2006 Gs500f Review
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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Hi,
I thought i would give my impressions on a 2006 GS50f i have been riding for 2 months now.
I am a new street rider and have ridden motocross bikes enough to know how to whip them around (I learned on a CR125).
First of all, the bikes Pros: It looks pretty good, it starts well even in cold weather for a carbed engine (Im talking 0'C here guys) and its an all around un intimidating bike. Lightweight. Good brakes. Comfortable seat.
The Cons on the other hand have been annoying me lately. Power, Its so smooth you dont really feel it. Similar to driving a V6 it seems like its going to throw you back but keeps you waiting. Transmission, sloppy and often difficult to find neutral. Front suspension is super soft. Dives all over the place under braking. Engine is noisy, valve chatter? Fuel mileage suffers because I am on it so much. (Still better than truck though). Ride position sucks when you get on the freeway, anything over 60MPH/100km/h strains the bike and you have to keep it open. Forget commuting on it if your doing highway. Also the fuel starvation issue i had with the petcock was annoying.
Overall I would have to recommend this bike to anyone looking for a machine they will drive in town, not get too aggressive with and arent looking for a quick bike that will "scare" them.
I have outgrown this bike so quickly i dont think i will keep it till the end of the season.
I wrote this post for anyone who has some riding experience and being told to start small. Use you common sense, do you have the ability to handle more machine. I wish I wouldn't have listened to everyone who said this was such a great bike. The only hope is that I can sell it for what i paid and move on.
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Damn bro glad you told me. I was thinking about the 2006 suzuki GS500F or the 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500R. I don't plan on riding it aggresive but I mainly want it to commute. Its gonna be my first bike and ill probably get a 800cc in 3 years. But thanks for the review.
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I bought my bike in late March/early April and my perspective is a bit different than the OP's (not that it isn't valid). After the first couple of street rides (when I got comfortable) I felt like I'd made a mistake and should've gotten something b*****. And then I realized that I was being soft on the throttle and my bike was much better.
I'm not saying that TeamFast's experience isn't valid, but I haven't had any problems on the highway. In fact, it's the reason I decided on the GS instead of the Ninja 250. In 6th gear at 80ish mph it's only at 6500 rpms with plenty left.
Suspension is soft and it does dive under braking, but that's a cheap/easy fix. I've never had any transmission problems. In fact, my bike shifts much smoother than my wife's Ninjette (which isn't saying much).
On the bad side, the thing is heavier than more modern middleweights. I may start riding my wife's bike when I commute just because it's easier in stop-n-go traffic. Also, the lack of tech is kind of bothersome. No fuel or temp gauges, and I'm definitely never getting another carbed bike if I can help it. Dealing with rejetting will be bothersome but I just run premium gas and it works for now.
Not saying that someone should get this bike instead of a b***** twin (SV or Ninja 650) because I probably would have if I had it to do over again. However, for what it is, the GS500 is an outstanding bike. I don't know that I will get rid of it when I get a new bike. I plan to make it stronger, faster, and better.
I'm only at 1000 miles but that's my two cents.
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Discussion Starter · #4 ·
Hi, thanks for the feedback on this thread, appreciated.
Some more perceptions for anyone who will take them for what they are worth.
Pros: Its an easy bike to use at slow/fast speeds. Its handling is responsive but not overly so. Again unintimidating factors. It will get you down in the corners (the good way) and make you a better rider overall. The lack of power is also a good thing for when you get the rear end loose the first time you wont dump it. I can get it to break on most turns just for kicks and sandy school yards, as a great way to practice getting the back end loose (under control) so you dont freak when it happens "out there". I guess I am missing my dirt bike days because i have had this thing drifting down gravel roads 
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Discussion Starter · #5 ·
Bike is for sale, didnt even enjoy it for one season, picking up something alot more aggressive, should have done that in the first place.
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SOLD mine after barely riding 400 miles on it.....
I hated the bike after riding a REAL BIKE..the difference was amazing.
luckly i found a buyer...use craigslist!
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All very interesting feedback which based on my experience in the industry, there are a wide variety of opinions and experience ... some more or less relevant.
I've had an 08 gs500f and bike is tremendous. I ride it 40 miles daily round trip on the freeway in SoCal and have no problem comfortably running 80. The dealer tweaked the carb because it wasn't setup to factory specs and this thing runs smooth.
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All very interesting feedback which based on my experience in the industry, there are a wide variety of opinions and experience ... some more or less relevant.
I've had an 08 gs500f and bike is tremendous. I ride it 40 miles daily round trip on the freeway in SoCal and have no problem comfortably running 80. The dealer tweaked the carb because it wasn't setup to factory specs and this thing runs smooth.
I have 2 GS500F's a 2004 for my little brother and a 2006 for me. Both bikes have had to have some rebuilds on the carbs after sitting for a couple weeks. I will never get a bike that is not fuel injected again. I am shopping around and am going to get back into a liter plus bike. currently looking at the ZX14 and the Hayabusa. I get decent mleage on the GS, currently about 48-51 mpg. bike does dive ALOT under breaking and it feels light on windy days....
decent bike for a beginner, which I am not. I bought it because it was cheap and was all I could afford at the time. (DIVORCE SUCKS AND IS WAY TOO [email protected] EXPENSIVE!!!!)
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I have had my gs500F since June, and I LOVE it. This comes with also riding an 02 FZ1 of my buddy's. I rode the GS 90 mph on the freeway for 2 and a half hours and it never showed any weakness, and I'm 250 lbs. My forks were never soft enough to dive around as you said, and I break heavily. The only complaint I have ever had is torque. It just doesn't pull as well as my buddy's 1000, I did however upgrade the rear spring to a GSX600F Katana shock, because needless to say I'm a big guy. I still get into triple digits quickly and easily and can corner really tight and still maintain control. I recommend this bike to everyone, why yes may be underpowered to some standards, quite a bit of people run this bike on the track and do really well. This bike will start in 50 degree weather with mild coercion. Great bike.
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I bought a 2005 gs500f a few months back and its a fun bike to play around on but for somebody who has raced dirt bikes and 4 wheelers and grew up on anything and everything that went fast this bike is very disappointing. I am glad I got a new bike. Just wish mine wasnt so hard to sell.
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This bike is a bike for new motorcyclists ONLY.
Power isn't what why people buy it. If anything, people should learn to motorcycle and feel comfortable on a bike before moving on to something that is meant for more sporty riding.
gotkenpo...i have a zx14 now...if you care about mpg, dont get a 14...only mentioning it cus you mentioned it.
It is a great commuter.
Source: https://www.sportbikes.net/threads/gs500f-short-term-review.390469/
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