So, I’ve had this Suzuki GS500E for a while now. It’s a solid bike, a real workhorse. But you know how it is, you get that itch. You wanna know what it can really do when you push it. The internet says a lot of things, but I like to find out for myself. This old girl, they say she’s packing around 46 horsepower. Not a superbike, sure, but enough to have some fun with.
Getting Ready for the Blast
First things first, I gave her a good look-over. Didn’t want any surprises at high speed, you know? Checked the tires, made sure the chain wasn’t doing its own thing, and topped up the tank. You don’t want to run out of gas when you’re trying to hit top numbers. Safety first, well, safety as much as you can manage when you’re about to wring its neck.
Then, the most important part: finding the right spot. You need a long, straight, and most importantly, empty piece of road. No cars, no tractors, no unexpected dogs. Took me a bit, but I found a decent stretch early one morning. Perfect.
Letting Her Rip
Alright, moment of truth. Fired her up, let the engine get nice and warm. Can’t just go thrashing a cold engine, that’s just asking for trouble. Pulled onto my chosen strip, took a deep breath, and just twisted that throttle.
She pulled okay. I mean, it’s not gonna snap your neck back, but it’s steady. Clicked up through the gears. This GS500E, it’s got 6 gears, and I made sure to use every single one of them. First, second, third… just kept feeding it more. The engine note started to change, getting higher, angrier. Good stuff.
Fourth, fifth… now we’re starting to move. The wind was really picking up. I tucked in as much as my old bones would let me. You try to make yourself small, you know? Every little bit helps when you’re fighting the air.
Into sixth gear. This was it. Full throttle. Just holding on, watching that speedo needle creep up. It’s a different feeling when you’re going for it, the bike vibrating, the wind roaring. You’re just focused on that number and keeping her straight.
So, What Did She Do?
I held it there for as long as the road would safely allow, then eased off and pulled over. Heart was definitely beating a bit faster. Checked my GPS, because old bike speedos, well, they can be a bit optimistic, or pessimistic sometimes. You never know.
And the numbers? Well, the official spec sheet says the Suzuki GS500E top speed is 173.0 km/h, which is about 107.5 mph. On that day, with me on it, on that stretch of road, I saw a number very, very close to that. I’d say it pretty much did what it says on the tin. Maybe a touch less, maybe a touch more depending on the day and the wind, but it got there.
It’s not the fastest thing on two wheels, not by a long shot. But for an old, honest bike like the GS500E, it’s pretty respectable. And it was a damn good feeling to find out for myself. That’s what it’s all about, right?
