I was removing my yellow warning stickers, when I noticed that she was made in Europe! I, always assumed the GS was made in Japan. Apparently, they have other assembly plants. Is this common with other motorcycles?

Yes.  She is from Spain.  There are several posts discussing the issue.

I know BMW started out making engines for other motorcycle companies in 1921 and didn't make their own brand motorcycles until a couplke of years later.  I'm sure other companies have histories where they have made bikes for someone else or had someone else make bikes for them.

- Porkchop

Suzuki said while investigating my warranty claim they would speak to the factory in Brazil about their QA measures....

I said Brazil... they said yes all of Suzuki's budget bikes are made there now. 

Oh no! No wonder poor Suzi seems like she has a split personality at times. Doesn't know where her roots are... 

Made from spanish parts or all parts from Japan? Such as the engine?
Has the workmanship/parts changed after changing to Spanish made?

AFAIK, the engineering and specifications are still from Japan. That means a lot.

Mine was made in Spain also.

Quote from: burning1 on March 26, 2011, 02:43:32 PM
AFAIK, the engineering and specifications are still from Japan. That means a lot.

i think id rather have them be from spain....

Just think, you now have   European Bike without the usual costs of European bikes 

Michael

A run down on the Suzuki Spain factory, including a photo of our babies on the production line, available at:

http://www.acem.eu/NWSL/newsl12/suzukiplant.htm

And pop over to:

http://www.mototres.net/noticias/curiosidades-mototres/4-mototres/37-raices-historicas-de-la-fabrica-de-suzuki-en-gijon.html

and you can do an auto translate of a 4 page story about the factory (with just the briefest of refs to the GS500)

Honda make/assemble smaller models in Brazil, the CG125 was first marketed here in UK as "The Brazilliac" Honda make their big bikes for Euro market in Italy. Because of the Japanese insurance regs and the rider has to be able to pick up his bike from a padded mat to get his/her papers there is not much call for big bikes in Japan. I am told the market is dominated by 25os and 400s.
Logic would dictate that other manufacturers would do something similar. I can verify  that there are loads of GS500 bikes zipping around Madrid, also Rome. Oddly enough my 03 GS500E was made in Japan.

 Sí   

OMG I just went out to look and yup mines made in Spain too. 

Thanks for this eye opener.

Its still japanese engineering, my bike was made in Spain, and my honda civic was made in America.  Both are super reliable and made quite well. One millimeter over here is still one millimeter in Spain.

Wonder for how much longer the GS500 will be coming out of the Spanish factory. The Euro 3 regulations pushed the bike off the European markets. Sales of the bike are now, apparently, focused on US/AUS. Aus sales for 2009 saw about 300 GS500s sold. Looking at US reports of discounted 09s - and maybe even some 08s - being available, it would seem that sales haven't been too flash. Things were so rugged for the Spanish Suzuki factory that it went onto short working weeks in 2009. Great bike but, maybe, it's in sight of its last days on the production line.

Quote from: noworries on March 28, 2011, 01:20:09 AM
Wonder for how much longer the GS500 will be coming out of the Spanish factory. The Euro 3 regulations pushed the bike off the European markets. Sales of the bike are now, apparently, focused on US/AUS. Aus sales for 2009 saw about 300 GS500s sold. Looking at US reports of discounted 09s - and maybe even some 08s - being available, it would seem that sales haven't been too flash. Things were so rugged for the Spanish Suzuki factory that it went onto short working weeks in 2009. Great bike but, maybe, it's in sight of its last days on the production line.

Sales for 2009 up to September for GS500 were 557
Sales for 2010 up to September for GS500 were 490

Averaging over 10 sales a week. - that's new bikes and doesn't include 2nd hand dealer sales or private sales.

Above information provided by Brisbane's Channel 9 News Reader Andrew Lofthouse as seen below...





Have sales dropped? Yes. BUT, for the previous eleven years sales had been increasing at around 10% per year in Australia. So a 20% drop only takes it back to sales levels of a few years ago. Hardly anything to close the company over.

Sure, the EU 3 Emissions Standards has killed off bikes. And the bike might be dead in California for the same reason. But overall sales are quite good and exceed those from Boutiquie Manufactures like Moto Guzzi and MV Augusta who only sold 142 units all up and 87 units all up respectively for the same time period. I agree, though, that the days are numbered for New GS500s in their current form.

Michael

Excellent recent data, Mister. Tx. I wonder how Suzuki Spain are making the GS500 components? Are they into continuous production of frames and motors etc or do they produce batches of components and then assemble "at leisure"? Anyone know? I see on my bike some of the plastic components have little date stickers that are not aligned exactly to the bike's July 09 build date...for example, the rear mudgauard has a Feb 09 sticker on it.

Here's the 2010 Suzuki Annual Report which includes data on m/c production/sales:

http://www.globalsuzuki.com/corp_info/financialinfo/pdf/2010/2010-1.pdf

Quote from: noworries on March 28, 2011, 06:20:51 AM
Excellent recent data, Mister. Tx. I wonder how Suzuki Spain are making the GS500 components? Are they into continuous production of frames and motors etc or do they produce batches of components and then assemble "at leisure"? Anyone know? I see on my bike some of the plastic components have little date stickers that are not aligned exactly to the bike's July 09 build date...for example, the rear mudgauard has a Feb 09 sticker on it.

Components have to be on the shelf before you build the bike. Components that could be common across many products might be on the shelf for many months - like springs, bolts, lights, chains, sprockets, etc. The date a component is made I think is irrelevant to the final assembly date. More cost effective to make 1000 of something and store them than to make one-zies as needed (which is why a custom bike is so expensive)

Assembly lines are set to make a product. Then switched to make a different product.