GPZ 500

[mic]

Any owners in here? I had a look at one today. Was nice, small and light. But didnt come across as over exciting... wondered how it ran compared to a 600cc?

I could buy it as a cheaper option but i dont know anything about them. looked to be an older model (forget what reg but older style dash)

anyone had one?

[MarJay]

It's the equivalent of an ER5, or CB500. It makes about 60bhp and is actually pretty heavy for it's capacity and size.

They are nice enough to ride, but not super quick. A 600 would blow it out of the water on acceleration and handling, but the GPZ is comfy enough, quick enough and fun enough for many people. Plus they are dirt cheap. If you spend more than about £1200 on one you're stupid, and the £1200 one would have to be a late model minter.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[hellkat]

They're good for bashing about town.

Nothing special in terms of performance, but for knockabout they're great.

I'd have another one (in fact, its possible I still have ... only been sitting in someone else's garage for 2 years, oh dear, LOL)
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[mic]

has also got a gpz 900 in stock which sounds much nicer

last bike for the 500

https://marvelmotorcycles.co.uk/7.html

[Benno]

Can't really fault mine to be honest. A perfect all-rounder type bike. Jack of all trades, in the positive context of the term - it may indeed be a master of nothing (speed, handling, fuel efficiency) but it does all of those things to a decent enough degree, hence I like it.

Of course mine was fine and dandy until my dad drove his car into it!
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I'm autistic. That means I'm smarter than you.

[stinkwheel]

The way they deliver the power they have is enough to make them pretty entertaining. As in they deliver a kick-in-the-pants powerband at higher revs and head for the redline. They are also capable of being ridden sedately and calmly for day-to-day use. Stick to the limit and you could see 60mpg.

More fun than a CB500, more power than an ER5. Quicker (not necessarily the same thing as faster) and more entertaining than an XJ600 having ridden the two back-to-back. Certainly faster and more powerful than a Ducati Monster 600.

Not a patch on a modern sports 600 but it's not a sports bike, it's a budget sports-commuter bike and in my oppinion, is the best of the 500 twins.

Cheap to buy. Cheap to maintain. Well proven engine. Long production run. Cheap to insure.

Avoid the 1st generation ones (pre '94) with exploding alternator rotors. A motad nexxus exhaust would be desirable as the originals rot away easily.

EDIT:
Just looked at the bike in question.

A 1st generation GPZ500 motor with 60,000 miles on is my defenition of a hand-grenade looking for a war. It might actually have already happened and been fixed though. Electrex make a replacement rotor for about £150.

My advice. Hold out for a 2nd generation one.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Rogerborg]

Ditto to the positive comments, I really enjoyed mine. But that was a late model very low mileage example, not 22 years old.

The brakes weren't great though, even with the very late twin discs, and even with my hobbit legs, it was a little cramped on long motorway trips.

For doing a bit of this and a bit of that though, it was very well mannered, cheap to run, and got me well out of my own comfort zone on fun roads.

I'd have another, but probably not that one.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Ollie1995]

Got given a GPX600r last night by a neighbor
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XR 125, DT125 LC, Greeves Scottish, RS200, XS400, GPX600r

Theory Passed - 18/7/13 MOD1 Booked - 24/9/13

[c_dug]

Not much to add to what kickstart and rogerborg have said but as above I would have another if I was after that type of bike again.

Not actually /that/ slow if you have the balls to stick the revs near the limiter and use the clutch to pull away, bet it'd keep up with the majority of 600's to 60mph.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Snorty]

I rated mine. Good bikes for what you pay. (I paid £400 and it put a smile on my face).
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[ws4936]

Great bike. Get a D6/D7, better sized wheels, cheap enough.
Calipers are shit in winter though, but I makes up for it in reliability in other sectors. After buying. 636, I've kept the GPZ as a winter hack.

A decent bike, and a lot more comftable than some 600s out there.

What will you be using it for specifically?
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.

[Bandit1157]

https://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/stephenfleming/DSCN1762.jpg

£400, what's not to like, new seals required in front brake, ne pads in rear, new rear tyre. This is my son on his first bike. I wish my first bike all those years ago was as good.
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I am anti Signature.

[MarJay]

The one the OP is looking at is priced at about double (or more) than it is worth.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Bomberman]

I have one (in sig). Great bike round town, great bike for longer runs. Even had fun on the track, where I shamed a few blokes by overtaking their shiny GSXRs in the corners (destroyed on straights though ).
Can't recommend them enough I'd don't ride it anymore though, not now I have my GSXR.
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'Allo! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
'89 TZR 125 - '94 GPZ500s - ZK3 GSXR600 Alstare

[Cheeseybeaner]

[Bomberman]

Oh yeah, 600 quid for one that old and with that many miles is asking rather a lot.
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'Allo! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
'89 TZR 125 - '94 GPZ500s - ZK3 GSXR600 Alstare

[BravoCharlie]

A mate of mine (Anthrax1039 on here) has one. pretty sure he paid a wee bit too much for it as he had some swingarm and shock problems, but as far as i know he's happy with it!

[stinkwheel]

[stevo as b4]

The engine is way better than the chassis IMO! The GPZ is a nice do everything all rounder with a slightly sporty bent to it compared to obvious rivals.

I do think that the free revving 60bhp motor would have been much more useful in a proper sports chassis like say in a ZXR400 frame or 250cc 2stroke sportsbike chassis for example. That would have made it much more fun, and allowed enough ground clearance for fast riding which the std bike does struggle a bit with being quite low and quite upright too.

[mic]

thanks for the replys. am going to look at something else tomorrow of a 600cc variety so fingers crossed an all that.

[johnsmith222]

[garth]

I hear all this 'free revving' and 'peaky' talk about GPZ500's, so I'd like to have a go on one, because every other 500 twin I've ridden has been cack!

[Rogerborg]

[stevo as b4]

They are less than 10bhp shy of a ZXR400 engine, although probably a bit heavier. I just think that it's a shame a that a decent 60bhp 500, never got the shot of sportbike quality chassis, as you'd have pretty much ZXR400 performance but delivered in a different way.

[scorps]

I had same model as Bandits son for three months and I got rid, I must have missed soemthing really good becasue I hated mine
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