- Bought in Jan '09 w/ 8,700 miles for $1,750
- Low-sided in May '09 w/ 10,700 miles. Repairs cost about $400, but the ugly dented tank was never fixed (not cost effective).
- In Jan '10, with 14,000 miles, needing maintenance service, and new tires/chain/sprockets, I thought about selling as-is for cheap (<$1k). Ended up spending $1,500 for service and new parts and planned to ride it for a long time. I knew the bike wouldn't sell for much more with or without the $1,500 service/parts cost, so it'd only make sense if I kept it for a long time. However, soon after that I decided that it was time to move on from the GS.
- Just sold the bike with 16,400 miles, for $1,475. No mechanical problem, runs well. It took a couple of months on-and-off listing it on Craigslist, but it was a matter of waiting for the right buyer to show up. Not much interest when my initial asking price was $1800, but got more inquiries when I reduced the asking price to $1600. There weren't that many comparable year/mileage GS500 in this price range.
Financially, it would have made a lot more sense to sell back in January '10 for $800-$1,000, without spending the $1,500 first and then sell it for $1,475 only 2400 miles later.
It's a good bike (and an EXCELLENT beginner's bike) and I feel sad parting with it. However, with 3 other bikes (YZF600R, SV650, DRZ400SM) in my garage and over 20k miles of riding experience since Jan '09, it didn't make sense to keep the GS anymore, because my goal is to try out other types of bikes ASAP. The GS's power is adequate, but not exciting when pushed. Its handling is good, but the suspension feels crude, not lively.
I'm thinking about getting an '05 GSX-R1000 or ZX-10R as my next bike, just to see how it is to live with a hard-edged sportbike firsthand. After that maybe a Versys/Vstrom 650/KLR650/DR650/FZ1. The KTM Superduke has me drooling for its pure sex appeal.
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