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'Pwalo' from Kiwibiker sets the record straight about Suzuki's humble commuter steed, the GS500E (1997)

Firstly a potted history of the mighty GS500. The GS500 was introduced in 1989 and has been in continuous production since. It's also been the subject of derision in the British biking press ever since, although the Americans and Europeans seem to really like them.

The model ran pretty much unchanged until this year (2004), when Suzuki brought out the new 'F' version which comes with a fairing, some style modifications and a few more touches.

The GS500E - a bare essentials bike... including the garage The motor is a derivative of the GS400 introduced in the mid-70s (wow all that technology), and is a two valve per piston air-cooled vertical twin four stroke. It's NOT fast, but very strong.

The frame is a square section perimeter type, similar to some domestic market smaller GSXR's but in steel. Again a bit heavy but very strong.

The only changes made to the GS that I've been able to track down were a change to the specs for the camshafts to reduce noise, changes to the body work in 2001, and a fully faired version in 2004.

If the 70s Japanese bikes had engines that overwhelmed their chassis, the GS is completely the opposite with an engine that rather underwhelms its chassis.

I've owned my GS500E for 3 and 1/2 years now, and have made a few changes to suit my requirements.

From front to rear changes/mods are:

Progressive springs, spacers, heavier fork oil in the forks Braided brake line Givi A755 screen Replacement pilot jets, remove blanks to allow adjustment of idle mixture (US spec model) Replacement rear shock (Hagon with adjustable rebound damping) Bridgestone BT45s

Pros: The GS is absolutely reliable. I use my bike to commute every working day, and the occasional weekend ride. It's never failed to start, and has never left me stranded. Maintenance is fairly cheap too. Naked, simple etc, etc.

I regularly get 65+ miles per gallon, and could get by filling up every second week. With this economy it will handle the touring role and the saddle is comfortable for a fair few miles.

The GS500E sports a simple paint job - still better than the garage behind it... The GS500E is surprisingly comfortable for a smaller bike. Reliable, simple and cheap to run, this is a bike that'll reward you with a solid job done - maybe it isn't the most thrilling ride out there, but it is a lot, lot better than the biking press would have you believe.

(Editors note - I know someone who put 215,000 miles on a GS500E before replacing it… with another GS500E. True testimony to how well these little bikes hold together).

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