This is Big Sur Highway, which is a terrific place to take any motorcycle:


If you ever get the chance to ride Big Sur... it's not too shabby.

 

that's cool. i saved all the mags that have my bike in them. so later in life i will have them. i also used to have an 87 EX500 too that add brings back memories.

 

Looks fun to me

 

Yeah, It's a great place -- Never taken a bike there, but I'd imagine its even more fun on a bike than driving a car.

Have fun.

 

Sweet find and that road is cool as hell but I have only driven it, would love to ride it though.

 

Amazing that after all these years the ex500 hasnt changed much at all................whoever came up with the idea is BRILLIANT

 

Actually, the 500's brilliance cannot be attributed to one single genius who did all the work, because it was originally based on Kawasaki's very successful Ninja 1000, which was the hottest bike of the mid-80's.
Kawasaki is well-known for having many parts interchangeable across models (for example the current ZZR600's mirrors which fit without modification on our beloved 500, (AND that very same ZZR600 is basically identical to the 00-02 ZX6R.))
(I got my ex-wife an '02 ZX6R when we were married and I miss that bike a helluva a lot more than I miss her.)

Anyway the EX500 was born when someone decided to cut the Ninja 1000 engine in half. That very same engine (with minor modifications of course) is still selling strong in Kawasaki's beloved Concours, which has a following that puts us 500 fans to shame.
So basically, the EX500 is half of a Concours engine. Same bore, stroke, identical pistons, exactly the same valvegear and many other interchangeable internals; the only difference is that we have two of those cylinders instead of four.

Long before I owned my first EX500, I fell in love with the Concours' engine while doing my Dad's valve adjustments. I loved the engine, but I loathed lugging that gargantuan bike in twisty roads (it corners like the HMS Queen Mary!) but when I learned that her Majesty the Concours had a svelter younger sister, well I jumped her bones!

My Pa retired in February this year, and I had the distinct pleasure of buying him a new Concours to replace his beloved older one which had 98,000 miles on it.
The son-of-a-biscuit has already put 20,000 miles on it! At this rate, I'll have to buy him another before I pay off my condo.

-CCinC

 

My brother got lucky and found a Suzuki DL 1000 (2003) V-Strom for a great price with less than 2,000 miles on it. He was most interested in the Concourse because it seems to have the better price than other touring bikes..........I take from what you have typed above its been nothing but a good bike?? So far the DL 1000 kicks *** and its got me checking out the lesser 650 v-strom with some buddies.............but we are kinda leaning towards that new KLR model next year-changing the body to make it a little more appealing to the naked eye

 

I'll probably sound like a Kawasaki sales rep, but I could throw a Suzuki much farther than I could trust it.
My major problem is the GSXR1000. It isn't that I proudly own and ride an '02 ZX9R which does not have the cutting-edge performance of the Gixxer, it's that Suzuki officially considers it acceptable for a literbike to 'burn' at least one quart of oil between oil changes.
My '02 ZX9R has nearly 44,000 miles on it, and many of those miles have been very interesting. But the bike still burns less oil than I can detect between every ~3,000 mile oil-change.
Also, the SV650 is completely different than the TLR1000. (Oops, I mean SV1000). Differeht bikes, different backgrounds, and despite the marketing, their 'roots' are completely dissimiliar. The SV650 has more in common with an '84 Honda Hawk than it does with Suzuki's catastrophic TLR1000.

The Concours is a 'good' bike, but not a great one like the 500R. It has a hydraulic clutch, it weighs a ton and it starts scraping metal parts without leaning over very far
I would probably buy a Suzuki if Kawasaki went bankrupt tomorrow and my only three choices were Harley, Ural or Honda, but Suzukis worry me more than they appeal to me. But then I'm a grouchy old partisan, so keep that in mind.
-CCinC

 

Wow chris,

Thanks for the information. I've been thinking of another bike to get next year. Obviously the super sports come to mind, but your reviews of suzukis make a guy think twice. What are you thoughts of the Honda 919? I sat on one of these and it really felt comfy (i'm short so i like whatver helps my feet touch the gound The other bikes i can fit on is a honda f4i and any of the gixxers. Unfortunately I find myself tip toeing on some of the Kawis [&:], but i haven't really sat on too many kawis yet.