It looks like I'm going to be able to buy a new motorcycle the first week in Novenber, and will be trading in my 2001 KLR250.I'm defineteley considering a 2004 GS500F.I'm also thinking of a 500 Ninja,a Triumph Speed Four, and a new,leftover Kawasaki ZR7S.I owned an EX500 for a couple of years, and a 1980 GS450ST for some years.I love the new fairing on the GS.
For the 2004 GS owners-how well does the fairing work as far as coverage from wind, rain, etc?A local dealer is marking their last two 2004 GS500Fs at $4700.00. The Triumph is selling for $5999.00 with some trick financing to help me keep the payments low. Kawasaki has a plan where you pay 24 months at 3.9%, and then finish the loan at 6.9%, which looks pretty good.I have to keep my payments at $90.00 or less.
The fairing offers great wind protection till 80 mph. After that the wind hits your helmet and you feel it.
I don't care what you buy and I aint gonna try to talk you into anything. The GS is a great bike, it does everything well and my yellow 04 is beautiful.
I don't think anybody here will try to 'talk you into' a GS... particularly with such a great list of alternatives that you are considering. I will, however say that the GS is a hoot to ride and can be just as fast and fun through town and twisties as the others on your list with a skilled pilot at the controls. as a bonus, the GS is a great bike to wrench on by virtue of its simple design and cheap parts.
enjoy your bike shopping :thumb:
Sit on each of them, try to talk the dealer into a test ride, and choose the one that fits you best. :dunno:
I don't intend to get rid of my GS anytime soon. Good luck
The Cycle World november edition has yet another comparison between the EX500 and GS500. They were very fair to both bikes I think. The EX offers a little more in terms of performance 51.5Hp vs 40.5 Hp, 8 valve with liquid cooling vs 4 halve air cooled. The EX had better 0-60 time, 4.6 vs 5.7. That tells you something. Also, they like the handling at speed of the EX but at lower speed the GS was easier to handle.
They touted the GS's fairing saying that it really works well and love the GSXR look.
I know the Buell 500 was not on your list ... keep it that way.
What about the Kawi Z750? I don't know anything about it except it looks cool (to me anyway).
You might want to check the insurance rates as well. The Triumph can be more expensive due to the fact that it's a true "naked" bike. The bigger Kawi may be more expensive because of bigger displacement. i haven't really looked at rates for the Ninja, but i think they may be about equal with the GS.
The best ride quality of the group would probably come from the Speed4, but it would probably also have the highest mechanical prices and insurance.
Guess i just have a place in my heart for Triumphs.. :dunno:
As much as I loved the Speed Four (I was considering it as my first choice for my next bike when I had the gs500) I have to recommend against it.
I have met a couple of people with them and one in particular has had nothing but trouble with them. It seems that their quality control isnt quite there yet and you're throwing the dice as to whether you get a good, reliable one or a POS. Just check the triumph board for more info. www.triumphrat.net
There are a couple of issues with them, the only serious one is the repeated and quickly wearing swingarm protector (that thick rubber peice that the chain sits on) It wears through in a matter of a few thousand miles and the dealers are remiss in fixing it over and over (without resorting to softening the rear suspension). There is supposed to be a fix in that they swap the sizes of the ft and rr sprockets to alleviate this somewhat. I love the look but I would move on.
Your list is odd though. The bikes arent in the same league. The S4 and the zr7s are full strength bikes where the gs and ex are more beginnner/commuter bikes.
So, what do you intend to do with them, how will you ride them?
fwiw, most magazine articles slam the zr7s as ancient technology (even moreso than the gs or ex) and arent too keen on them. Considered a Katana or a faired Bandit?
One reason I'm not considering the Z750 Kawi is price.These other bikes are being discounted somewhat, whereas the brand new z750 isn't.I threw the Speed Four in there because it seems to be a bargain selling locally at $5999.00 with some 2.9 and 3.89 financing available.The ZR7S, I think the dealer might be talked down to aboyt $5000.00??, since its discontinued.
I think I could be quite happy with a new GS500F.The price is resonable(2004s selling for $4700.00 right now).I looked closely at one, and it looks like oil changes(which I do at 1000 miles usually on air-cooled bikes) can be done without having to remove fairings and such.I could do my own valve adjustments after buying Suzuki's tool, and spark plugs?Maybe you have to remove part of the fairings for this?The bike feels comfortable to me.I would be riding solo almost entireley, as my wife doesn't really show much interest in riding on the back anymore.
I would use the bike for:
1.commuting on my 65 mile round trip commute into Seattle from my home in Bonney Lake
2.Taking some trips-probaby camping.Maybe riding down the Oregon coast (a favorite for me).Though I have toyed with the idea of riding back to Ithaca, NY, where my son is going to college.I've never been back east, and this would be a real adventure for me.After 22 years where I work, I finally got three weeks of vacation, so I aim to do some motorcycle trips with,say, one week a year.I'm in good shape for a 50 year old.I work out in a gym 4-6 days per week, so health problems aren't holding me back.
3.Just some fun riding on some great backroads in my area.
I actuall don't see the "outdated" engine design of the GS as a negative.I've owned lots of "thumpers", and still appreciate and love the power characteristics of a good thumper or parralell twin.
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The 500F is comfortable. The oil changes are no problem at all. The suspension is soft and comfy. The front is a little too soft though. You will need some progressive springs unless your a fan of bottoming out. The Ninja 500 is definately ugly and dated looking that's why I chose the F really. I wish the F had a little more power though. It felt fast being my first street bike but now it's way too slow. I hate being beat by cars like civics on the highway because I top out at 115. Low gear accel has no problem beating cars but I'm sure your not really into the whole speed thing. I'm just a speed freak kid.
Well I hope you're satisfied with whatever your decision may be. I also have a new decision to make in the spring. A 2005 Subaru WRX STi or a 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1. The R1 is so damn sexy. I want it in solid black. 180 HP will definately be fun and scary.
You mentioned the Kawasaki finance promotions. That is NOT an installment loan like something from GMAC. It is a credit card account. That has positives and negatives:
Positives
1) You will be able to charge some accessories at the dealership.
2) You won't need to carry collision insurance on the bike, since they won't have a lien on it.
Negatives
1) You will be able to charge some accessories at the dealership.
2) They can increase the normal interest rate without warning.
3) In addition to changing the normal interest rate, they can punish you for a late payment. Usually, that means DRAMATICALLY boosting your rate (to about 24%). They can do this even if you are just a few days late.
4) Making the minimum payment will not pay off the bike for many years.
My comments apply to many other motorcycle promotions. For example, Yamaha has a similar setup. Two exceptions are Honda and BMW. They use their automotive finance companies for bikes too. So they give you an installment loan, and they put a lien on the bike.
Enough about financing, what about the bike?
I am a new rider, I have a GS500F, and I love the bike. It's one of the best-looking bikes on the market, the powerplant is simple and reliable, and it has plenty of power for my needs. However, I don't think that its well-suited for a camping trip or a cross-country adventure. Remember that this is a very small bike physically. Its not particularly comfortable, and you can't store much on it. The ZR-7S is no goldwing, but it would be superior to the GS500F as a touring bike.
Steve, your wrong. the bike is plenty comfortable, there are several of us on this board of well over 200lbs/ 6' + and several of us do 1000 mile+ rides on a normal basis. can't store much on it? yeah ok dude, whatever, you just don't know how to pack. I am sorry to sound so harsh but I hear so much about what I can't do on a 500 that some times I just come off that way. :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: OhioSteveI don't think that its well-suited for a camping trip or a cross-country adventure. Remember that this is a very small bike physically. Its not particularly comfortable, and you can't store much on it.
I won't argue with the "comfortable" part, because that's a personal call, but it's fine for me. (And I've got the older-style seat!) As for the other assertions, see the
Trips links on my homepage (check my signature block below). Also,
Steve-C's recent 2-week trip around France in the
GS Touring thread.
Oh, and let's not leave out
davipu's high-speed, cross-country marathon. See the
ME thread. Check out the photos of his luggage capability and packing skills in the
"davipu" is alive and well.... thread.
It's true that the GS could use more power to get up the hills. It could also use more oomph for passing on the freeway. But if you can stand to tool along at the speed limit (or appreciably more when you want to) this bike does a great job of getting you there and back again.
Just noticed your post. I bought a GS500F in July. I'm five years older than you and also pretty fit. I've owned numerous bikes, including a CB750, an XV920RH and Gold Wing, but I hadn't ridden in about ten years. I'm COMPLETELY happy with the GS. The price, appearance, riding position and mechanical simplicity are what sold me. I've got about 2600 miles on it now with no complaints whatsoever. I just completed a two-day 400-miler on the Navajo Reservation in rain and constant winds of 30-60 mph (I'm not kidding -- I was afraid the bike was going to blow over in the parking lot during the night) and the bike was much more comfortable than I would have expected. I consistently get 68 mpg at highway speeds. In short, I see nothing not to like about this bike, unless you picture yourself as some sort of gonzo street racer.