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GL500 or 650- any reason to choose one over the other?

3K views 26 replies 15 participants last post by  doneuald 
#1 ·
New member here. Looking to get either a 500 or 650 Interstate for my wife so we can tour together- I currently ride an R80RT, and she has no interest in riding pillion, nor does she want to tag along on her dual sport. She wants the comfort and wind protection of a faired bike, and a GL fits our budget.
There are currently two bikes for sale within a radius I'm willing to travel, an '81 500 with 38k, and an '83 650 with 28k. Both very similar cosmetically, with all the original goodies (luggage, etc.). The '83 is priced $500 higher than the '81.

My concerns with the 500: higher mileage, possibly getting close to needing the triple bypass. I have no problem doing it but I'd like to get this summer's riding in before I have to do anything major.

Concerns with the 650: Auto chain tensioner- a good idea I'm sure but if it fails, it's NLA from Honda. Are there alternatives? Can an earlier manual tensioner be retrofitted? And what about the cooling fan? An electric fan adds some complexity over a mechanical one, but is it a problem area?

I'm not really too concerned with the horsepower difference- my airhead only makes 50 and it's plenty, and honestly, I've owned cars with less than that. :D

Are there any other things I should be thinking about?

This forum has been a great resource. Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Cheers,
Dave
 
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#2 ·
650 is a way better touring bike its not as buzzy gets better economy and is just much nicer to ride long distances

and will cruise all day at 75

at the mileage you have posted both will need some maintenance and are likely candidates for a triple bypass or in the 650s case a quad bypass

the auto tensioner does not randomly grenade what happens is they are ignored and run way past the end of adjustment then the chain starts flopping

owners then ignore the noise coming from the rear case long enough that the tensioner gets beat to death and then fails

so put a timing chain in yours and ride trouble free
 
#3 ·
After having both, I prefer the 650. Staying lower in the revs just makes the bike feel smoother. The electric fan is the only way to go down here in Florida. I don't have to worry about over-heating at stoplights, it just kicks on and all is good. There also seem to be a steady supply of fans on E-Bay if one should fail. I don't know where you are, but a forum member has a real cherry 650 for sale.
 
#4 ·
I'm kind of partial to the 650.
So many upgrades were made from the 500.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the replies. I've updated my profile to show my location- the western Upper Peninsula

I haven't seen either bike yet- they are each about 3-1/2 hours away, in opposite directions, but such is life in the U.P. I've had to travel quite a ways to get all my bikes up to now, so why should this one be any different? I may be able to see the 650 next weekend, as I'm heading down that way to visit my son & daughter-in-law. I'll see if we can fit it into our visit. I'm sure the queen won't mind...:roll eyes:

Cheers,
Dave
 
#7 ·
King bee, either one you decide on keep in mind the cost of bringing either one to spec can far exceed what it will bring. I was lucky with bring my gl650i to like new condition due to having a certified Honda mechanic that's 65 years old and knows the 83 line the back of his hand. He also did the work on his time much cheaper than 80-100 bucks an hour. It still cost over 1000 bucks and that was no major issues due to the bike only having 7600 miles. It had just been sitting 14 years.
 
#8 ·
kingbee, if you're going to look at the bike, please take the queen with you. That will give her a chance to try the bike on for size, some vertically challenged people find the GL a bit much. They are also top heavy. If she has tried one out, then please disregard the previous.

CX, my 650 is quite a happy animal. She purrs for me every day, rain or shine. :) I'm the unhappy one in the rain. She is getting washed a lot though.
 
#9 ·
I will most definitely have the queen along! She's fairly tall, 5'7", so I doubt seat height will be a problem. She's ridden my airhead and liked it. We'll see about the top-heavy part though. Boxer twins have a pretty low center of gravity, which makes them easy to ride. For our road rides last year she rode my DR350 which is pretty tall, though also a lot lighter than a GL.

Getting a test ride in is unlikely this time of year in the upper midwest. If we do look at it, we'll probably have to be content with just sitting on it and hearing it run.

Cheers,
Dave
 
#11 ·
I've owned both. Still have the 500. As cxphreak says: "The 500 is a happier bike". These were designed to be 500 cc bikes, bigger pistons, different primary gearing and trans ratios aren't enough to make it a happy 650. I did a double by-pass on the 650 and a triple on the 500. The 500 now has about 48k miles and dribbles a little from two O-rings that I didn't replace while the back cover was off. It is stone dependable. I think the 650 is an excellent touring bike with decent city manners. The 500 has excellent city bike with decent touring capabilities. I'm not a high speed interstate highway kind of guy, I prefere two lane, back country roads. I'd recommend either one and buy based on the condition you find them in. Fork seals, master cylinder, brake line, tires and a battery replacement are a given. 650 has lots more power (40+ vrs 30+) Just my experience. Enjoy!
 
#12 ·
I like the black engine on the 650, not that the silver one can't be painted. The problem is that the 650 black almost always looks grayish, chalky. Even at its best it appears to have a satin finish. I recently took to cleaning up a couple of covers. I cleaned and degreased both, but then followed up on one with a clay bar then rubbing compound. No matter what chemical or method I used, there was always dirt left behind for the clay bar and compound. What I uncovered was a very high gloss finish. Here's the covers side by side:

Metal

Auto part Engine Automotive engine part Vehicle Transmission part
 

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#13 ·
I've owned both too and prefer the 650... If everything in the two you are looking at is about even, go with the 650. Many of the changes and upgrades made it just a much nicer bike over the 500... Parts are not really an issue, companies are making them new again due to their popularity. Read all the material on here, there is a ton of info and these motors are virtually indestructible.
 
#14 ·
Where's the Western Upper Peninsula? Don't mind me i'm just another Yooper.

If you're going to ride in the U.P. It doesn't matter with the 55mph speed limit. But I have had several Cx500's a cx650c and a Gl650i. The Gl650i is the winner. Not only because of the higher horsepower and lower RPMs but it seems like it handles the job better. The suspension is better even though parts aren't as easy to get but they are out there so no worries.

Here's my rig and it works great for cross country travel.
 
#15 ·
I forgot to mention that David in Wisconsin has several Gl500's for sale for various prices I believe. Dave is in Appleton and guarantees his bikes. He fully goes through them and is totally up front with what needs to be done like new tires and stuff like that.

Here's a link to a past bike he was selling. I'm sure he must have at least 2 gl500's in the garage right now. http://cx500forum.com/forum/selling-buying-forum/10549-gl500i-candy-muse-red.html
 
#19 ·
Really appreciate all the replies so far. I guess we'll just have to look at them both. There's no huge hurry since there's 3 feet of snow on the ground and more falling, plus neither bike is actively being advertised right now. I'll probably wait till March to look at them, hopefully we'll get a warm stretch so I can ride them.
Too bad they're so far away, but we've got kids living in both directions so we can combine a visit with bike shopping. :hello2:

Cheers,
Dave
 
#20 ·
Don't say any of this March no snow for testdriving stuff. I'm going to Lake Gogebic the second week of March for ice fishing and there better be snow and ice. Hopefully not the wet disaster going on from last year.
 
#22 ·
Hi,

If you don't want your wife to have more HP than your R80 then get the GL500I. The R80 and the GL500 have the same acceleration and top speed. The 650 has the same top speed, but would easily out perform your R80.

I do have two GL500Is available right now. They are mothballed right now so it will take a day or two to get to get them ready if you are interested.
 
#23 ·
Good point on relative performance of the two bikes. Can't have the queen outrunning me!
It did occur to me that my airhead makes about the same power as a GL500, so I know either one will be plenty for how we use our bikes.

All the replies I've gotten have been helpful, it will most likely come down to which one seems to be in the best shape.

I'd like to know more about your 500s-no need to get them out right now but I'm interested in what you have. PM me when you get a chance.

Cheers,
Dave
 
#27 ·
Kingbee, Ive been riding my GL650 for about 20ish years - tires, batteries, oil changes and windshields which are all the consumables are basically all I've done oh yes left head gasket all in about 20000 miles.
I would definitely go for the 650, I'm a big guy 325 lbs and it moves my butt down the road well and i would not hesitate on driving it to the west coast from Thunder Bay
 
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