I've put in a bit of seat time on both the Suzuki GS500F (GS) and my BMW 800S (800), and I thought that I would post up a bit of a comparison.
I took the GS out for a spin this weekend, and it was interesting to note the differences after riding the 800 for the past few months.
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Ergonomics
The GS is significantly shorter than the 800. This was very evident when I was doing the driveway shuffle and hopping from bike to bike to move them around. On the GS I can comfortably plant my feet square on the ground with knees bent. The 800, in comparison, I can comfortably support the bike, but my legs are at full extension and my heel is slightly raised. (Regular seat and regular height bike).
It felt really strange getting on the shorter bike after so much seat time on the taller 800. The shorter bike gives a lot more confidence when moving it around on a driveway, but really impacts riding comfort. At speed I found that my usual toes-on-pegs riding postion quickly became uncomfortable because of the angle that my legs were folded at. Replacing the foot pegs would probably make a bit of a difference. The 800 is a very comfortable riding position, and my feet seem to naturally sit toes on pegs.
Riding posture is similar, however the GS is nowhere nearly as comfortable as the 800 - especially for any distance. I found at the end of the day I was quite glad to get off and stretch my legs.
Both bikes have their stock seats - and the seat on the GS is much harder than the 800. It also seems wider - and hits me too soon in some places and too late in others. Not a seat that I would want to spend extended periods of time on. In comparison, the 800 seat is a little softer - still firm enough to offer support, but it adjusts to my shape.
The Ride
Both bikes are twins, and have the expected vibration. On the GS, the vibration is most noticable through the handlebars. In comparison, the 800 has some vibration in the bars (but not excessive), however you feel the vibration mostly through the seat. I am experimenting with some rubber washers to see if I can dampen this out a bit. I haven't noticed any particular RPM range that impacts the vibration on the GS, but on the 800 it seems to be most evident at 5000 and above.
The bikes feel somewhat similar going through the corners - although the 800 is significantly heavier than the GS, the weight is low. (The gas tank is under the seat, and the "tank hump" contains battery and air filter). With the extra height it is easier to lift off the seat on the 800.
A Question of Power
There are some definite power differences between the two, as would be expected. However what I find most noticable is the effects of engine braking. On the GS, I can easily downshift to brake - and the bike is very forgiving even if you drop the clutch with revs a little too low. The bike continues to feel in contact with the road and confident. In comparison, too heavy engine braking with the 800 will cause the back end to lose confidence. Perhaps this could be caused in part by belt drive rather than chain drive.
I have noticed that when i let off the gas, the 800 slows down a lot faster than the GS. The GS is carborated, vs the fuel injection 800, and I wonder if this is related to the faster response to letting off the throttle.
Stopping Power
Brakes are significantly different between the two. The 800 has dual disc Brembos on the front; the GS has a single disc design. Stopping the 500 this weekend after riding the 800 for a few months I used the two fingers light front brake approach... and found myself quickly adapting to multiple fingers and pulling the lever all the way in to get braking response. The brakes seemed to stop the bike a lot slower, and the rear brake seems to have more of an impact on bleeding off the speed on the GS. In comparison, the 800 stops very smartly - and squeezing the brake lever too hard (say when you come upon a deer in the middle of the road) can lead to a stoppie without a great deal of effort. I find that the rear brake on the 800 seems to feel a lot "mushier" - it does grab, but does not give the same feedback through the pedal as I get with the GS.
Wind
Cross winds are also a major difference between the two bikes. The fully faired GS has a tendency to get very light on the front when faced with heavy winds - they seem to "kite" it up by picking up the bike under the fairings and cause it to aeroplane. The GS is also more of a battle with the wind - the 800 with a more aerodynamic shape and less flat surfaces to catch the wind makes a much nicer ride in windy conditions.
Stand...
The kickstand on the GS is much easier to locate with a foot, and has a generous sized pad. In comparison the 800 requires a bit of fiddling to locate (I melted my boot on the exhaust the first time I tried to locate it). The pad of the foot on the 800 is ridiculously undersized as well. Definitely a better design on the GS.
The GS comes standard with a center stand - and this is very convenient. The 800, the Centre Stand is an option - and I can always add one if i decide to
Signals
BMW has a very strange arrangement for controls for signals. The right hand signal is triggered on the right, the left on the left, and the cancel for both is on the right. (The equivalent position on the left is the horn - which I hit more than once trying to cancel a signal when I was first getting used to the BMW). I find that the signals are a bit of a reach for small hands. On the GS, the signals are both triggered by a button that falls to the left thumb - bump right to signal right, bump left to signal left, and press in to cancel. However, on the GS, the horn button occupies the exact same position as the left hand signal does on the 800. The first time I reached for the signal I really alerted other drivers that my bike was there.
Curb Appeal
What I find interesting with Curb Appeal between the bikes. The GS gets a fair bit of attention, as does the BMW. I am still not accustomed to the feeling of someone walking over to me, checking out the bike and saying "nice bike!". It still surprises me when I stop and have people walking over to me and taking to me. On the road I seem to have more cruiser riders waving at me on the 800 than I do on the GS. Both have a unique appeal.
Maintenance
Maintenance is always a good question. The BMW tires have angled stems, and the GS have straight stems. Given the positioning of the valve stems, it's actually easier to get at the ones on the GS to check tire pressures. Speaking of wheels, a single sided swing arm on the 800 will make tire changes much easier.
The Oil Filter on the 800 is a much simpler design (after you get past the factory gorilla who installed the first one), and just spins off. The GS, involves removal of bolts and disassembly - not as fast or easy to access. The oil drain bolt is much more accessible on the 800 as well. Battery access is significantly easier on the GS, only requiring removal of the seat - the 800 requires removal of a number of torx screws and the top "tank" cover.
Regular maintenance is a bit different between the two as well - the GS is a chain, which requires regular cleaning, lubrication, etc. The belt drive on the 800 is virtually no maintenance. And when it does come up for maintenance, it will be at expensive BMW shop rates... more complexity means less work that I can do myself. With the fuel injection, the 800 is faster and easier to start as well when it comes to cooler temperatures.
Crash Protection
Last but not least, crash protection. The 800 has many options for protecting the bike from driveway napping - the GS does not seem to have anything readily available. I have tested out both bikes by dropping them at low or no speed on hard concrete/asphalt surfaces in cold conditions. (It is worthwhile to note that neither of these tests were intentional). The GS did not fare nearly as well as the 800 - but a fully faired bike without protection tends to take a bit of damage. Luckily Suzuki designed the GS500F so that the signal light will be saved at the expense of the front cowl. Damage from a simple drop on the GS was front cowl and side fairing, scratches on the back of the mirror casing, bar end and one of the engine covers. In comparison, the 800 scratched the back of the mirror casing (hey, it had to match the GS!), a scrape on the engine protection cage, a scrape on the GIVI hard luggage, and a bit of damage to the trim on the GIVI.
A time and a place
Given the ride differences and the height, the GS is definitely a really good starter bike - I do not think that I would want to see someone taking out the 800 as their first ride, it is not as forgiving of rider error. The low seat height of the GS is also very confidence inspiring. The GS is far better suited to shorter trips - I do not think that i would want to take it on an extended ride down to the Grand Canyon. But the 800 is designed for longer distances.
I took the GS out for a spin this weekend, and it was interesting to note the differences after riding the 800 for the past few months.
Ergonomics
The GS is significantly shorter than the 800. This was very evident when I was doing the driveway shuffle and hopping from bike to bike to move them around. On the GS I can comfortably plant my feet square on the ground with knees bent. The 800, in comparison, I can comfortably support the bike, but my legs are at full extension and my heel is slightly raised. (Regular seat and regular height bike).
It felt really strange getting on the shorter bike after so much seat time on the taller 800. The shorter bike gives a lot more confidence when moving it around on a driveway, but really impacts riding comfort. At speed I found that my usual toes-on-pegs riding postion quickly became uncomfortable because of the angle that my legs were folded at. Replacing the foot pegs would probably make a bit of a difference. The 800 is a very comfortable riding position, and my feet seem to naturally sit toes on pegs.
Riding posture is similar, however the GS is nowhere nearly as comfortable as the 800 - especially for any distance. I found at the end of the day I was quite glad to get off and stretch my legs.
Both bikes have their stock seats - and the seat on the GS is much harder than the 800. It also seems wider - and hits me too soon in some places and too late in others. Not a seat that I would want to spend extended periods of time on. In comparison, the 800 seat is a little softer - still firm enough to offer support, but it adjusts to my shape.
The Ride
Both bikes are twins, and have the expected vibration. On the GS, the vibration is most noticable through the handlebars. In comparison, the 800 has some vibration in the bars (but not excessive), however you feel the vibration mostly through the seat. I am experimenting with some rubber washers to see if I can dampen this out a bit. I haven't noticed any particular RPM range that impacts the vibration on the GS, but on the 800 it seems to be most evident at 5000 and above.
The bikes feel somewhat similar going through the corners - although the 800 is significantly heavier than the GS, the weight is low. (The gas tank is under the seat, and the "tank hump" contains battery and air filter). With the extra height it is easier to lift off the seat on the 800.
A Question of Power
There are some definite power differences between the two, as would be expected. However what I find most noticable is the effects of engine braking. On the GS, I can easily downshift to brake - and the bike is very forgiving even if you drop the clutch with revs a little too low. The bike continues to feel in contact with the road and confident. In comparison, too heavy engine braking with the 800 will cause the back end to lose confidence. Perhaps this could be caused in part by belt drive rather than chain drive.
I have noticed that when i let off the gas, the 800 slows down a lot faster than the GS. The GS is carborated, vs the fuel injection 800, and I wonder if this is related to the faster response to letting off the throttle.
Stopping Power
Brakes are significantly different between the two. The 800 has dual disc Brembos on the front; the GS has a single disc design. Stopping the 500 this weekend after riding the 800 for a few months I used the two fingers light front brake approach... and found myself quickly adapting to multiple fingers and pulling the lever all the way in to get braking response. The brakes seemed to stop the bike a lot slower, and the rear brake seems to have more of an impact on bleeding off the speed on the GS. In comparison, the 800 stops very smartly - and squeezing the brake lever too hard (say when you come upon a deer in the middle of the road) can lead to a stoppie without a great deal of effort. I find that the rear brake on the 800 seems to feel a lot "mushier" - it does grab, but does not give the same feedback through the pedal as I get with the GS.
Wind
Cross winds are also a major difference between the two bikes. The fully faired GS has a tendency to get very light on the front when faced with heavy winds - they seem to "kite" it up by picking up the bike under the fairings and cause it to aeroplane. The GS is also more of a battle with the wind - the 800 with a more aerodynamic shape and less flat surfaces to catch the wind makes a much nicer ride in windy conditions.
Stand...
The kickstand on the GS is much easier to locate with a foot, and has a generous sized pad. In comparison the 800 requires a bit of fiddling to locate (I melted my boot on the exhaust the first time I tried to locate it). The pad of the foot on the 800 is ridiculously undersized as well. Definitely a better design on the GS.
The GS comes standard with a center stand - and this is very convenient. The 800, the Centre Stand is an option - and I can always add one if i decide to
Signals
BMW has a very strange arrangement for controls for signals. The right hand signal is triggered on the right, the left on the left, and the cancel for both is on the right. (The equivalent position on the left is the horn - which I hit more than once trying to cancel a signal when I was first getting used to the BMW). I find that the signals are a bit of a reach for small hands. On the GS, the signals are both triggered by a button that falls to the left thumb - bump right to signal right, bump left to signal left, and press in to cancel. However, on the GS, the horn button occupies the exact same position as the left hand signal does on the 800. The first time I reached for the signal I really alerted other drivers that my bike was there.
Curb Appeal
What I find interesting with Curb Appeal between the bikes. The GS gets a fair bit of attention, as does the BMW. I am still not accustomed to the feeling of someone walking over to me, checking out the bike and saying "nice bike!". It still surprises me when I stop and have people walking over to me and taking to me. On the road I seem to have more cruiser riders waving at me on the 800 than I do on the GS. Both have a unique appeal.
Maintenance
Maintenance is always a good question. The BMW tires have angled stems, and the GS have straight stems. Given the positioning of the valve stems, it's actually easier to get at the ones on the GS to check tire pressures. Speaking of wheels, a single sided swing arm on the 800 will make tire changes much easier.
The Oil Filter on the 800 is a much simpler design (after you get past the factory gorilla who installed the first one), and just spins off. The GS, involves removal of bolts and disassembly - not as fast or easy to access. The oil drain bolt is much more accessible on the 800 as well. Battery access is significantly easier on the GS, only requiring removal of the seat - the 800 requires removal of a number of torx screws and the top "tank" cover.
Regular maintenance is a bit different between the two as well - the GS is a chain, which requires regular cleaning, lubrication, etc. The belt drive on the 800 is virtually no maintenance. And when it does come up for maintenance, it will be at expensive BMW shop rates... more complexity means less work that I can do myself. With the fuel injection, the 800 is faster and easier to start as well when it comes to cooler temperatures.
Crash Protection
Last but not least, crash protection. The 800 has many options for protecting the bike from driveway napping - the GS does not seem to have anything readily available. I have tested out both bikes by dropping them at low or no speed on hard concrete/asphalt surfaces in cold conditions. (It is worthwhile to note that neither of these tests were intentional). The GS did not fare nearly as well as the 800 - but a fully faired bike without protection tends to take a bit of damage. Luckily Suzuki designed the GS500F so that the signal light will be saved at the expense of the front cowl. Damage from a simple drop on the GS was front cowl and side fairing, scratches on the back of the mirror casing, bar end and one of the engine covers. In comparison, the 800 scratched the back of the mirror casing (hey, it had to match the GS!), a scrape on the engine protection cage, a scrape on the GIVI hard luggage, and a bit of damage to the trim on the GIVI.
A time and a place
Given the ride differences and the height, the GS is definitely a really good starter bike - I do not think that I would want to see someone taking out the 800 as their first ride, it is not as forgiving of rider error. The low seat height of the GS is also very confidence inspiring. The GS is far better suited to shorter trips - I do not think that i would want to take it on an extended ride down to the Grand Canyon. But the 800 is designed for longer distances.
