Suzuki GS500 reviews

This is a great bike to learn to ride on. The power delivery is smooth and not scary. There is enough there to cruise on the highway and more than enough to stay ahead of traffic in town. This is a bare bones bike, no frills or flash, but it gets the job done and puts a smile on your face while doing it. If you are looking for a bike that will blow everything away, you're looking in the wrong place. If you are looking for a bike that is reliable, cheap to operate, easy to work on and is lots of fun to use as a commuter, this is that bike. My only real gripe is the leg room for someone with a 32" inseam is a little tight. And someone that is "bigger" is going to find the suspension doesn't like you much (it will also have a negative effect on the acceleration) After I rode the bike for a month, I thought I was ready for an upgrade. I was looking for more acceleration. But if you use the gears more, it is okay. It won't blow your hair back, but you won't be in anyone's way. Just remember this is a Honda Civic equivalent, not a Corvette. Show less

I just traded my 95 Kawasaki Vulcan 800 straight across for this GS500, it only had 2600 miles on it when I got it. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the bike. I had never ridden a sport bike before. But I am in love with this bike. It's so nimble and for a 500 it gets up and goes. I am going to put a new exhaust and jet kit on it. It doesn't breathe well with the stock exhaust but that's an easy fix. It is the naked version, has only the little cafe winscreen on it, and the only thing I can say I have to get use to is so much wind while I'm riding. The bike has already made me a better rider. I can dive into corners and the bike just flows so smoothly through them. I'm so excited for the summer riding season.. Have to say..Great bike, and a wonderful starter bike for anyone. It's very easy to handle. Show less

Not ridden until 2002, this sweet ride commuted on the highways for all it's life. Maintained well, made life a no breakdown joy. Overall cost per mile includes: purchase, helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, fuel, insurance, all maintanence = $0.236/mile ... unbeatable! Totally satisfied. Original clutch, all electrics, wheels, exhaust, gearbox, engine. Replaced moving steering and suspension parts, tires, oil and brakes. What a wonderful ride. If you've read this far, then you'll enjoy the ride impression that follows. This bike is the core design for the 500cc World Class win for Suzuki. Hard braking in a deep corner produces not a single tremble. Highway interchanges, country two lane blacktop, it is all about sweepers, button hooks, decreasing and increasing radius .. the corners! Wear kneepads. This chassis is the race chassis. Class leading power is there, crusing at 50mpg, 6Krpm, strong headwind, no problem. It is light and feels light. It can be tossed all over the place. The Cross Bronx, The Deegan, Henry Hudson, all demand that. The NJ Turnpike, the GS Parkway, I287, 280, 195, 95, 80, and 78 all require the need for power. Getting from cruise to warp factor 1, is smooth and very comfortable. The Interstate is no problem. Traffic...at idle, you can move on the clutch, it creeps supurbly. This is not just a beginner ride. It is the Chevy Cobalt RT, the Nissan Sentra R, et al. A 175mph ride is fun, but just about the time you get to speed, you've got to stop and pay a toll. This is the NY/NJ metro area, not El Paso County. Fast and agile this is a ride to keep and enjoy. You will arrive at work and home relaxed, thrilled and smiling, day after day. I almost forgot. Fast and sure in all rain. Stable and easy in the snow. Join the Motorcycle Gang: RIDE TO WORK / WORK TO RIDE! Show less

I bought this bike about two months ago as my first bike. It is a great bike to build confidence in. People told me that I would outgrow it quickly and want a more powerful bike. I am now ready to get into an SV or 600 class bike. The reason though is because of the GS. It helps build the confidence and skills you need to be safe on the road. I love the bike. It is was not that quick, but when I found out its sweet spot in the RPM zone it picked up a lot faster. This is a great bike to just go out and ride. It is very nimble and feels very light. I would recommend this bike to any beginner or anyone who just wants to get on two wheels and does not need to go at triple digit speeds. Its a blast to ride around town. Show less

Bought my '99 GS 500E right after completing MSC course. I am 6'4, 220 lbs and I fit on this bike! Plenty of power, fun and easy to move quickly through the gears, handles corners very nicely, feels well planted for a small bike. Due to great handling and smooth ride, encourages you to go faster. As your confidence grows, the bike can take you to the next level. Soon you will be zipping through those s curves with a big smile. When you master this one, you can ride anything. Only complaint was no bottom end torque (have to slip clutch to get going), but you get used to it quickly.. Show less

Bought mine in August 2002 and now nearing February i'm still riding. Perfect for the Queens to Manhattan commute. It has never failed to start whether it was over 100 deg. or below 10 deg. and have never had one problem with it. Have logged in 2500 miles in 5 months and the bike has run like a dream. Pretty enough to get a few looks and cheap enough to park in the street without losing sleep. And the money I save in parking and tickets pays for the bike. It's my first bike and I have yet to desire something bigger or more powerful. Plus one very important point, its very easy and cheap to maintain. I'm 5'6" 145 LBS and can handle it's 381 pound weight without a problem. Hooked it up with a flyscreen and new pipes for the spring...and I'm set. Need a neat little first bike that definitely is not a toy....try the GS500! Show less

I;ve been riding bikes for 30 years. Sure, there are plenty of bikes out there that will go much faster. But for the vast majority of riding that I do, this bike does it well. It's cheap to buy, insure and operate, and it's practically bullet-proof. Get a jet kit for the carbs and double your fun. You can't beat this bike for what it was designed to do. Hey - they're not making them anymore, but not because it wasn't a good scoot! Show less

I am a beginner and just bought an 01 with 1800 miles for $3000, and it has an aftermarket exhaust and small winshield. For very little $ I got an almost new almost perfect condition motorcycle to buzz around town on. The bike runs great. As listed in the other reviews, the fork really IS kind of soft when you hit a bump or something, but that's about the only complaint. I find it quite comfortable as far as riding position, I am 5'6". This is a bike that I think runs nicely, handles nicely, and looks cool too if you like the naked look. It has a good quality feel to it, even though it's inexpensive. It's unintimidating, but it doesn't look like a toy either. Obviously, it's no rocket, and if you are looking for a huge adrenaline rush you probably will soon want a bike with more hp. This is a great bike though with PLENTY of power and good handling for people who want a low cost ride for commuting or buzzing around town like me. Or, it would be great for someone who is just beginning to practice on for a few months, and if you sell it in a few months and you haven't rashed it all up, you won't lose much money on it. I think it would be easy to sell this bike too. So unless you are REALLY power hungry, get one! It's nice. Show less

This bike has been my first. The break-in period (first 600 miles) I had to keep it under 5,000 rpm. I got use to that then after the break-in I had another 5,000 rpm to play with (redline is 11,000 rpm) Felt, Sounded, and Accelerated like a totally different bike. No problems, just change the oil. For an unintimidating first bike, that can do 115 mph without the throttle opened all the way, it is a good buy. Show less

This is my first bike and I am disappointed in its lethargic performance. I've been on mopeds with more pickup than this thing! I outgrew the GS500 in a day. The only good things about the GS are the seat height and the fuel mileage. For $1000 less, I could have bought the 250 Ninja. For $1000 more, I could have had the 500 Ninja. I have a deposit on a 2003 Yamaha R6 Oh well, you learn from your mistakes. Show less