 Rider
Review: 2002 Suzuki GS500 |
Submitted
by: Harvey
I'll
do my best to give this little bike what it deserves. I'm not
too good at writing formal reviews of anything, but here I go...
The
GS500 is an excellent bike for the new rider looking for a bit
of highway worthiness and excellent city capability. The seating
position is comfortable and flexible, the parallel-twin's power
is more than enough for tight highway merges, and it dives into
corners at will. It's basically a laid-back sportbike, mellow
enough for a beginner yet surprisingly capable when the situation
(or an expert rider) calls for some serious action.
The
Good:
This
bike is very efficient--I see an average of about 60 mpg on
my bike, with brief highway and primarily city use. Going 70
mph or more on the highway, or tight, heavy city riding, will
knock the mileage closer to 50, while steady 40-55 mph cruising
will boost mileage to around 70 mpg.
It
is very maneuverable in almost all situations--I have no trouble
swerving around potholes and enormous delivery trucks, and cornering
clearance is very ample despite the apparent wideness of the
parallel-twin's engine case. Parking lot maneuvers are easily
pulled off with the relatively wide handlebars and sharp handling.
This
bike is certainly powerful enough--40 horsepower can go anywhere,
including the highway. The transmission's sixth gear is also
extremely handy for highway travel, when steady cruising is
necessary. I can easily pass double-trailers at 85 mph by kicking
down to fifth and revving to 9K rpm, and merging onto a highway
requires little more than than the standard head checks and
a twist of the wrist.
The
Bad:
The
stock mirrors are kind of unwieldy--I had mine replaced after
one of them broke off. Bar-ends free up the field of vision
in front of you quite a bit, and are a bit sportier-looking,
too.
The
stock front suspension is a pain. It's too soft and frequently
bottoms when I go up the curb into my driveway, and it's very
rigid when you hit whoop-de-doos or bumps on the highway. It
isn't overtly dangerous or absolutely horrible, but if you're
looking to invest any significant cash in this bike, fixing
the front forks will be worth the outlay.
The
stock tires, I bet, could be improved. I'm not the type to throw
out usable tires when replacements are so pricey, so I'll give
the stock Exedras their fair run before I put new ones on. Besides
some screeching when I take tight, low-speed corners from stops
and such, these tires do work--but we'll see what happens after
I put some nicer BT45's or Metzelers on. Stay tuned.
This
isn't really a "con", but it needs to be said--while
I DID indeed conduct a relatively short tour on this machine
one time, it is not specifically designed for crossing the country.
Accelerating uphill is a difficult proposition at highway speed,
and you'll need to buy a windshield to save yourself from the
windblast. While you can pull away from a tollbooth with this
thing easily, you'll be hard pressed to dodge an overeager merging
car by rocketing up to 100 mph, which this thing simply can't
do. This IS a beginner bike, though, and this isn't really a
"con", but it needs to be out there so you know.
Conclusion:
This
bike is all that I need, and I can understand those that have
had these as their only bikes for 2, 5, or 10 years. It is solidly
built, has a centerstand, has an adjustable front brake lever,
has WORKABLE helmet locks, looks swell, fits a wide range of
riders, has a wealth of resources and aftermarket support available,
and is easy to work on. I could go on and on. I wish it wasn't
discontinued in the US--this bike is an excellent bargain bike
for beginners and experts alike. If you're looking to get into
sportbikes, but want something that's somewhat comfy and doesn't
have all sorts of expensive plastic to scuff up in a slide,
I think you need to look no further than this bike, provided
it fits you.
Ride
safe,
Harvey
I'll update this review as necessary.
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