Hey everyone, Im new to the fourm but looking forward to talking with everyone in the future. I just bought a brand new 2006 GS500F and I am wondering what kind of aftermarket support there is for it. Mainly, Exhaust and a Jet kit are the two things that i am looking into at the moment. I have no idea where to start looking, and it would be great if anyone could help me out. Thanks a lot!!
-Matt
Gopherboy6956
well for first u got the search botton, and google. :icon_mrgreen:
just playing with ya. U can get a full system made my laser deeptone for like 480 dollars, ixil slip on (indisuperbikes.com) 380 or old try puting on a vance and hines (those were made for the earlier gs) or u got the option to get a flange made and weld it on. :2guns:
In other words, if you wanted performance, you should have sprung for the extra dough and just bought the SV. New jets aren't bad, but the exhaust will set you back quite a bit.
nick_villan's right though. Search for any thread with the word exhaust with his name as the author, and you'll get a comprehensive list of what exhausts are out there. He's been asking silly questions about exhausts for what, a month now? :)
Word!!!
nick you rock :thumb:
Big Nick! Look at you man, you're a positive contributor to the forum. You threw out dollar amounts and everything. I'll remember this day for the rest of the week.
Dave :cheers:
Quote from: Gopherboy6956 on April 22, 2006, 12:00:11 PM
.. I am wondering what kind of aftermarket support there is for it. Mainly, Exhaust and a Jet kit are the two things that i am looking into at the moment. I have no idea where to start looking, and it would be great if anyone could help me out. Thanks a lot!!
Well, there is not a LOT of aftermarket support for it but there is enough to have some fun. Here are some resources you might want to check out:
http://gstwin.variders.com <-- A Frequently Asked Questions guide to the Suzuki GS500. It has some stuff about mods and performance, as well as a bunch of other things that you might want to know about the GS.
And as nick pointed out, a quick search will yield lots more results :thumb:
Another good way is to just hang out on Gstwin and see what everyone else has done and what everyone else is talking about. Some search you might want to consider:
Rejetting: "2004" + "rejet"
Exhaust: "Wileyco", "Scorpion", "Vance and Hines" + "2004"
I realize you have a 2006, but the same issues that 04 has the 06 has - the fairing issue :icon_mrgreen:
Other popular mods include "progressive springs" and "15 tooth sprocket" + "2004".
oohhh oohhh party over here, finally usefull here :cheers: O0
Quote from: nick_villan on April 22, 2006, 02:21:57 PM
oohhh oohhh party over here, finally usefull here :cheers: O0
One smiley per post please.
Just a suggestion, but you might want to try mods in stages. Particularly when modding the carbs and exhaust, it'd help with ironing out any problems if you dealt with fewer variables rather than a performance air filter, jet kit and exhaust all at once.
-Fin
To build on Fin's idea, you might also want to take a logical approach to mods.
If you get a more free flowing exhaust, you won't benefit as much from the output of air unless you are actually pulling more air to begin with. So if you get a free flowing performance exaust, it only makes sense to pull more air in. :thumb:
Also, do mods that suit your riding style. If you do a lot of aggrerssive sport riding, I'd imagine the best thing you could do would be to get some GOOD TIRES. After that, improve your front SUSPENSION (that is where searching for info on progressives comes in), maybe some sportier HANDLEBARS, and a 15T sprocket and the air intake/exhaust/rejetting. Touring / commuting you might want to look at a larger windscreen, some better grips, a 17T sprocket, etc.
And mods are never a substitute for PROPER MAINTENANCE. A properly maintained bike is way better than an out of shape bike that has some fun goodies.
Thanks a lot guys, that all helped a lot. Yea, i realize that from a performance aspect the GS isn't a big shooter, but that's ok. After putting 85 in town miles on it yesterday (making the grand total on the bike 86...) I really do love it. Stupid 500 Mile break in tho... Anyways, another question I have is when your carrying a passenger, do you have to adjust the suspension? If so, what do you adjust it to? I think the manual said it's set to like, 4 out of 7 at the factory?
For riding two up you need to up the preload on the shock from the stock #4 position to the top of its adjustment, #7. You should also increase your rear tire pressure to 41psi.
Upgrade your suspension first, then go for more power.
As for exhausts: search is good, but watch out for advice from those who approve or disapprove without proper info :nono:. Vance & Hines SS WILL work (I have posted on this before with pictures of my 04) and it is a bargain ($291 shipped from www.discountcycleparts). However, it is a tight fit, so I chose to use stock headers and the V&H pipe to allow for an easier oil change. I highly recommend it.
As for airfilter/rejet: there are some great re-jet guides on this site. Only change your airfilter if you re-jet. I chose dynajet because I wanted to be safe with needles and spacing. I have a K&N pod filter. My rejet/airfilter change from stock was a breeze.
As for suspension: the best mod for the money is to insert 31mm spacers in your front suspension. There is a great link to this mod on this site. It will help with solo and especially with two-up riding. If you haven't noticed already, when you ride two-up you bump helmets due to the stock front fork springs. You should adjust the rear suspension according to weight...don't just twist it to seven. Get on the bike and adjust it until you have roughly 3" of sag when you get on it (for everyday riding...stiffer for twisties). This is the same for solo and two-up. I only adjust my rear to 6 because my gf & I are light.
Lastly: Depending on your height, you may want to invest in a taller windscreen...search the site for links.
Enjoy your bike!
Quote from: twinlove04 on April 23, 2006, 09:37:40 AM
If you haven't noticed already, when you ride two-up you bump helmets due to the stock front fork springs.
I rode two up with my girlfriend on stock suspension for a while. We never bumped helmets. That's caused by poor shifting technique.
Quote from: twinlove04 on April 23, 2006, 09:37:40 AM
You should adjust the rear suspension according to weight...don't just twist it to seven. Get on the bike and adjust it until you have roughly 3" of sag when you get on it (for everyday riding...stiffer for twisties). This is the same for solo and two-up. I only adjust my rear to 6 because my gf & I are light.
According to the GS500 manual, you should adjust your rear shock to position #7 for two up riding, as well as adjusting your tire pressure. Shock preload #7 should be used for anyone weighing over 175lbs anyways, so unless you and your girlfriend are both sub-100, you should probably put it at #7.
Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on April 23, 2006, 09:51:55 AM
Quote from: twinlove04 on April 23, 2006, 09:37:40 AM
If you haven't noticed already, when you ride two-up you bump helmets due to the stock front fork springs.
I rode two up with my girlfriend on stock suspension for a while. We never bumped helmets. That's caused by poor shifting technique.
Quote from: twinlove04 on April 23, 2006, 09:37:40 AM
You should adjust the rear suspension according to weight...don't just twist it to seven. Get on the bike and adjust it until you have roughly 3" of sag when you get on it (for everyday riding...stiffer for twisties). This is the same for solo and two-up. I only adjust my rear to 6 because my gf & I are light.
According to the GS500 manual, you should adjust your rear shock to position #7 for two up riding, as well as adjusting your tire pressure. Shock preload #7 should be used for anyone weighing over 175lbs anyways, so unless you and your girlfriend are both sub-100, you should probably put it at #7.
Hmm...I guess you never had to apply the brakes while riding the stock setup. I guess I'll have to get better insurance and brake less, too. :cookoo:
I read read through my '04 manual and on pages 25, 32-34, and 56-57 relevant to suspension and loading there is NO mention of adjusting to #7 for two-up riding. It makes no sense that a 175lb rider would set to #7. What if he/she carries a passenger...no place to adjust to from there. I weigh 175lbs and when I'm flyin solo, I don't need a setting of #7 unless I'm ridin' with a gixxer pack on serious twisties. When I'm riding two-up, I stick to #6 with more air in the rear tire.
-Patrick
wait then ur vance and hines isnt really a full system, its more of a slip on
Quote from: nick_villan on April 23, 2006, 02:14:17 PM
wait then ur vance and hines isnt really a full system, its more of a slip on
If this post was for me, then try this link where I posted pics:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?PHPSESSID=97196b45c155bd4e5f31ffedd5164519&topic=17713.30
It is to the post "2004 GS500 exhaust" (I think that was the title). No, it is not a slip-on. I modified the full V&H SS system.
-Patrick
ya but do u still get the efect of a full system, beacuse i dont think u would get as good as a flow as u would had u like bought the laser exhaust.
Quote from: nick_villan on April 23, 2006, 02:38:58 PM
ya but do u still get the efect of a full system, beacuse i dont think u would get as good as a flow as u would had u like bought the laser exhaust.
I don't know about the laser exhaust. But since I had the V&H on as a full system prior to swapping headers, I know that the flow through both set-ups a) sounds the same, b) didn't require any mixture screw adjustment, c) has only a minor difference where the stock headers join together (there is a small piece of baffle 1" wide that lines the pipe at this juncture on the stock setup, which I did not remove). Unless there is more baffle material inside of the stock headers that I didn't see I'd guess the flow is nearly the same.
I would love to see the laser and V&H side-by-side. Maybe the laser is better. All I know is that I am very pleased with what I did. For the money I haven't seen anything that comes close (at least brand-new).
Someone posted a pic of the V&H for the yzf600r that he retro-fitted. It looked better than mine, but he said it offered no performance gain. My setup definitely beats stock. If you want the V&H SS headers you can have 'em for free (you ship).
-Patrick
Quote from: twinlove04 on April 23, 2006, 01:31:03 PM
Hmm...I guess you never had to apply the brakes while riding the stock setup. I guess I'll have to get better insurance and brake less, too. :cookoo:
I read read through my '04 manual and on pages 25, 32-34, and 56-57 relevant to suspension and loading there is NO mention of adjusting to #7 for two-up riding. It makes no sense that a 175lb rider would set to #7. What if he/she carries a passenger...no place to adjust to from there. I weigh 175lbs and when I'm flyin solo, I don't need a setting of #7 unless I'm ridin' with a gixxer pack on serious twisties. When I'm riding two-up, I stick to #6 with more air in the rear tire.
-Patrick
I HAVE had to apply my brakes with the girlfriend on. Hard, too. Never bumped helmets. It's all about being smooth. If you pull the breaks suddenly and harshly then yeah, you'll bump helmets; if you're smooth and firm you can avoid that.
As for the shock thing... I stand corrected. I guess I read somewhere else, not the manual, that you should adjust the shock to #7 for riders over a certain weight. Oh well.
Hmm...Interesting. I really went all out, cover to cover in my manual, and it referenced the Tire Pressure and Loading Section, which had absolutely no information on how or how much to actually adjust the suspension. But oh well, that's why i'm here so. Im about 130mi into the 5 hundo mark, it seems like it takes so long to hit this break in period! Gah! Thanks everyone!