YEARS SOLD: 2004–2008
MSRP NEW: $4999 ('04) to $5199 ('08)
BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE: $2175 ('04) to $2755 ('08)
BASIC SPECS: The GS500F is powered by an air-cooled, 487cc, DOHC, four-valve parallel twin with 34mm Mikuni carbs and a slick-shifting six-speed transmission. It produced 40.5 hp at the rear wheel on the Cycle World dyno, and it weighs 436 pounds with its large fuel tank half full. This Suzuki, with a 55.5-inch wheelbase and a perimeter-style steel-tube frame with sporty geometry, is fitted with competent suspension and brakes.
WHY IT'S DESIRABLE: Following a one-year absence from Suzuki's model line, the GS500 returned in 2004 carrying an "F" designation. This second coming of Suzuki's affordable entry-level naked introduced a GSX-R-inspired full fairing featuring a stacked headlamp front and center. What hadn't changed were the light and agile GS's user-friendly nature and confidence-bolstering 31-inch seat height. Here's what we wrote at the time: "Consider the GS500F's 5.3-gallon fuel tank and fuel-efficient engine, its comfortable ergonomics, supple suspension, and functional wind protection. What Suzuki has done is transform a city dweller into what may be the most economical sport-touring mount you can buy."
THE COMPETITION: Unlike today's budget-bike market, which offers, among other models, a trio of Honda CB500 variants, the GS500F had only one competitor: the liquid-cooled Kawasaki Ninja 500R. This pair of parallel twins lived parallel lives at a time when a vast price and performance gap existed between entry-level sport and middleweight supersports.
