I had a 2008 GS500F as my first "real bike" & I loved it. Many told me I'd out grow it within a year, but I put RaceTech springs in the forks & an R6 rear shock. It went from squishy & vague to a total weapon! Not powerful, but I could use everything it had & superb fuel ecconomy, too. After 3 years I traded for a Tracer 9gt because I'd got into touring & the little 500 wasn't enough. It never let me down, not once.
I got 2007 gs 500f.. You can compete with new 500cc models when it comes in performance and handling...best 500cc Underrated here in Aussie but ..lot of good stories around the world❤❤❤
Yes maybe it can compete with others but that thing needs a suspension tune badly. To me it was way too loose in the bends, once I started riding faster. For touring it perfect as it is.
I like these. hassle free to work on. And own. I even like that retro look they have. And Japanese. They had a long production run. So parts are plentiful.
The restyle after 2000 was a stroke of genius and created a really nice, comfy all round bike out of a dated sports bike. The tank is in fact 17 litres _before_ you go on reserve which gives 230-250 miles. I changed the auto shut-off valve for a manual fuel tap as the former is a rather pointless device that's prone to failure. Most people don't bother with tappets anymore but you have to on these, every 10,000 miles or in the end they won't run.
Good review. I have a 2001 with about 15000 miles on it and everything Mr. Laz says I agree with. I' m not overjoyed with the looks overall, especially the frame but you can customize it to your taste. Good motorcycle
I'm looking at one right now it's on Craigslist, I've been working My butt off recently to try and come up with 1500 for one before someone else can grab it. It's also a 2001 gs500.
Thanks Bill! I won't upgrade the front fork as I already sold the bike. I only had it for a year or so and somehow I always ended up on my VFR 800 instead of the GS500. Nice little bike though, and I'm sure with progressive springs and better oil from Wilbers, this bike would be so much better than stock..
It depends where you live I guess. Here in Australia it's easy to find one. Different platforms are full advertised bikes.the cheapest I saw was $1500 but I saw a mint one for 5K with barely any miles on..
The Kawa is stylish too. I think the deciding factor between those two should always be the condition and mileage. My GS was well taken care off when I got it, and fairly low milage. And since I already had the Gixxer I knew that it is going to be bulletproof like any Suzuki.. If you still want the Suzuki, you can surley get one, just need patience to find the right bike..
I have one and love it. Not flashy to look at but so much fun if all you care about is having an enjoyable way to get around. If you're an urban rider in particular these are so much the better option when having to get around in traffic and parking etc. I've had larger bikes, but this is my biggest at the moment and I'm not doing much social riding, just commuting, and it's perfect. You're right about the forks. I've had mine rebuilt recently and they still dive a fair bit, but it definitely stops. I'm a postie, so I spend a lot of time scanning ahead when I'm on any bike, and try to avoid unexpected braking as often as possible.
@@rhett7716 hey man nothing special. They didn't have much in the way of scratches or rust so I just took them off and off to a shop to get them fitted with new seals and oil. 'rebuilt' was maybe the wrong word : it was just a complete fork service. I've done this myself a few times on other bikes and it's just not one of those jobs I can seem to get right so I get others to do it now. So they are pretty much as standard as you can get, but working properly. I'm fine with them. Rough guess about 6" travel but they're working fine for me. I keep the bike outside but it's always covered at night so no rust on the forks. I'm happy with mine being standard, but I'm sure you could modify these bikes quite easily.
iv'e had 3 in the past but they do the job, bullet proof and a joy to ride, iv'd had and still have bikes that are bigger, faster, and newer but i won't part with this one, they stopped importing them into the uk about 2003 which was a shame, about the suspension, it's ok , i put slightly thicker oil in the front and put cheap ( koyto ) pads in the brakes which are really good and that's about it, just a note on the speed and handling, i used to have a mate who could hardly walk but put him on a gs500 and nobody would catch him up in the yorkshire dales in the uk.
I had a kawa gpz500, too sporting a riding position for me, 66yrs but I always preferred upright riding position. I have several project bikes, but need an everyday rider that starts on the button, but Ineed something I am not going to get bored quickly, not a speed thing, I just like a bit of character - also live in n. yorkshire. would you recommend?
Hi steve what weight oil did u put in the forks? Was thinking of shortening the springs a bit too. Ive got the rear preload wound up full. What do u weigh?
Hey, yep there are a few things missing on this bike, but I was fine without the fuel gauge as my DRZ400 sm doesn't have it either, and all I do is, I set the trip meter to zero when I get a full tank of fuel. That way I can keep track of fuel level, knowing at what Ks I need to turn on reserve. What I also do with most of my bikes is that I buy extra 2 liters of fuel in the beginning of ownership carry it with me, and run the bike totally empty until it stalls. Then check day trip and that way I know what to expect on a longer ride with identical riding style.
I like them. Squishy back end. Really down to tyre pressures. 2 for reliability. After 50,000 miles, still going strong. Finish is a bit iffy but then it gets ridden in all weathers. Brakes did become spongy but braided hoses fixed that. I think the guy only rides big expensive bikes so is biased and not objective and impartial.
Hi Stuart You might have misunderstood my video about the gs500. I really liked that bike, while I owned it. It did a great job, it's fantastic for what it is. However it has some weak points as most bikes have. The suspension is definitely one of them. I regularly check my tire pressures as I do track days,touring and city riding too. So I spoke about the weaknesses in order to be objective, that way people who are considering the GS500 know what to expect. BTW I'm not riding expensive/new bikes. I own a 2005 Gsxr 600 and a 2007 VFR 800. Only my DRZ400 sm is from 2017. But that was fairly cheap too being a small capacity Japanese bike.
No worries, Everyone has an opinion. Yours just sounded rather scathing. I've been riding motorcycles since 1963 on all sorts of machines, some big some small and was lucky enough to do this all over the world. You can pick faults in anything. But if you actually liked it spite of it's faults, just say so.
Sorry my English is not native but I always try my best to make things clear in my reviews. What I meant was that the bike revs 5100RPM at 100km/h in top gear if you use stock gearing on the chain and sprockets. If you change the gearing, this will change too. Depending on whether you gear for acceleration or top speed. Of course the bike can rev much higher up 11K if you wanted too. I used the bike for commuting to work so I just used the stock gearing.
Do you mean the Suzuki Burgman? If yes, it's more practical than the GS500. But it's slower too. And it's a scooter not a motorcycle. If you want to be a real rider get the GS if you say you don't care, just wanna roll from A to B, do the shopping, get to work, the scooter will do too. For pleasure I definitely would buy the GS500 as it's faster and more fun shifting through the gears. You learn to control the bike much better with the GS. Bigger wheels, better brakes, classic naked bike look. The scooter is just a plastic soapbox IMO. I also heard that the Burgman series (except the 650) has a very weak and flexible frame which screws up the riding experience. Let's face it, I'm not a scooter fan😅 If I had to buy scooter for whatever reason I'd definitely go for the Yamaha T-MAX that's the best scooter of the world..
I don't know about Craigslist but here in Australia we use Gumtree, FB, or Bikesales, and you can surly find a 500. Although many of the GS's are very run down, being a learner bike. How about the Honda CB500F? I think it looks 10x better than the GS500. I'm pretty sure they sell it in the States, saw it on the Powerhouse dealers website, so there must be some second hand availability too..
Hi Steve Fair enough. It did not bother me. The bike was running perfectly and the motor was spinning up with no issues. The one thing that bothered me more was that due to the bar risers the throttle cable became a bit too short and when I turned the handlebar to a full tilt the idle increased. However that problem is solved as well, because I sold the GS already.
I had a 2008 GS500F as my first "real bike" & I loved it. Many told me I'd out grow it within a year, but I put RaceTech springs in the forks & an R6 rear shock. It went from squishy & vague to a total weapon! Not powerful, but I could use everything it had & superb fuel ecconomy, too.
After 3 years I traded for a Tracer 9gt because I'd got into touring & the little 500 wasn't enough. It never let me down, not once.
After the suspension upgrade was it still comfortable? How did it feel before and after?
I got 2007 gs 500f..
You can compete with new 500cc models when it comes in performance and handling...best 500cc
Underrated here in Aussie but ..lot of good stories around the world❤❤❤
Yes maybe it can compete with others but that thing needs a suspension tune badly.
To me it was way too loose in the bends, once I started riding faster.
For touring it perfect as it is.
Perfect All-rounder! Semi Sport Commuter Tourer! Bullet Proof Reliability!
These are just sweet hearts of a motorcycle. I want one!
I like these. hassle free to work on. And own. I even like that retro look they have. And Japanese. They had a long production run. So parts are plentiful.
The restyle after 2000 was a stroke of genius and created a really nice, comfy all round bike out of a dated sports bike. The tank is in fact 17 litres _before_ you go on reserve which gives 230-250 miles. I changed the auto shut-off valve for a manual fuel tap as the former is a rather pointless device that's prone to failure.
Most people don't bother with tappets anymore but you have to on these, every 10,000 miles or in the end they won't run.
Glad you did this video.
I had 2008 model and I loved it.
By the way it's nice to see Australian contents on you tube.
Great content! Should probably get one soon.
im going to look at one this weekend and hopefully upgrade from my cbr125
Cool
It'll be very comfy after the cbr, a bit heavier, and pretty powerful..
Good review. I have a 2001 with about 15000 miles on it and everything Mr. Laz says I agree with. I' m not overjoyed with the looks overall, especially the frame but you can customize it to your taste. Good motorcycle
Agreed, thanks Norm!
I'm looking at one right now it's on Craigslist, I've been working My butt off recently to try and come up with 1500 for one before someone else can grab it. It's also a 2001 gs500.
Brilliant bike. Keep the fork oil stock but change the springs from 55s to 80s for wilberg. Totally transforms the handling
Thanks Bill!
I won't upgrade the front fork as I already sold the bike.
I only had it for a year or so and somehow I always ended up on my VFR 800 instead of the GS500.
Nice little bike though, and I'm sure with progressive springs and better oil from Wilbers, this bike would be so much better than stock..
Always wanted one of these. Getting harder to find now
It depends where you live I guess.
Here in Australia it's easy to find one.
Different platforms are full advertised bikes.the cheapest I saw was $1500 but I saw a mint one for 5K with barely any miles on..
i really wanted suzuki gs500 to be my 1st bike, but there were none close by so i got a kawa zephyr 550... even now after 2y id like to have a gs
The Kawa is stylish too.
I think the deciding factor between those two should always be the condition and mileage. My GS was well taken care off when I got it, and fairly low milage.
And since I already had the Gixxer I knew that it is going to be bulletproof like any Suzuki..
If you still want the Suzuki, you can surley get one, just need patience to find the right bike..
I have one and love it. Not flashy to look at but so much fun if all you care about is having an enjoyable way to get around. If you're an urban rider in particular these are so much the better option when having to get around in traffic and parking etc. I've had larger bikes, but this is my biggest at the moment and I'm not doing much social riding, just commuting, and it's perfect. You're right about the forks. I've had mine rebuilt recently and they still dive a fair bit, but it definitely stops. I'm a postie, so I spend a lot of time scanning ahead when I'm on any bike, and try to avoid unexpected braking as often as possible.
Hey John what u get done to the forks?
@@rhett7716 hey man nothing special. They didn't have much in the way of scratches or rust so I just took them off and off to a shop to get them fitted with new seals and oil. 'rebuilt' was maybe the wrong word : it was just a complete fork service. I've done this myself a few times on other bikes and it's just not one of those jobs I can seem to get right so I get others to do it now. So they are pretty much as standard as you can get, but working properly. I'm fine with them. Rough guess about 6" travel but they're working fine for me. I keep the bike outside but it's always covered at night so no rust on the forks. I'm happy with mine being standard, but I'm sure you could modify these bikes quite easily.
First bike....I'm very happy with it 😊...
Good choice, enjoy!
iv'e had 3 in the past but they do the job, bullet proof and a joy to ride, iv'd had and still have bikes that are bigger, faster, and newer but i won't part with this one, they stopped importing them into the uk about 2003 which was a shame, about the suspension, it's ok , i put slightly thicker oil in the front and put cheap ( koyto ) pads in the brakes which are really good and that's about it, just a note on the speed and handling, i used to have a mate who could hardly walk but put him on a gs500 and nobody would catch him up in the yorkshire dales in the uk.
Wrong these were sold up till around 2008 mate
I had a kawa gpz500, too sporting a riding position for me, 66yrs but I always preferred upright riding position. I have several project bikes, but need an everyday rider that starts on the button, but Ineed something I am not going to get bored quickly, not a speed thing, I just like a bit of character - also live in n. yorkshire. would you recommend?
Hi steve what weight oil did u put in the forks? Was thinking of shortening the springs a bit too. Ive got the rear preload wound up full. What do u weigh?
@@stevec-b6214 ive got one and its fine but am considering t100 triumph next
i'm sorry i can't remember what wheight oil i put in the forks but at a guess it was 15wt.
Good detailed run through. How have you found not having a fuel gage?
Hey, yep there are a few things missing on this bike, but I was fine without the fuel gauge as my DRZ400 sm doesn't have it either, and all I do is, I set the trip meter to zero when I get a full tank of fuel. That way I can keep track of fuel level, knowing at what Ks I need to turn on reserve.
What I also do with most of my bikes is that I buy extra 2 liters of fuel in the beginning of ownership carry it with me, and run the bike totally empty until it stalls.
Then check day trip and that way I know what to expect on a longer ride with identical riding style.
@@laz1go286 Finally bought one! Thanks on the tips. Got a jerry can so going to start taking it out after getting it serviced 😀
dude that engine casing is same as the gs 400/425 from 1970`s and its a verry good motor
Agreed bro!
I like them. Squishy back end. Really down to tyre pressures. 2 for reliability. After 50,000 miles, still going strong. Finish is a bit iffy but then it gets ridden in all weathers. Brakes did become spongy but braided hoses fixed that. I think the guy only rides big expensive bikes so is biased and not objective and impartial.
Hi Stuart
You might have misunderstood my video about the gs500.
I really liked that bike, while I owned it.
It did a great job, it's fantastic for what it is. However it has some weak points as most bikes have. The suspension is definitely one of them. I regularly check my tire pressures as I do track days,touring and city riding too. So I spoke about the weaknesses in order to be objective, that way people who are considering the GS500 know what to expect.
BTW I'm not riding expensive/new bikes.
I own a 2005 Gsxr 600 and a 2007 VFR 800.
Only my DRZ400 sm is from 2017.
But that was fairly cheap too being a small capacity Japanese bike.
Wow your bike is great congratulations
Yes it was, thanks bro!
No worries, Everyone has an opinion. Yours just sounded rather scathing.
I've been riding motorcycles since 1963 on all sorts of machines, some big some small and was lucky enough to do this all over the world. You can pick faults in anything. But if you actually liked it spite of it's faults, just say so.
what did you mean at 7:40 it revs to 5.1ks? I thought it revs to 11k rpm doesnt it?
Sorry my English is not native but I always try my best to make things clear in my reviews.
What I meant was that the bike revs 5100RPM at 100km/h in top gear if you use stock gearing on the chain and sprockets.
If you change the gearing, this will change too. Depending on whether you gear for acceleration or top speed.
Of course the bike can rev much higher up 11K if you wanted too.
I used the bike for commuting to work so I just used the stock gearing.
I cant decide between a GS 500 and a Bergman 400. Pleasure only no commuting
Do you mean the Suzuki Burgman?
If yes, it's more practical than the GS500.
But it's slower too.
And it's a scooter not a motorcycle.
If you want to be a real rider get the GS if you say you don't care, just wanna roll from A to B, do the shopping, get to work, the scooter will do too.
For pleasure I definitely would buy the GS500 as it's faster and more fun shifting through the gears.
You learn to control the bike much better with the GS.
Bigger wheels, better brakes, classic naked bike look.
The scooter is just a plastic soapbox IMO.
I also heard that the Burgman series (except the 650) has a very weak and flexible frame which screws up the riding experience.
Let's face it, I'm not a scooter fan😅
If I had to buy scooter for whatever reason I'd definitely go for the Yamaha T-MAX that's the best scooter of the world..
@@laz1go286 Thanks for the reply and advice. I think you're correct. The GS 500 will be a better choice. Thanks
You can NOT find a 500 anything on Craigslist anymore, except a stupid cruiser or something.
I don't know about Craigslist but here in Australia we use Gumtree, FB, or Bikesales, and you can surly find a 500. Although many of the GS's are very run down, being a learner bike.
How about the Honda CB500F? I think it looks 10x better than the GS500.
I'm pretty sure they sell it in the States, saw it on the Powerhouse dealers website, so there must be some second hand availability too..
that idle is too slow I think
Hi Steve
Fair enough. It did not bother me. The bike was running perfectly and the motor was spinning up with no issues. The one thing that bothered me more was that due to the bar risers the throttle cable became a bit too short and when I turned the handlebar to a full tilt the idle increased.
However that problem is solved as well, because I sold the GS already.
@@laz1go286 hi nice review what did u replace it with?
They idle that slow cold and no choke mines about 1400rpm when hot