KAWASAKI NINJA 500r vs SUZUKI GS500f

[beginnerman]

HI! I posted this in the lobby, but thought i would get more exposure here-
Hello everyone. First time poster long time lurker so sorry if this seems long. I am wondering the difference's between the KAWASAKI ninja 500r and the SUZUKI gs500f.

I am more interested in which is more fun to ride than which is fastest. My short history- Im 5'5 and 225 pounds. I have been riding my brothers SUZUKI rm80 for a long time. I understand that dirtbike experience DOES NOT translate into street riding experience.I am not really looking into dual sport models, but who knows. I am in total research mode. I do not plan to ride for a while.

I have read some reviews that most people favor the ninja 500r over the gs500f. If i can find the exact review i will post it. In this review the author spoke something of the ninja 500r following its own path in the road, while the gs500r follows imperfections in the road. They also spoke of the extra horsepower in the KAWASAKI ninja 500r being an advantage over the SUZUKI gs500r for highway acceleration. The review also spoke of the gs500f having much better brakes. I also know that how comfortable they feel is a deciding factor. The gs500f sure looks nice though. But the ninja also looks fine. Looks are slightly irrelevant. Also, should i look into cruisers? I havent really considered them.

I know you guys are QUITE knowledgeable so any input would be appreciated. And I mean ANY input!

A million thanks!

[Freakinout]

Kawi 500R:

Water cooled, also has about 12-16 more HP than the gs500f. I don't think the brakes are much better on the gs500f, but I've only looked at them, never ridden one.

When it comes down to it, the 500R is a better value for the money. They are not all that much different in many ways, but I know MCN did a article comparing the two (the one you speak of). The kawi won in almost every category. Not bad for a bike that was primarily design in 1987.

[NinjaGirl]

Check this out........Kawi baby!!!

Go to their website: www.mcnews.com/
Go to ‘Model Evaluation’
The first article under ‘Product Comparison’ is the July 2004 Ninja 500 vs. GS500 (Just labeled Model Comparison, Part 1 and Part 2)

[Freakinout]

Thanks for getting that posted up kelly!

[Ban]

Since you do have some riding experience i would say to go with a 600. They are a whole different monster but i just don't want you to end up like me. I'm 6' 250 and the ex500 was fine to start out on but i've found i have out grown it real quick. 10 months and 10k miles later i'm trying to sell this thing. I would really suggest the suzuki sv650 if i were you. Not quite a super street bike but it has enough power to grow with. Me i'm gonna go to cbr as soon as i can dump this and i turn 25 (3 more months). State farm is so nuts they give the same rate for a 600rr as they do for a ex500. The cbr only has twice the horsepower.

[Green Knight]

Yeah, I agree, The SV650 is a pretty decent bike for beginers. Better for someone who has some idea of what they are doing but its is much more forgiving than any of the other sport bikes.

[beginnerman]

Thanks for the replies everyone. mianus your comments made me think.I'm still in research mode, but i do like the idea of the sv650. I did consider it before the 500's but i wanted to start small cuz im a beginner.I also dont want to get bored of it like mianus. I probably should do more research on the SV650 before posting, but while were on the subject-

Green Knight i have heard from others the the SV650 is more forgiving also. How so? Throttle? Handling? Also even though the number is 650, it is less powerfull then say a cbr,r6 right? I dont want to just jump on a high powered bike like the cbr(actually i want to jump on the highpowered ones but am being wise). Because it said 650 i was like no too much for me. But if it is more forgiving perhaps. I will probably post on SV650 after I do more research. You have all been very helpfull.

[Ban]

The sv is more torque less hp then the "sport bikes" its no slouch though and can pull one up without much issue. Its just a little softer and more forgiving to common newbie mistakes. You won't be beating many of the 600's in a drag race but in most driving situations you'll be able to hold your own. Its one thing i hate about mine. I can keep up with a lot of 600's in the corners but once we hit a straight they just pull and pull and pull. Don't get me wrong, the ex is a good starting bike, very comfortable but its in serious need of an update especially in the engine department.

lets put it this way. I have a 110 lb female friend and after lowering it shes handling her sv just fine.

[Cap'nTeabag]

When my wife was looking for a bike we looked at the GS500f and the ninja 500r. I really like suzuki's, but I was thourghly un impressed with the GS500. It was not as well made as the other zuks. So she got the ninja instead. Even though the 500r is an entry level bike, it is pretty nice. And comfortable. I really like riding it when she lets me. It will be lots more fun once it is broken in though.

My main bike is an 03 SV650, and I like it alot. It has enough power for the street. I can keep up with the 600 SS just fine untill they hit 90. Then they are gone. That is really the only place that the SS bikes out shine the SV. The SV is very nimble in the twisties aswell.

Go and check out a new SV. It might be a bit tall for you, but they are easy to lower. The only faults of the SV are the crummy suspension, and the uncomfortable seat. Unless you enjoy being hammered in the tailbone, you WILL be changing the rear shock out on an SV. Having the foam replaced in the seat fixes it for most people. Don't bother with the suzuki gel seat. It is ****. Also check out svrider.com forums .

[d0hnj0e]

put it this way.. anything you can do on a 600-1k cc super sport you can do on the ex500 minus the 280+ kmh...

if you dying to hit those high speeds and is looking for a drag racing toy then buy a drag car.

I 500 can fulfill all the excitement u need in the corners if you can ride it properly.

Here in ontario, with rates being so high i find it halarious to see people spending 5k a year on insurance only to get beat in the corners with me on my 500. BTW i pay 987 a year.

Also lets not lable the 500 a beginner bike as it degrades alot of riders. Its only because in america people have this bigger is better mentality that the 500 has the rap that it does.

look in europe they have alot of 250cc supersport style bikes and people love em & race em on a regular basis.

as far as 500's go in canada and us the kawi cannot be touched. Bottom line!

Team Green 4 Life

[gpzrider]

Cycle World did a comparison of the two 500's in the November issue. They liked both bikes but gave the Ninja better reviews for performance, handling, and price.

[Green Knight]

I wouldn't go as far to say the 500 is only a beginer bike but it has the potential to be one. I probably would have gotten a 500 as a starter if I could stand to look at it. If they did some upgrading to the cosmetics on the 500s I would be much more apt to buy one, especially for racing. Unless I'm mistaken the 250s that they race are 2 strokes which is an ENTIRELY different story from the 4 stroke V-twins that are street leagle.

As far as cornering goes, 250s, and 500s use a much different style than 600s or 1000s do. On a 250 or 500 its a matter of getting a good line, maintaining it without making corrections, getting on the throttle asap, and gradually increasing it through the corner. On a larger more powerful bike the fastest way through the corner is to slide the back tire by getting just enough throttle on to make the back tire spin.

[beginnerman]

Thanks again for the replies. No drag racing is not what im looking for. In fact i dont care if the top speed isnt that good. Remeber folks, i drive an rm-80. So im sure any bike will be fun enough. And your right, only in America does a 500 seem "small" compared to race replicas.Look around everyone drives muscle cars or SUVs.
My mind has almost fixated on the SV650 or SV650s. I might post some questions on that later.The 500r is still a real option, im in major research mode. Before i make any major decsions i need to sit on all of these models before making any judgments.

[beginnerman]

Quick Safety note- I am taking the msf course as soon as work allows it.

[Mr78rm]

Whats up guys, i would personally go with the kawi. for the street i have a ninja 250 and an fzr600r and think the 250 is basically perfect for cruising around, but not much after that. I call it my "moped on steroids" As for the 500 it would have just a little more horsepower and torque, but to tell you the truth the new gs500s look awesome, not sure how they ride. Beginnerman, dont be scared to start on the bigger bike, i bought my 250 thinking the high revving inline fourstroke would have a sort of two stroke feel, i was wrong, smooth slow acceleration is what you can expect out of the 500s whereas although only 100ccs bigger the 600s four cylinders are balls to the wall, but not too much for 200+ pounders.

[Cap'nTeabag]

I agree that the 500 could use some serious updating, and I think that world wide sales could justify the cost. Although kawasaki probably sees it as an "if it's not broke why fix it" since it still sells.

Mostly I'd like to see an aluminum frame, larger wheels, inverted front forks and adjustable rear shock, and more factory accessory support. I like the classic styling. It is what I envision when I hear the word ninja.

[Freakinout]

The 250 and 500 are the workhorse bikes from kawi. Very very little new technology, and they sell good. They make a lot of money from bikes like this, and until a trend towards lower displacment bikes comes about, I doubt we'll ever see any real upgrades.

An aluminum frame would be awesome, and I'd love to be able to have more choice of SS and sport-touring tires on the 500r. .5" more on the front, and a 4.5" rear wheel would do the trick perfectly. Even traditional front forks would work, but inverted would be very very awesome.

Dual front discs are more important to me, better brakes are one thing I would really like to see on the 500r, also like a more race-ready suspension setup, adjustable front and rear shocks would be great.

You can do a lot with aftermarket stuff, but not nearly as much as I'd like.

[Mr_Lycos]

If I were you.....

1.Take the MSF beginner course and get your liscence. proceed to step 2.

2.Go to a local insurance dealer and check the differences between the Kawasaki and the Suzuki. If there is a big difference, get the cheaper to insure bike. If the insurance prices are similar, proceed to step 3.

3.Both of the bikes are beginners bikes, and many people become dissatisfied with the power after 10,000 miles or so. Check Ebay, cycle trader, and the local want ads to see if anyone else is trying to get rid of a bike a few years old. (They should be mechanically similar to new bikes). Theres no point in buying a new bike that you are fairly certain you will not want to keep and ride for many years.

Exception: Some areas have motorcycle racetracks, and specifically race clubs for 500cc bikes. If you decide you want to "step up" to a larger street-bike, you could buy a larger streetbike of your choice , then keep the 500 bike and use it solely for track racing (Lots of fun & inexpensive compared to 600 class which update bikes every year or two).

[ShellB340]

I totally agree with you about in the US the bigger the better thing I dont get it!!! I own a 250 and love it its alot of fun. I get alot of laughs and comments about it being "little" 250 but the ones that took it for a quick spin werent nothing but impressed with it when they got off of it. As for the insurance companies they are laughing all the way to the bank. I've ridden with several different bikes and I wasnt at the back of the pack!

[Pistobah]

This is a 2 year old thread.

You think the original poster is out of "research mode" yet?