I haver read that the GS500 is slow to warm up and can stall easily. Is this true? This answer is important to me as I an considering becoming a motorycle courier and need something that can warm up quickly and not stall in first gear. It is referred to as a cold hearted beast on some reviews, on eopinions. The reason why I am considering this bike is I am going deaf with my current bike that is too noisy. I heard the GS500 was super quiet. This is the main reason I am interested. How would it compare with a Honda CB400SF VTEC in regards to noise. I've had ringing in my ear for the last four months. Very keen to find the quietest 500cc motorbike on earth.
Any Air Cooled bike needs a bit of warm-up time for it to run right. In my experience the duration is proportional to the ambient temperature. In the Fall-Winter-Spring, below 45°F, my bike needs a good 3-4 minutes of idling before starting off, and then it still needs a couple more minutes with half Choke on before the bike behaves like it should.
Running with the Choke on is not a problem and the bike is peppy as always. If she sputters, I put more on -- if she rev's too much I cut back. But this is the "worse case" I've experienced.
Now the good news. Once it's warmed up, no choke is necessay. I've started off after stopped for 30-45 minutes and the engine is still warm and the choke is only used to start and not used to ride with.
If this still troubles you, there's also the Kawasaki Ninja 500R to consider. That one is liquid cooled and is reportedly less tempremental. I didn't like my fit on it hence didn't buy it.
Depends on your local climatic conditions, I don't have a lot of problems providing the bike is used regularly and battery is OK.
We have fairly chilly but not artic winters with a lot of fog and dampness which sometimes seems more problematic than the cold. I follow the Suzuki handbook advice for cold starting, full choke, no throttle, keep at around 3000 rpm for about 30 seconds then ease off the choke. Works for me.
Yeah, warm up isnt as bad as some people say. no, no no.. actually, it might be. Let me try again..
If you rejet it will be no problem at all. I get on, set full choke, start it. Sit for 10 seconds. Turn the choke down for fear of waking the dead. I then get it to warm up at about 1.5k or so. Get in the street, go. About a block later, remember to turn the choke off. If it seems like (when I'm stoped at a light or something) it wants to die (or does die) turn the choke on a small amount. Go.
The first light for me is about 15 blocks away, so as long as I get away from the stop sign by my house, I just kill the choke and am fine. I did a few days at about 38 deg F about a month ago; didn't need to do anything special. I think If I lived in a 70 deg place, I might not even need half choke ever.
*short version: ride with the choke, turn off as soon as you get going. Turn on if you happen to stop soon.
Quote from: heiwa on January 19, 2006, 12:31:31 AM
I haver read that the GS500 is slow to warm up and can stall easily. Is this true? This answer is important to me as I an considering becoming a motorycle courier and need something that can warm up quickly and not stall in first gear. It is referred to as a cold hearted beast on some reviews, on eopinions. The reason why I am considering this bike is I am going deaf with my current bike that is too noisy. I heard the GS500 was super quiet. This is the main reason I am interested. How would it compare with a Honda CB400SF VTEC in regards to noise. I've had ringing in my ear for the last four months. Very keen to find the quietest 500cc motorbike on earth.
A simple rejet solved the problem - look at the jetting matrix. Using standard pilot jet and lifting the needle makes it warm up and run almost instantly and cost is under $20 if you do it yourself - may want to bump the main one on an older bike even if you do not go the pod and exhaust route - but mainly the pilot and a washer or two under the needle on pre-2001 if all is stock. If a 2001 or later you can bump the mid-main up one instead of raising the needle.
I have stock jetting and don't think the warm up is that big of a deal... It was about 40° when I started my GS with Full Choke... I threw my stuff in the top case, zipped up my jacket, put my helmet on, then gloves... Turned the choke to about half and rode off with some tender care... Once you're used to it, it's pretty easy...
The colder it gets, the longer it takes to warm up. If you're REALLY concerned about it, get a Fuel-Injected Water-Cooled bike.
A stock GS might be cold and if you're not very good with the clutch it will stall. Eisenfaust is a member here who is a courier in San Francisco, pm him, or do a search for all his posts (insert his username). Even when I got mine it only took a minute to warm up, and that was stock! (Or, maybe I only let it warm up a minute, but I've never had any problems) Since then I have rejetted to srinath standard and still only wait a minute before riding off. And, since you're a courier, I imagine you're not sitting much, so the only time you would have to worry about warm-up time is first thing in the morning.
That sums it up quite well. I am sure you will be much happier with the GS 500 as the NINJA is quite fugly plus I found it uncomfortabile as hell.
Quote from: RedShift on January 19, 2006, 05:22:34 AM
If this still troubles you, there's also the Kawasaki Ninja 500R to consider. That one is liquid cooled and is reportedly less tempremental. I didn't like my fit on it hence didn't buy it.
It's not. Only bikes you'll be able to find that will skip this problem are fuel injected.
pssh my bike is loud as hell.. sets off car alarms sometimes..
I'm planning to buy ... perhaps ... a 2005 model new. the problem was the open face helmet and the wind ... I think ... and the lack of ear plugs ... but the reason will never ever be sure ... im philosophically about it ... i guess this is a bum trip for past misdeeds, karmic, My present bike thrashes like hell, very high revving. Its a grey market Kawasaki ZR250. Whether its engine sound or wind I don't know. Suffice to say, I now wear ear plugs, and full face tight fitting helmet. Although ...... be warned ...... the problem started after I bought the ear plugs, doctor sees dent on my ear drums. 4 months of hell, would be bearable if it wasn't so hight pitched. bit like what the FBI did on the people at WACO with their high pitch siren noises ...... ha ha. I can empathise with them.