GS500 electrical issues ??

[Hacked850]

I'm thinking about buying a GS500 for my wife and was wondering what ( if any ) electrical issues they have ??.I have a 82 GS850g and am well aware of it's issues and I also have a 2007 DL1000 that has many of the same issues as my 850 does.I'm hopping that the 500 does not have many !!

[oldpara]

I have a GS500 but it's so modified I couldn't honestly say what gremlins might be lurking.
Try the GSTWINS forum it's all about the 500 twin.

http://gstwin.com/

[pete]

Mate it's just a newer and slightly larger GS450... same stator and reg/rect issues as any GS twin or four.

They probably still only have the one main fuse instead of a fuse box but hopefully it's at least no longer the dodgy glass style.

[Big Rich]

Actually, I don't recall any charging issues on the Twins site. There is a problem with stators blowing apart though - they call it the "goats".

But Pete's right about the single fuse.

[pete]

Actually, I don't recall any charging issues on the Twins site. There is a problem with stators blowing apart though - they call it the "goats".

But Pete's right about the single fuse.

Interesting Rich... as far as I knew they still ran the same R/R and the GS500 stator is a swap in/swap out for the 450 stator so I figured they'd be the same... maybe Suzuki did something about the R/R by then?

[Big Rich]

I was unaware of the stator swap Pete - thanks! I really don't recall any other electrical system issues other than the "goats" problem.........and there's no good explanation for that. It could be some type of owner abuse? Gas leaking into the oil and breaking up the epoxy holding the magnets, or running low on oil causing it to overheat, etc. Or it could just be a freak thing that happens..,.......

[mvalenti]

they call it the "goats".

cuz of the sound it makes shortly after???

[Big Rich]

I think it was the first person that reported it, got to name it. Hopefully I'll never get to hear what a shattered stator sounds like.........

[pete]

Out of curiousity I just revisited my Electrex World stator part number vs. the GS500 one, and yes they both use the same. The RR is a different part number but the photos indicate to me the only difference is the connectors...

[ben2go]

The stator isn't the problem with the GS500.The magnets in the rotor blow apart when people continuously red line the motor like it's a sport bike.The epoxy holding them on turns loose and grenades the rotor taking the stator with it.Also be aware that the starter clutch has issues locking up,causing the starter to spin with the engine.When this happens the starter grenades internally, then locks up,causing the charge rotor to spin on the crankshaft.I have experienced rotor explosion twice and starter explosion once.It is not fun.When the started locks up the rotor, it locks up the engine, and it almost caused me to go down in a parking lot.I grabbed a hand full of clutch and managed to keep the bike off the ground.

[mike10]

2005 gs500f

I bought it new. I have had a fuse blow once, Its on its 2nd battery but no other problems. I did shim the carb needles so it is not as cold blooded as it used to be. I also put a 15tooth sprocket on. Other than make it viberate more due to the higher RPM I can't tell it did much.