Hey, I'm a newbie here. Im thinking of getting a bike after having been out of riding for about 10 years now (assuming the wife gives in...). I started on an 89 GS500e which I kept for about a year and then went on to a Ninja ZX6 which was a great bike. Im now 33 and not looking for a race bike but something to commute on and ride on the weekends for fun / trips. The wife already said she will NOT ride with me so passenger carrying isnt a prioroty anymore. I was looking for A cruiser til someone mentioned the GS500F and it looks interesting.
I would like to know how an 06 would compare to the old 89? I have to be honest I had reached the limits of the bike within a year with it, I was hoping the new bike maybe had a bit more power or was a bit more flickable? Ill admit my bike was 3 years old when I bought it. So would this bike be a good choice?
Let me be the first from the welcoming committee and say WELCOME! :thumb:
I can't say if there is any difference in feel through the years. Maybe an older (Pandy) member who has been around for a couple decades (Pandy), can give you an answer. Just don't trust everyone's replies (mainly Pandy).
:laugh:
Welcome, Lightngsvt! :cheers: :thumb:
And for An.... :flipoff: and (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/dlchris1/whip.gif)
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I haven't ridden an '06, so I can't help you with a comparison between the older models (I had a '92 and currently have a '90). Have you considered purchasing a used older GS to get back into the biking groove, and then making the upgrade decision a bit later? I don't think the power has changed through the years, and from what I've heard, the newer models are as flickable as the older models (and the fairing helps protect ya' from the wind if your commute is a long one). Have you sat on an '06 yet to see how she feels?
The '06 is practically the same as your old '89. I kid you not. The engine is virtually identical, with only minor (and I'm talking MINOR) changes. The biggest changes were the bodywork change and adding of the fairings, the addition of the oil cooler due to the fairings, and the change from a 2-circuit carburetor to a 3-circuit carburetor. The bars also got changed from clip ons to a standard tube bar.
Basically, it's got about 2 more ponies, upright bars, and a full fairing.
To see a fairly definative list of what changed over the year go here:
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Main/YearChanges
yeah, one of the biggest of the few changes was the seat-WAY more comfortable seat on the 01+ bodystyle than on the older style.
It's almost exactly the same bike. If you liked it then you'll like it now. If you want something more, the 06 dosen't have any more, except a fairing.
i have the gs500f and i must be one of the most fastest/insain riders on the board and i love it can get 180 out of it tops and it is so much fun to flick around the twists or rush hour traffic
Quote from: deathlucky on September 11, 2006, 02:28:27 AM
i have the gs500f and i must be one of the most fastest/insain riders on the board and i love it can get 180 out of it tops and it is so much fun to flick around the twists or rush hour traffic
Of course, he's talking about 180 KM
Quote from: annguyen1981 on September 11, 2006, 02:30:50 AM
Quote from: deathlucky on September 11, 2006, 02:28:27 AM
i have the gs500f and i must be one of the most fastest/insain riders on the board and i love it can get 180 out of it tops and it is so much fun to flick around the twists or rush hour traffic
Of course, he's talking about 180 KM
sadly :cry: