Slated

[2ride4life7]

I was reading the TWO magazines top 134 bikes, how come the wonderful GS came last? It states its got a shitty finish and also rusts like f%$k. I have ridden my GS althrough the winter and it is STILL as good as new!!! Where do these guys get their info from??? Has any1 else had a major rusting problem??

How would you guys rate the GS overall??

I think it kicks ass!!!!!! :nana:

[JamesG]

Remember those guys get paid to push the latest and greatest.
Its not suprising that they look down on the GS.

Depending on where you live, the environment the bike is stored in, and an absence of preventive maintinance,  the frame, exhaust, and even bolts have a tendency to corrode.  But no worse than any other bike of its era (look at late eighties CBRs or FZs).

[richard]

Also, the thrill of the GS is in seeing how resourceful you are.  It's taking a small bike that some look down on, and making it do cool things.  It's doing things with our "little gs500" that many who look down on us wouldn't dream of trying with their larger, more expensive bikes.  Most users on this list enjoy taking their bikes and improving them, working on them, living with them almost...  it approaches an obsession for some of us, because it's a challenge.  That's something your average reviewer will never understand.  They review the raw features... we review the soul.  Sure it'll last forever if you take care of it...  but on their review, it won't stand against bikes that last forever if you don't take care of it.  Of course, on those bikes you have nowhere to go.. you're already there.

So hey, I say let them laugh... I'll be in the canyons, on the freeway, tinkering with my bike, or maybe just riding to work... on my GS500.

[JohNLA]

Last year CycleWorld named the GS500 best ride for five grand. They had it up against seven other bikes including the KLR650 and EX500.

[Turkina]

Straight out of the box, the GS needs some tinkering (aka suspension mods) to be a good ride.  And the frame likes to get rusty at the welds and bolts since the paint job isn't the greatest.  Oh well

Now, if I remeber correctly TWO is a UK magazine.  Here in the US, we have nowhere near the variety of beginner bikes that they have over in Europe.  For instance, I think every Brit mag says to skip the GS and go for a Honda CB500, even if it is a year or two older.  We don't get the CB500 here.  For the US, the GS is the best of the few beginner bikes we get.  And compared to the new tech bikes... remember, for the most part, the frame and components are from '89 and the engine is from the 70's! So of course it's going to get panned by the reviewers who love shiny bling-bling and neat toys.

Bikes in the US are usually ridden only in nice weather (commuters have a car if the weather is rough), so rust isn't a big of a deal.  Some dealers here think nothing of putting a utter newbie on a literbike and pushing them out the door US reviewers I guess give the GS a knowing nod because that's the bike to start on right!