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I am buying a bike for the first time and am interested in the Suzuki GS500F; I'd like to know what your view are on this particular bike. Is it a good started bike? I've been looking for a used one but can't seem to find one. Should I buy new just starting out?

My husband is a beginner and just bought a 94 gs500e (the naked version of the gs500). He really likes it. Loves the ergonomics (6' tall guy), thinks it is the right amount of power for a him as a beginner. I tried to sit on it and found it a tad too tall, but I'm a shorty (5' 2", with a short inseam). He took the BRC on a Yamaha dirt bike and didn't find it that difficult a transition to the gs500. He is still at the practicing in parking lot and around the subdivision stage. One issue he is having, is the bike is a high revving bike, so he needs to pay attention when at idle and in low gears to avoid killing it. Not sure if this is a quirk of his individual bike or all gs500s. But with practice he is getting the hang of it. We are having fun fixing it up, and it isn't too hard for the two of us novices.
My father is an experienced biker and wasn't thrilled with my husband getting a sporty bike (he was worried it would be too much for a beginner), but after riding the gs500 ended up approving of his choice.

MamaFrog wrote:I am buying a bike for the first time and am interested in the Suzuki GS500F; I'd like to know what your view are on this particular bike. Is it a good started bike? I've been looking for a used one but can't seem to find one. Should I buy new just starting out?

Great starter bike.

I recommend you get used starting out. There are lots of other good starter bikes out there, you don't need a GS500.

First-time riders will *love* the GS500F. It's comfortable, forgiving, easy to ride and inexpensive. It looks like a race-bred Gixxer (GSX-R 600,750,1000) but it's one you can later ride up into the mountains with and not get exhausted. It's very fuel efficient (~60 mpg) so you can ride it further between stops. Like its race-bred cousins, it doesn't have a fuel gauge (but 3 liters of reserve will get you a *long* way on this bike).

It is a sport bike, not a crotch rocket, but if you want to learn how to ride a crotch rocket or super sport, the most important thing to do is *not* to start with one. Starting with a GS500 or GS500F won't guarantee your getting into trouble; starting on a modern 600 will! Every new rider thinks their skillset is much better than it is -- fact. The GS500/500F allows you to start out on a bike that stops smoothly and powerfully; cornering is easily and forgivable, and the bike wont surprise the heck out of you at 11,000 RPM. Patience is a virtue, especially in motorcycling (for obvious reasons). It's no couch potato, and a 500 will have more torque (smoother acceleration throughout the revs) than a 250 or a 125. It *can* be modified for more power (quite easily, e.g. by adding an after-market slip-on exhaust, a K&N air filter, and re-jetting the carbs, then going down a tooth on the front sprocket or up 2 on the rear) -- my advice, since the bike has such a good re-sale value is to keep it completely stock.

My first bike was an '88 GSX600F Katana. I wouldn't recommend that to a beginning rider -- a little too much power and way too many close calls, and it wasn't dependable and a 20-year-old street bike, no matter what anyone tells you, is too old to be considered safe (dirt bikes are a different story). The newer 600s are even more agile and powerful (they're built to be raced), but this doesn't do much for rider confidence.

The GS500F is more powerful than the Ninja 250 or the Honda CBR and looks more sporty (it doesn't have super skinny tires) and a good used one (introduced in 2004) can be picked up for under $5000 CDN (the US versions are cheaper to *buy*, but if you live in Canada, get a Canadian one -- trust me!)

The GS500F is basically the same price as the GS500 or 500E but has a full fairing (for wind protection). You'll notice that comes in handy! The downside is that it's more costly to repair than a naked bike. That's why I wouldn't buy new (you have to pay tax + service fees + tire tax) and most used GS500F bikes that I've seen have the odd scratch or dent from being dropped -- it's *way* more common than you might think.

Before getting any used bike, check out "Used Motorcycle Evaluation Guide Raw Text" (it's a link on this site under Guides and Resources --> Beginner's Guide) -- print it out and take it with you -- *great* advice.

If you've decided you want a sport bike and you've never (legally) ridden a motorcycle on the street before, the GS500F would be my first choice for a newbie's first street bike. And once you're on the road, you're part of the 1% club -- a "biker." *All* of us were beginners at one point!

P.S. Resist the temptation to ride a bike before you have a) Proper training, b) a motorcycle license, c) the best safety equipment you can afford including a *new* helmet, and d) insurance and registration (Murphy's Law says you'll get caught if you ride without them!)

i just got this bike about a week ago!
my first bike as well =]
personally i think it is very nice.
it is very comfortable compared to those other crotch rockets, because the handlebars are more out and you don't needa lean over that much to ride. it goes pretty fast, more than enough to keep up with the traffic. i bought mine new, with a 5 year refundable warranty, so if i screw anything up which i probably will, it should be covered
if you get it, just try not to touch the exhaust thingy..i burned my leg pretty bad on that lol :[

The GS 500 is a great bike, for starters or for experienced folks, for that matter. Plenty of zip, a bullet-proof dependability record, simple, and economical. The 2008 advertises 59 MPG on the Suzuki website.

It looks great. I buy bikes [size=18][b]new[/b][/size] only, however, since a sport looking bike used may have been dogged by a youthful rider -- you just never know.

DH

Strange that many people call this a "starter" bike but seeing as how it has 51HP for 430 pounds it is pretty potent. It will turn a 13 second quarter mile which is about the range for a 300HP mid size car so it isn't exactly walking. Let's understand that a starter bike would be something like a 250 single cylinder that is easy to maneuver and won't get you killed which the GS will if you get too cocky. I know because I own three of them and have been riding for 48 years. So let's stop advising people who want to start riding to buy one of these "starter" bikes.

I love Suzuki.....go for it mate.

The OP probably made the decision 8 years ago.