Just bought a 2004 GS500F, my first bike in 20 years.  Loving the ride so far, but I have a couple of questions (bike didn't come with an owner's manual):
- What's the bottom bulb of the headlight good for, and how do you use it?  Doesn't come on with low or high beam.
- There are two switches on the top of the left side of the fairing: one rocker with Low/Off/Hi, that I think controls the heated grips, and a second one with a little light and on/off, that seems to do nothing.  And before you ask, no it doesn't turn on the mysterious second bulb.  I'm not positive these are stock switches.

Anyone have any wisdom to share?

Great forum, btw... thanks to all the savvy folks who contribute.

Cheers...     Perry.

p.s.: is there anyplace other than Suzuki dealer to get a manual?  ... digital version would be fine.

they are not factory switches where are you located at maybe someone nearby can help out

Wow... that was the quickest response I've ever had on a forum.  Thanks!

I added my location to my profile.... BC, Canada.  Maybe they're stock on Canadian spec bikes?  Probabaly not.  I may need to trace wires.

You may need to check the bulb. I'm not even sure what it's used for but it's called the position light and mines on when ever the bikes on.

I can try emailing a manual if you want...big file, but I can try.  Let me know

Trace wires and/or look very carefully for things that change.

I knew a guy who drag-raced his FJ1200, and had a switch under the seat which disabled the brake light - I don't know why you don't want a brake light when drag-racing, but apparently you don't, or he didn't. You might need to poke and prod to figure out what changes (does the seat get warm, the sound of the horn change, a modulator cut into the headlight circuit, all sorts of stuff it could be.)

Thanks for the ideas.  To be honest, I haven't taken the bulb out yet to check it; it looks okay visually but obviously I should try that... especially if it's supposed to be always on, per GI_JO_NATHAN.  DoD#i, point taken, but this was a 1-owner bike and I get the sense she wasn't the type to be making mods.

AFMO, if you have the owner's manual scanned and want to try emailing it that would be great (zip it up first, of course)... ulmer@shaw.ca.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/more_manuals.html only has teh E but on our home page theres a link where you can purchase one, and the site gets a piece of it too. ( which id be all for), anyhoo got a pic of this bike of yours, and teh mysterious switches?

Hmm. Neither of those switches sound familiar. I'd say follow the wires and see where they lead. Or post some pics of your switches, maybe some others can advise.

Yeah my 2005 didn't have either of those. 

Okay; I'll post pics as soon as I get a chance.  Sounds like I'll need to follow wires.

Cheers....     Perry.

Okay, here's the bike:


...and the mysterious switches:


The H/Off/L toggle is definitely for the grip heaters.  Traced the wires, and turned it on long enough to get warm.  Also found pics of a guy's install of a Symtec grip heater, and he has exactly the same switch.

The other switch I have no idea.  I guess if no one else has these they're both post-factory.  Seems like a clean install; maybe dealer options?  Anyway, if I ever figure out what the other switch does I'll post the answer!  Oh, and I pulled the bottom headlight ('position') bulb, and it's fried, so that explains why it doesn't shine.

p.s.: The big switch appears to have a green 'on' light, but it never lights.  Maybe it's not connected...

Check and see if it is the power switch to the heated grips, If he or she hard wired it to the batery it would cut power to the hi/lo switch as a secondary. Almost like wiring it to the key switch, but the lazy way... lol

Good thought, Chanse.  It occurred to me, but based on my quick test I don't _think_ it's the case.  More testing needed...

Okay, I just did some poking around, and this gets weirder...

The big switch wires lead to a group of wires all tied together behind the left fairing.  There's a thicker black wire that comes out of that group and leads down to a strange sensor or something on the bottom of the chin fairing.  It looks like 6 little metal stubs pointing down out of a ~1" diameter round base.  I took a picture to post here, and now that I look at it it looks like there's an identical sensor (or whatever it is) mounted further back, also on the centreline, just forward of the rear tire.  (I can't get to the bike right now to check.)

What ARE those things??  Are they stock, or some kind of an add-on?

Thanks for any help...   Perry.

maybe some LEDs?

You're kidding... people would really do that?!? 

Good thought, though, and much more likely than any idea I came up with.  I'll check it out.

I don't know if I should post this here, but......
I think this an ex-military patrol bike from the base at Area 51, they were all blue for low visibility at night, must have replaced the decals when they sold it. If you trace the wiring and get those units working, well, you'd better get some flying training first, they're diode-biased positron emitting anti-gravity thermistors. Someone is going to get their butt kicked, those things should have been stripped off when the bike was sold.
They're kind of 'old technology' these days but still work well on something as light as a GS. Just go easy on the throttle when the 'mistors are on. When you want to land just throttle back slowly and lean forward a little, you'l get the hang of it pretty quick.

LOL the weed must be really good over there ...

Could they be electromagnets?  Maybe to make you visible to traffic light sensors?  I've never seen anything like that, but maybe???  I guess you could power them up and see if they have any magnetism.  That would be a cool idea compared to regular magnets, because you could power them off and NOT pick up random metal from the road.