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I just finished my MSF course this weekend and passed, I will be going to the DMV soon to get my license. I have been researching bikes for a month or two, right now I am leaning towards a GS500F, I heard they are great starter bikes and was wondering what you guys think of them. Thanks.

jeffm6000 wrote:I just finished my MSF course this weekend and passed, I will be going to the DMV soon to get my license. I have been researching bikes for a month or two, right now I am leaning towards a GS500F, I heard they are great starter bikes and was wondering what you guys think of them. Thanks.

Great starter bike. It's what I started on many a moon ago. actually a GS550. Trouble is, after a year you'll want somthing a bit bigger and cushier.

Great bike!............. and a good one to start on too.

I'm with Jack, I love my GS, especially now that I have rejetted the carbs and put new springs in the forks. Pretty much any entry level bike is going to need that done. Mine has a big air filter now instead of the crummy stock airbox, and it growls and rips through the turns, and my hubby can do wheelies on it. Plus they're easy to work on and pretty bullet proof.

jeffm6000 wrote:I heard they are great starter bikes and was wondering what you guys think of them. Thanks.

Perfectly good bike to begin on. You don't say how big you are but I'm a big guy and I have ridden that bike - not comfortably but it's a nice bike. Congrats on your license and ride safe!

ShawnKing wrote:

jeffm6000 wrote:I heard they are great starter bikes and was wondering what you guys think of them. Thanks.

Perfectly good bike to begin on. You don't say how big you are but I'm a big guy and I have ridden that bike - not comfortably but it's a nice bike. Congrats on your license and ride safe!

I'm about 5'10" and 170 lbs if that helps. I've sat on them at the dealership and it seems to fit me well.

jeffm6000 wrote:I'm about 5'10" and 170 lbs if that helps. I've sat on them at the dealership and it seems to fit me well.

I'm 6'3" and 260lbs. It was my wife's bike and she had had it lowered considerably so I think you'll do fine. The biggest concern I'd have would be you getting "tired" of it too soon and/or outgrowing it too quickly.

My wife had hers "only" 18 months but we put a lot of miles (and several Dragon Rides!) on it before she moved up to a BMW F800ST.

ok well I found a 2006 for just under 3000, but it has 16,000 miles on it, is that too much for a bike with that many miles on it?

I put 80,000 miles on my 97 GS500E and now have 58,000 miles on my 02 GS500 and expect it to go 80-90k miles too. A 06 with 16,000 miles is hardly more than broken in unless it was badly abused.