Suzuki Gs500
SUZUKI GS500
Quick Ride
Very easy rider
SO THERE I WAS, BEING interrogated by the police for the third time in as many hours. What was up with that? Apparently, the cops had issues with my bike-Suzuki’s GS500. Now, this entry-level middleweight has hardly changed since 1989. And even then, its air-cooled, dohc, two-valve-percylinder, 487cc parallel-Twin borrowed heavily from the earlyEighties GS450. So it wasn’t ground-breaking power that had the police in such a tizzy.
Could it have been the bike’s new look? For 2001, Suzuki gave the GS a facelift. Designers fit a larger, re-contoured gas tank that increases range and gives the bike a more cosmopolitan air. That’s complemented by the sleek-looking tailsection with dual-bulb taillight, reminiscent of the larger-displacement Bandits. Revamp aside, new bodywork wasn’t what interested the cops. It was something else altogether.
I had been minding my own business, putting in Sundaymorning miles on Southern California’s Ortega Highway. The GS was gobbling up the fast sweepers at the base of the highway, its broad handlebar providing plenty road tightened with the steep ascent into the mountains, the lightweight 500 easily flicked into and out of bends, and provided a stable platform in the straight stuff.
After putting the sporty-yetcomfortable GS through its paces, I arrived at the popular motorcycle hangout, The Lookout. A dozen cops congregated nearby, looking askance at my Metallic Abyss Blue testbikewith its missing license plate. Oops! I was told someone had assaulted an officer earlier that morning on a dark sportbike with no plate. I assured SoCal’s finest that I was not their man, and they eventually agreed.
Considering the situation, I was a bit subdued during my ride home, which included a winding descent into San Juan Capistrano, some around-town trolling and a short stint on the freeway. Throughout, the GS’s manners were commendable. The non-adjustable (except for spring preload in the rear) suspension is a little on the soft side, but not so squishy that the bike’s target audience will likely object. The disc brakes provided plenty of stopping power and good feel at the lever.
My only real complaint is that the GS is jetted a little lean. Emissions requirements aside, cold starting is an exercise in choke finesse. Also, an aftermarket fairing is a recommended upgrade. Fighting the wind at higher speeds for any lengthy distance gets fatiguing.
Otherwise, the $4399 GS remains what it’s always been: a comfortable, fun little runabout that’s the epitome of entry-level. For a first-timer not to consider the GS500 would be, ahem, criminal. Wendy F. Black
