Hello fellow GS500 owners !

Ok so I love my 06 GS500, but I think its about time i started doing some upgrades to her, and I thought what better place to come but to the biggest GS500 forum on the net

Ok so the things I want to do is:
Stage 1 Dyno Jet Kit.
Bigger Rear Tyre (maybe a 150 or bigger?)
Already Bought a new exaust. (Screaming Demon) See photo.
Ignition Advancer.
and MAYBE a after market fairing kit.

So tell me forum, are these upgrades worth the money? And if so how much performance wise do they make?

Thanks Mark

here is my take on things, but im still kind of new.

dont get the stage 1 dyno kit, instead either buy the individual jets or contact Buddah ( one od the members here) for a kit based on your upgrades (a lot cheaper too).

Bigger rear tire: Why? it wont really give you any more performance, there isnt enough power to warrent it. You can get stickier rubber. I am running pirrelly sport deamons and i love them. but if you ware looking for more tire choices and 150 is the largest you can fit on teh stock rim.  I know several people around here run them.

ignition advancer: do they still sell this?  you may have to DIY.  I dont have experience wiht it so maybe somone else can chime in.

None of those will really make it super zippy.  Remember though this bike is a blast none of that really add that much.  Mind you that didn't stop me from a k&n lunchbox and jets and yosh pipe. none of that really did much for performance though my throttle response did seem better.  

Hey there Mark,

Welcome to the forum.  I agree about don't do the dynojet kit.  Contact Buddah about your correct jets and do it like that.  Don't drill your carb parts!  Sounds like you are on the right track with the exhaust and ignition advancer.  If you haven't seen it yet, the wiki is unreal in how much information it contains.  Many mods/troubleshooting/upgrade advice/part compatibility answers.  You won't believe how much information you can find in there.

Enjoy the ride.....Be safe

Scott

Agree on tire, it will only make the bike look like it may have more power. But it won't. Nothing you can do to bike will give it power to need larger tire.

The jet kit makes it run better down low so go to Buddha and save your $.

If you put pipe on it you get a couple more HP and require more jet changes.

Its fun to do a serious project bike and thats really a good thing. Plus simple mods are fun.

But I think it does not really make any actual sense to try to squeeze more power out of the 40hp GS500. Its a nice 40 hp bike. If you really want more power just go buy a used SV for 65 hp. Or a 600 for 90-100hp. Or any older 600 for 70+.    

You can do a lot with suspension. And bodywork/controls/seating can make a real difference in its behavior on road.

Thanks for all your input everyone.
I plan on having this moto for at least another 2 years untill I'm on my full license.

I am in Australia, I forgot to mention that hopefully that is not to much of a problem.

Reason for the back tyre is I want her to look as good as she sounds, and to me having a fatter rear tyre on it makes her look a lot more better from behind. (Personal Preference)
I also forgot to mention that I wanted the K&N Lunchbox Filter
Also can someone link me to buddhas profile so i can send him a PM please.
Thank you for the welcome Firewalker, been waiting a few days for my registration to be accepted was starting to get a bit edgy
The Wiki will be my next stop

Thanks, Mark.

if you want quicker/faster.... buy a quicker/faster bike  (any 600cc bike) used F4i's are getting pretty cheap these days

you will never get your upgrade $ back when selling your bike.

Be like everyone else here and spend tons of money on your bike.  None of it will really do a thing to make it faster.  But it will sound better and look cool.

Quote from: O.C.D. on August 25, 2010, 07:00:51 AM
Be like everyone else here and spend tons of money on your bike.  None of it will really do a thing to make it faster.  But it will sound better and look cool.

EXACTLY!!  Best response I've read regarding questions like this 

Best mods for the money:

Sonic Springs and 15W fork oil
Kat 600/750 rear shock
Exhaust/Lunchbox/Rejet (Buddha's jets, not dynojet)
Clipons ('89 or aftermarket)

Haven't done the ignition advancer mod yet, but many people swear by it.

If you want a bigger tire, you can swap the rear wheel out to a Kat 600 wheel and fit a 150, or even some 160s!

Seems to me like you want a bike that isnt a GS lol

Here's my recommended list:

0. Any basic maintenance that you haven't caught up with. Especially, clean the carbs and flush the brake fluid.
1. Katana 600 shock (750 shock if you plan to race, or weigh 200lbs+)
2. Fork Springs / Oil / Emulators
3. Brake lines, fluid, SV650 calliper (if you have a 1995 or older bike.)
4. Tires. Mandatory if your current tires are more than 3 years old (check the datestamp.) Otherwise, wear your current tires out first.

5. LEARN TO RIDE!

After the above stuff is completed, you're better off investing in rider training than you are in go fast parts. I get my GS500 around the race track faster than a lot of guys can on a literbike.

I wish you were in the states, I would sell you everything to make it look and sound like you want it to.  upgraded springs and oil in front end? check! upgraded rear shock? check!  lunchbox filter?  check!  rejetted carbs? check! v&h exhaust? check! wider rear rim with matching front rim along with dual front brake disks?  check! everything but the fairing  but it would cost too much to ship to australia

granted, the suspension upgrades would be the only things to make you faster, but none of it will give you much power