Suzuki GS500E (1989-1997) [8/221] Introduction 0

Suzuki GS500E (1989-1997) [8/221] Introduction 0
The GS500E Twin
I f ever there was a bike bred to be a
workhorse it's the GS500E. Its ancestry
can be traced right back to the first
generation of air-cooled GS motors, SuzukI's
first four strokes Incidentally. Those 550, 750
and 1 000 cc fours gave rise to a 400 cc twin
which grew over the years to 425 cc. Just like
the fours, this twin used a roller-bearing
bottom end and was considered unburstable.
In 1985 the motor was bored out again, this
time to 450 cc, but more significantly it got a
plain bearing bottom end, bringing It Into line
with industry practice. This is the motor that In
1989 was bored out by another 3 mm to
74 mm and used to power the first GSSOOEK.
The motor may have been around for a
good while in one form or another, but Suzuki
did an excellent job with the totally new
chassis and running gear to produce a
motorcycle with looks sharp enough to belle
its utilitarian specification. Here was a bike
that was aimed at the rider on a budget, the
rider who had just p888ed his or her test, and
the big-city despatch riding market, yet it
didn't look like a workhorse. Suzuki had got
their planning right, the bike sold well and was
well reviewed on both sid. of the Atlantic.
There were very few signs of the GS500E
being built down to a price, with the possible
exception of the front fork. The front fork was
very soft and did a good Impr~ion of a high-
speed lift under even gentle braking. This
complaint was addressed on the UK 1992
model, the GS500EN, by fitting higher-rate
fork springs and the incorporation of preload
adjusters In the fork top bolts.
The only mechanical modification to the GS
related to the cylinder head. Uke all air-cooled
motors, the GS produced a good deal of
noise when cold and a lot of it came from
camshaft endfloat. From engine number
114497 onwards the clearance was opened
Acknowledgements
Our thanks are due to Bridge Motorcycle
World of Exeter who supplied the
GS500E featured in the photographs
throughout this manual, to Mel Rawlings
A.I.R.T.E. of MHR Engineering who carried out
the mechanical work, and to Fowters
Motorcycles of Bristol who supplied a
GS500E for the front cover photography. We
would also like to thank the Avon Rubber
Company, who kindly supplied information
and technical assistance on tyre fitting, and
NGK Spark plugs (UK) Ltd for information on
spark plug maintenance and electrode
conditions.
Thanks are also due to Redcat Marketing
and Kel Edge for supplying transparencies,
and to Phil Flowers who carried out the front
Introduction 0.7
up to a theoretical 1 mm by taking 0.5 mm off
the head casting and the same amount off the
end of the camshaft. This clearance was
shimmed up with a 1 mm shim to give 'almost
no clearance when cold' - the theory being
that differential rates of expansion between
the cylinder head and the camshaft would
produce working clearance once the motor
was warm. Uke the fork modification, it
worked well enough to stop roadtesters
mentioning the problem again.
The only other changes to the GS500E
have been cosmetic. This is not a model that
the factory wants to spend money on altering
every year, after all the whole idea was to
produce a budget bike. As you'd expect, the
factory changed the paint scheme every year
- some being more pleasing on the eye than
others! The UK importer has, howevw, seen fit
to offer an after.mart<et fairing as an option.
This is not a factory product, in fact It is
sourced in Spain, but it does fit in with the
surprisingly sporty lines of the GS500E.
Owners also have the option of a quarter
fairing and chin fairing.
The new-generation has carried on the
tradition of those original GS-fours in
providing reliable, even bullet-proof, riding
and while It may be a budget bike It is also a
very good bike.
dealer and making the trips to leave it and
pick it up. More Importantly, 8 lot of money
can be saved by avoiding the expense the
shop must pass on to you to cover its labour
and overhead costs. An added benefit is the
sense of satisfaction and accomplishment
that you feel after doing the job yourself.
References to the left or right side of the
motorcycle assume you are sitting on the
seat, facing forward.
We take great pride in the accuracy of
Information given In this manual, but
motorcycle manufacturers make alterations
and design changes during the production
run of a particular motorcyde of wf1ich they
do not Inform us. No liability can be
accepted by the authors or publishers for
loss, damage or injury caused by any elTOrs
In, or omissions from, the information given.
cover photography. The introduction, "Suzuki
- Every Which Way" was written by Julian
Ryder.
About this Manual
~ e aim of this manual is to help you get
the best value from your motorcycle. It
can do so in several ways. It can help
you decide what work must be done. even if
you choose to have it done by a dealer; it
provides information and procedures for
routine maintenance and servicing; and It
offers diagnostic and repair procedures to
follow when trouble occurs.
We hope you use the manual to tackle the
work yourself. For many simpler jobs. doing It
yourself may be quicker than arranging an
appointment to get the motorcycle Into a

Содержание

Скачать
Случайные обсуждения