Faults:

It wouldn't start after sitting for a week. No lights, no noises... nothing. I thought it was a connection issue, but it turned out that the battery had gone completely dead. I pulled the battery to check it out, and the fluid level was down on every cell. I got some distilled water and added fluid to about 1/4" above the plates, and put it on the charger. It took a couple of days to completely charge, and I was worried that there was a problem with the charging system. After I re-installed the battery, I started the bike and checked the charging system... all seems good, and the battery has held up.

General Comments:

It had been 26 years since I had ridden a bike, so I signed up for a BRC course. During the course, they let you ride different types of bikes... all 250cc. I stayed with the dual sport type bikes. They are light and nimble with good sight lines. Anyway, when I jumped on my GS500 after taking the course, it seemed very heavy. It also didn't seem to maneuver very well in tight spaces.

After riding the bike for a couple of hours, I was used to the weight, and when moving the bike was more stable and seemed to track better.

I really enjoyed the increase in power compared to the bikes from the course. It zips out ahead of traffic in town, and can stay out of its own way on the highway as well.

The riding position is more sporty than I thought when I bought the bike. It's nowhere near a GSX-R type riding position, but compared to the dual sports, your feet are closer to your butt and you are leaned slightly forward.

The bike seems to love corners, and now that I am more used to the bike I find it quite comfortable. I'm 5'11" and weigh in at 275lbs, and the bike still moves along pretty good.

I can see myself riding this bike for quite a while to get more skill and experience... I am used to the acceleration now, but I still have learning to do with the cornering.

Faults:

Fork oil seals leaked after 10 years.

Battery died after 8 years.

General Comments:

I've had my GS since new, and it's a solid little bike. My 210lbs is easily handled by this torque machine with no problems.

The usual Suzuki build quality gripes can easily be overcome by keeping the bike dry overnight and wiped down when dirty. Mine is ten years old and still shines like new.

The well known cam shaft rattle has not affected the performance, and it easily handles a pillion rider.

Buy this bike if you like riding motorcycles and don't if you like fixing them.

Faults:

Nothing broke down on the bike, other than previous owner having dropped it with bent bars and broken gauge.

General Comments:

Decent first bike. Parallel twin puts out 50hp; enough to make things interesting, yet not enough to wring the rider off the bike.

It's small for taller riders. 6 footers will be a little cramped.

I had to install risers on the bars as my hands were going numb.

Seat is... of course... bad. Gel seat helps a lot.

While the engine makes the bike decently quick, it struggles badly at lower rpm's and has very little torque below 4k. Around town riding is a chore to say the least.

Brakes were adequate with a rear disc. No surprises.

Handling was good and was fun in the twisties. Upright seating position helped for longer rides.

Typically 60mpg, smallish tank however.

No plastic fairings to get destroyed in a tipover, but no wind protection either.