The rear brake pads needed to be replaced at 6,000 miles.
The hi-beam switch was broken when I dropped my helmet on it from about 6 inches above the switch. ($118 plus labor).
On two occasions the bike has been in gear while the green neutral light was on.
The mirrors give a good view of your shoulders, but not so much the traffic behind you.
This is a great bike for the in-town errand runner, but its heavy vibration and steep angle in relation to the handlebars make the driver feel pushed into the handles (especially with passenger).
Quick acceleration and much better gas mileage than its four cylinder bigger brothers (usually 210 miles per tank).
I opted for the 5 year warranty, which is a phenomenal bargain, but thus far all of the mechanical problems have been my fault.
I've had no problems with the bike at all, except for laying it down the day I bought it.
I don't understand the comment about leaning too far forward, you're almost sitting straight up and down compared to every other sport bike I've been on! On other sport-bikes the passenger is on your shoulders, but on the 500 they're sitting right behind you... much much more comfortable for the driver.
The one and only problem I have with my 500 is power, great for what it is, but I need to upgrade to the ZX-10!
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