Suzuki GS500

[steve__b]

My DAS instructor sold a GS500, 43k miles, 2003 reg to bloke who owns a garage who services his bikes and my bike.
Bloke at garage selling it for £800 with service history & 12 months MOT.
I do motorway commute 400 miles per week on my YBR 125 and I'm interested in this GS500 to ride for 2-3 years keeping it serviced. I passed test in December 2015.Being ex school bike work horse should do the job & be reliable?
What are my fellow BCFers opinions?
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Riding 2001 BMW F650 Funduro. 1st bike Yamaha YBR 125. CBT Aug 2014. Theory Oct 2014. Mod 1 Passed Sept 2015. Mod 2 passed Dec 2015. Wish I'd started biking 20+ years ago...luv it

[nowhere.elysium]

Avoid. They're crap as they are, and an ex-school one will be utterly shagged.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[J.M.]

It was the least reliable bike I've ever owned. I'd personally consider something else, but I'm sure they can't all be bad.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Rogerborg]

[Evil Hans]

When I did my DAS training they got us to do a few laps of the training course on a GS500 before letting us loose on the 'proper' bikes. In case we were mental cases I suppose - they didn't want the decent bikes destroyed.

What a piece of shit that was.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[P.addy]

I'd not buy it.

[Rogerborg]

[spannermonkey...]

I had a GS500 K2 for years, it wasn't a high miler to start with. Just keep on top of servicing it's not a difficult bike to ride on. I rode mine all year through all weathers and made me a better rider, over taking large sport bikes creeping along in the wet and cold. Yes I was young but loved it, you could ride it like a 2 stroke into the bends and be all over the back of litre machines in a corner but topped out at 118mph. Not bothered with straight lines. I used mine for weekend commutes of 260 miles and general fun and didn't miss a beat or have any electrical/mechanical faults. Unless your foolish enough to sit behind a car/lorry producing spray and that gets water on the HT leads. I've known a few people own them and commute long distance and had nothing bad to say about them. The Frame corrodes, just keep it clean as well as the standard exhaust system. Clutch change was a 1 hour job, didn't even drain the oil just leant it against a fence post.
People will stick their noses up but a great little bike that can't get you into any trouble. Make sure compression is good and your laughing.
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Current machines - Aprilia RS250. Kawasaki H1A 500. Past machines - Kawasaki ZX7r P6, Yamaha RD250E (the one that got away), BSA Racing bantam (revs over 10'000 sweet as), Yamaha RXS100, Suzuki GP100, Suzuki GS500K2 - best all year machine ever - come rain, sleet and snow just epic.

[NJD]

If you're happy with the work he's done on your bike thus far then there's no reason not to trust the seller, in the private market from the window shopping I've been doing there's plenty of dummy's to go through, seems like you're filtering for a sensible owner rather than bike and hit the lotto if you ever find both (with some leeway).

The ex-school bike part is something that means it's been through many inexperienced hands although at the same time is currently owned and ridden by a mechanic, so what work has he had to do and how does he think it runs? I'd say that at least it's not an ex-school 125. Hopefully by the time students have ridden the 500 they're not a complete potato and instead only slightly, in regards to their riding.

In terms of motorway (while I've not ridden motorway I've done NSL during DAS) I'd say I found that the GS lacked as much umph as I thought it would have up top and found myself having to work the gearbox more than I expected. The instructors where keen to remind me that it was capable of at least 90mph and that I was being soft (of which I was) but I'd say the only thing you'll be getting over the 125 is somewhat of a more relaxed ride up at those speeds with more power than you currently have. Being a naked you get blown around a little, not as much as on the 125 but is noticeable.

Finding neutral was a complete ball ache on the one I rode. Also it wouldn't go from a dead stop in second gear, as such the training school taught us to double tap down into first gear to be sure. So an after market gear indicator might be needed so you know what's going on. In terms of fuel I don't know how many miles a day I covered during training but it went all day with only one tank needed at the end of it and I rode a lot more than I ever do in a week in those several hours, suppose what gear you're in, revs you're at, speeds you're doing, stop start etc all plays a part.

One thing I loved about the GS was the rear brake. Found the example I rode to be really sharp and provided a good feel through the back making slow speed stuff an ease (when I wasn't caking my pants during Module 1).

You can google search <GS 500 pdf> and you'll get a free manual download to see what they're like to work on. Ask the mechanic how much servicing would cost, when the next ones due etc.

Take the bike for a test ride, shop I use has a wide alley way down the back that given a few rides up and down would tell me how it goes between 1st and 2nd and how the engine sounds, throttle performs etc. See if you can get the oil, spark plugs etc changed as a package deal for a little extra or ask when they next need replacing. Not really sure if you'd treat a mechanic telling you when everything was last done with more credit than a private seller.

I was warned away from one but I'd be tempted as a first bigger bike. I'd be looking to move on from it within a couple of years once I'd got used to using something with more power though.

[natefz6]

I had one for 10 years or so. I only had it that long as I could not break the thing when doing a 14 miles a day. It was a 2003 currently sitting with 23k on the clock. I did nothing much to it but feed it oil, petrol, rubber and pads for the best part of 8 years. The only niggles were it eating batteries but then I stuck a motobat in and that solved that problem.

I then moved and started doing 60 miles a day with 30 odd on the motorway. It lasted about 2 months and then started dying a death. It may have been down to my poor maintenance schedule or it maybe that it didn't like me ragging the fook out of it but its currently sitting taking up space in the back garden waiting for me to get arsed to stick it on ebay sold as seen. Saying that it started up after sitting doing nothing for 6 months without a problem.

Would I buy another, no. in the same situation again would I buy it again... no, I would get a Hornet, FZ6 or something with a bit more balls. they do lack fun factor and rust pretty easily.
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"no I didn't steal it that's just the way I ride"

[Pjay]

on the upside, as long as it has been well maintained, and it probably has, as it was a workhorse, then you'd have to imagine that as it was a training bike, it's almost never been ragged about in its life.

You could go and buy one that has 1/4 of the miles but has been abused to hell and back.

At £800 it's worth a punt, if it turns out to be a dog, you'd almost certainly not lose a great deal if you resold it.

[MarJay]

Sounds like a pup to me.
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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.

[kawashima]

I usually avoid cars or bikes used by lots of people (Training school ones or Rental ones). They are always treated as someone's bike, not as "my" bike.
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own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[steve__b]

Thanks for helpful posts. I am 50/50 but I will see it Friday and decide. I told mechanic I'm hoping to keep it for 2 - 3 years, he said it'll last for 4 - 5 years with services, even with bike doing 18 - 20k miles per year.
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Riding 2001 BMW F650 Funduro. 1st bike Yamaha YBR 125. CBT Aug 2014. Theory Oct 2014. Mod 1 Passed Sept 2015. Mod 2 passed Dec 2015. Wish I'd started biking 20+ years ago...luv it

[dransy]

Had 2 of them now . Worst bikes ever
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Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles

[spottedtango]

[sidewinder]

£800 find.a Xj 600 diversion .super reliable
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"Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences

[i1301243]

Had a 2002 one for 10 years now. I bought it as I needed a bike when I went through a really rough patch for £1000. Plan was the change the bike when it died. The fucking thing just won't die so I bought a 2nd bike.

It's so shit it's comically bad which is why I've grown attached to the thing. I've never washed it in 10 years and it's only ever had an oil and filter change ever 5k.

[davebike]

I serviced and maintained them for a training school and now have one as a loan / local runabout

Tough as old boots but reliable
only weak points are battery /charging system and that seldom give problems if not F***ed with!
Taco drive can fail in head ours as jut ride without )
they all at age use / leak a little oil top it up often !
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Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
davebike1@gmail.com

[steve__b]

Thanks for your posts. I never had the GS500. I bought a BMW F650. Fully serviced, full MOT 24k miles, 2001 plate for £1k with my YBR in part exchange. Love it 😀
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Riding 2001 BMW F650 Funduro. 1st bike Yamaha YBR 125. CBT Aug 2014. Theory Oct 2014. Mod 1 Passed Sept 2015. Mod 2 passed Dec 2015. Wish I'd started biking 20+ years ago...luv it

[orac]

with that milage I would avoid, mine started to get cam chain rattle not long after that.
As motorway commuter it will feel underpowered. They are great for hacking around town.
There isn't anything wrong with them really providing you keep an eye on the oil, they do use it, specially when you ride them hard.
they are simple things, air cooled so no cooling system to worry about, suspension can be a bit on the floppy side, but a stack of washer in the top of the forks and stiffening the rear shock as far is possible tend to set on a reasonable track.

Some of the earlier ones had issues with the ignition pickups failing, in six years of owning my 98, that the only thing that gave any issue.
They were made as cheap bike to fill a whole in the suzuki's offerings, and a lot of the parts are borrowed from other bikes,
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Current rides - 2016 Triumph Street Triple Rx, 1994 Suzuki Bandit 400 VM, TGB 204 Classic 125cc
"with nothing left to lose, there is everything to gain. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

[steve__b]

Orac : I take it you are refering to the gs500 ??
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Riding 2001 BMW F650 Funduro. 1st bike Yamaha YBR 125. CBT Aug 2014. Theory Oct 2014. Mod 1 Passed Sept 2015. Mod 2 passed Dec 2015. Wish I'd started biking 20+ years ago...luv it

[steve__b]

Orac : I take it you are refering to the gs500 ??
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Riding 2001 BMW F650 Funduro. 1st bike Yamaha YBR 125. CBT Aug 2014. Theory Oct 2014. Mod 1 Passed Sept 2015. Mod 2 passed Dec 2015. Wish I'd started biking 20+ years ago...luv it