Hi everyone!

I will hopefully very soon have my motorcycle license, and i have fallen in love with the GS500 as a potential first bike (used), in competition with the cb500 and xj600n (you're free to tell me if those other two are better as a first bike, or something else entirely!). Do you guys consider it a great first bike for someone who has never fiddled with mechanics and will have to learn that along the way? I hear it's easy to maintain but things like carburetor issues scare me, haha.

Now as far as i know there isn't much difference between the 1989-2000 run of GS500 compared to the updated 2001-onwards run - so should i instead just look for low miles/kilometers and of course the overall shape of the bike?

Thanks in advance!

While the GS platform is a good beginner bike, because of its lower power it is indeed acceptable for that. but besides that, if you get say a 2002 GS500, it's a 15 year old motorcycle already. and it's gonna have 15 year old problems. [heh] and requires constant maintenance as far as a motorcycle goes. it's not just chain + brakes + tires + fuel/oil. its ENGINE stuff. Even the newer bikes. it's pretty much the same platform besides the oil cooler, and some gaskets.

Look for something newer, and more modern. is my two cent. even if it has a little more power, just train your brain to know when the right time to use said power, and learn throttle obedience and you will be safe. I 100% regret when I was a new rider, thinking the GS was the go-to platform, and I'm glad to see you posting here asking before you jump on it, kinda wish I had someone like myself now, kind of warn me before hand so at least then I'd have nobody to blame but myself. 

Now if you wan't a suggestion as to what to possibly look for, I'd say if you don't mind a little less sporty looking, a VStrom650. I'd also advise to stay away from "pre" 2012 ABS bikes. they often are jerky and mimic a lot of 1990's car ABS in terms of feeling the pulsing brakes even at mild stopping. sometime's mild stopping makes it worse too. however, the newer stuff has gotten a million times better. so don't shy from something newer if you get a the chance.

Thanks for the input J_Walker. If you where to recommend a streetbike in the same price category (used) as the GS500, what would you suggest?

Personally, the GS as my first bike has worked out great. It has just the right amount of power to not be boring while also being very forgiving. I don't regret my purchase at all. However, it does require a bit more regular maintenance than newer bikes. Luckily, I haven't had any major mechanical problems to speak of.

Quote from: qcbaker on July 05, 2017, 05:44:15 AM
However, it does require a bit more regular maintenance than newer bikes.

There's good and bad in this.

Good? the parts are cheap and abundant, information is readily available, and since the cost is low, it gives a great chance to learn to do motorcycle maintenance, which to me is a valuable skill for the beginner to acquire.

Bad? Well it does require a bit more maintenance.

One thing that's unsaid here is that a newer bike, while potentially more reliable or maintenance-free, will cost a LOT more to repair when and if it needs a significant repair. For example, fuel injection rarely breaks or goes awry but when it does it will cost a lot to repair. Comparatively the GS carbs need regular care and feeding and may seem to require constant attention (BTW in 2K miles, which is not much I know, but mine have been trouble free once getting them properly sorted), but all of the attention they require costs next to nothing.

I was in the same boat as you about a year and a half ago. I ended up with a GS, and I don't regret my decision. After a few thousand miles, I'm ready for a bigger bike, but I'm still perfectly happy with my GS. I'll ride it for the rest of this season, and probably one or two more before I really start looking for an upgrade. Keep in mind, while the GS is "slow" in comparison to most sport bikes, it's fast compared to most cars, which is plenty fast.

If you're interested in learning to work on your own bike, the GS is a good place to start. You're going to run into problems with whatever you buy, but if you're willing to take the time to learn how to diagnose and fix them, you won't regret your decision. Carbs are intimidating if you've never worked on them before, but there's a ton of support here. Watch a couple videos, read a couple threads, and you'll be just fine. If you've "never fiddled with mechanics" you may have a bit more of a challenge ahead of you, but if you have even basic mechanical knowledge, you'll be just fine.

Quote from: JohnnyHeftig on July 05, 2017, 04:39:33 AM
Thanks for the input J_Walker. If you where to recommend a streetbike in the same price category (used) as the GS500, what would you suggest?

Unless you get really lucky, you're not going to find anything like J_Walker is suggesting in the same price range. Most GS500's around here go for less than $2,000, and unless you're willing to buy something older, or completely abused, your chances of finding a newer/faster bike in that price range are pretty slim. Seriously, scroll through craigslist and look at all of the motorcycles for sale by owner in your area. I can easily find 2-3 GS500's at any given time for somewhere in the $1,500-2,500 range.

All that being said, remember that you're on a GS forum, so most of us are pretty fond of ours. There are exceptions (J_Walker and Sledge, among others), but for the most part, the people around here are going to tell you to the GS is worth its weight in gold. I'm happy with mine, and I'd recommend it to other beginners all day long. If your budget allows, I don't think J_Walker is wrong, but if it doesn't, the GS500 is a great beginner motorcycle.

Another note: I highly recommend first spending the money to buy appropriate riding gear. Set aside a few hundred bucks for a helmet and a jacket, at a minimum. If you can spring for riding pants and boots, go for it. Also remember to leave some room in your budget for any repairs your new bike might (will) need.

In 2001 the GS500 was given new bodywork and a 20-liter fuel tank. Wheel rims were painted light gray. All markets got the Mikuni BSR 34mm carburetors that had been used only on French models. Pulsed secondary air injection was used to reduce emissions.[13] In addition to dropping the 'E' designation for the GS500, all Suzuki motorcycles went from using a single letter code for the model year (e.g., 'X' for 1999) to a letter-and-number code: K1 for 2001, K2 for 2002, L0 for 2010 and so on. In 2002 the wheel color became black, and from 2004 the frame was also painted black.

I have had a few pre 2001 GS500s and now my 2002 is the best I've owned...whatever they've done to the new carbs, throttle return cable, & possible engine timing have made the bike so much better. It's more torquey and the power band seems to have shifted down 1000 rpm. The carb floats also don't drift high like the older models. I now have 50k on this bike and it idles consistently and doesn't seem to be affected by higher altitude like the old model.

If the previous owner has not messed with the carbs and you ride the bike consistently, I wouldn't worry about the carbs...haven't touched mine in 30k. Only thing compared to newer bikes are valve adjustments more frequent, but you can go ~10k miles if you give the exhaust valves more clearance (.1-.3mm vs stock .08) and don't let it overheat.

I have a newer sport bike and it's a pain to work on....not to mention electronic issues with all these sensors. I would rather do a valve adjustment on the GS500 30x than try once on my sport bike...real pain  and fragile parts....believe me.

Copied from old post of mine:

........that was the biggest and best change ever made to the GS500 line.  I had a 97 that I really liked for 80k miles that was totalled in the summer of 03 and I replaced it with my current 02 GS500.  The 02 with the 3 circuit carbs pulled stronger and smoother thru the mid range and down to lower rpm's than the 97.  The 97 with the 2 circuit carbs still felt stronger on the top end but never was as much fun after I got the 02.  When the insurance was finally settled I restored the 97 and rode them back to back the same day a few times.

Thanks for all the replies so far! I really do hope i don't have to disassemble the bike for at least some time and can survive with oil change and chain maintenance etc. I was hoping for a smooth transition into mechanics as i will be very busy pursuing my masters degree and don't have a garage at my apartment, but can use my mother in laws garage for maintenance and winter-storage.

Within my budget i also have a few Honda CB500's and Yamaha XJ600's available, as well as older CB650 Customs available, so anyone with a lot of knowledge of all models, any feedback is appreciated! Once in a while some 600 bandits from the 90's also pop-up, how are they maintenance wise?

As for the GS500's I am looking at a 2008 model with 24.000 km for 2668 USD sold by a dealer (so some guarantees) (I am Danish, everything here is costly!)

And a 1996 model with 26.000 km for 2200 USD (sold by a private person). Both are checked and works well with no issues.

How should i value amount of KM driven and production year?

EDIT: Here's a laugh for you all - the reason i haven't been able to answer earlier is because i can't answer half the security questions hahahaha. "What does <something mechanical> connect too?" No clue! Yet!

Quote from: JohnnyHeftig on July 05, 2017, 11:36:08 AM
EDIT: Here's a laugh for you all - the reason i haven't been able to answer earlier is because i can't answer half the security questions hahahaha. "What does <something mechanical> connect too?" No clue! Yet!

Those questions will go away after your first 5 posts...you're almost there!

Without seeing the bikes, I'd tend to lean towards the newer bike with a few more miles on it. The '96 model probably sat for some extended period at one point in its life, whereas the '08 has probably been ridden a little more consistently over the years. This often means fewer problems. All of your rubber bits (hoses, o-rings, etc.) are likely newer, and in better shape, the carbs are probably cleaner as a result of being ridden more frequently, and as mentioned by other people on here, the newer model GS500's have a few upgrades from the pre-2001 models. $2,668 sounds like a lot for an '08 GS, but if that's the going rate in your part of the world, then I'd opt for that one over the '96 at $2,200.

I don't know much about the other bikes you mentioned, but I know there's at least one other guy on here who has owned a CB500 and has lots of good things to say about it. I'm sure he'll be along to throw in his two cents at some point within the next day or two.

I do not know about the differences between GS500s in Europe and America. However, I really like my 2006 GS500f--the fairing is great. Also the newer bikes have the three-jet carbs, an improvement. It seems to me that a lot of the problems in GS carbs are from improper winter storage--the old gas gums up the fuel system. Also, if you get a manual and take your time, basic maintenance is not difficult. By the way, my grandfather was born in Soro, so I am 1/4 Danish. Perhaps we are distant relations.

I learned everything I know about motorcycle maintenance from my GS500. Its a very good bike if you want to know that stuff because its very easy to work on but also requires a lot of maintenance because it has short valve check intervals and it seems like something is always going wrong. I've put almost 30,000 miles of the 40,000 miles on my GS and it feels like I have worked on every part of the bike except the bottom end of the engine.

Major problems in 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometer):

Bad cam chain adjuster
Leaky valve cover gasket
Leaky signal generator seal
Leaky fork seals
Blown rear shock
Sheared starter clutch bolts/damage to generator epoxy
Electrical fault in signal generator
Dead turn signal flasher
Stuck header bolts

That's just the stuff that wasn't my fault. I've had to do a lot more because of repair jobs I messed up or because I crashed the bike. Of course there is all the routine maintenance as well. The bike is really approachable and easy to work on though, even the version with the fairings. Newer bikes just seem like they were designed in a computer and you are not supposed to work on them.

 2009 gs 500F.....no problems whatsoever...just routine maintenance...52,000 miles

Best purchase I've ever made in my life...fun per $$$ is unsurpassed!!!

Am I just "lucky"  or were you "unlucky" ?

Cookie

Quote from: Bluesmudge on July 06, 2017, 09:24:58 AM
I learned everything I know about motorcycle maintenance from my GS500. Its a very good bike if you want to know that stuff because its very easy to work on but also requires a lot of maintenance because it has short valve check intervals and it seems like something is always going wrong. I've put almost 30,000 miles of the 40,000 miles on my GS and it feels like I have worked on every part of the bike except the bottom end of the engine.

Major problems in 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometer):

Bad cam chain adjuster
Leaky valve cover gasket
Leaky signal generator seal
Leaky fork seals
Blown rear shock
Sheared starter clutch bolts/damage to generator epoxy
Electrical fault in signal generator
Dead turn signal flasher
Stuck header bolts

That's just the stuff that wasn't my fault. I've had to do a lot more because of repair jobs I messed up or because I crashed the bike. Of course there is all the routine maintenance as well. The bike is really approachable and easy to work on though, even the version with the fairings. Newer bikes just seem like they were designed in a computer and you are not supposed to work on them.

Quote from: twocool on July 06, 2017, 02:43:34 PM
2009 gs 500F.....no problems whatsoever...just routine maintenance...52,000 miles

Best purchase I've ever made in my life...fun per $$$ is unsurpassed!!!

Am I just "lucky"  or were you "unlucky" ?

Cookie

+1 on this. Leave it stock and ride it (i.e. actually use it!). Too many threads on here of people buying a really low mileage bike that equates to only a few hundred miles a year and it needs maintenance from sitting - or they rejet it and then it doesn't run right / add a lunchbox air filter and then it stops in the rain etc. I've done 13,000kms on mine in the last 9 months and it really hasn't skipped a beat and I've just done the regular maintenance it needs.

Quote from: Bluesmudge on July 06, 2017, 09:24:58 AM
I learned everything I know about motorcycle maintenance from my GS500. Its a very good bike if you want to know that stuff because its very easy to work on but also requires a lot of maintenance because it has short valve check intervals and it seems like something is always going wrong. I've put almost 30,000 miles of the 40,000 miles on my GS and it feels like I have worked on every part of the bike except the bottom end of the engine.

Major problems in 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometer):

Bad cam chain adjuster
Leaky valve cover gasket
Leaky signal generator seal
Leaky fork seals
Blown rear shock
Sheared starter clutch bolts/damage to generator epoxy
Electrical fault in signal generator
Dead turn signal flasher
Stuck header bolts

That's just the stuff that wasn't my fault. I've had to do a lot more because of repair jobs I messed up or because I crashed the bike. Of course there is all the routine maintenance as well. The bike is really approachable and easy to work on though, even the version with the fairings. Newer bikes just seem like they were designed in a computer and you are not supposed to work on them.

where does your bike say it was "made" on the vin plate?

I have a theory about a particular factory the GS500s were assembled and them being of lower quality for some reason or another... just curious, if you can, just tell me where your's was "made in"

Quote from: J_Walker on July 07, 2017, 09:37:38 AM

Quote from: Bluesmudge on July 06, 2017, 09:24:58 AM
where does your bike say it was "made" on the vin plate?

I have a theory about a particular factory the GS500s were assembled and them being of lower quality for some reason or another... just curious, if you can, just tell me where your's was "made in"

What is your theory? Which factory?

2009 GS500F ....made in Spain...no problems...high quality...


Cookie

Quote from: J_Walker on July 07, 2017, 09:37:38 AM

Quote from: Bluesmudge on July 06, 2017, 09:24:58 AM
I learned everything I know about motorcycle maintenance from my GS500. Its a very good bike if you want to know that stuff because its very easy to work on but also requires a lot of maintenance because it has short valve check intervals and it seems like something is always going wrong. I've put almost 30,000 miles of the 40,000 miles on my GS and it feels like I have worked on every part of the bike except the bottom end of the engine.

Major problems in 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometer):

Bad cam chain adjuster
Leaky valve cover gasket
Leaky signal generator seal
Leaky fork seals
Blown rear shock
Sheared starter clutch bolts/damage to generator epoxy
Electrical fault in signal generator
Dead turn signal flasher
Stuck header bolts

That's just the stuff that wasn't my fault. I've had to do a lot more because of repair jobs I messed up or because I crashed the bike. Of course there is all the routine maintenance as well. The bike is really approachable and easy to work on though, even the version with the fairings. Newer bikes just seem like they were designed in a computer and you are not supposed to work on them.

where does your bike say it was "made" on the vin plate?

I have a theory about a particular factory the GS500s were assembled and them being of lower quality for some reason or another... just curious, if you can, just tell me where your's was "made in"

2007  made in  Spain  ,  22,000 miles .  only  3 batterys   , 4 tires  ,  oil changes  & filter ,  air filter ,  only mods are  Hepco & Becker  crash guards  ,  Puig  windshield ,  Shad  top and side case  luggage , factory pro  thumb screws  2 1 /2  turns out  ,  pilot jet  20 , mid  60 ,  main jet  135  with  Uni  Filter  drop in  , stock exhaust  California model  gs500f  , runs super good   

Sorry for the late reply - got busy with finishing my license, and i still dont know what the airbox connects too, haha!

Anyways, two days ago i bought a 1994 GS500E, apparently with a new engine sometime between 2009-2013 - it's currently been going 26.800 km.
I absolutely love the color!






It rides perfect, i am having a ton of fun!
The previous owner told me it's been about 4000 km since he last made an oil and filter change - is it due time already then?

Thanks for all the previous replies.

Great looking bike. Yes--you are due for an oil and filter change. Be careful not to over tighten the oil filter nuts. As for carb problems, make sure that you do not leave the bike sitting for a long time with gas in the carbs. You can find out how to winterize your motorcycle. I love my GS500f.