Hey guys.
I've had this little argument about modern bikes VS older ones, and one of the points the other person made is seeing as how I ride a 2002 GS500 I would feel vastly different on an old 80's motorcycle...and that got me thinking - seeing as the GS500 was introduced in 1989, had no real changes other than a carb-tweak, a larger fuel tank and some cosmetic details such as a new seat and fairings, and is basically a redesign of the old GS450 twin engine, does it count as an 80's motorcycle? (like the Royal Enfield Bullet for example is a modern-day vintage bike).

It is a UJM, Ok...by description it may not be, but it's close. It lacks the four cylinders and dual shocks.

80's bike?! .. the GS500 is a 'Bike for the Ages!!' .. Age shall not weary them! ~Cue marching band playing Homecoming song~

Quote from: TundraOG on July 31, 2016, 04:46:51 PM
Hey guys.
I've had this little argument about modern bikes VS older ones, and one of the points the other person made is seeing as how I ride a 2002 GS500 I would feel vastly different on an old 80's motorcycle...and that got me thinking - seeing as the GS500 was introduced in 1989, had no real changes other than a carb-tweak, a larger fuel tank and some cosmetic details such as a new seat and fairings, and is basically a redesign of the old GS450 twin engine, does it count as an 80's motorcycle? (like the Royal Enfield Bullet for example is a modern-day vintage bike).

yes

The F in particular is an almost odd mix of 1980s tech covered in a 2000s fairing. Unexpectedly it works well as a combination.

I love this thread

+1 Janx lol your posts crack me up 

Quote from: Janx101 on July 31, 2016, 06:56:36 PM
80's bike?! .. the GS500 is a 'Bike for the Ages!!' .. Age shall not weary them! ~Cue marching band playing Homecoming song~

Spot on Janxy!!!! 

My bit:
Overall it is an 80's motorcycle. Single piece square tube frame. Old style aircooled twin. And covered in steel where later bikes are aluminium or plastic ( hence my "Update the GS500 Project).
Motor has wide long cases with gearbox behind directly behind the crankshaft. Camming is definitely 80/90's. 2 valves per cyl. is pretty rare nowdays.  And last but definitely not least it has carbs instead of EFI, so definitely not a current design. Conventional forks and non gas rear shock is old school.
17" wheels are late eighties, nineties and later. The tiny width rear rim is all 80's.
Cable speedo is so passe.
Round instruments are so old school , you could sell them to a hipster cafe racer builder for a fortune.
Tiny thin fork legs and thin axles are VERY old school.  Front axle retention is 80's and earlier.
Rear suspension linkage design is late 80's but very well done ( except the steel lower knuckle which weighs a ton).

Noughties electronics on the later models is good.
Tank design and plastics are at least 90-teens. Fairing is very new school touring.

Having said that , almost everything works so they left it alone which doesn't happen very often. Carbs are noughties redesign on later models.

One thing that's not 80s is the front wheel, that's a 17 rather than the 16 that was classic 80s and at the time had troubled bikers and orthopaedic surgeons alike.

So what you're saying gregjet. . Bike is old school/retro cool!

Try looking on Google images at the original (mid 80s) GSX-R models and tell me the GS5 doesn't share certain styling elements, particularly in the frame.

Quote from: sledge on August 02, 2016, 10:21:02 PM
Try looking on Google images at the original (mid 80s) GSX-R models and tell me the GS5 doesn't share certain styling elements, particularly in the frame.

Searched for a naked one, bares a really close resemblance to our favorite GS500

If only we had the dual lamp endurance racer fairing though!!!

It seems to me like a natural evolution of an 80's bike. A "Standard" UJM descendant as would be expected to evolve from the older body and frame styles of the past.

The bike is less about being 80s and more about being simple. Sometimes those get conflated.

It's got standard-enough sized wheels so you can put good sport radials on it. It's got decent brakes at both ends. It's got OK suspension that is remarkably similar to the 80s stuff, but so is about 99% of the entire bike population on the market. It's got a simple engine, basic fueling, solid but simple electronic ignition. It's got modern-enough styling, a good stout frame, and it's got the potential for not much money to be a tourer, track bike, commuter, etc.

It's a UJM with skin, and it's a modern-enough buff of that tried and true design, without very many of the crap-elements that make it "retro" or "classic" (ie: frame made of old rusty hinges, original ABS (almost barely stop) brakes, horrible fueling, odd-sized wheels with zero modern good tires, etc.

I love some 80s bikes in theory, and I've got a project one in the garage... but I'll never come to rely on them ever again like I do, currently, my GS500.

So yeah.. it's an 80s bike that has continued to evolve.

Went to pick up some stuff for the bike yesterday and spotted a Kawasaki 800 W, they have out Britished the British at their own game. It's beautiful especially with the bevel drive and organic curvy covers. I want one.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Kawasaki-W800.htm

Not available in USA....the W 650 was...2000 and 2001...A friend of mine has one...

It doesn't even say "Kawasaki" anywhere on the bike!  Everybody thinks it is a Triumph...

But it is a Triumph where everything works a d is reliable!

They come up for sale used once in a while...but mostly they have been trashed...

Check out WM website in Japan...for cafe racer conversion for Kawi W series...

http://www.wmpdt.co.jp/wm_online_shop/english/products/w_400_650_p02.html

Cookie

Quote from: user11235813 on August 04, 2016, 02:24:13 AM
Went to pick up some stuff for the bike yesterday and spotted a Kawasaki 800 W, they have out Britished the British at their own game. It's beautiful especially with the bevel drive and organic curvy covers. I want one.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Kawasaki-W800.htm

Quote from: twocool on August 04, 2016, 05:39:49 AM
Not available in USA....the W 650 was...2000 and 2001...A friend of mine has one...

It doesn't even say "Kawasaki" anywhere on the bike!  Everybody thinks it is a Triumph...

But it is a Triumph where everything works a d is reliable!

They come up for sale used once in a while...but mostly they have been trashed...

Check out WM website in Japan...for cafe racer conversion for Kawi W series...

http://www.wmpdt.co.jp/wm_online_shop/english/products/w_400_650_p02.html

Cookie

Quote from: user11235813 on August 04, 2016, 02:24:13 AM
Went to pick up some stuff for the bike yesterday and spotted a Kawasaki 800 W, they have out Britished the British at their own game. It's beautiful especially with the bevel drive and organic curvy covers. I want one.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Kawasaki-W800.htm

Shame. That looked like a very pretty bike indeed.
[rant]
That's why I hate the US market for bikes. So many good designs don't come here because of Government, "focus groups", and "market demographics" that never seem to get it right. I'd like a choice, dammit!
[/rant]

Quote from: chornbe on August 03, 2016, 08:20:40 PM
It's a UJM with skin, and it's a modern-enough buff of that tried and true design, without very many of the crap-elements that make it "retro" or "classic" (ie: frame made of old rusty hinges, original ABS (almost barely stop) brakes, horrible fueling, odd-sized wheels with zero modern good tires, etc.

I love some 80s bikes in theory, and I've got a project one in the garage... but I'll never come to rely on them ever again like I do, currently, my GS500.

Excellent point. It shows a progression, rather than a continuous cloning of bygone design and technology. Sure the engine is derived directly from the older design, but the frame and everything else is something radically different that Suzuki's previous designs. . .
Oh, and I look forward to seeing that project of yours completed some day.

Quote from: Daeouse on August 04, 2016, 09:18:55 AM

Oh, and I look forward to seeing that project of yours completed some day.

Here's hoping. I drained the oil and an interesting amount of sparkle was in it. We'll see....

Well I guess Ill chime in on this one since I went right from a 1981 Yamaha XS650 to a 2009 GS, what follows is what little I remember thinking when I first started out on the Suzuki.

Points for being a new, "modern" bike

Handles speeds above 80 mph? Check
Actually stops when applying the brakes, instead of just slowing down a bit? You bet
Smooth clutch lever that doesnt require He-man strength? Yup
Comfortable seat not made from something that breathes? Yes again
Bright lights and (gasp) frame mounted mirrors? Yessir

Points for being a vintage design

Do things vibrate loose? Thats a yes, although not as bad as my old Yammy
Air cooled, carbureted, twin valve, conventional forked dinosaur? Check x2
Takes narrow, easy to find, low priced tires? Yes it does
Designed, tested, and built in Japan? No, unfortunately not. Mine needed steering head bearings at 8k miles, no grease at all
Easy to work on, with cheap parts available everywhere? A definite yes, and although both bikes have their quirks, they always start

So, is it a UJM? No, its not. If you want to know for sure why the GS is not an 80s bike, go for a test ride on a vintage machine, and you will appreciate your modern bike that much more.