GS Model Designation Issues

[mat163]

Ever since I bought my 1985 GS550E, I have run into to problems with the model name. My bike seems to have a few different names. Teh side of the bike says GS550E, but Bikebandit only shows a GS550EF, so I thought that that was a technical name. A quick search on the internet for GS550EF, gave me a bike with a different style. I am not sure how to classify my bike, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Here's a Pic:

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Have a look:

http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Suzuki_GS550E

http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_modelchart.htm

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[renobruce]

Ever since I bought my 1985 GS550E, I have run into to problems with the model name. My bike seems to have a few different names. Teh side of the bike says GS550E, but Bikebandit only shows a GS550EF, so I thought that that was a technical name. A quick search on the internet for GS550EF, gave me a bike with a different style. I am not sure how to classify my bike, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Here's a Pic:

It's a GS550E. The F is for year designation, just like my 85 GS1150E is technically a GS1150EF

[hampshirehog]

Just so that you're aware, when reading any UK info on your bike, we would have called it a GSX 550 and our earlier non TSCC bikes were GS 550s (both with various year and variant letters after).

[mat163]

Thank you guys very much for your help, it is now a lot clearer. the issue mainly came up when I sent a message to an ebayer who said he had tons of parts for 70's and 80's motorcycles. I asked him if he happened to have a signal generator for a 1985 Suzuki GS550E, and he replayed with:

Yours is either GS550EF or ESF. If you're serious about finding the correct part you need to know your exact model, year and part number. My part fits models listed ONLY. If you have all pertinent info, people are more apt to help but if we have to research it for you, with no guarantee of purchase...it just doesn't work that way. As far as I know I don't have your part. A part number provided by you....well, you get it?

I thought it was a little on the rude side since I figure a guy who sells old motorcycle parts for a living would be knowledgeable and know that all 1985 Suzukis have the "F" designation on the end like a previous post said. Anyways his ebay name was "kmcycle"

[renobruce]

Thank you guys very much for your help, it is now a lot clearer. the issue mainly came up when I sent a message to an ebayer who said he had tons of parts for 70's and 80's motorcycles. I asked him if he happened to have a signal generator for a 1985 Suzuki GS550E, and he replayed with:

Yours is either GS550EF or ESF. If you're serious about finding the correct part you need to know your exact model, year and part number. My part fits models listed ONLY. If you have all pertinent info, people are more apt to help but if we have to research it for you, with no guarantee of purchase...it just doesn't work that way. As far as I know I don't have your part. A part number provided by you....well, you get it?

I thought it was a little on the rude side since I figure a guy who sells old motorcycle parts for a living would be knowledgeable and know that all 1985 Suzukis have the "F" designation on the end like a previous post said. Anyways his ebay name was "kmcycle"

Well, that adds to the details. A GS550E is naked, a GS550ES has a fairing. So that guy is right...some parts won't interchange.

[neilaction]

So that guy is right...some parts won't interchange.

He couldn't be more wrong.
He could have simply asked, "does yours have a fairing?"
Instead he chose to be a smart a#*e.
He hasn't learnt the "customer", "not the customer" thing yet.

[rphillips]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in "85" the GS550E had a small fairing like mat163's, that turns with the handlebars. The "85" GS550ES had a larger fairing that is mounted to the frame & doesn't turn with the handlebars. Engine parts are the same for both.