you are instantly gobsmacked by much more refined it is, with considerably more power.

Anyway, unlike the CBR250 and Ninja300/400, I am actually pretty keen on the CBR500. I won't be buying one anytime soon, but it will still be interesting to see it when it comes out.

[mustangGT90210]

In a couple years, the prices on those new hondas will probably make them easily available as used commuter bikes... If I wasn't looking to move into the 600-650 range next season I'd be thinking hard about them and probably waiting out the price drop on my GS

[Funderb]

Are you completely bonkers ? The only reason people chopimodify the GS500 is BECAUSE it has so many weaknesses in the first place.

chicken or egg?

[SAFE-T]

Are you completely bonkers ? The only reason people chopimodify the GS500 is BECAUSE it has so many weaknesses in the first place.

chicken or egg?

I think you were bonkers, and then you bought a GS500 

[Funderb]

yeah, there's not a whole lot of evidence in this world that contradicts that statement.

[mister]

Honda selling the CB400 with vtec didn't kill the GS500 down here. Hurt sales, but didn't killed it. Price comparison... brand new CB400 around $10k - $11k, brand new naked GS500 around $6.5k - $6.9k.

Honda made more sales on the CB400 because most rider training schools use them. So... go learn to ride at a Honda rider school, then buy a bike like what you just learned on. Suzuki has no rider training schemes.

Michael

[adidasguy]

Are you completely bonkers ? The only reason people chopimodify the GS500 is BECAUSE it has so many weaknesses in the first place.

I'll add my 3 cents worth (inflation) tohow dumb that statement is/was/hasbeen/will be.

I bought the GS500:
1. I didn't want a big, heavy bike. My last bike was an earyly 80's CB650.
2. The GS500 and Ninja 500 were both on sale for $4000 at the same dealer (also dealer had Kawasaki and Yamaha)
3. Sat on both. Liked the feel of the GS over the Ninja
4. Liked the white, full fairing over the Ninja

Only after buying it did I start to farkle it up. Only then did I learn that lots of cool parts
a) were no longer available
b) had to be bought in Europe
c) lots of people do shock changes and jetting "just because" and many things are a fad, done for no real reason so since mine run fine, I spend time on the cosmetics and left things working because they were working fine or me.

Anyway, I bought a couple more and enjoy them all.

[ThatOtherGuy]

two different markets IMO, the GS500 is for those like many of us here, you want something you can not only ride but maintain yourself.  I see the Honda as something for those that still want a smaller, lighter and comfortable bike, but are chasing something they don't necessarily want to maintain themselves.  an important decision when I buy my next bike, which will probably have EFI, is how much I can do myself.  IF that means removing some choices from the pool, then so be it, there are others that would keep them in the pool of choices since they have no intention of doing their own work.  each to their own.  I don't see this cannabalising the GS500 market, but I do see it making a dent.

[XealotX]

Suzuki doesn't need any help killing the GS...they've been letting it whither away for years.

[mister]

Just spoke to a Honda Salesman...

We won't see it in Australia until about March 2013. He said as far as he knows they will not be killing off the CB400 though there will be a price reduction and he think the new 500 might be in the $8,500 range - although, that could also have been the new price for the CB400, he wasn't clear which bike would be in that price. PLUS, he thinks we will only be getting the F and R version - hence why the CB400 will remain, to please the naked people.

With Honda having a CB400 and a 500, Suzuki had wanna be having something up their sleeve. Cause that would truly be the end of the GS's sales down here.

My money is on a sneak arrival of a new GS500 version of the Inazuma 250.

Michael

[DrtRydr23]

two different markets IMO, the GS500 is for those like many of us here, you want something you can not only ride but maintain yourself.  I see the Honda as something for those that still want a smaller, lighter and comfortable bike, but are chasing something they don't necessarily want to maintain themselves.  an important decision when I buy my next bike, which will probably have EFI, is how much I can do myself.  IF that means removing some choices from the pool, then so be it, there are others that would keep them in the pool of choices since they have no intention of doing their own work.  each to their own.  I don't see this cannabalising the GS500 market, but I do see it making a dent.

I would agree here.  I have YZF 600R that I bought as an upgrade to the GS.  It is a really nice bike, but I kind of miss riding the GS (I still own the GS but have not ridden it since I bought the YZF in 2008).  I am planning on getting the GS going again and selling one of my bikes.  I am strongly considering selling the YZF and keeping the GS.  One of the main reasons is that maintaining the YZF is a pain in the ass.  Pulling the fairings off for everything takes forever, plus tabs are starting to snap off which will mean I will either need to replace the fairings or streetfighter the bike eventually.

Owning and maintaining the GS is so much easier and cheaper than the YZF, plus it is almost as fun in the twisties.  I don't group ride very much and rarely worry about keeping up with others, so the extra power of the 600 I4 is kind of a moot point.  Plus, I'm looking at getting a cruiser to ride the wife around on, so will probably keep the GS as a second bike/commuter for the easier maintenance and cheaper insurance, plus the YZF will pull more cash in a private sale.

[SAFE-T]

Well, I'm not going to debate the relative merits of the GS500 with someone who has 27 of them in his garage LOL. The bike is what it is ~ like it for what charm it has or move along.

[SAFE-T]

The #1 complaint about the GS500 with it's ancestral mechanical roots has always been that it's just a little too agricultural. If a CBR500 does what the GS does but with added refinement, I would say it might soundly trump the Suzuki.

But knowing Honda it will be so docile and bland no-one will actually like it.

Must be a difficult path for an engineer ~ too coarse and people will say it's junk; too smooth and people will say it has no soul.

[Phil B]

My final verdict: It WONT kill the GS. The cb500 does not look like the platform that will lend itself to letting the user f%$k-with-it-to-death. I find that GS owners are that kind of group, I am. Who wants to ride a bike that you can't disassemble every weekend and rejet/re-exhaust/chop up/tinker/ridicufy? 

Umm...    *raises hand*

While I feel somewhat of a sense of achievement in learning mechanical skills I never had..
I *really* would have been Just Fine, if my bike had just kept on running. I like the gs, because it's cheap, reliable, economical and fun.   (and looks decent, and is comfy for me)

but obviously, there are all different types of gs owners

[iclrag]

My GS500F was replaced with a Ninja 250R, I had plans on replacing that with a 39 HP EFI Ninja 300....with the Honda showing up 

How can you replace a 500 with a 250??!?
Heres a better replacement

And heres my favorite street KTM For some reason it wont load the black one

[slipperymongoose]

Unless Suzuki do some serious upgrades to modernize the GS it will die! For too long all bike manufacturers have gotten away with jacking up prices without major change. Now we are starting to see major change with some new and hopefully exciting bikes coming out. Lets hope Suzuki keeps up

[ThatOtherGuy]

trouble is they've been dropping the price across the board killing the 2nd hand market.  for example I was considering trading the GS500 for a smaller lighter bike for my wife that would also double as my commuter.  based on the trade in values I was offered which I know are always lower than selling privately, I was just as well to keep it and just buy a bike outright for my wife which I did, which turned out better as it was not a compromise to suit both of us, it is just for her.

also heard of some dealers trading in Bandits to then find a week later they were worth $2,000 less due to drops in RRP and/or increases in rebates, $2,000 represents nearly 20% of a typical good condition sub 3yr Bandit from a dealer.