Hello everyone, I just got my 2006 gs500f a few weeks ago my first bike.  I think I got a pretty decent deal, I paid 3000 it had 3000 miles on it, just some light scratches on the right fairing where it looks like it was laid down once, you cant really see it unless you are looking for it.

I have come up with a whole bunch of questions but found all of the answers so far on this site and the wiki.  So far Ive done the fenderectomy, have a k&n lunchbox and some new brake pads on there way int he mail.  I will pick up a yoshi pipe in a few weeks when I have money again.  After reading I think i am going to attempt the rejet my self and just change the jets to 20-65-145 leaving the rest alone and see how that works.  I will probably go pick up the washers just in case I need to add 1 or 2.  Im going to wait to install the k&n until I get the pipe so I can just do it all once and be done with it.

Anyway thanks again for all the great info.  Here is a pic of my bike the night I brought it home.  I am in the Mobile, AL area by the way if anyone else is from here and knows so good places to go riding that would be great.  I-10 is a little straight and boring.

Contemplate putting a few thousand miles on it as it is before you mod the heck out of it. 

Quote from: DoD#i on August 25, 2008, 07:24:58 PM
Contemplate putting a few thousand miles on it as it is before you mod the heck out of it. 

yup so you get a basis of before and after

Quote from: DoD#i on August 25, 2008, 07:24:58 PM
Contemplate putting a few thousand miles on it as it is before you mod the heck out of it. 

+1

Just because it seems like almost everyone on this forum is doing a certain mod, doesn't mean its right for you and the way you ride. All the riders who don't do much modding don't have so much to say, so what you see on this forum is not necessarily a representative cross section of the GS riding community. Don't forget that Suzuki engineers spent a lot of time working out what was good on this bike! I'm not saying its perfect, far from it, just saying that you need to make a considered judgement about mods (unless you have money to burn). If you really need something that is quicker, better handling, stops better and looks better then maybe you just need a different bike.

Many posters here have spent money modifying their bikes so that they are just a little faster than.....a standard GS. They're still slower than any 600 sportbike, so what is the point really? You could just save the time and trouble and buy the bigger bike!

Now, before you guys all   me, I'm not saying that mods are bad, just that its worth thinking about what you really want to do before following a crowd, particularly if you don't have a lot of experience, time to sort out the problems (look at all the posts here on jetting issues!) and money.

Most of all, enjoy the ride!   David.

Thanks, I will certainly take all of that into consideration.  I plan on keeping the gs for a while, it having so low miles now I will put as many as I can on it before I sell it for something else.  It seems like a good idea to get to know it better before modding, most of the reason I want to do it is for the learning experience of wrenching on the bike a little, and to make it sound cooler of coarse

If you want wrenching experience, try a simple valve adjustment......I just did mine and what a PITA that is for what should be a simple job! Mind you, I'm just a grumpy old bastard who's last bike was a '72 BMW twin. Now that's a motor designed for home wrenching, total time to adjust all valves=10 minutes and that includes making a cup of coffee!