Good bike, but soon outgrown it. (Kawasaki GPZ500S)

Member Name: ecompserv

Product:	Kawasaki GPZ500S
Date:	18/06/04 (7124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Commuter, Running costs, Price

Disadvantages: Image, Not the best bike to carry a pillion, Selling quality

Bike :GPZ 500S
Year: 1996 (R)
Colour: Black & Grey
Mileage 16,500

INTRODUCT& #73;ON:
I passed my test recently - March 04 & couldn?t wait to get a bike. Believe me - when you have just passed your test, any bike over 125cc is appealing!

I travelled miles one weekend armed with just over £1250 & ended up at the garage I first started at & purchased a GPZ500S. Cash limitations were obviously a big restriction for the type & age of bike I could purchase.

I collected the bike a few days later as happy as Larry ? the bike had full service history, datatagged and had been reasonably well looked after.

INSURANCE:
Group 8/9 - Insurance cost a mere £117.00 TPFT (Age 32) with H&R insurance services, which I think is excellent value considering I have a claim pending(though not my fault). The bike has another added bonus £45 per year Road Tax, so all in all a cheap bike to run.

ECONOMY:
The bike will give anywhere between 140 - 190ish miles per tank of fuel, obviously the more wrist you give it, the less it will do. The reserve is also reasonable giving an extra 15 - 25 miles.

VIEWS:
First impressions on the way home were WOW, the bike was comfy(good riding position)nippy & handling appeared reasonably good, but don?t forget I had only just passed my test a few days earlier.

The more a rode the bike, the more I realised that I was going to quickly outgrow it. The acceleration, although exhilerating at first, appeared less exciting after a couple of months. The engine is a bit flat under 6000 revs & you have to rev it high to get the most out of the bike
(The bike does pull well above 6,000 revs, but don?t expect any wheelies). I must say the engine is bullet proof(starts first time, every time, the engine stems back from the 80?s so is tried and tested), but as it is only a twin it is not the smoothest & if you get it in the wrong gear it will give you a good kick under the seat!

One downside of the bike is when you want to carry an adult pillion. Obviously with it only being a 500cc the performance equates to a 250cc on acceleration, though once up to speed it is quite stable. Do expect the odd clashing of helmets on gear changes and braking.
The front suspension is a bit spongy & can bottom out if you brake excessively, more so when carrying a pillion. As I take my wife on the back regularly I have noticed that the rear tyre is getting flat spots(going a bit sqaure) & losing tread quickly, this isnt helped by the fact that the rear tyre is only 17?. Braking is adequate one up, but again it is a lot slower with a pillion(please bear this in mind in the wet).

I travel approximately 300 miles a week on the bike & tend to have to adjust the chain every fortnight & oil it every 200 miles. I have also found that chain oil works best rather than wax.
There also appears to be some chain noise for a day or too after adjustments are made.

You can just about fit a wallet under the seat so I would also recommend getting a rucksack or rear rack.

The dials provided are the bare essentials ? speedo, rev counter & temperature gauge, there is no fuel gauge, but just set the mileometer reading to zero every time you fill it up & keep your eye on the tank after approx 140-150 miles.

Overall it is a good bike, but like most things it has its downsides. For the money I would rather have a GPZ than an ER5 or Suzuki GS500, but don?t expect it to get admired in the parkin
g compounds.

I have just this last week traded it in for a Suzuki Bandit 600(I pick it up next week). I have lost £300 in just over 4 months on the bike trading it in at the same garage I purchased it from!

I tried to sell the bike privately in Free Ads & didn?t get a single phone call, this was probably due to me asking too much money for it. The impression I get is that GPZ?s are not sexy enough & considered to be a bit of a lady?s bike, if you know what I mean.

My advice would be: If you are going to buy a GPZ500S then grab a bargain on Ebay. I have noticed that you can pick up a 1996/7 model with under 20,000 miles for between £850-950. I know you get a warranty from a garage, but for secondhand bikes a warranty is only valid for between 1 & 3 months. As I said before the engines are bullet proof & if I was to purchase another GPZ I would definitely consider Ebay.

I have enjoyed my GPZ even if it was only for a short while. I will be sad to see it go as it was my first big bike. I would definitely recommend it to learn on, but if you can afford it buy something bigger. If you just need a bike for commuting then it will be ideal!

OVERALL:

Good Points:
Good commuter with cheap running costs.
Adequate performace for everyday use.
Tried and tested bike with bullet proof engine.
Good bike to learn on.
Good riding position & comfy.

Not so good:
Not the best bike to carry a pillion
Image
Not the easiest of bikes to sell(The garage owner said to me when I traded it in? I need another GPZ like I need a hole in the head?)

Summary: