GPZ500s

[deadly_penguin]

I'm replacing the little CBF and I'm looking at the GPZ500s.

Are they still a good buy compared with newer A2-able bikes and what sort of price should I be looking for?
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A spanner short of a toolbox

[stinkwheel]

It would need to be restricted for A2.

Given the engine characteristics (what makes them a fun bike is a peaky, rev-happy powerband at the top-end which is mostly due to the airbox design), I susupect a restricted GPZ500 would be a pile of poo. You'd basically be turning it into an ER5 so you might as well spend less and get one of those.
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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.

[jeffyjeff]

I had an EX500 for awhile. Cracking little bike. It was pretty well-behaved off the line, but as Mr. Stinkwheel stated, above 7500 RPM, it would go like snot. Not really Jekyll and Hyde, but definitely two stages of performance in that power band. Valve adjustments were a bit of a bitch due to valve cover interference with the frame. Carb synch was a doddle with a manometer.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[stinkwheel]

If you do decide to get one, go for a 2nd gen with the 17" wheels and rear disc. The first gen ones had a nicer motor and better handling in my oppinion but tyre choice is very restricted and they had a hand-grenade alternator.
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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.

[Robby]

They're old enough now that a decent one is worth something, and a cheap one is likely to need a lot of work.

If I was looking for an A2 bike in that sort of bracket, I would be looking at a CBF500 or CB500F. 10-20 years newer, less chance of expensive hidden problems. Likely to be a similar price for a decent one on the road.

There are lots of natural A2 bikes out there, and they have been around long enough now to get fairly old and cheap.

[deadly_penguin]

[CarlW12]

Slightly late here, but I also just had a GPZ500S as my previous bike on A2, I’ve now swapped it for a more modern bike

For its age, the bike is a decent 500 and I found it quite forgiving as well as fun. It has a few niggles and mine definitely needed a bit of work on it (the exhausts are definitely something to keep an eye on!) but even then it rode away comfortably when I sold it to family.

Coming from your bike it will feel decently quick and certainly have enough power for every day riding. It’s also a good handler.

All that being said, I think you’d need to get the spanners out for it now and again to keep it running if you’re considering one….
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Carl
A2 Licence Holder
Current bike: Kawasaki Ninja 250R

[ThunderGuts]

I doubt you'll actually want to get an ER5 in lieu of a GPZ anyway, but just in case you did, note they too are not A2 compliant (!) as they have a 48bhp engine (not the 47bhp you need for A2). In reality, I doubt a nearly two decade old ER5 would actually MAKE 48bhp anymore, but I don't think that's how the classifications work . . .
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TG.

[Bhud]

ER5s are good bikes. I wouldn't want another one, but they're useful enough for what they are. I reckon if you put a restrictor on a GPZ500S it would probably be much the same as putting one on an ER5, i.e. turn it into a KLE500 (a real bag of crap).