GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

ive been around this internet dealy as long as the rest of the people, so id like to see some people write some intelligent responses to this. yes im new, thats irrelevant. my question is this, are the majority of users here because they simply cant afford faster more powerful bikes, or are they here because they choose to ride a gs or hawk. ive got a few sportbikes myself, but ive always had a commuter, now ive got two, im just curious because i see some folks being all against the big fast bikes, some all for them....etcetc. so thats it.

Quote from: qweare the majority of users here because they simply cant afford faster more powerful bikes

:P

yep, we are all poor.

Both. I see all bikes as tools. If a bigger bike is needed for a certain purpose, get that bike; otherwise, why pay the insurance?

I have owned faster before and after, I have owned slower before and after ... faster is over rated ... much the same way as beauty is ... The GS is like a 8 girl that never stops trying to please you ... faster bikes are usually 9-10's that stay on the couch and let you work for it ...  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Even slower bikes are like 5-6 chicks that try really really really their darndest ... love em too ...
Cool.
Srinath.

I just prefer small bikes for the kind of riding I do - I have owned bikes sinve the early 1970's (with a break due to a bad back in the 90's) and have owned both large and small bikes.

1) Chose GS for a specific reason

2) Animosity towards "larger bikes" you might feel is actually animosity towards "squids" manifesting itself in conversations about larger displacement bikes.

I just like the little POS
other bikes that i have had or still have
this will take a while....

Dandy antique pocket bike
5 or so YSR-50's
Aprillia RS-50
Z-50 or 2
Kaw AR-80
XR-80
XR100
RS-125 GP race bike
RG-V 250....with a DR650 enging waiting to go in :P
RZ-350 .... first bike...still have...sleeping
(couple of other RZ's)
DR-350
4-6 GS500's
CX-500
SRX-6
TT-600
FZR-600
GSXR600
F-2
F-3
SV-650.....weekend rider for now
GSXR750
ZX-7
RF-900
ZX-9
R-1
FJ1100
FJ1200

most of the big bikes are gone
for the street....back road playing.... the GS is perfect....
if you clean out a ditch....you are not out much $$$$$
and you can part it out and get most of your $ back
my last race bike is going back onto the street with a straight-er frame
then the SV will get sold
I still get great enjoyment making fun of the squids on 10K bikes with a 1K bike

qwe,
 I "refreshed' the posts re:"Why a GS500?". Some interesting reading there.

Quote from: werase643I just like the little POS
other bikes that i have had or still have
this will take a while....

CX-500

You had a CX ... there is one around my house ... may be free or a couople bucks ... its complete and sitting for like 3-4 years. Its the pre requisite brown color so no idea what is paint and what is rust ... but ... yea what you say about it ...
Cool.
Srinath.

I worked at a bike shop in Raleigh
guy came in one day
said he was moving the next day
offered the bike to the shop....they said NO!!!!!!!
i followed guy home and loaded it up
needed 2 rubber diaphrams in the carbs
sold it to a bikeless friend for dirt...
weird as hell torque effect from the V-twin
i think that is TURD brown!!!!!

I think the majority of the people that have come through here are new to motorcycling and want a suitable bike to learn on.  The GS500 is a great choice because of its simplicity, longevity, durability, and economy.  Most of the people here aren't against bigger bikes, most want to move up to them - once they've developed the skills on the GS500.

I've moved up, but I decided to keep the GS500 as a commuter bike.  It'll get 50+mpg and be great around town.  Parts are cheap and available, and this forum is probably the best I've seen dedicated to a bike.  The wealth of knowledge on this forum is what persuaded me to get a GS500 instead of a Ninja 500 as my first bike.  In fact, today I searched through the posts and pinpointed what my problem was before I ever picked up a screwdriver (clutch safety switch contact finger) .  There were even pictures and part numbers!

I learned how to ride street on the GS, had been racing dirtbikes for 6-7 yrs before my parents bought the 00 for me to ride.  I chose a motorcycle because it was a natural way to continue riding when a blood condition developed and stopped my motocrossing ways.

I've stuck with the GS so far because A) I don't really care to have a faster bike, B) I don't need any more power for how I ride (ie, on the street), C) economy, I'm one of the few guys my age that I've met riding that is still riding.  I want to move to a supermotard now since I'm on San Diego's crappy streets/intersections and I've got a big itch to get back on a thumper.  Probably gonna ride the GS until I'm out of college (3-4 yrs) but I'll probably save up for a dirtbike and convert it myself in my spare time.

MOTARD THE GS!!!!!!!!
dirtbike bars
gsxr shock
14 T c/s sprocket
may-B a bigger rear sprocket also
won't be fast but definately silly

I've got a GSXR shock sitting on my shelf waiting for an oil/nitro charge...

Hmm...NAH!!!!

I could use a smaller c/s sprocket though...

Couldn't agree more with Scratch :

Quote from: scratchBoth. I see all bikes as tools. If a bigger bike is needed for a certain purpose, get that bike; otherwise, why pay the insurance?

The thought of handing over money like crazy to an insurance company keeps me on the GS.  So I guess it comes down to money.  Although I can afford the bigger bike and the bigger insurance bill, but choose not to.

take it to a local dirt bike shop
my local shop will strip/clean/oil/recharge for about $35-40

I'm poor...  But, I ride the GS 'cause I love it...  And I REALLY hate plastic.   :lol:  I was thinking about losing the rear plastic...  Hmm...

I fall into the new rider category who wants something hard[er] to get into trouble with.  I have a tendency to go really, really fast when given the opportunity and the right tools.  My initial impulse/desire was to get a GSX-R600, but I know that's a ride that could get me into a lot of trouble very quickly.

Quoteare the majority of users here because they simply cant afford faster more powerful bikes

Well, I bought a brand new one, paid cash.  I could have had a used GSX-R750, CBRF4i, etc. for a lot less $.  I looked for a used GS500, but couldn't find one...I took that (perhaps incorrectly) as a sign that people are generally unwilling to give up their old GS's.  *shrug*  Could be that they sell a lot more 600's to people that either crash them, really can't afford them, or scare the willies out of themselves on them.

Quoteim just curious because i see some folks being all against the big fast bikes

I'm not against the larger displacement bikes...more than likely I'll eventually have one.  I don't, however, feel one needs to have 100+ horsepower to...umm...demonstrate one's virility (or test one's immortality).

Here's my fantasy plan:  My wife decides she's interested in the motorcycle, takes the MSF course, and she inherits the GS while I step up to a gixxer.  Alternately:  my wife takes no interest in the motorcycle, and I trade in the blue/white GS for a blue/white gixxer and hope she doesn't notice it's not the same bike (no...really...I just waxed it...the stickers make it look faster  :roll: ).

That said, the fuel economy of the GS is enviable as a commuter.  Keeping it around would probably be a good idea (if I could find the space).  I suppose that means I'll have to buy an airplane so that I have an excuse to rent a hangar.  That's the kind of logic that really drives my wife nuts.  :)

I have a GS for 2 reasons: 1 ) it's great to learn on and 2) it's still doing the job for me.

Like scratch, they're tools to me, and for me the GS does the job. Why use a fancy jackhammer to hammer a finishing nail ( translate that to why ride a expensive-to-insure expensive-to-fix twitchy-throttled bike that gets worse gas mileage when my cheap naked economical GS gets the job done, the job being pretty much everything but long-distance touring).

I could afford more bike but I don't want one right now - it would be expensive overkill for me at this time. Someday I may want to upgrade and if so I'll do it, with the money that I've saved riding the GS.  

Plus, hubby has a Honda 919 so if I want to ride a torque-monster crotch rocket all I have to do is steal his key :lol:.  

LQ

Quote5 or so YSR-50's

got another one of these needing a home?

if he does I'm sure he can fit it into a box and send it over to ya ...  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Cool.
Srinath.

1. it's cheap
2. I like the looks of it.
3.  gas mileage
4.  i am a beginner without a desire to kill myself.
5.  Most of all it is fun.

mine speaks three languages and does my laundry

I came to GS after many years of not riding. I had been looking around at bikes for about  a year and then stumbled onto a deal that gave me a chance to get a bike for next to nothing. I wrenched on it for a while thinking I would sell it for a big profit and buy another bigger bike. Here I am a year later still riding it and having turned down offers that would have doubled my investment.

I have always thought that motorcycles should be air-cooled and have as little plastic  as possible, so that eliminates many options. I have no need to accelerate like an Indy car or put my knee down in the turns. I am also pretty cheap though not poor, so the bike suits me just fine. The thought of paying nearly $10,000 for a bike makes me dizzy and nauseous. I lust for other bikes all the time but I can live vicariously through R'gal.

I may still get a larger bike one day for longer distance cruising (been looking for Kawasaki police cruiser!) but I would be tempted to keep the GS for knocking around town.

To be honest, part of the appeal of the GS has been this forum. I was mostly a Honda man in my early days. I discovered this site when I started looking at bikes in the last 2 years and immediately liked the tone and spirit here. The fact that they are some people still here after they sold their GS years ago says something about the group.

Quote from: qweive been around this internet dealy as long as the rest of the people, so id like to see some people write some intelligent responses to this. yes im new, thats irrelevant.

1. Why would you assume that you'd not get intelligent responses?
2. I'm betting you're NOT new here. :P

The GS is not a slow bike.  It's faster than a lot of awfully quick cars.  "Fast" bikes are hyperfast; the GS is plenty fast for the street.  IMO, it's the perfect blend of performance and efficiency.  If you get more on one side, you give up on the other.  If I could only have one bike, that'd be it.  The GSX-R is totally impractial for the street - it's made for the track.  It gets car mileage to give you power you don't use on the street.

its really about trying to be fast with a small bike for me...but ok i got no money  too :lol: ... im just amazed on the lean angle a bigger i-4 can do...its just sick...im getting motard bug lately though..

(http://suzukicycles.com/images/ProductImages/colorVariations/500/DRZ400SMK6_Black_000000.jpg)

mmmm .... motard

I purchased a GS because I researched it as a good starter bike.  I have been riding since May and have about 4,200 miles on the clock.  In the spring I plan on getting a new SV1000S.  Nothing wrong with the GS, just want more power, and damn it looks so sweet IMHO.  Over twice the HP as the GS500 but much more street worthy than a liter I-4.  Hell the SV1K is likely more than what is needed for the street but if I want to make use of the increased performance I know it is there :mrgreen:   Not to mention I love the sound with a nice exhaust  ::drool::

(http://home.woh.rr.com/phreakflier/SV1000K5_chop.jpg)

I just fail to see where faster = better. Going 140mph to work would just be stupid. I don't race, I don't do track days. I want to be able to ride down the highway and get out of 1st gear..haha.

Many people are of the foolish assumption you need the biggest/fastest/whatever-est. The biggest truck, the fastest bike, the biggest cheeseburger, the biggest house, etc. etc. Western civilization is obsessed with extreme, and I don't buy into it.

The GS is as fast as I need it to be, but no faster. And it is as slow as I need it to be, but no slower  8)

Would you buy a Semi to haul a small speedboat?
Would you use a shotgun to go quail hunting?
Would use a Ferrari to go grocery shopping?

Sure you COULD do anything of those things, but it would be impractical. It's all about choosing the proper "tool" (like someone else said) to get the job done. And the GS gets the job done beautifully. It doesn't overachieve, and it doesn't underachieve. It just achieves   :thumb:

Quote from: PhaedrusI just fail to see where faster = better. Going 140mph to work would just be stupid. I don't race, I don't do track days.

I chose the GS because it was the proper tool for learning to ride. Nov 02 I first threw a leg over a motorcycle.

Once I was ready to upgrade I did. Now my tool of choice is a 150+mph rocket and YES, I do use it as it was intended-at the track.

I think the animosity exists (where it does) only toward people's attitudes about big bikes [as first bikes].

Faster IS better.

Quote from: qwe................. are the majority of users here because they simply cant afford faster more powerful bikes, or are they here because they choose to ride a gs .............................

And the answers are.................  yes and yes.

Quote from: qweim just curious because i see some folks being all against the big fast bikes, some all for them.......

I love peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches but some folk hate them.  So what's new?

:cheers:

Quoteive been around this internet dealy as long as the rest of the people, so id like to see some people write some intelligent responses to this. yes im new, thats irrelevant. my question is this, are the majority of users here because they simply cant afford faster more powerful bikes, or are they here because they choose to ride a gs or hawk. ive got a few sportbikes myself, but ive always had a commuter, now ive got two, im just curious because i see some folks being all against the big fast bikes, some all for them....etcetc. so thats it.

Part of that question just seems a tad skewed to me.  I mean I could go to a Ducati 999S board and ask them if some members are for or against owning a Dodge Tomahawk (http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/photos/tomahawk.jpg)
becuase they are agianst its power or they are too poor...  :dunno:

I don't make a ton of money but I could own a litre bike and pay the insurance (I would just have to eat ramen noodles alot).  And I do lust after some larger displacement bikes but not really for the increase in HP.  I really like the looks of the newer ZX-6R, Z1000, R6, R1, RC-51, 600RR, 1000RR (specially the Respol repli), Duc 749... well all Ducs and MV Agusta F4.

I picked up my 04 GS500f for peanuts really.  I am a new rider (3,800ish miles) and will learn to ride and wrench on my simple bike that can still smoke most cages off the line and go wayyyyyy f'n faster than I want to on road marked with speed limit signs.  Is it as pretty as a Ducati 999S... no, but I bought it for what a few services on that Duc would cost.  Do I want to own a Duc or maybe eventually a Gixxer, RR or ZX, yeah, but mostly on just cosemetic value (not really power/money) and be well past the fear of dropping/crashing it from some newbish mistake.

Hello everyone,

Here's my take on owning a GS500E after 30 years of motorcycling -- in all the years I've been riding, I've always felt that bikes under 600cc are more nimble, cheaper to maintain and better on gas. But also I think they provide plenty of performance for American roads where the speed limit is a maximum of 65. The 150 mph potential (and higher) of so many street bikes is overkill on public roads. There are no places to safely go that fast except on a racetrack. And besides, my GS500E goes plenty fast for me on the street or highway. There's plenty of passing power and oomph to get out of the way of other traffic on the street, I think.
I've owned my share of fun screamers, a 1975 Yamaha RD350 (two years) , a 1984 Yamaha RZ350 (eight years), and several four-cylinder bikes -- a 1982 Suzuki GS550MZ Katana (one year) and a 1975 Honda CB400F (nine years), but again all of these were smaller, more nimble bikes.
I chose my used 1991 GS500E in 1993 right after my daughter was born. With two children (including one infant) in my life, I had to choose between riding my incredible but aging RZ350 or constantly fixing it (high-strung bikes can be very maintenance intensive). I decided riding was more important to me than fixing my RZ every weekend, so I sold it for $1800 and bought a used two-year-old GS that had only 136 miles on it. I paid $2,000. I've never looked back.
My GS500 has taken me to Wisconsin and back over a long weekend (1000 miles each way), given me thousands of miles of pleasure and wonderful memories (OK, riding back from Connecticut with the fuel petcock fuel starvation problem on I-95 was NOT a good memory as my bike stalled over and over again as traffic zoomed around me .... ugh) and been simple to maintain. I do all my own work, from valve adjustments to  everything else (I used to work in a motorcycle shop in high school).
Great gas mileage, easy maintenance, bullet-proof engineering, nice looks, adequate ride for commuting or even touring, CHEAP insurance, plenty of fun-factor and I still get people telling me they are shocked when I tell them it is a 1991 GS500 because it is in such nice shape.
Every single time I pull my helmet on, I smile.
Every single time I turn the ignition key and hit the starter button, I laugh with glee.
Who needs drugs, man?
I've got a gorgeous metallic blue Suzuki GS500E that clears the cobwebs from my head and makes me happy every time I swing my leg over and take it for a ride.
And that's why I still have it, 12 years after I bought it.
Bigger and newer bikes are faster and sleeker and shinier, but I get all the fun I need from my beloved 500E. OK, if I could have anything I wanted, I'd love a new MV Agusta or a lovely Ducati, but the price tags of those bikes are not in my world anytime soon. But I'd love those bikes for their looks and grace, not for their performance, which is way over what you can use safely on the street.
I don't need a rocketbike to prove I'm a motorcyclist. Thirty years of riding in every kind of weather and on a multitude of bikes does that.
Good luck and stay safe.
Yours,
Todd

(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/trwhouse/SuzukiandmeinMadisonAug1998.jpg)
(This is my Suzuki and I at Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisc., after we arrived there in August 1998 on our weekend trip. I'm a newspaper reporter and wrote a great column about the adventure if anyone would like me to share it.

Quote from: TrwhouseI've got a gorgeous metallic blue Suzuki GS500E that clears the cobwebs from my head and makes me happy every time I swing my leg over and take it for a ride.

:mrgreen:

I have yet to get one(I am still tying to convince the wife), but I have decided on this bike for pretty much the same reasons as already posted by others before me. I will be learning so I don't need the big bike. The only good track around here is a 1/4 mile dirt track and it's for cars only. The support of the people in this forum is great. I have not seen a site this good for the other bikes. Here you learn about repair, mods, and safe riding. I will go elsewhere when I want to learn how to do a wheelie on the freeway wearing flip-flops. What the hell, I'll just throw a "R" sticker on the side and pretend to have a "cool" bike to ride around town.

I am another newb, just got my license a few months ago.  I love my GS (1989 with 50K+ miles).  I paid $200 for it (yes it actually worked) and have since put some more money in it replacing parts that wer ejust worn out (brake disks, shock, tires) but the mechanic said that I won't have any problems for a long time as far as he can tell (great mechanic in San Jose if anyone is looking).  The bike is small, I can easily straddle it unlike my girlfriend's SV650.  It has good power, great handling and a cool look.  I will likely upgrade to a 600cc sport bike in time, when I can afford it and when I feel a need.  Right now I feel the GS is able to do everything I want to do.  It gets me to work every day and is a fun playtoy on the weekends.  What more could I ask for?

I have a lot of sympathy for the writing of TRWhouse, after 35 or so years of riding. My first bike was a Suzuki X-6 Hustler, which I rebuilt from parts in a box, and rode around Blacksburg VA for a couple of years 1968-70. It would go on remote 2-track and single-track trails in the woods, and of course out-accelerate just about everything on the highway.

I bought a new GS400X in 1978, and rode it for 26 years all over WV and it couldn't be beat for on-road and off-road hot-dogging around. It went as fast as I needed to go, and I could pick it up if it fell over in deep mud. When I found out that the current GS500 engine was nearly identical to the old 400, I couldn't resist, so I found a 2001 used for $2700 and bought it. I'll happily ride this one until one or both of us drop.

Mike Harman
St. Albans, WV

hhaha, damn people lots of responses

i am new here, and the reason i said its irrelevant is when someone new pops up on a forum with any sort of opinion, or intelligent question,  its not uncommon for people to respond with all manner of thoughtless things, its nice to see something different.

no matter what peoples opinions on any of these topics its nice to see intelligent responses, im more of the live and let live kinda person, i got fast bikes, slow bikes, loud bikes, small bikes, i love em. i think its great to have a bike for everything. the gs is my bike for saving huge amounts of money gettin around. im kinda in the same position too, i picked mine up for dirt, was gonna sell it, and didnt bother, and now im glad i didnt, gas is rediculous.

anyhow, thanks for all the responses.

Quote from: RVertigoI'm poor...  But, I ride the GS 'cause I love it...  And I REALLY hate plastic.   :lol:  I was thinking about losing the rear plastic...  Hmm...

Already did it. I'm going true streetfighterz with this one. hehe  :guns:

Quote from: qwe....my question is this, are the majority of users here because they simply cant afford faster more powerful bikes, or are they here because they choose to ride a gs or hawk.....

I had a TLR for the street when I bought the GS as a track bike. I wanted another cheap track bike, one that I did not care if I tossed it down. It is fun to out turn the expensive bike. Yeah I can get past in the straights but any idiot can go fast in a straight line. Last time at Jennings I was turning the almost the same lap times as some of the big bikes.

I can afford faster.  I don't want faster.  I am not a beginner, either.

I want:
- Nekkid (looks good to me)
- Small (light, low bikes make me happy)
- Mechanically simple (no water pumps, can do 99% of maint myself)
- Inexpensive (so I can buy more toys)
- Good gas mileage
- Upright seating (with risers)
- Peppy enough to ride two up without sacrificing any of the above
- Fun to ride / handles well / fits me

But that is just me...

Quote from: seshadri_srinath... The GS is like a 8 girl that never stops trying to please you ...

I hope you didn't mean 8 year old girl here :)


but back to the question....for me GS was/is a cheap starter bike...at this point I can't ride it well enough to think i need something sportier...when thats going to be the case, i'll upgrade...whether or not I'll keep the GS for commuting purposes, I have no clue

Quote from: Slavik

Quote from: seshadri_srinath... The GS is like a 8 girl that never stops trying to please you ...

I hope you didn't mean 8 year old girl here :)

<snip>

Smarty pants ... eh ...  :guns:  :guns:  :guns:  ...
Cool.
Srinath.