I am new to the gs forum.  I just bought a gs500 race bike over the weekend.  I ran an ascot/FT/XR500 combo for the past 2 years.  It was loads of fun but i wanted to try out a gs.  It has the stock front end with race tech springs and emulators, a works performance shock, stock wheels, yosh pipe, stock bore, head work, not sure about the cam, smoothbore carbs.  I am asking for any pointers or experience in racing a gs, modifing it, and maintaining it.  Thanks in advance.

Welcome!

Since the bike is almost all set-up, all you really need to do is set-up the suspension to your weight: www.peterverdonedesigns.com/introduction.htm

Where do you race?

Sounds like a bike that I just heard for sale in the CRA

check into a wider 4" or 4.5" rear wheel for mounting race rubber.

and maybe an over-rev limiter if you dont already have one. 

1 ride it like a 2 smoke.....ring the living shaZam! out of it
2 shift between 10k and 11k and you can live there all day long.
     no more power after 10k
3 valves start to float and make bad noize over 11k....
4 B-STONES are cheap and fit stock rims and are good enough for the GS
    a whole lot better than 491's/591's
5 don't spend over 2k on mods...if you do....you will lose $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...buy a RS125 and experience 45HP/160#
6 great for going thru corners fast....sucks getting passed by almost everything on a straight
7 yes, you can highside a GS..... don't ask me how I know.
8 check valves once a year/oil change after every 3-4 th weekend
9 93 is great race fuel !!!!!
10 buy a 1 T down for the front for short tracks 2 T down for really short tracks
11  all sorts of bodywork can be fabbed to fit
12  I'll think of more tues

13..... On the track....YOU WILL BE REPLACING FRONT ROTORS....they turn a lovely shade of blue and warp REAL BAD (DISH)
    try to get the old SBS organic race compound pads if they are still available
    else.....kat 600/750 dual disc front end

Mods....how much money ya got?

There is a lot that can be done...

larger pistons (79mm is largest with stock sleeves but they are not readily available anymore but 78mm's are)
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=14401.0
cams (www.megacycle.com IIRC..page 55)
larger carbs

These will give the greatest gain in hp and there is more but the GS is not very competitive unless it is in a class of of its own kind.

Quote from: l3uddha on January 29, 2007, 04:50:56 PM
check into a wider 4" or 4.5" rear wheel for mounting race rubber.

and maybe an over-rev limiter if you dont already have one. 

over-rev limiter?  I am pretty sure it doesnt have a rev limiter, and anyway you can float the valves by revving it when stock, it revs higher than useful.

Quote from: 94suzuki500 on January 30, 2007, 05:46:18 AM
over-rev limiter?  I am pretty sure it doesnt have a rev limiter, and anyway you can float the valves by revving it when stock, it revs higher than useful.

I know what you mean. One of these can be very useful on the racetrack; especially if you're doing substancial engine work:
http://www.dynoman.net/ignition/dynaRev.html

anyways, here's a link to a GS500 racebike; there are many others floating around:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24211.0

Anyone try an sv 650 swingarm yet?

I did.  It's do-able if you have a machine shop handy because the swingarm's pivot will need to be milled down a bit and a new pivot bolt will have to be fabbed up.

You will have to relocate the upper shock mount. The SV linkage and shock are offset due the rear exhaust.

Also, the s/a is wider by about 3-5mm so it will need to be narrowed.

^yeah forgot about that...we built a brace that mounted a longer ohlins shock, though...from a zx12 or something I Can't remember.  Everything else on that bike was off a ZX12 so wouldn't suprise me...

...complete waste of money is what it really was haha....

I have a SV s/a that I plan on installing on another track bike, eventually. No problem since I make my own upper shock mount.

Ok, I was looking to put a gsxr front end on it and some rear end on with a 4.5 wheel.  I thought an sv swingarm might fit but i was not sure.  Right now it is stock with a 3 inch front and 3.5 inch rear.  I jsut wanted to be able to run slicks.  Right now there is a 150 on the rear on the 3.5 rim and i wasn't sure abuot running another or not.  I was looking into running what i have now, but my brother was looking to build a gs and was wondering about putting different ends on the bike.

Just get a 98+ Kat rear wheel. A lot less work than the SV s/a.

**edited for incorrect content**

get a 98-up kat 4.5x17 rear rim/rotor/caliper mount.....SLIDES RIGHT IN!!!!! NO MODIFICATIONS!!!!!!!!

D is talking out of his a$$ on the 89-97...it is the exact same as a GS

he must be tired...2-3 jobs will do that to ya....

yeah i got it backwards...too much sh!t work sucks

i will correct it

No worries.  Thanks for the input.  I was jsut trying to standardize on a 3.5 front and 4.5 rear to run good rubber instead of running a 150 on a 3.5 rear.

Mak you're quickly flushing this thread down the sh!tter

I have an 03 katana 600 black rear rim that I can get rid of.

Comes complete w/ rotor, bearings, spacers, and the katana sprocket & carrier.

Just swap on the stock GS sprocket carrier & you're all set to install it. You'll need to bend the torque rod, but that's easy. Some without access to a torch have used a farking hammer.

PM me if you want it. I'm pretty flexible pricewise. I can give you pics, but probably not till at least Monday.