Suzuki's GS 500E has been around for an eternity, being originally introduced in 1989 using a bored out version of the long tried and tested air cooled Suzuki GS motors. The sub 50bhp motor is simplicity itself, utilising an inline twin configuration sporting double overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder, with a gear driven balancer to smooth out the worst of the vibrations.
My first meeting with this venerable old workhorse came in February 2002, when needing a cheap and reliable mode of transport, a return to motorcycling was deemed prudent. After sifting through a multitude of online and magazine articles I had decided to part with my miserly sum of a little over a thousand notes for a Kawasaki GPZ500. A couple of weeks were spent trudging around numerous back street garages in search of the aforementioned vehicle. To say that the examples on offer were generally a few miles short of the breakers yard would be a gross understatement. A larger collection of rust infected, tired out old hacks would be hard to imagine.
So it was with friends' patience, as they were the ones chauffeuring me around, running thin, that I happened upon a remarkably good example of a 1998 20,000 mile Suzuki GS500. Now neither the Suzuki nor my original target, the GPZ500 are motorcycles to set the heart pumping and the pulse racing, but this particular example looked at least as if it would be capable of transporting me the twenty miles home without endangering life and limb, or almost as importantly without various crucial components relieving themselves of their duties en-route.
Despite the better part of me screaming that I ought not to enrich the proprietor of this particularly dubious establishment with even the contents of my bladder, the bike's condition, price tag, and my general faith in human nature was such that the sale was agreed. All that remained was to return the following day to collect the bike by which time it would be kitted out with a pair of new fork seals, a full tank and a shiny new MOT.
The following day dawned cold, wet and very windy, though this did little to dampen my enthusiasm, neither did the ride home on my newly acquired steed which despite the fact it had received its new MOT but a few hours earlier, was found to have a throttle that would stick wide open and a non existent tail-light bulb. A quick trip to my local motorcycle parts dealer provided me with a replacement bulb and a can of WD40. That evening was spent removing and lubricating everything in sight. The lubrication climaxed with a trip to the off-license to celebrate my new purchase.
The next day was much improved on the weather front, being relatively mild and dry for February, so it was on with helmet and out on to the open road. Unfortunately my newfound joy was short lived as it was soon revealed that this particular steed lacked the enthusiasm of its owner, having as it was a distinct lack of power. The power delivery was such that it reminded me very much of an old restricted 125 I had once owned.
A quick trip to a friend's house who well and truly left me in the exhaust fumes of his somewhat elderly NTV600, revealed the full horror of the situation. It was with a heavy heart that the GS was coaxed the few miles home and into the conservatory - well it was February and the garage looked a bit too damp and cold for my liking - for a closer inspection. Various components were removed and checked, websites were visited and manuals inspected before the culprit was finally tracked down.
This particular machine had been cunningly restricted to 33bhp, unbeknown to me prior to purchase, with a set of modified carburettor slides! A trip to the breakers yard and an hour or two of spanner twirling saw the bike reassembled as Suzuki had originally intended.
And now to the meat of the story, despite the derisory comments of the pilots of the latest crotch-rockets, the GS500 is not altogether a bad motorcycle. Admitted it is not the fastest thing on two wheels, but then it was never intended to be. Mine would pull around 105mph (estimated of course!) if given enough road, but would happily sit at around 90mph just about anywhere. The main concern as with any unfaired bike at such speeds is the total lack of wind protection.
It handled surprisingly well and combined with its lack of mass it would keep up with most things around the twisty back lanes. Maintenance was minimal, a quick oil change now and again, a set of plugs and an air filter were about all that it needed in the six months and several thousand miles I owned it prior to its mysterious disappearance from outside a friend's house.
And its bad points? Well it did require liberal doses of WD40 applying to most exposed areas to stop it being ravaged by the weather, it is also a small motorcycle proving not ideal for my six foot plus frame. But the worst and most annoying aspect to me personally was that bloody engine. Being as it was air cooled, and being basically unchanged in many respects from the old 70's GS motors, it could rattle with the best of 'em. Whilst this at first caused some alarm, it was with some relief that I discovered that this was typical of all GS500's.
How you can tell when the cam chain is shot god only knows. But the downside to this bike are purely cosmetic as far as I'm concerned, the engine itself in use was faultless within its power limitations. It would start first time, albeit with the help of a little choke, it would run happily all day whether it was plodding round town or being screamed into the red, and the whole bike was light and narrow enough to make commuting through heavy city traffic almost a pleasure.
With the GS500, you get exactly what you pay for, a very reliable, solid, presentable, if not particularly inspiring, workhorse of a motorcycle. Sure your mate on his R6 will wet himself when he sees it , but if your using it for practical reasons who's going to be laughing when the price of parts and insurance are thrown into the equation?
Mark Smith
My first meeting with this venerable old workhorse came in February 2002, when needing a cheap and reliable mode of transport, a return to motorcycling was deemed prudent. After sifting through a multitude of online and magazine articles I had decided to part with my miserly sum of a little over a thousand notes for a Kawasaki GPZ500. A couple of weeks were spent trudging around numerous back street garages in search of the aforementioned vehicle. To say that the examples on offer were generally a few miles short of the breakers yard would be a gross understatement. A larger collection of rust infected, tired out old hacks would be hard to imagine.
So it was with friends' patience, as they were the ones chauffeuring me around, running thin, that I happened upon a remarkably good example of a 1998 20,000 mile Suzuki GS500. Now neither the Suzuki nor my original target, the GPZ500 are motorcycles to set the heart pumping and the pulse racing, but this particular example looked at least as if it would be capable of transporting me the twenty miles home without endangering life and limb, or almost as importantly without various crucial components relieving themselves of their duties en-route.
Despite the better part of me screaming that I ought not to enrich the proprietor of this particularly dubious establishment with even the contents of my bladder, the bike's condition, price tag, and my general faith in human nature was such that the sale was agreed. All that remained was to return the following day to collect the bike by which time it would be kitted out with a pair of new fork seals, a full tank and a shiny new MOT.
The following day dawned cold, wet and very windy, though this did little to dampen my enthusiasm, neither did the ride home on my newly acquired steed which despite the fact it had received its new MOT but a few hours earlier, was found to have a throttle that would stick wide open and a non existent tail-light bulb. A quick trip to my local motorcycle parts dealer provided me with a replacement bulb and a can of WD40. That evening was spent removing and lubricating everything in sight. The lubrication climaxed with a trip to the off-license to celebrate my new purchase.
The next day was much improved on the weather front, being relatively mild and dry for February, so it was on with helmet and out on to the open road. Unfortunately my newfound joy was short lived as it was soon revealed that this particular steed lacked the enthusiasm of its owner, having as it was a distinct lack of power. The power delivery was such that it reminded me very much of an old restricted 125 I had once owned.
A quick trip to a friend's house who well and truly left me in the exhaust fumes of his somewhat elderly NTV600, revealed the full horror of the situation. It was with a heavy heart that the GS was coaxed the few miles home and into the conservatory - well it was February and the garage looked a bit too damp and cold for my liking - for a closer inspection. Various components were removed and checked, websites were visited and manuals inspected before the culprit was finally tracked down.
This particular machine had been cunningly restricted to 33bhp, unbeknown to me prior to purchase, with a set of modified carburettor slides! A trip to the breakers yard and an hour or two of spanner twirling saw the bike reassembled as Suzuki had originally intended.
And now to the meat of the story, despite the derisory comments of the pilots of the latest crotch-rockets, the GS500 is not altogether a bad motorcycle. Admitted it is not the fastest thing on two wheels, but then it was never intended to be. Mine would pull around 105mph (estimated of course!) if given enough road, but would happily sit at around 90mph just about anywhere. The main concern as with any unfaired bike at such speeds is the total lack of wind protection.
It handled surprisingly well and combined with its lack of mass it would keep up with most things around the twisty back lanes. Maintenance was minimal, a quick oil change now and again, a set of plugs and an air filter were about all that it needed in the six months and several thousand miles I owned it prior to its mysterious disappearance from outside a friend's house.
And its bad points? Well it did require liberal doses of WD40 applying to most exposed areas to stop it being ravaged by the weather, it is also a small motorcycle proving not ideal for my six foot plus frame. But the worst and most annoying aspect to me personally was that bloody engine. Being as it was air cooled, and being basically unchanged in many respects from the old 70's GS motors, it could rattle with the best of 'em. Whilst this at first caused some alarm, it was with some relief that I discovered that this was typical of all GS500's.
How you can tell when the cam chain is shot god only knows. But the downside to this bike are purely cosmetic as far as I'm concerned, the engine itself in use was faultless within its power limitations. It would start first time, albeit with the help of a little choke, it would run happily all day whether it was plodding round town or being screamed into the red, and the whole bike was light and narrow enough to make commuting through heavy city traffic almost a pleasure.
With the GS500, you get exactly what you pay for, a very reliable, solid, presentable, if not particularly inspiring, workhorse of a motorcycle. Sure your mate on his R6 will wet himself when he sees it , but if your using it for practical reasons who's going to be laughing when the price of parts and insurance are thrown into the equation?
Mark Smith