Is It Just Me?

[TOMIMOTO]

I know our bikes are only 500s but still this is my first bike. I have about 320 miles on it now and I still can't go over 65 due to the break in but why does it feel so slow. I always thought of getting a bike and smoking cars left and right. With my 500 it feels like Neons and Civics can beat me. I think I should have gotten the CBR 600 RR as my first bike but my dad wanted me to get the GS because it was smaller and not so sporty. I'm sure once I break it in and start riding on redline I'll feel like it's a little faster but I've been playing around up near the redline, keeping it under 65, and it still feels slow to me.

Also are the GS's known for having messed up trannies. At lights if i put it in Neutral it's hard to get it into first when the light goes green. Also when I'm down shifting from 6th, 5th, 4th, or 3rd every so often it pops into neutral and I can't down shift unless I play around with the clutch. I brought it to the dealer but those guys are a joke. He rode my bike around the back of the building and he didn't even go over 10 miles per hour or out of 2nd gear and he goes "oh your bike is fine". I hate dealers they're a joke. You have to ride it on the street to see what I'm talking about. All he did was played with the clutch tensioner wire and made it so I can't even ride the bike anymore because the damn clutch engages when I pull it in a millimeter. It's a Buddha Loves You in traffic now. I have to fix that once my dad comes home. But yah just need help with my transmission question.

Also today I was riding around and I heard a griding noise from my front brake. After I heard the noise my brake wasn't working as hard and when I stomp on it it makes a grinding vibrating feeling and it doesnt stop as hard as it did before the noise. Anyone know what this could be? I looked at it and nothing looked out of place or wrong. Oh the joys of owning a new bike.  

Oh yah!! Also I got my motorcycle license today. I got my bike on the 10th. I got my permit on the 12th and I got my license today. I didn't knock down a single cone. I only pactised the course once. Having bike experience in the past really helps. Man there were some people there who looked like they didn't even know what a motorcycle was and they were getting their licenses. The guy passed them all too!! Scary stuff knowing they're on the road. Well just needed to rant and ask for some help. Thanks.

One last question. What should I get in the Spring of 2005?

A) 1991-1995 Toyota MR2 Turbo (I've wanted one of these for 5 years now but chose the GS over it)



or.......

B) 2005 Suzuki GSX-R 750



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[raylarrabee]

the power in these bikes all lives at the top of the tach.  Once you can rev the engine, I think you'll find it plenty fast.  I weigh well over 200, and I can still launch from a stop in a hurry if I really want to.

Congratulations on getting your license.  I still have to go back to get mine--I'm still hoping to get a walk-on into one of the local MSF BRCII courses.  

:x

[Jeff P]

Published accelerations times for this bike range from about 4.5-5.5 for 0-60 and 13.5-14.5 for the 1/4 mile.  A Neon SRT-4 might keep up but that's about it.  My car is a Saab 9-5 Aero and my GS500 is faster than it.  

Get the MR2 Turbo.  Very cool cars.  

Can't help with the tranny problems, mine works fine.  

Lastly, your dad is right.  You gotta learn how to ride before you get on a 600RR or Gixxer 750.  Those are street legal racing bikes designed for experienced riders.  Right now you've got a few hundred miles under your belt.  You've got the very basics figured out and it sounds like you've become accustomed to the acceleration of the bike.  That does not mean you're ready for a supersport.  Have patience grasshopper.

jeff

[harabecw]

couple o' things.

1) settle down and have fun. that's why you're on a bike.

2) as raylarrabee said, power starts building up from 6.5K up to 10-11K.
up to 5K the engine is, well, WEAK.

3) forget a 600 or 750 supersport. they're fast, they're mean and you better know what you are doing when riding one.

4) anyone can twist the throttle and drive fast, including you. but do you really know how to handle a motorcycle?
a GS is cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, no fairing if you fall (I bet you will. most of us have) and can teach you the basics of sport-riding without kicking your ass if you make a mistake.


it is not in any way a real sportbike but its light, easy-handling and doesn't have an obscene amount of power like the above mentioned R750.

5) the GS is not that strong anyway. it does "smoke" most cars up to 120-130 but from there on cars with real muscle will make fun of you, so why bother worrying about it?
enjoy the bike, enjoy the ride, when you're truly ready for the R750 you'll thanks yourself for starting small and surviving the first few months of adrenaline and stupid mistakes.

have fun  

[glenn9171]

With a proper launch, a GS will keep up with the likes of a Mustang GT in the 1/4 mile.  Shortly thereafter, the Pony will proceed to blow you off the road.  You will be able to smoke nearly everything on "normal" streets from stoplight to stoplight.  The power kicks in at about 6-7,000 RPM right up to the redline.  This range also gets you into trouble quickly, too.  2nd gear at this speed is over the speed limit in most places.

[scratch]

Since you are breaking it in, are you "training" it by accelerating as quickly as you can up to your rpm break-in limits? Makes for a fast bike.

[Rema1000]

Also are the GS's known for having messed up trannies. At lights if i put it in Neutral it's hard to get it into first when the light goes green.

The GS is known to shift hard if it gets low on oil.  Be sure to check your oil level.  Also, bikes don't have synchro bearings, so going from neutral to 1st is a matter of chance.  The easy way to do it is to press down lightly on the shift pedal, and rock the bike forward or back a few inches.  Usually, it will pop right down.  You can also stomp down on it, and it will usually go in, accompanied by a grinding crunch (which is not the way you want to do it, unless you see a horde of Vikings rushing at you or something).  

I wouldn't recommend using neutral when stopped at lights.  You need to be able to get up and go if you see that you're about to be rear-ended (even if you have a stopped car protecting you from behind).  Neutral isn't used so much as it is on a car.  I use neutral to warm up the bike, and that's about it.  If I'm in traffic, I want to be in-gear, even when stopped (yeah, my clutch hand got a bit sore the first month).

Also when I'm down shifting from 6th, 5th, 4th, or 3rd every so often it pops into neutral and I can't down shift unless I play around with the clutch.

Sounds like a "false neutral"... it exists between all the gears, if you shift without enough "follow-through".  But the GS usually doesn't have much problem with false neutrals.  I think I've seen that happen maybe twice.

Also today I was riding around and I heard a grinding noise from my front brake.

Maybe a tiny piece of something metal got stuck in the groove on the face of the brake pad? That doesn't sound good.  Good brakes are really cool to have .

2005 Suzuki GSX-R 750

Be sure to check what the insurance would cost on that, it may be waaay more than you expect.  Also, you mentioned that you ride in traffic; that 750 would be absolute murder to ride in stop-and-go traffic.  You're not going to find much easier in stop-and-go than the GS (except for maybe a scooter!).  

I would want to learn to flog the GS really well first; then move to something like a SV650.  Then maybe move to a GSX-R.  Figure at least 4 seasons of riding to get there.   I wouldn't go straight from a GS to a GSX-R unless I had a couple of seasons of track experience on the GS.  

Well, actually, I don't see any use for a GSX-R 750 on the street at all, unless you really like riding in the bottom 2 or 3 gears all day.  Or heck, just leave it in first; why shift at all (how boring!)?  You'll never see redline.  You have to ride below the 600cc supersport level to be able to really use all the gears.  With a bike faster than an SV650, most road riding would actually get more boring, not more fun.

[crash]

two words: "organ donor"

poping it into 1st from neutral is pretty easy, just ease off the clutch a little (friction zone) and it slides in like butter.

i don't know about bikes, but i was under the impression that "breaking" a machine in was keeping it under a certail level of RPM, not necessarily speed.

as far as power, on my gs, anything under 5.5/6k, as well as the first 2 gears is like riding a bicycle, but as soon as it's in 3rd and at 6,7, etc, it starts pulling pretty well.... always funny "racing" cars.  they pull out a car length ahead and then i fly by. nothing like a false sense of superiority :mrgreen:

[noodle]

Well my GS still feels fast! Certainly enough to pull away from cars at traffic lights!

I also agree that you should stay in 1st at lights

p.s. what the hell kind of test do you have over there lol!

in the UK I had 1 day of training on a 125 (CBT) then 3 more day lessons on the little bike, then a weekend on a 500, then a test (fiendish) including horrid U-turn (fortunately I passed )

Just a curious Brit

[TOMIMOTO]

First of all I got my 30 day learners permit which allowed me to ride on the streets. I just couldn't ride with anyone on the back or ride durring sunset/night. All I needed to get this was my standard drivers license and 30 dollars.

Then on every Wednesday/Thursday you could show up to get your license. All getting your license consited of was a right angle turn probably 4 feet wide. Then you need to go through slalom cones. After that is a very big U-Turn. Probably the width of 2 parking spots. Finally you have to get up to 15 MPH in a 30 foot area and stop in a designated spot wthout skidding. You then obtain your license. The 30 dollars for the permit covers it. If I really wanted to I could have gotten my permit on a Wednesday morning and then gone and gotten my license 10 minutes after that. This is by far the easiest license I have ever gotten.


Also I have another question. What oil should I use durring the break in period? My bike has about 320 miles on it and my dad wants to change the oil now instead of waiting for the 600 mile check up at the dealer. Thanks.

[vtlion]

Most recommend sticking with standard 10W40 oil for a while.  Some people go to synthetic or semi-synth eventually with other bikes (GSers?).  I'm still not convinced that its a good idea to used synthetic with a wet clutch, but there are those who do it.

For break in, I follow the manufacturers procedure.  There is the controvercial 'motoman' method of flogging it to get the piston seals set better.  I honestly don't think there is a big difference.  Most bikes die of other causes long before their engines wear out, so who knows what's really best.

I'm with the gang too on the GSX-R 750.  If its what you really think you should get, then you'll get it no matter what anyone here says.  That is a whole lot of bike to be jumping to from a GS.  What kind of "bike experience" do you have?  Just think it over thoroughly (and you will, you'll be on the GS for a while, so use that time to consider what bike you want next... your idea of the perfect bike will no doubt change as you acquire experience and learn what kind of rider you are).    I can say from personal experience that supersports are awesome for missions into the twisties, but they are a giant pain in the a$$ around town... so much that I finally traded mine in on an SV (which RULES downtown).

[Anonymous]

First off, you need to "grow up" a little more before you even think about getting a 750.  That bike and an attitude like yours "I want to blow away all the cars" will in fact make your 750 a "Donorcycle".  Your dad is looking out for your best interests.  I HAD a 750 when I was younger and now at 45 I'm riding the 500.  It IS plenty fast and fun.  A 750 would be too much for someone with your experience.  I'd say 80% of new riders with FAST bikes crash them.  Crashing sucks!  Just relax, ride the GS for a year or two, and THEN think about something faster if you REALLY need it.

[noodle]

I am in shock that the test is so easy!

Rise safely whatever you decide...

[charleym3]

Yeah what JoeRocker said.  
My first real bike was a 70-something Yamahammer XS750.  It was frightningly quick.  Fast too.  Too fast infact for an 18 year old with an attitude like mine.  After a very scary experience self preservation kicked in and I parted company with it for something more reasonable.  A Honda 350 which I rode to death.  

I just turned 45 and the GS is plenty of bike for my style of riding.  Highway speeds are the exception rather than the norm.  Most of my time is spent in 4the gear turning just under 5K.  I have seen the high side of 80 once and still had some throttle left and I wasn't into the meat of the power band yet.  It's perfect for me.

[cajrovd]

The breakin was a killer for me. Getting beat by soccer moms in minivans was just brutal on the ego. There was just no power below 5k rpms!!!

After the 600 mile breakin though? FREEDOM!!! Can beat anything off the line, on the freeway I can pull away from practically everything. My 500F has been so forgiving yet willing to get up and go. I do a lot of commuting it's as easy to ride at 10 mph as it is at 90 mph. Most of the time I take it easy, but once in a while some guy/gal/soccermom in a cage thinks he/she actually has a chance... seeya sucka!!!

Sure a Gixxer is faster, but like everyone else says, not fun for commuting even for those used to its temperment. It's a newbie deathtrap.

[PITBULL]

I have a 2004 gs500  and it will kick the shaZam! out of my 1994 celica GT which  out runs my buddies 93 MR2 by 2 car lenghts or better he doesent have the turbo model susposidly a bit faster but who knows.  The GSXR is way to fast for a commuter bike stick with the gs have fun

[70 Cam Guy]

I have to agree with vtlion.  I bought a GS500 expecting to upgrade to a 600ss shortly thereafter but as I put miles under my belt, I discovered a 600 wasn't the bike I really wanted.  I like the urban assault nakeds like the Speed 4, Thruxton, the new Buell City, Z1000, ZRX, or nekid SV's.  I spend way more time in city streets than I ever will hope to spend in the surrounding mountains.  I'm always busy with something on the weekends that get in the way of weekend loop rides so I haven't turned into the canyon carver I had thought I would be.

Regarding your speed question, anything under 5k rpms is practically lugging around.  Its ok for putting around but not much "go" in that limited range.  Once you get into the meat of the power, you'll enjoy it much more.  

A turbo MR2 will wipe the floor with a Celica GTS btw.  200 stock hp in the turbo model.  I think the N/A model is rated at 120 hp.  You see those guys with the big snorkel intakes, exhausts and who-knows-how-much-boost and who knows how fast it will go.  I hear 13's are not tough for modded MR2's

[Organ Donor]

I fairly new to riding. I have 2,000 miles in the street. I got to say, The first bike I wanted was an R6. Then I seen how much the insurance cost. I plan on jumping up to a gixer 600  in a few years for all the sweet mountain roads around, but I'm keeping my GS the fourty mile commute to work. besides you have to crawl before you walk.

The break in sucks but after that you'll find out how good this bike really is.

[AR5ENAL]

Awww hell with it.  Sell your GS, forget the Mr. Two, and get one of these:



Then...draft up a last will and testament, leave everything to AR5ENAL.

Hehe, seriously...stick with the GS.  Learn to ride before you move up to a bigger bike.  And Mr. Two's are nice, but not really track friendly.  They've had real suspension and chassis rigidity issues, so they're not the best track cars....depends on what you'll be using it for, I guess.

[v6silverstang]

I have to say, that until my high-side I was just like you, looking to get a big "supersport" bike as soon as I could, and leave the GS behind.  The aforementioned crash showed me that I in no way possess the skills necessary to ride a crotch rocket even more powerful than my car, and that it will be several years before I can even realistically think about riding a bike like a GSX-R, R6, CBR600 RR, or ZX-6.  The GS is a great bike, is fast enough to get your license revoked, and will still smoke 99% of the cars you meet on the road, and, as I have shown, still posesses the capability to humble you, albeit in a much gentler manner than a street legal race bike.  Be safe, ride the GS, develop your skills over several seasons, then reevaluate your decision to get a bigger bike.  As someone else said, you'll be glad you did.  Also, by the time you're honestly ready, your insurance may have gone down a bit.