Suzuki GS500-based budget overlander

[Chris Scott]

Seeing as it's nearly finished and running fine, thought you might like to see my 'GS500R'. Cost ~£2500 all up. More on my www.
GS500 has been around unchanged for years with no big issues, cheap to buy, cheap and plentiful spares, heaps of online info, smoother than a carb single and as economical I’ve found. An SV or XS650 engine would be nicer but it gets you there. Seat is dead comfy too.
Basically a DR650 fork with clamps, an SV650 shock and same size 19-inch Excels on DR hubs front and rear. If you leave the OE 17” on the back the conversion is even easier. Not finished yet, but made my own weld-free rack (in case you can’t tell ;-).
Can’t see me getting a 21” travel bike again, unless it was for pure off road.

Ch

[electric_monk]

Looks neat Chris, but it does seem to be re-inventing the wheel a little bit.

[Huan]

I think the Budget part is the key to this conversion, if you consider other twins, like the BMW's then I doubt you'll get one for anything near 2500k all in.

[pete3]

Sweet!! I like the homemade touch ....

[Chris Scott]

.. it does seem to be re-inventing the wheel...

That's right, except that for my purposes I've managed to make it a little rounder ;-)

[barothi]

I think you are on the right path to create a great overlander. I envy you and there is a chance that I will use some of your ideas. I like that front conversion for example.

I put more than 60k miles on mine in four years including a lot of commuting all year round in Ireland and a long trip to Europe and Africa. I didn't make it's life easy, took it off-road and forced it to carry all my belongings for more than a year. It only stopped a few times and always for the same two faults which I then found. The fuel petcock membrane was one. Solved by switching to PRI. The other was an electrical fault in heavy rain. The water got to the ignition coil. Solved with silica gel.
What I didn't like was that the valve clearance service was a PITA and the engine needed fresh oil every 4-6k miles. Also, my bike developed a knocking. It had that from almost "new" (I bought it with less than 7k miles) and it became very bad lately. There is more than 2mm play in the intake camshaft.
If you manage to keep the revs under 6k and change oil often the engine will last a long time. There is not much to go wrong on it. The carbs are perfect, I never opened mine and I wouldn't touch them.
Also, I guess I don't have to tell you but be careful with the exhaust retaining bolts and the oil filter housing bolts. They are made out of cheese.

What I think you may have problem with longer term is the clutch and the chain. If you put that 19" wheel on the back, the bike will struggle. I used a 130/80/17 rear tyre for a while and even the small increase in tyre diameter made it difficult to climb some hills. Did you compensate with different sprockets? How is steering with that rear wheel? Would a 17 or 18 not be better?

Here is my beauty:

[ridetheworld]

Originally Posted by Chris Scott

Seeing as it's nearly finished and running fine, thought you might like to see my 'GS500R'. Cost ~£2500 all up. More on my www.
GS500 has been around unchanged for years with no big issues, cheap to buy, cheap and plentiful spares, heaps of online info, smoother than a carb single and as economical I’ve found. An SV or XS650 engine would be nicer but it gets you there. Seat is dead comfy too.
Basically a DR650 fork with clamps, an SV650 shock and same size 19-inch Excels on DR hubs front and rear. If you leave the OE 17” on the back the conversion is even easier. Not finished yet, but made my own weld-free rack (in case you can’t tell ;-).
Can’t see me getting a 21” travel bike again, unless it was for pure off road.

Ch

Hope I can bump this thread?

These are going on eBay with less than 5,000m for around 1500 quid! Cheaper or similar price to the modern 125cc offers from Yamaha and Honda. Can't believe it really. The kle500's are more in the 2000 to 2500 price range. Chris, would the mods be hard to do for someone who knows how to change oil, tires and tighten things up and little else? I'm sizing up a UK to Capetown trip and would obviously be buying in UK, on a budget too. So far I've been looking at YBR 125 or 250, the CB500 and the kle500 (though they do seem overpriced lately). I like the idea of the YBR 125 for it's pure simplicity, lightness and well, economy. Nick from Talesfromthesaddle took one through Africa and as far as 125's go spoke of it very highly.

I'm currently doing S.America on a 250 XR Tornado, which I bought in Chile and will probably sell here too. I just bought her, put a rack on and a 12v charger and 22,000k later it's proven to be a dogged machine that's kept me moving despite the worst the continent and clueless rider threw at it. Could you just take a GS500 out on an adventure almost stock too? Also, what's this business about the shims? Do the valves become loose quickly? Much like many of the mechanics around here, every time I try to fix a niggle with the bike I manage to create two more and heard the mechs in Africa routinely make four or five!