Hey guys.
I'm a proud owner of an 02' GS500 with about 82K KM on her, runs like a champ and looks almost brand-spankin'-new, original paint and everything stock, minus a few minor rust spots near the air-box the bike is CLEAN.
I really like my bike, don't see a reason to trade it - it has plenty of power and will cruise on the highway with ease, good on gas and comfortable on longer trips...BUT...something is off, at least to me.
I've always wanted a bike that can go off-road, took my old CBF250 trail riding quite often and it handled it well. The GS wasn't as confidence inspiring off-road and I ended up crashing in some gravel, luckily my foot took most of the impact and you can barely see anything on the engine block.
That being said - I LOVE scramblers, love retro bikes and would really like something like a Guzzi V7 Stone or Triumph Scrambler, but I can't really afford a new bike now nor will I be able in the next few years due to me starting my degree and whatnot...

TL;DR - My bike is one of the last running examples of a GS500 in my country, and most are either extinct or barely running. I haven't seen one in this good of a condition, and many told me it would be a shame to "ruin" my bike with a Scrambler project, but I have plenty of sentimental value to this bike and doing the project on another bike would mean I'd have to sell this one and god knows how the next owner will treat it...and I don't want that.

So...umm...what do you guys think I should do?

It's not like it's going to be a collector's item that will increase in value if you keep it stock.

Also, do you own it for your enjoyment, or theirs? If you own it for your enjoyment, do what makes you happy.

Short version? Scramble it!

Quote from: TundraOG on April 17, 2017, 06:28:07 AMbut I can't really afford a new bike now nor will I be able in the next few years due to me starting my degree...

Then don't do anything. Ride this good bike just the way it is and focus on prepping for school. Then when you land a fat job after school, you can afford the bike(s) that you really want. This way when the day comes to sell your GS it'll be a breeze. If you chop it up, you'll be stuck with just another questionable mod listed on craigslist.

Quote from: Darkstar on April 17, 2017, 09:36:29 AM

Quote from: TundraOG on April 17, 2017, 06:28:07 AMbut I can't really afford a new bike now nor will I be able in the next few years due to me starting my degree...

Then don't do anything. Ride this good bike just the way it is and focus on prepping for school. Then when you land a fat job after school, you can afford the bike(s) that you really want. This way when the day comes to sell your GS it'll be a breeze. If you chop it up, you'll be stuck with just another questionable mod listed on craigslist.

I agree with Darkstar on this. I really like scramblers, but unless you have the money to toss around, I wouldn't bother with starting a big project like that. Ride your GS until you can afford something more. At that point, you could replace it with the scrambler you really want, or buy a different day-to-day street bike and mod your GS the way you want. In the meantime if you want something you can off road on, keep an eye out for a cheap dirt bike.

Of course this is just my opinion, and you should do whatever makes you happy. I don't think you can truly go wrong with either option.

It'll cost as much as a decent used dual-sport or "scrambler" if you want such a thing for you to mod your GS, especially counting the value you could get by first selling the GS, and you will wind up with a much worse dual-sport in the modified GS than you would if you just bought something made to do that.

If you are dying for a more gravel-road compliant bike then sell the GS and put $2K with what you get out of it and get a used V-Strom or Versys. You'll spend at least $2K hacking on your GS and wind up with a bike that's not worth what you have in it at the end of the day. Or as others have suggested, take that $2K and buy an enduro or dirt-oriented dual sport to complement your GS.

IMHO.

Or just put some knobby tires on the GS. With TKC80s the GS does fine on logging roads since it's basically the same size and geometry of a scrambler already.

TKC80s or tires alike. make a huge difference. the one thing the GS suffers hard on, is since the exhaust wraps UNDER the engine, you loose like 2 1/2" of clearance, and any crest taller then a street curb, is going to hang up on it.. if you could move it, then it would make a world of difference.

Bahhh! What's all this reason and logic? Where's your sense of adventure?!?!?


Seriously though, all good points. Changing the tires is a good place to start, and that's a wear item anyway. Have fun with it, whatever you decide!

Damn, you guys make really good points! Haha 
I think you're right. I probably won't ever sale the GS since I love this bike a LOT, and honestly as a pure street bike I really don't need more than this, plus she does have her charm look-wise, being somewhere in between a sport bike and a classic UJM.
Wish I could afford a dual sport to add to the collection, but I forgot to mention - I live in Israel, and bikes are rediculously expensive here (Payed about 3K USD for my 02 GS which is fairly cheap, a V-Strom/DR650 would cost me AT least double that for an 04-05 model with about 80-100K KM on it, plus insurence is per bike, not per rider, and is about 1300 USD for every bike above 250cc, and that's also one of the main reasons most of us here own only ONE bike).

I guess I'll just have to be happy with what I have - a good, running motorcycle
Happy late Easter, guys!

Wow, insurance is way high!

Granted I get a nice discount on mine for being an instructor, but I pay less than half of that for full coverage on my Ducati 750.

And here's the thing...
If you DO mod it to dirtbike style, there's no need to start cutting things around. Do it so it's reversible, keep all the bits you strip off it, and then the next 'keeper' can rebuild it to standard if he wants.
(Back in the day, nobody thought that grey-porridge ol' Matchlesses, Ariels etc would be worth anything to anyone, so people hit 'em with angle-grinders and chucked away all the unwanted bits... those bits that people are paying $LOTS for now!
If Trump doesn't nuke us all, we may live to see GS500's become collectable).

Yikes. I pay less than $200 a year COMBINED for full coverage on 3 different bikes. (250/500/650cc)

I heavily prefer a motoguzzi or an R series BMW  to a triumph scrambler. The fools put a shim under bucket valve system in the triumph. WTF ? all the triumphs, all the cruisers have shim under bucket.

Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: Suzi Q on April 18, 2017, 07:22:37 AM
Yikes. I pay less than $200 a year COMBINED for full coverage on 3 different bikes. (250/500/650cc)

The sad part is that it's not even full coverage on mine, it's basic life insurance - meaning it only applies if someone is hurt during an accident, and does not cover any property damage whatsoever. I also pay a bit extra to include any damage to property I may cause (I.E crashing into someone's car). Full coverage will cost me about as much as my GS :/

And I think I'll just put crash bars, hand guards, bash plate and a set of 80/20 tires and make due with what I have, and go explore the wilderness

Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 17, 2017, 12:48:14 PM
Or just put some knobby tires on the GS. With TKC80s the GS does fine on logging roads since it's basically the same size and geometry of a scrambler already.

What kind of windshield is that?

That is a Madstad windshield. Expensive, but I'll never own other bike without one. I am easily bothered by wind noise, even with ear plugs.  You can basically ride with your helmet face shield up until you cross 50 mph. Even then you just get a flutter of wind.

http://www.madstad.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.10872/.f

Quote from: The Buddha on April 18, 2017, 07:41:17 AM
I heavily prefer a motoguzzi or an R series BMW  to a triumph scrambler. The fools put a shim under bucket valve system in the triumph. WTF ? all the triumphs, all the cruisers have shim under bucket.

Cool.
Buddha.

triumph has started to turn into a Harley type brand. using old tech, saying "if it works it works, but you're gonna buy us anyway because DAT NAME" they better fix themselves soon, before they start opening shops just selling brand jackets and handlebar tassels.