Displacement (CC)

487
Seat Height (in)
31
Dry Weight (lbs)
397

What does $5,149 buy you in 2005? Let's start here: Suzuki's GS500F, a sport motorcycle made
in Japan. Basic specs include a 487cc engine (from a 74mm bore and a 56.6mm stroke) with air
cooling, chain driven, and a 5.3-gallon fuel tank.

Can I use a 140/70-17 tire on a Suzuki

GS500F in place of the stock 130/70-17?
The Stigenator said:
first off.. most motorcycle speedos (heck even some car speedos) are setup to read a bit over what
it actually reads. You have a taller tire, hence as ZV states, you are actually goign slower than
what you are to be going.
As for the rideability, you actually turn in faster due when you lean in, some people like it, i
know i do. I still run 110/70/17 and 140/70/17 (my stock is 130/70/17) and the rears i got them
bigger however i find that because of the wider tire it is not as nimble but it sure is a lot more
stable in the corners, but i got to be careful not to chicken strip not riding to the edge.

Almost certain that no wheel change would be needed. Check your swingarm clearance, just to be
safe.
What's the reason for the change? Bigger isn't always better.
Stock wheel size is 3.5" and can do a 130 or a 140 width. 150 and up really should
be on a 4.25" or 4.5" rim.

You can run a 140 on the gs500. I have BT45 on 140. But the turn is heavier. But it's
fine. You'll probably chicken strip as you won't reach edge.

Front

Width

Height

Type

Diameter

M/C

(Load /
Speed
Index)

Tubes

100

90

18

M/C

56 H

TL/TT

100

90

18

M/C

56 V

TL/TT

100

90

19

M/C

57 H

TL/TT

100

90

19

M/C

57 V

TL/TT

110

80

17

M/C

57 V

TL/TT

110

80

17

M/C

57 H

TL/TT

110

80

18

M/C

58 V

TL/TT

110

90

18

M/C

61 V

TL/TT

Letter

Width

Height

Type

Diameter

M/C

(Load /
Speed
Index)

Tubes

120

70

17

M/C

58 V

TL/TT

120

80

16

M/C

60 V

TL/TT

3.25

19

54 H

TL/TT

90

90

18

51 H

TL/TT

M/C

Letter

Rear

Width

Height

Type

Diameter

M/C

(Load /
Speed
Index)

Tubes

120

90

18

M/C

65 V

TL/TT

120

90

18

M/C

65 H

TL/TT

130

70

18

M/C

63 H

TL/TT

130

80

17

M/C

65 H

TL/TT

130

80

18

M/C

66 V

TL/TT

130

90

17

M/C

68 V

TL/TT

140

80

17

M/C

69 V

TL/TT

150

70

17

M/C

69 H

TL/TT

150

70

17

M/C

69 V

TL/TT

4.00

18

64 H

TL/TT

Tire type (bias or radial) for GS500?

Discussion in 'Mechanical & Technical' started by Michael, Oct 14, 2010.

Letter

I need to get new tires for my GS500, and I can't seem to find anything (in the manual or online)
that says which type of tire to run on them. It's a 94, so I'm assuming it originally came with bias
tires.
If it came with bias tires originally, shouldn't I stay with them? Not sure what the "rules" are.
I'd contact the tire makers and ask what they have to offer. The bike origionally
came with 'H' rated tires. But, I can't find what tires came on your bike from the
factory.
You don't want to 'over tire' the bike and end up with a flexi-Flyer.

GS500E upgrade suspension and tires.

01' Suzuki GS500E:
Currently the turn-in on my bike is INSANE... so insane that I feel as if the bike will nose dive in
a corner or roll out from under me on approach. After a lot of tinkering and talking with members
of an all GS500 forum, I've come to the conclusion that my current setup (most of which is how it
was when I bought the bike) is hurting over-all performance.
For one, the tires are miss-matched. The rear is a Bridgestone Battleaxe BT45R bias-ply tire, the
front is a Michellin Pilot 'Race' (says race, no other markings or numbers) radial tire. Wicked big
no-no that I never realized until recently.. and that's how Central Mass Powersports sold it to me.
Nice!
Not to mention that the Pilot has CRAZY angles on it. There is no smooth contour, the tire is
basically set up like a "V" so as soon as you roll off the peak the tire is kinda forced flat. (I'm sure
most of you already know that...) But it's totally not needed for my style riding.
So on the way are 2, Avon Road-Rider AV26 tires. I'm also fudging around with the sizes a bit to
help with wear proper speedo reads, and over-all looks of the rear end.
Pic:

Stock tire sizes are Front 110/70-17, Rear 130/70-17. From what I've researched my best bet is to
run the Avons at Front 110/80-17, Rear 150/70-17. This will get the best speedo reads, better
stability on the highway, and a fatter look to the rear wheel. 150 is also the widest tire I can fit on
the stock GS rim with no adverse affects of pinch. Also the 10% difference in aspect ratio is
reportedly a non issue for the GS.
The next issue is the major, major slosh in the font end. Apparently the stock springs are rated for

an 85lb rider as they're only about 500mm long, with a 200mm spacer and are straight rate. Also
on the way are some new SonicSprings rated at .90 (250lb rider) and pre-load sag will be set to
about 18mm for my frame (meaning my 230lb ass). Thus meaning I need a spacer about 25mm
long in both forks (much better than the 200mm stocker).
I'm also upping the weight from the stock 5w oil to SonicSpring's 15w oil. Should stiffen the
baJesus out of the front end... Right now it bottoms out at EVERY stop sign and stop light barely
going 30mph... It's also terribly clunky and non responsive in turns. So this'll bring back a little
life to the front end.
Lastly, to combat the height of the 150 tire and my previous upgrade of a SV650 rear shock
(about 1.5 inches longer than stock). I'm throwing on a set of Diamond lowering links. Right now
the bike sits 2 inches high over stock and I have no use of my center stand. This is also adding to
my already horrendous turn-in problems. The links have a 2-4 inch drop setting on them and
should bring my bike down to close to stock height after all mods are said and done.
Links:

Other than this, just some routine maintenance and clean up here and there. I may add an exhaust
if I can scrounge up the cash, but that's at the bottom of the list. A K&N and jets are a definite
near future issue though.
I may try to polish up all the bare aluminum on the bike, rearset guards and such could use a little
shine.
I'll keep ya posted.

Front Suspension:
So, the front suspension was a task. After the springs were out and the shocks were
drained the re-installation was pretty straight forward. The new .90 Sonic Springs
were an amazing upgrade, however due to not fully draining the forks (idiot) they
were a tad over-full. So overfull that when I went to set the bike down and test out
the front, I had only about 10mm of movement TOTAL in the front end. Not good.
So, I re-adjusted the level to where it should be, 5 and 1/2 inches from the top of the
fork tube when fully collapsed in each tube. After re-install of the springs and caps
my free sag was 10mm and with rider was 50mm, so now I need to add larger
spacers to the springs to get between that 15-25 butter-zone.
Rear Suspension:
After installing the lowering links my rear geometry was WAY out of wack. I tried to
adjust the SV650 shock to the stiffest pre-load and everything, but with the 4" drop
it felt like noodle soup. So, here came the next upgrade. A 1999 Suzuki Katana
GSX750F shock. This shock has fully adjustable pre-load, compression dampening
and 4 way rebound dampening adjustments. Much much better than that silly SV
shock.

That, and the Kat shock is actually the identical length of the original GS500 shock.
SO, after grinding a little away from the swingarm and finding a snug place to fit the
reservoir the Kat shock bolted right in no problem. So now the front and rear
suspension feel PERFECTLY matched to one another, I just need to set the rear sag
to about 10-15mm and we'll be ready to go.

As for the tires, they're not on yet... but soon. Here's some pics.

Dan

Just got the the tires installed last week for 20 bucks at a local shop. Pretty freakin'
awesome.
I did have to take a sledge hammer to the brake bar to slightly bend it out to clear
the side of the tire, but other than that the 150 fit in there no problem.
Sitting on it the height is perfect and the stability feels a million times better.

Now I just have to adjust the rear settings on the shock, add spacers to the front
forks and shave off a little extra metal on the shock support so that it won't bust off
the dampener adjustment.
Dan

Ok, so here's where we're at at the end of January 09':

- New tires installed. DONE
- New rear shock installed. DONE
- New front springs installed. DONE
- Dial in sag front and rear to 35mm.
- Install new LED blinkers.
- Install new mirrors. DONE
- Grind down rear suspension knuckle to miss dampening adjuster on bottom of the
yolk mount of the GSX750 shock.
- Change oil and filter.
- Wash and wax.
- Install new bar-ends.
- Install superbike bars.
- Install GS500F headlight.

Almost there.
Dan

Just ran across this post. Nice job! That bike is going to feel 10X better with your
mods.
Any plans to do trackdays this year?

New Lights:

New Light:

New Tires:

New Shock:

Good looking dismantle right now

And a video walk-around:

- Good for a beginnner and commuting -I purchased a used 500 with only 2600km on it, nearly brand new. I've had it for a month
so far, with some long distance rides on it. I have ridden before, but this is the first bike I
have owned. If you are planning to get this bike, please read my review carefully to decide
if this is the bike for you.
If you are a smaller rider or new into riding, this bike is very forgiving. Combined with
very cheap insurance, this bike makes an awesome day-to-day commuter and a good
platform to jump into riding. It has outstanding fuel economy, with a tank lasting you over
500km, if driven leisurely. It has a very easy use clutch that works well in traffic. Despite
looking like a sport bike, it has an upright riding position, more like a cruiser than a sport.
Unless you are sitting on the bike for over an hour, the comfort should not be a problem. If
you are on it for over an hour, it feels like your backside has sustained blunt force trauma
and you will need to take a break from riding for 10-15 minutes to recover (a custom seat
should correct this problem). It has more than enough power to keep up with traffic, and
95% of cars cannot keep up should you want to pass. Its lightweight also makes if very
flick-able into the corners and it does have decent handling. This bike would be highly
recommended to less aggressive riders, beginners and commuters.

With that being said, this bike does have some drawbacks that all riders need to consider
before purchasing this bike. First, THIS IS NOT A SPORTBIKE! While it does have
adequate power, the engine feels like it is straining under hard acceleration. Gearing is
also very short during the first three gears, which interrupts brisk acceleration to the point
where in first gear, quick cars can beat you at the light until you get into second or third. It
feels more comfortable at cruising speeds (110-130km/hr) than it does being driven hard.
The suspension is also very soft in front, making heavy braking and quick corner entry
nerve racking. The suspension also lacks anything but primitive adjustability. The rear
brake squeaks unless applied forcefully, doesn't affect braking, but it does get annoying in
traffic.
The small air-cooled v-twin just cannot compete with the larger displacement, higher tech
bikes. A young rider who tends to have an aggressive attitude toward riding will outgrow
this bike quickly. Trying to keep up with your friends on 600's will be difficult during
spirited riding. My advice would be to get a 600 and start slow, that way you can grow
with the bike. Acceleration will leave a lot to be desired unless you are really pushing the
bike to its limits. It also doesn't have the wider tires that inspire confident high lean
cornering. The biggest tire you can fit on back would be a 140 without modifications.
To summarize, this bike is awesome for a brisk drive into the country or for your weekend
ride. Due to its low cost, low insurance and stingy fuel sipping, it will also make an
excellent day-to-day commuter. If you are looking to have a sport bike then you are better
off saving for a while longer to get a 600cc bike. Having your friends pass you constantly
gets a little frustrating after a while. Quick learners and young people will grow tired
quickly and want something faster and more capable within the first couple of months.
As a touring motorcycle, comfort becomes a problem when the ride gets longer...so be
prepared for a sore backside. I haven't taken a passenger yet, so I cant comment on two
up drive-ability. I can comment that the bike gets a little squirrelly in crosswinds and at
high speeds. If you are driving on a major highway at consistently high speeds, be
prepared to get fatigued quickly fighting the winds, as the windscreen is more form than
function.
Hope this helps.