A GS500 is pretty darn capable

[anoopb]

All his points are valid - basically, you do not want weight on the front end - and if you didn't know the springs were under load, then yes, the cap will shoot towards your face. This is made worse if the bike is under load, i.e. not off the ground at all. When I did mine, my front end was removed since it was during a rebuild. So my forks slid free in the triple clamps, thus no weight on the front end and able to get them to full extension.

Search the forums, watch that video, and most importantly read Sonic Spring's directions. Even if you did it the "long way" and removed the forks completely from the bike, you are looking at 2-3 hours tops. I replaced the oil in mine, and I would suggest you do the same. In terms of difficulty, like Rich said, if you can remove the wheel, you can remove the forks.

If you don't want to spend the time, or don't feel confident in your own abilities, you can always take it to a qualified mechanic and have them install the new springs and oil. It really is not that difficult of a job. The most challenging part of it all is finding a method to support the front end of the motorcycle while you are working on the forks, since they are not supporting your bike.

yeah i think i'll do it right and learn a bit more. 2-3 hours is nothing.

thanks again!