i have been concitering the gs line for a long time. and have looked at alot of the standard ones 90-03 and love them. but i now have a good chance of getting a new bike, and would like to know what some peoples reactions are to the bike, and a few questoins for those lucky owners. first is there storage under the seat? does it preform closely to the non-farring gs's? and any other info would be very much appreciated.
thank you very much in advance.
chris
chris,
The newer GS's are basicaly built on the older platforums in which suzuki painted the frames black 8) Then engine got an added oil cooler which is the single reason why I want one of the GS500F ;) and of course you see the "F" version has the full fairing and the tail pieces are a little bit wider. If you can already spring the money for a GS500F go for it IMHO. But be for warned that the plastic replacement for the fairings arn't cheap :(
under the seat is a negative....I basicaly a lock for your helmet [slid your helmet rings into the clip and push the seat down to lock it]...However I do have my insurance/regrestration in a ziplock bag and duct taped to the top of the fender :thumb: never know when you might have to whip that stuff out
thank you, didnt think that they had a trunk but still thought that it would be worth asking.
My 02(same rear plastics as the 04's) would hold a full size rolled up rainsuit but nothing smaller because there was a good 1 inch gap between the fenders so most suff would fall through the cracks.
I am also thinking about getting the 500F and have a few questions.
Like is it possible to test drive motorcycles from a dealer (I know you can do this with cars/trucks but am unsure about bikes)?
Is this bike comfortable on long drives (100+ miles)?
How well does it start on cold days? Gotta leave the choke on for a while?
How does the dual carbs work? Does 1 carb mix fuel/air for 1 cyclinder and the other carb do the other? or do the carbs trade off doing the work depending on speed? or something i haven't thought about?
How often do u need to oil the chain?
How often do u need to replace the tires (if you drive normally and mostly around town)
Is nuetral easy to find?
How does the bike perform when you have a passenger riding with u?
Thanks
Quote from: Conzar[...] is it possible to test drive motorcycles from a dealer (I know you can do this with cars/trucks but am unsure about bikes)?
Hmmm, couldn't say. It depends on the dealership policy and how they feel about you as a rider/risk, I guess.
Quote from: ConzarIs this bike comfortable on long drives (100+ miles)?
Ah, an opinion question! The answer will vary from rider to rider. In general, I don't think very many bikes ARE comfortable on long rides. Personally, at 100 miles on my GS I'm just getting started. I won't claim to be 100% comfortable, but I'm grateful for the ability to ignore discomfort when it serves no purpose.... (Huh?)
Quote from: ConzarHow well does it start on cold days? Gotta leave the choke on for a while?
Yep, you "gotta leave the choke on for a while", unless you replace the pilot jets (one in each carburetor) with larger ones. At least, the '89-'00 models take a long time to start in the cold.
gsJack has said that his '01+ model performs better than his older '97 in this respect. (The '01+ models have a different set of carbs from the earlier models.)
Quote from: ConzarHow does the dual carbs work? Does 1 carb mix fuel/air for 1 cyclinder and the other carb do the other? or do the carbs trade off doing the work depending on speed? or something i haven't thought about?
Each carburetor supplies a mixture of air and fuel to 1 of the 2 cylinders. Different "jets" (orifices through which fuel is sucked into the carb) inside each carb contribute different proportions of the fuel supply at certain throttle ranges. (See
Motorcycle Carburetor Theory 101.)
Quote from: ConzarHow often do u need to oil the chain?
About every 500-600 miles. Also after riding in a good rain.
Quote from: ConzarHow often do u need to replace the tires (if you drive normally and mostly around town)
Assuming bias-ply tires...
Rear: Figure on 8,000 to 9,000 miles.
Front: Roughly 15,000 miles.
Quote from: ConzarIs nuetral easy to find?
Should be. If you can't find it easily from below (from 1st gear), some folks come at it from above (from 2nd gear).
Quote from: ConzarHow does the bike perform when you have a passenger riding with u?
I can accelerate uphill at 50+ mph with a passenger. You need to pay attention to stopping (start stopping sooner and a little more gently than usual) and shifting (more gently than by yourself). If you're a perfectionist, you can put an extra 5 lbs of air in the rear tire and adjust the preload on the rear shock for a stiffer ride.
Quote from: ConzarThanks
You're welcome. :thumb: