I wanted to let GS500F '09 or earlier owners that if you want to install a GIVI top case on your bike the mounting braces and plates on any earlier model of GS will work. GIVI states in their catalog that they only have top case mounts for '04 models or earlier but actually the tail of the bikes haven't changed too much so you can install in later bikes. Let me know if you have any questions. I will post pics. of mine soon O0
Welcome to the forums. I just put mine Givi rack on last weekend! I got helmetHeadCycle to update their website to say it will work from 01-on, too.
http://www.helmetheadcycle.com/product/2262/givi-f526-suzuki-gs500e-2801-29-top-case-mounting-hardware
I think 2000 and earlier requires a different rack.
Here is mine:
(http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/516/givirack.jpg)
I don't think Givi has updated their sites since 04. :icon_sad: Many of their suppliers have done a better job like TwistedThrottle for example, they show Givi F526 rack for 01-04 E models and 04 and newer F models and Givi F524 rack for 97-00 E models still available.
Givi racs for 96 and older GSs are no longer available. This discussion has come up here many times and so far nobody has posted any positive info about fitting a F524 rack to models older than 97, seems like they should fit with little or no alterations?
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productlist/137/90
I think companies make breaks in their model years because Suzuki does that when they change something. Look on parts catalogs and you'll see 89-06 as a set then 97-00. Even though the plastics, tail and so forth are the same, Suzuki changes something else like engine components or something else that caused a break in their groupings. As for fitting rear carriers, I haven't seen anything different between 1989 and 2000. All tail plastics are the same, too, from 1989-2000.