I have heard people call this bike a workhorse and that, to me, is a little misleading. When I think of a workhorse, I think of a huge heavy horse pulling a cart and not much good at anything else. The GS500 is much more...
I passed my DAS and went straight on to a Suzuki GS500F, I bought it new so had to run it in. For me that worked out quite well as it helped me to get used to the bike before rushing off too fast and with not enough experience. The GS has a great turning circle and whilst I struggled with my U-turns before, once I got this bike, they became much easier. The bike loves filtering and that’s why the unfaired version seems to be a favourite with Couriers and bike schools.
My Bike looked like a baby GSXR and that really appealed to me, I didn’t feel that I could cope with a race bike so soon after passing. A lot of the guys that passed around the same time as me went straight on to a sporty 600 number. Most of them enjoyed the countryside a little too much and ended up the other side of the hedge scaring the life out of some grazing sheep. The bike doesn’t look like a small bike and doesn’t feel like one either.
Friends that rode it around were surprised and impressed how the bike felt. The riding position is perfect for any circumstance you could find yourself in, you’re sitting up but not too much and low enough to pretend it has clip on’s, not that I ever did that, I am a grown woman.
After 4 weeks of having it we rode to the Bikers Loft in Belgium, I was totally out numbered, the only novice rider, the only rider not on a sports bike or big tourer.
We were not intimidated, trying to keep within the restrictions of running in but not getting left behind and we did a pretty good job too.
The bike is a good runner, not the fastest off the mark but plenty quick enough for anyone that wants to learn a bit more before launching themselves on a sports model. I took the bike to a novice track day at Brands Hatch, as we lined up to follow the instructors around I noticed the lack of small engines. A second look came the realisation that I had the smallest bike there. I was next to an R1, behind a ZZR600 and a couple of GSXR’s .
With a deep breath we were off, at the beginning we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves as they all whizzed by but then at the corners the little bike came into it’s own. I think if that little bike could have smiled it would have beamed with satisfaction. The bigger bikes pulled away from us on the straights but we caught up on the corners, the GS was able to keep the speed through the bends and pass as they sailed out wide. If this was a Disney movie we would have won a huge prize and started to fly as the end titles started to rise. For those of you that just want the facts, well here they are. Tax is £48, fuel economy is good, we calculated I would get around 60miles to the gallon.
Last year the GS range was discontinued due to EU emission laws.
So now if I hear anyone saying that the GS500 is a work horse, I correct them and say sorry, this is a great little all rounder bike that can pretty much do anything you want it to. In the horse world if you can get a decent all rounder that is pretty good at most things then that horse is pretty much priceless and that’s how I feel about my GS.
In a perfect world I would have kept it.
I want to go faster, I want to go faster..
