i want to get a bike, need advice

[agrimag]

hi, im a new member here.  im 20, a construction major at pitt, and i want to get a bike.  i have a truck now, im love big 4x4s, but now i want something fast and i dont want to spend $1000 a week on gas.  so ive looked around and i like the gs500.  from what ive read, this looks like a good bike, is it a good beginner bike?  :dunno:  ive ridden dirt bikes before and been ok, but i have little experience

[dufoes]

hi, im a new member here.  im 20, a construction major at pitt, and i want to get a bike.  i have a truck now, im love big 4x4s, but now i want something fast and i dont want to spend $1000 a week on gas.  so ive looked around and i like the gs500.  from what ive read, this looks like a good bike, is it a good beginner bike?  :dunno:  ive ridden dirt bikes before and been ok, but i have little experience

I bought my GS500F '04 last september and it is my first street bike. I too had some experience with dirt bikes (namely an old Yamaha 125 enduro that I rode for a large portion of my teenage years), and so far my experience with this GS has been great. Because of my relative lack of experience I can't tell you much more than that. If you do get the GS you won't be disappointed. Sure it's only 500cc, but that's plenty to get you around and in my opinion it packs quite a punch for it's small size. People make those 600cc bikes out to be so amazing and if you don't get at least that then you're a loser. Well that's simply not true.

You won't be disappointed with the GS. It's cheap, replacement parts are cheap (so I hear), insurance is cheap, and the girls love them. You can't go wrong!

[agrimag]

thanks dufoes, sounds like im in a similar position that you were in.  i dont wanna start with a 600, and you said that the girls like the gs hahaa ALRIIIGHT

[se7enty7]

my g/f (and g/f's) like my gs a lot... I have the white 89 though.. unfaired.  My current g/f likes gs's a lot better than ex500's in the looks dept.  She said the ninja's look old... while the gs just looks newer  :dunno:



I love mine. VERY easy to work on.

[dufoes]

Yeah and you know I'm around the same age as you and in college too. Guys our age, well, sometimes we think with our dicks and not our heads. Because of this I find the size of the GS comforting because I know that if I do something stupid there are some limits. For example, I've heard that it's tough to do a wheelie on the GS as compared to a CBR 600 or any other bike that has a lot of torque. Trust me, the desire to do tricks and wheelies is inherent to my nature, but the size and power of the GS keep me in line.

Don't think that I'm dissing the bike though. It's got plenty of power - all the power I need. For your first bike I don't think you could ask for more.

[Frost]

My current g/f likes gs's a lot better than ex500's in the looks dept.  She said the ninja's look old... while the gs just looks newer  :dunno:

I love mine. VERY easy to work on.

these are 2 of the many reasons i like the GS more than the EX...(i used to own a EX)

[agrimag]

what about riding the gs in rain/when the roads are wet, can you do that?

[JohNLA]

Of course you can. It sucks and if you dont have correct rain gear you will be soaked to the bone in 30 seconds but you will give out before the GS will.

[EDub]

AGRIMAN MAKE YOURSELF A CUP OF COFFEE AND GET READY TO LEARN HEHE...

There are several beginner bikes to choose from so i will give you the pros and cons of each...

250's

Overview:  250's are basically the smallest street bike on the market.  Very! beginner friendly, very light and agile.  All of them on the market today have very smooth power delivery.  top speed of most are around 80-90 miles per hour.

Kawasaki KLR250:  On/Off road bike.  Top speed around 85 mph.

Pro's:  great if you want to take it on a trail everonce in a while, virtually indestructable,  Extremely good fuel economy 70 mpg or so, water cooled (wont overheat in rush hour traffic at standstill), very light.

Cons:  Only mid 20's on horsepower (may get bored after a few months), it looks like a dirtbike, very high seat height, also my friend has one and says it has a very touchy carburator.[/list:u]

TW200:  Dont even bother hehe

Honda 250 Nighthawk: Standard bike. Top speed approx 80 mph.

Pro's: more streetbikish, no fairing to damage (there expensive)actually its basically and engine with wheels so there is practically nothing to break on it, from what i here, they have excellent handling.  Easy to maintain

Con's: Very 70's fonzyish bike, hp in low 20's, no get up and go at highway speeds.  Air cooled (overheating potential)[/list:u]

Honda Rebel 250:  Small cruiser top speed approx 85 mph

Pro's:  Sorta looks like a hog, very dependable (will never break down under normal riding conditions)  Easy to maintain, low seat height

  Con's: Air cooled, lots of little doo dads to break of if dropped, somewhat cramped cockpit.[/list:u]

Kawasaki Ninja:  sportbike, top speed 90 mph

Pro's:  More performance for your dollar, very sporty looking,  Wheelie machine, good handling,  high power for a 250 (33 hp), 0-60 in low 4's, 14,500 rpm red line  , the thing screams for a 250, liquid cooled

 Con's:  you still got that fairing to break, lots of other doo dads to break.
 

IMHO this is the best 250 in the us[/list:u]
500's

 Overview:  for a more experience beginner, or a more aggressive beginner that gets board easy  :mrgreen: somewhat heavier bikes, but with more power and better for hauling pillions (passengers)

Suzuki GS500:  Our little bike that we love so much  just ask cerno :lol: sport bike  top speed little over 100

Pros:  Very smooth power delivery (40 some horsepower), good front brakes, low seat height, non aggressive riding stance, sportbike look, amazing handling, quick acceleration up to about 80 mph, easy to maintain, very tough bike, good ergos (riding position), low seat height, oil cooler (04 and up)

Cons:  not as powerful as Ninja 500, rear breaks are sorta weak, not many aftermarket parts (but this site can help you modify it alot), fairing to scratch on the 04 and up models ( but it looks so good  :mrgreen: )[/list:u]

Kawasaki Ninja EX500:  Sportbike, top speed approx 110

Pros:  High performance engine for a 500 (50 some horsepower), liquid cooled, decent handling, no fairing to ding up

Cons: kinda looks dated (from the 80's), more parts to knock of if dropped (radiator)[/list:u]Well this is just a few bikes, some other to look at would be the ltd500, harly sportster 883, or the ducati 620 (a little more powerful that the rest dont know if you can consider it a beginner bike 60 some hp)

Hope this answers some of your questions.

Sincerely,
Kevin Knapp (edub)

[agrimag]

thanks a lot kevin
i looked at some 250s but i think that i can handle more than that and i want to have some power to play with (not getting over-confident or course)
you reminded me that im not sure what fairings are, i think that they are the panels that hide everything on sport bikes.  i actually like how naked bikes look anyway
im glad to get the positive feed-back on the gs500, it looks good, a nice compromise between a 250 and 600  (those 600s are big suckers, intimidating compared to the old Indian dirt bike i ride.
i looked that the honda nighthawks but they have a rear drum brake among other things and i think the gs seems better
so, im gonna think of some more things to ask about
thanks again

[weaselnoze]

ur right about the fairing.  however nakid is the way to go.  for the bike of course .  most of us here like riding naked twins   .  i know i do.  but yea ur a guy and u want something the ladies like too.  i hear u on that one.  most girls cant tell the difference btw the F and a gixxer.   i think most people w/ knowledge of how a bike works could handle a 500 right off the bat.  i dont want to speak too much because im a fairly new rider myself, but i never rode dirt bikes or quads or motorcycles before i got my gs but i picked it up so fast.  im so completely comfortable riding now, i feel like i've been riding for years, however i know to stay within my limits and to respect the bike. it can still scare me sometimes when i get a lil outta hand. with a 500 there's more room for improvement in regards to riding skill.  so its heavier than a 250, but it'll give u a better idea of what ur dealing with if/when u upgrade.

[The Buddha]

IMHO ... best beginer bike ... hands down ... Virago 535 ... the 87-90 years were very crash resistant ... You can take off the faux tank, and the side covers off and ride around ... only thing you'd break if you drop it ... turn signals ... then you can fit the dirt bike bars on it and be even more crash resistant ... cos they are wide and prevent anyhting else hitting the ground ...  Its followed by a GS of course ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[ballyhoo]

Long term experience: I rode a GS400 starting in 1978, prior to that a Suzuki x-6 Hustler. The 400 was a perfect bike for me because I could get the bike off the main road onto really rough roads and slow it down to a crawl if need be. But it could keep up with the traffic on the Interstate, no problem. The engine was bulletproof.

The GS500 is an updated, much-improved version of the 400 twin, and the engine is nearly identical except for plain bearings on the drive shaft and balancer, where the 400 had rollers and balls. Also, the 500 has an electronic ignition whereas the 400 had points. Carbs are very similar. I have not yet checked the valve clearances, but it looks like the old 400 shims are identical to the 500's and I have several extras just waiting to go back into service...after nearly 30 years.

Like icing on the cake, I am getting consistent 75mpg with the 500 where I was getting 50 with the 400. I'm 58 years old, riding since 1967, and I love this bike. And yes, I love this forum.

[se7enty7]

I had lots of dirt experiance... I went right to the gs500 and haven't looked back.  Very good size/power for me

[callmelenny]

As a young male, insurance costs are also worth considering (if you care about $$$ ). Most companies base their rate on the displacement of the engine. In some cases they will charge  more for bikes in the sportbike category because they tend to crash more often and have more plastic to break. If you do a search on insurance costs you will see that our GS has some of the best rates.

Overall, I agree with other's comments. On this group you find people ranging from total beginners to dusty veterans, all of them find the GS suits at least some of their needs.

If you like to tinker with things, the GS is a great choice and this community is among the best on the net. I just got a GS last year as a fixxerup project and have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of advice from the great folks here.

Get a GS, I prefer the older naked models but the shiny new ones are nice too.

[agrimag]

thats what i like to hear, lenny
i was thinking about insurance and im glad to hear that the gs has some of the best rates.   i also like to hear that they are easy to work on, im an automotive type person and work on cars a lot, i think that a bike would be great to work on
it would be a nice change from my trucks drum brakes, rusted flanges, ect.