GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

hey guys~

I am a beginner...a girl around 5'4 actually...And I am thinking if I should get a gs500F or an Ninja 650....yes I know I AM A BEGINNER....but its just the opportunity of a good price ninja 650 is there...and couldn't resist but ask for some stranger's opinion....Also the Ninja has a WAY lower seat height which I know I will enjoy more....So if u can give me your thoughts (nicely) that would be awesome!! Thanks!!

HEy!  I voted ninja. 

The seat is lower than the gs?  wow, the gs is pretty low.  I like low seat of the gs cause it gives more control, easier to menuever.  You will like that , as a beginner.

sit on both bikes and whatever feels better go with

either one will be fine, that 650r is a very nice looking bike, and fuel injected.   The GS is just classic, very fun to ride.  Sort of old school air cooled/twin carbs.  Easy to work on, with lots of parts out there cheap.

The GS500 and Ninja 650 are both among bikes I check every year at the bike show where I can go from one to the other quickly.  They both feel the same to me and I just checked the mfg specs again and both say 31.1" high seat.

Best choice for a first bike would be a naked GS500 so you can drop it now and then without expensive damage   :)  but we only get the fully faired one since 04 here in the US.

As far as the power level of the 2 compare, the GS500 would be safer but most consider the 650 twins to be about the upper limit advisable for a first bike. 

one thing i hated about the ninjas when i took my MSF course and the one ninja of a freind i rode was the throttle was very touchy and there seemed to be a bunch of slop in the gears. then i rode a GS and it was so smooth

I just learned at the beginning of summer how to ride, and the GS has been a perfect partner. Plenty fast when you want it to be, but plenty docile when you are learning.

I own a GS500e and a '06 Ninja 650, so I can probably answer all your questions. The GS has the lower seat height of the two, which may be the clincher for you, and has a centre stand too. I find the Ninja much smoother to ride due to the FI, and the controls are easy to use with easily adjustable hand levers. I have broken mine in carefully, unlike the ones that have a hard life on the MSF course, and there is no snatch in the transmission or slop, and the throttle response is predictable. The Ninja has poor mirrors though, which are a pain. I like them both, and it often comes down to a coin toss which one I ride each day.

Anyway, ask all the questions you want.

One word INSURANCE. insurance will be cheaper on the 500 than the 650. But also for the 650 you will be able to find aftermarket parts for it easier rather than having to custom make your own.

Hey guys!

Thank you for each of your responses! I think my final decision is stick with my gs500F since it is a better beginner bike =) and insurance is surely costly up here in BC Canada =.="

So I guess I will ride the gs500f for few seasons and then trade in for the ninja 650!! thanks everyone!  O0 O0 O0

Or just keep it.  :thumb:

As a next bike after the GS, I'd step into something better, GSXR600, or something similar, rather than "upgrading" to an EX650, which is still entry level.   I like the GSXR and similar bikes because of FULLY adjustable suspension, a substantial power increase, two more cylinders, and more fun overall. 

This is just my opinion  though, take it with a grain of salt.