May have a bike - GS500E

[Kurlon]

Looking at bike specs, options, available machines, etc I managed to completely space on a bike that was right in front of me, a GS500E that needs some electrical cleanup but is otherwise clean. Did I mention my strengths include electrical?

The EX500 is liquid cooled, and sports a 4v top end, but looking at the specs all that fancy stuff doesn't really seem to make it stand out as significantly more powerful than the GS500 motor. (51hp vs 52hp mfg rated, still looking for usable rear wheel dyno data.) The GS has more ground clearance, wider wheels, and more suspension travel over the EX, and looks to be a few pounds lighter. It has less rake and more trail to boot.

The downside - No fairing, dunno how much that'd hamper things. The GS500F fairing will bolt up, but thats technically a different model so I dunno as that's kosher. Airtech makes a fairing kit as well. Plus in the UK Suzuki had a factory kit available, if that's legal?

Worst case, I'll be an underdog and will really have to outride people in PT, making for good racing, and thats what it's all about, right?

[daviid]

buy a ex500! you wont regret it. you can almost consider loudon a ex500 grave yard on weekends. you can find pretty much any part you need. i dont know if you can say that about a gs500

[pasta-rocket]

Run the GS,and have fun, I do not think anyone cares what bodywork you have on it. I am running a ducati 620 in pt next year.

[pasta-rocket]

by the way...Do you think a ktm 65 will be fine for mini moto??

[Kitt]

Run the GS,and have fun, I do not think anyone cares what bodywork you have on it. I am running a ducati 620 in pt next year.

did u snag the one that was by the bathrooms this past weekend?

[Doc]

I have a spare GS frame, motor, tranny, subframe,seat, SV rear shock (upgrade), tank and a BUNCH of other parts you can have cheap! It was a race bike before I started to part it out.

PM me.

[Paul_E_D]

The GS is certainly useable for a year or two. If it's free or nearly free, I'd go for it. If it's 1K, I'd just save a little longer for an EX. The power difference is significant despite what it says on paper.

You seem to want to go your own way, so do what YOU want!

[Kurlon]

by the way...Do you think a ktm 65 will be fine for mini moto??

Most places tend to define minis with the following guidelines:

4 stroke horizontal single in an open cradle frame, rear wheel no larger than 12 inches, front no larger than 14.

So for a lot of the New England mini scene, the KTM wouldn't be allowed. If you travel a bit more to SEMRA, WERA etc events, they're more open and have the classes setup to accommodate two strokes, along with larger 'minis'.

[Kurlon]

The GS is certainly useable for a year or two. If it's free or nearly free, I'd go for it. If it's 1K, I'd just save a little longer for an EX. The power difference is significant despite what it says on paper.

You seem to want to go your own way, so do what YOU want!

Thats the kicker, this will be a near free bike, I just need to replace either the CDI or an ignition trigger to get it running on both cylinders again. (Bike was retired after loosing spark on one cylinder. Owner picked up a Monster S2R as a replacement and this has been sitting in the back of the shop's storage garage for a year now.) So I can get out there on it, and if I suddenly find that for some reason I hate racing (yeah, right) I'm not into it for much. If I do get hooked... well now I can start applying for credit and debiting myself into oblivion to feed my habit.

And yeah, I do like to be difficult er different.

[Kitt]

This is the bike sarah had for a while... It's a fun little bike, and loads of upgrades from newer suzukis.

[Kitt]

jeez.. they don't look half bad with the race plastics (not that they look bad naked).

here's a set for $300 with everything. If you look, he has a gsxr front end on it.

GS500 full race body work - 13x Forums

[Paul_E_D]

btw, an EX makes 53 at the wheel. My guess from racing against GS500's is that they make 50 at the crank. say 42 at the wheel. But like you say, if you can ride the wheels off it, you can beat a lot of EX's to the finishline.

[Kurlon]

btw, an EX makes 53 at the wheel. My guess from racing against GS500's is that they make 50 at the crank. say 42 at the wheel. But like you say, if you can ride the wheels off it, you can beat a lot of EX's to the finishline.

40 at the wheel sounds about right, although I was under the impression that the EXs were sporting similar numbers out of the crate. Kawi and Suzi both list similar numbers for ratings on the two bikes.

Dyno Run
http://home.earthlink.net/~svbadguy1/images/gsdyno.jpg

That shows a GS500e with a pipe and k&n filter turning an awe inspiring 42hp. The second dyno confirms those numbers.

Cycle Magazine, January 1987

They state a RWHP of 51, that confirms your estimate...

Oh well, I'm going to have to ride the wheels off it. Free as in some wrench time is cheap to me, I can still afford an EX500 if I've got the bug bad and the GS500 just isn't getting it done at this rate.

Kitt - That bodywork is KILLER! I don't think it's allowed for Production Twins though... and I dunno if the local Ducati shop would let me mount that bodywork while they watched.

[Kitt]

Kitt - That bodywork is KILLER! I don't think it's allowed for Production Twins though... and I dunno if the local Ducati shop would let me mount that bodywork while they watched.

bodywork shouldn't affect class.

[Paul_E_D]

No one will care if you mount bodywork. In fact, no one will care if you make it a 600. It's still not gonna make the power of a stock EX. physics dictate that four valves are better than two... more than enough advantage to overcome a 100 CC difference. See SV 650 Vs. M750 for reference... on paper they are not too far off, on track the sv KILLS it.

race it and have a blast!!!

[Kurlon]

While a 4v head does have potential benefits over a 2v design, with the LOW HP these mills are pushing (Based on displacement, and assuming 100% VE these rigs should be slamming 60hp out at 10k RPM) if motor mods were allowed, I could easily get the GS500 up into the 55s without touching displacement, and that's retaining the 2v head.

And comparing an SV650 to a M750 is a bit unfair, compare a modern fuelie SV to a M620 (Which walks all over the M750) or M695... and now you've got a proper fight on your hands. (72 RWHP for the SV, 65/71RWHP for the 620/695). At that point, it's all about rider and chassis.

But, this is all moot, if I wanted to race a tweaker's division and blow my hopes of ever being financially solvent I'd run a GP class. : )

Although, if no one's going to complain about mods, I know of a 4v head that will bolt on, there's room for both a bore and stroke bump...

No, I musn't go down that path, it's dark and full of HP and bills to explain...

edit: Not trying to be argumentative btw, I'm just an engine head and the 2v vs 4v vs etc debate is a long discussed one in the mini community. It gets me all riled up.

edit #2: It's confirmed, I've got the GS, you're all doomed.

[Doc]

So you and Buddha should make a little GS team.

Buy my lot of parts!!!

[Kurlon]

Here's the 'before' photo...

[Kurlon]

So you and Buddha should make a little GS team.

Buy my lot of parts!!!

PM me the details on the parts, and I think there does need to be a GS Gestapo to go up against the EX Mafia, good call Doc!

[Honclfibr]

That bike looks to be in far too nice shape to be turned into a racebike. I bet you could sell it as a streetbike for more than a properly set up EX would cost. And by properly set up, I mean "looks like it was run over by a train" of course. As a racebike should.

[s a x m a n]

between here and the NEAR list several people have told you this is not the best route to go, one of them being the fastest Production Twins Expert

if you really looking to just learn the track and become a better rider, maybe its just track days to start with ... racing is about competition, but from the sounds of it that bike is not going to even touch what the EXs can do ... you'll be investing in something that will have no return for you (if you race it)

i did the "i'm going to do it my way" thing when I started to, and I have thousands into my bike which I built into a race bike, and Scott Greenwood is selling his heavily race preped R6 for $9000 ... if I had only listened to everyone else and bought an already done up bike I'd have more money to spend on racing

there is some good advice being given ...

[OreoGaborio]

In my first production twins race I beat Chad Falcone on his suped up NON production legal GS500.... now as much as we bust on him, he goes good for a fat guy.. and I beat him pretty easily in my first race weekend ever. If we were on equal bikes, he probably woulda whooped my ass so if I had to guess, I'd say the EX is good for 2-3 seconds a lap over the GS. You may or may not do alright w/ it in the Novice class but forget about competing in AM or Expert, those 2-3 seconds are HUGE once you get past Novice.

I like Darrell's idea, it's the only way you'll get your money's worth out of it. Fix it up & sell it as a street bike & use the money to get a race ready EX500. My girlfriend just bought a street GS for 1400 bucks. I told her to buy a race ready EX500 but she wouldn't listen

[RyanNicholson]

Scott Greenwood is selling his heavily race preped R6 for $9000 ...

maybe if i sold both my bikes......hmmm

[s a x m a n]

maybe if i sold both my bikes......hmmm

attack kawi (yes, AMA) is selling their supersport bikes with fresh rebuild and new tires for $13,000 ... thats a freakin' steal! You know they have alot of money into those bikes

[Kurlon]

My first year I'm going to be a novice anyways, so I'm not worried about Am/Ex just yet. And I'm not looking to be hyper competitive, my main race addiction is still my mini (which I bet could do well in PT...) and I'm hoping to learn corner speed at Loudon to improve my mini riding.

I'm not planning on sinking much into the GS, I'll get the motor running, a braided steel brake line up front, some good rubber, and I'll set the suspension up as well as stock will allow, and go out and see what happens.

A sorted EX would be a good bike, but unless someone's going to offer me one now for $300 running (max I'll have to spend to get this one re-lit) I'm going to stick with what's within my reach. If I'm putting up a good fight on the GS, I'll nickle and dime upgrades in as I can. If I'm getting walked on buy guys that stop and ask directions at each turn, I'll skip the upgrades and plot an EX (or bigger) purchase.