First big bike -> Suzuki GS500

[chadwick]

Hi

Can anyone give me any advice on the Suzuki GS500e and my general situation!?!....(read on!!)

I have been offered the GS by a bloke at work as my first big bike (1994, 30,000 miles, taxed and tested, £600), I have been riding a CG125 for 7 months and have had a car licence for 2 years but have not taken my A2 test yet, I would like to do my test in the next couple of weeks - I feel very comfortable on the CG and think I am very alert on the road so dont think the test should be too much trouble.

Can anyone offer any advice on buying a GS second hand (what are the common faults to look for etc. I hear they rust very badly?)

Also what does an A2 bike test involve specifically compared to a car test, what maneuvers should I practice? also what will the tester expect me to ride like on test? I assume you should not filter and the like when on test!?! stupid question?!?

Cheers
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Chadwick

[stinkwheel]

Best bet is to go for a couple of lessons with an instructor. As with the car test, there is riding on the road and there is riding to pass a test. The two are very different. An instructor will be able to take you round the test routes and make sure you are doing all the correct observations in the correct order and such.

If you do your A2 test, you will need to have a GS500 restricted to 33bhp for the first couple of years.

As for the bike, the price is right. Expect to have to start doing a wee bit more maintainance on a bike after 30k miles but for £600, it should be a good buy assuming it isn't a total shitter.

Best bet when buying a second hand bike is to take someone along who: a) Knows what they are looking at and b) Has no interest in buying a bike. It is all to easy to get rose-tinted glasses on and land up buying a money vortex in your excitement about having a new bike.
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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.

[chadwick]

cheers for the pointers there, the bike is already restricted, as the bloke who is selling it has just finished his two years restricted and has a new bigger big bike on order for a months time...

one good bit of news is that my insurance premium is not going to go up for swapping my policy to the GS from the CG!! ok so i'm going to have to actually get a licence instead of riding on a CBT but still I was pretty chuffed at that!
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Chadwick

[frogmella]

I'm doing my DAS on a GS500, 1st coupla days was on a CG125 then went onto the GS, easy to ride, a lot more 'planted' and stable than the CG's. Great fun when u open the throttle as well