Suzuki GS500 Questions & Answers

Absolutely no issues with overheating. This bike did lots of low speed work including O turns, city courier work, motorcycle instructing etc and it was never an issue. The hottest the engine ever got was after 2 hours of continuous running at steady 140 km/h with full luggage and passenger. Nothing bad happened but the exhaust made some lovely backfires rolling into the next town on the nullarbor.

I will say however, make sure you keep on top of the oil changes because the oil is the coolant in this bike :)

Hi Zac, I had my GS500 long before lane filtering came in in NSW and never had an issue with it running hot. My SV1000 which is liquid cooled runs hotter. The 500 is a great bike in the traffic but if I am going to be stuck for any length of time I just turn off the motor. Make sure you change the oil regularly and don't use the cheap stuff.

I'd check the cable play - you really only need about 1mm. If the cable is not well lubricated and running freely you will not get the full release. If the clutch springs are uneven, the plates will tend to separate one sidedly and this will cause them to bind. Heavy oil can also cause a problem.

Hi Wayne if you Google Suzuki motorcycle color codes it will give you the full range of colors

Hi Bobby, I feel the question you need to answer is, if your considering a power upgrade then have you bought the right bike. Unless one intends to race or do 'track' riding I feel that motorcycles should be left in their original setup. Mine was left untouched and NEVER gave me any form of grief in 60000klms in all weather conditions. But it's your call obviously- ride safe.

Gary

Thanks Gary, knowing that the model back in Greece (where i come from) is 38 kw and i had for a while the same one its a bit of a difference, i like the factory 38kw not to burn out the tire but for energetic safety. Also im looking for side panniers while im planning a trip around Australia in the near future.. and any tips for the country are wellcome, cheers mate

Absolutely! Becasuse of the upright posture of the riding position, long rides and tours are a breeze. If you are a new rider you may experience a sore rear end however......

Yes. Make sure tyre pressures are correct (usually 33psi front and 38 rear on most bikes) and adjust the rear suspension so its nice and firm. This is the most important part of any bike.

Easy 700km a day.

Sheepskin on the seat is also good

Certainly not, my buddy is your size and rides an R1. My point is that if you we're a bigger (6' 110kg) guy wanting to hop onto say a 250, it would be difficult to pass safely or maintain 110 on the fwy and going up hills etc. I see guys on bigger guys on baby blades and know they would be thinking that they should have gone a bigger heavier bike. That said I believe that if you go a bigger bike first up, you will probably hang onto to it for longer than if you would say a 250. My reasoning for this is that a lot of my mate went from a 250 to 600 to 1000. I still have my GS500 and it suites me fine. I will get something bigger eventually but for now I'm content cheers

well my girls friend is 5'2 an only 55kg's an she is very happy to ride this bike its a real matter of if it feels right when you ride it then thats the bike for you dont worry about anything else if you like the look an it feels great to ride

then go with that

Yeah, I'd have to agree it's a really good bike for us shorties. I'm 5'3'' (158cm tall) and find this bike really easy to handle, mostly due to its low seat, low weight and low centre of gravity. Surely the best 500cc option if you're worried about height!

I'm a 5'3", 56 year old man, 67 kg and have just sold my GS 500 after 7 years and 40k's of riding. The bike would be perfect for you.