GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

I just got an offer I almost cant resist, my friend of 18years is selling his excellent condition zx6r. He will put it on craigslist for $5000 (its actually worth more than that but he needs it gone by winter) if I dont buy it soon. But he will sell it to me for $4000, its an 06 zx6r 636 with just over 10000miles on it. the fairings are in good, not great, shape (had a low speed tip 2 years ago). Everything on the bike works flawlessly and its dyno proven 110whp 43lb/ft in street trim, and 122whp 45lb/ft in race trim (I was the one who dyno tuned it for him). its only moderately modified (I helped install many of the parts) and has had impeccable maintenance.

I just dont know what to do! I love his bike, he and his bike are like brothers to me along with the rest of his family who helped me out of trouble and gave me a place to stay many times over the years. I almost feel obligated to buy it.
BUT...

I love my GS500F just as much, it has been incredibly reliable and fun not to mention fuel efficient and cheap these last two years. Honestly if my GS made 10-20 more horsepower I would never sell it, I dont need 110whp, but more than 44whp (what my gs makes) would be amazing. Also being able to go over 130mph (indicated) would be awesome considering my car will do 150mph (actual). Just to note; the zx6r will do over 170mph (indicated), Scott (my friend) has done it, I have ridden his bike before but was scared poo-less by 160mph and let off. it was still pulling very hard. Its un-godly fast, When I took it on the freeway once I power wheelied from 20-120mph, Then I short shifted in to 4th gear to get my bearings straight. Its SOOO much quicker than a gs500 its hard to describe, it gives me tunnel vision.

sorry to blather, but you can see that I am scared of the zx, respect its capability's, and love it. and want it. but I also love and respect the gs, however there is not much more I can do to/with the gs. I never feared its power, I have no unused rubber on the tire, and can top it out without hesitation, without going on a race track (which I have no intention of doing) I have almost maxed out the 500 both in terms of speed and handling. I have hit my feet, pegs, and centerstand in turns many times. In fact I ride the gs so hard every day I feel bad for it just because there are no surprises left.

The gs500 is my 3rd bike and not my fastest, my old 82 yamaha seca 650 was the fastest ive owned. but the gs500f has been the funnest and has taught me the most. I only want the zx6r for it vastly superior power (in fact possibly too much power) and better handling (higher g-load capability) but I dont know if its worth the cost in money and MPG and ease of service.

yes! buy the 636...you won't regret it! GO now!

You should trade the GS on a Cossack. (http://classic-motorbikes.net/images/gallery/cossack_voskhod_small.jpg)

Quote from: the mole on August 14, 2010, 10:42:41 PM
You should trade the GS on a Cossack.

whats a cossack?

Ancient Russian motorcycle that's twice as heavy as a zx6 and half as powerful as a GS. :D

(http://classic-motorbikes.net/images/gallery/cossack_minsk_small.jpg)

If you've lost interest, sell it and move on.  Go scare yourself on the 636 for a while.  It will be fun! (just don't die).

Bikes come and go.  There's always more.  Buy the 636 and sell it for what you put in a year later.  Then buy...whatever you want.  They don't get mad or jealous like women.  :D

you know the history, maitnence and everything, its like your own old bike already. DO IT.

If I do sell my gs, a member of this forum will get first dibs. So for everyone's record, my bike is a 2007 GS500F with ~11000miles; it has been tipped over twice, once by the PO and once by myself, once on each side. The fairings are scratched but there are no cracks or missing pieces and a good paint job would fix it 99%. There is minor scratches on both engine side covers but again nothing major that paint couldn't fix. Nothing on the bike is bent, it tracks straight with no hands, and nothing is loose or sloppy.

The bike has been pretty substantially modified, here is a list of all the mods (I can remember anyways).

fenderectomy

NGK DPR9EIX-9 plugs----------(one heat range colder than stock and iridium, I also have stock and stock iridiums)

15T front sprocket -------------(I have a stock 16t as well)

Jardine full exhaust, only a few months old ----------------(I have the stock exhaust too) [$330]

K&N lunchbox ----------------------(I have stock intake as well) [$45]

20-62.5-152.5 jets, 1 washer, 3.5 turns on the mix screws -------------(also have stock jets) [$90 including dynotune]

timing advance 6*------------------ (fully adjustable from -3 to +6)

flushmount signals on the front and small arrow signals on the back [$45]

Tommaselli clipons over tree, fully adjustable [$90]

sv650 throttle ---------------(have stock)

20w forkoil

sport demon tire on rear and BT45 on front

Buddha fork brace [$25]

Goodridge SS lines front and rear---------------- (still have stock ones too) [$90]

Zero gravity double bubble in light smoke--------------------(have the stock screen) [$90]

GSXR600 pegs---------------------- (have stock ones as well) [$10]

New RK clip-type X-ring chain ---------------(unused) [$80]

Modified 4 position petcock---------(ON-RES-PRI-full open ON)

There are more but they are small and I cant remember them all, I will update this as they come to me. There are over $900 in mods listed and there are probably $50-$100 worth more that I cant remember, not to mention the impeccable maintenance I have given it.
I use nothing but Full Synthetic Castrol Power RS R4 4T oil and a K&N-133 filter every 3000miles, I lubricate any and all moving parts at least once a month. Also I just checked the valves this weekend and will have the new shims in tomorrow.

The carb jets and ignition timing were dyno tuned by yours truly and Brian Turner of Dynotune Motorsports. It makes 44WHP (stock was 39whp) and will do 130MPH (stock was 114mph).

I am located in Dublin Ohio, If there is any potential interest I may just get it over with. This indecision and anticipation are killing me. It hurts just to talk about selling her  :sad:

I didn't even get to read the whole thing, but you should definitely buy the 636. My favorite ones are the 03-04s, but I'm warming up to the 05-06. Definitely look like great bikes!

I did not vote, but can you afford to have both bikes?

Two bikes would be pretty sweet......but the 636 you will LOVE......I am certain of it! :cheers:

I can afford to have two bikes but My garage is full enough with my car and 1 bike in it. also I would pick a favorite bike and never touch the other one. Plus I have no interest at all in having two bikes.

Is there anybody who would possibly be interested in buying my gs? If I can get it sold quickly I will do it. I want $3500.

I know "post it in the for sale page", I will if there is any interest. If not I will put it up on craigslist.

You shouldn't have any problem selling it on craigslist in a few days. I currently have the GS as a second bike and the only time I ever touch it is to keep the battery charged and the gas from going bad. It would be easier just to have the one.

If you won't ever ride it then sell away.  Especially if you can pull enough bread to only need $500.  Mine is in the price range that I wouldn't make enough to make it worth the sell so I would just keep it, especially after all of the stuff I have just done to it.

Have you ridden the 636 yet?  You are gonna be jazzed by the power difference and the handling of it.  After you ride it there will be no question me thinks.  I am not downing the gs but there is no comparison.  (cue the squidcycle remarks from the peanut gallery)

Keep us in the loop fo sho!

:cheers:

Quote from: Firewalker on August 16, 2010, 08:15:24 AM
If you won't ever ride it then sell away.  Especially if you can pull enough bread to only need $500.  Mine is in the price range that I wouldn't make enough to make it worth the sell so I would just keep it, especially after all of the stuff I have just done to it.

Have you ridden the 636 yet?  You are gonna be jazzed by the power difference and the handling of it.  After you ride it there will be no question me thinks.  I am not downing the gs but there is no comparison.  (cue the squidcycle remarks from the peanut gallery)

Keep us in the loop fo sho!

:cheers:

I have ridden the 636 many times, my brother has one as well so im well-versed in its capabilities. it was actually after riding my friends 636 for the first time that made me realize just how (whispers) slow the gs500 really is. The only down sides are the  636 gets 8-12mpg less and its no where near as flickable. also its a pain in the #^(&!*% @$$ to work on.

If I cant get $3500 out of my bike then im not gonna sell it because of all the money, pain, blood, sweat, tears, and love that have gone in to it.

that is a great deal. plus you worked on it so you know it was maintained correctly.

I had no idea how slow the GS was until I rode another bike for a while then got back on it. I was giving it a little gas and letting out the clutch and it just didn't want to move. I was sitting there like "what's wrong with this thing.....??" Ooh yeah, you need to rev it to 4k rpm just to get it to move, haha. It is nice how easy it is to toss around, but you get used to the handling on bigger bikes and learn how to throw you weight around instead of just steering the bike everywhere. There's definitely times you'll appreciate how stable the 636 is as opposed to flickable.

Quote from: tt_four on August 16, 2010, 12:09:46 PM
There's definitely times you'll appreciate how stable the 636 is as opposed to flickable.

Rode my friends GSXR1000 this weekend and I agree. Although it was a bit too much power for me right now.

I've got about 40k over the past 10 years and a gsxr1000 still scares me to death. I definitely wouldn't mind trying one out for the fun of it, but I have absolutely no desire to actually ride one the way I enjoy riding. The fastest I've ridden was a cbr900rr, and while it was fun around a parking lot, who knows what good it would've actually done me leaned over half way through a turn.

Any pictures of the 636??

Man that gixxer 1k is a beast!!!  No doubt.  Had a friend who would pull me every time down the drag strip on his.  I was more worried about looping my cbr than a good 60 foot time so that was part of it.  I think at the time they were throwing down 175hp on the ground.  Mine around 140.  Not sure what the 636 makes.  I can see what you mean by the GS being flickable as it feels very very nimble to me.  My CBR wasn't as nimble but still very tight in the twisties and would carve a line like nobodies business.  Knee down, draggin the peg feelers........yeah like that.  A lot of the guys I rode with were on 636 and they were very much in the formation.  Not left behind. 

I think the 636 made about 125hp.

The one bike I think I would have fun on, just for being over the top ridiculous was that first generation zx10r. Not sure if they came out in 03 or 04, but they just proved that as crazy as bikes are, companies are still holding back because that bike was so fast they actually toned it down the following years. For some reason they assumed we were good enough to handle it. Either way those things went 115mph just in 1st gear. I could literally ride around all day without shifting out of first and you could pull on the highway and I'm sure lift the front wheel while you're sitting down going 85-90mph by nothing more than twisting the throttle. I'm sure 2nd gear wasn't much less either.

Scott's 636 (maybe mine soon) made 103whp when stock and now makes 110whp. thats with a conservative street tune on 91 octane, with a more aggressive "race" tune setup for 94 octane it makes 122whp. I have thought about it very hard for a while now and I do want the 636, so I will be posting my bike for sale soon. But, if I cant get ~$3500 then I wont sell it, she's worth too much to me to go for less.