Suzuki GS500F

The relatively recent introduction of a Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme in NSW - which allows beginners to rider mid-capacity machines so long as they fall under a power-to-weight limit - has given the GS500 and fully-faired F version reviewed here a whole new lease of life.

The history of the bike is long, but comparatively uneventful. We first saw the air-cooled vertical twin in Oz in 1989, designated the GS500E. It was essentially the same mechanical package you see here and remained a steady if not record-breaking seller.

In mid-2000 it was superseded by the GS500. Move up to 2004 and Suzuki announces the side-by-side import of the naked GS500 (at $7390) and the fully-faired GS500F ($8290).

What you get

The package is very straightforward, and is not far removed from a lot of the mid-range bikes you could buy several decades ago. We score a twin-cylinder, aircooled, four-valve per pot, vertical twin four-stroke, displacing 487cc.

Power figures are hard to come by, but about the 50 mark is right.

There's a six-speed manual gearbox, tied to a wet clutch and chain final drive.

The chassis is a straight-forward steel frame with conventional front end and monoshock rear. Braking is by single disc with two-piston caliper up front and another disc with a single-piston caliper on the rear.

In all the machine feels as though it's built to a price - which is an observation rather than a criticism.

Performance

We were pleasantly surprised by the engine, which, while not being particularly smooth, had respectable mid-range and a fairly lively top-end. It will hold 120-130km/h all day if you want it to and we had no trouble getting the speedo needle pointing past 170.

Clutch action is light and predictable while gearshifting is positive though not particularly slick. Interestingly, we found the whole engine/gearbox relationship worked best if you kept the revs in the brisk end of the mid-range, which is where the whole bike came together.

Suspension is okay one-up, though two-up loads will stretch the friendship. There's ride-height adjustment at both ends and we found the package worked fine until you really gave it a hard time in turns, when it would start to show signs of becoming overwhelmed. Still, there was plenty of warning and this was never intended to be a knee-out sport bike.

Fuel consumption worked out to be in the high teens or better.

Overall

We walked away feeling pretty good about the GS. It's a terrific learner machine, particularly from the point of view that it has enough performance to undertake most tasks (including touring) and has sufficient power to remain interesting for a fairly long ownership. In other words, there's less temptation to flog it the minute your P-plate period is over.

It's not the fastest or best-finished motorcycle out there, but represents very good value for money. And yes, we'd spend the extra $900 to get the one with the fairing - partly because it will make it a better resale proposition and mostly because it provides some handy coverage on longer rides.

Specifications

Engine type: 4-stroke, air-cooled, DOHC, 2-cylinder

Displacement : 487cc

Bore X stroke : 74.0 X 56.6mm

Compression ratio: 9.0:1

Carburetor: Mikuni BSR34

Starter system: Electric

Transmission: 6-speed, constant mesh

Rake/Trail: 25¡ / 97mm

Overall length : 2,080mm

Overall width : 820mm

Ignition type : Electric (transistorised)

Fuel tank : 20.0L

Overall height : 1,250mm

Wheelbase: 1,405mm

Ground clearance : 150mm

Seat height: 790mm

Dry mass : 180kg

Suspension front: Telescopic, coil spring, oil-damped, spring preload adjustable

Suspension rear: Link type, oil damped, spring preload, 7-way adjustable

Brakes front : Twin-piston caliper, disc brake

Brakes rear: Single-piston caliper, disc brake

Tyres front: 110/70-17 54H, tubeless

Tyres rear: 130/70-17 62H, tubeless

Body colours: Pearl Yellow or Candy Blue

Price: $9290 plus ORC ($7390 for the unfaired GS500)