good racing bike

pimpcaddy · February 19, 2005, 02:44:55 AM

looking for a good daily driver / racing bike looking to go pro with this. either the gs500f, 500r ninja, katana 600.

Pam G · February 19, 2005, 07:21:05 AM

You've got to be kidding about "going pro", right?

All of those bikes are slugs in the racing world, sorry to say. And it really is a PITA switching a bike from street mode to racing mode. Do you know what's involved with race prepping a bike?

pimpcaddy · February 19, 2005, 10:51:18 AM

no im not going pro i was just ashamed about being a beginner cause ive seen beginners get flamed just because they are a beginner. actually im looking for a good beginner bike out of the ones i listed im looking for something that can be easy to work on, insurance, also beginner friendly. im 6'1 220 and im sorry for lying

Eisenfaust · February 19, 2005, 04:21:18 PM

Umm, this forum is one of the nicest places out there, as far as being beginner friendly. I mean, hell, most of us are here because we either are (me!) or were (pantablo!) beginner motorcyclists.

My vote is for the GS500, preferably a GS500E. Great bike, and of course, you get this wonderful little community to go along with it. :-p

sprint_9 · February 19, 2005, 04:43:55 PM

Its a toss up between the GS and the 500R if you ask me, the GS would b easier to work on but the 500R might be a little faster out of the box.

werase643 · February 19, 2005, 06:54:34 PM

even if you get the 500R....we will still be here for ya

get a busa... good first and last bike :mrgreen:

pimpcaddy · February 19, 2005, 07:33:41 PM

is the gs500f big i mean it weight 396lbs (the 05 model) just wondering cause it dont it pics.

roguegeek · February 19, 2005, 07:45:20 PM

Quote from: pimpcaddyis the gs500f big i mean it weight 396lbs (the 05 model) just wondering cause it dont it pics.

In its class, it's definitely one of the smaller bikes out there. I just got back from a dealership where I sat on a crap load of the 600cc and less sport bikes out there and none of them came close to having the low seat height that the GS has. That's a good thing for my 5'8" self. The GS is the perfect beginner bike in my opinion.

roguegeek · February 19, 2005, 07:50:37 PM

Quote from: pimpcaddyi was just ashamed about being a beginner cause ive seen beginners get flammed just because they are a beginner

I've had my beginner ass here a month and feel perfectly welcomed. The people here have been kind and respectful, not to mention extremely helpful. I couldn't see myself being able to deal with my GS as well as I have been if it wasn't for this board.

juggernaught · February 19, 2005, 08:58:46 PM

Agree with Rogue..

And as for all that beginner bike thing...depending what you may use it for the GS is a pretty good all around bike. I know people who own much larger and faster bikes who've still held on to their GS' for that very reason. And like i read somewhere here a while back....it's fast enough to get you into trouble.

pantablo · February 19, 2005, 11:31:09 PM

Quote from: pimpcaddyno im not going pro i was just ashamed about being a beginner cause ive seen beginners get flamed just because they are a beginner. actually im looking for a good beginner bike out of the ones i listed im looking for something that can be easy to work on, insurance, also beginner friendly. im 6'1 220 and im sorry for lying

chill out man. welcome to the best [friendliest to beginners] site on the web.

The kat isnt a good beginner bike. The gs500 [my perennial favorite] and the ex500 are both good bikes.

The ex is probably a hair faster but is more cumbersome to work on, including the fact it is water cooled instead of air cooled like the gs.

The gs is an exceptional first bike. I started on it and got to the point that I could keep up with much bigger bikes in the canyons. Now that I have my 600rr I am a good rider on it and can push it much farther than others that have started on bigger bikes.

Here's a downloadable short video taken of me riding my gs500 in the canyons near my home. I rode these canyons for 16 months and 9,000 miles before I sold the gs.
http://homepage.mac.com/anthonytam/weblink/pablo.wmv

now I take the 600rr to the track and ride like this:
http://f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/mr.sparky@sbcglobal.net/lst?.dir=/videos&.view=l
(yahoo briefcase-you need to click on "Pablo and I".

Best investment in your riding skills is starting on the gs or the ex. The gs has THIS incredibly wonderful and informative forum though. That trumps the ex.

weaselnoze · February 19, 2005, 11:47:26 PM

hey pab, link #2 is dead. and no i didnt kill it.

pantablo · February 20, 2005, 01:19:00 AM

try again later. I pulled it up to copy/paste the URL so I know it just worked...but now I cant get to it either...

roguegeek · February 20, 2005, 09:28:08 AM

Which canyon is that? The one with you on the GS. Angeles Crest? Anything else near Angeles Crest that I should check out? :dunno:

John Bates · February 20, 2005, 09:49:12 AM

Just curious........... Why do you stick out your inside knee when you take a tight turn? :dunno:

pantablo · February 20, 2005, 02:47:51 PM

Quote from: roguegeekWhich canyon is that? The one with you on the GS. Angeles Crest? Anything else near Angeles Crest that I should check out? :dunno:

The gs500 video is on Latigo canyon, one of the Malibu canyons. Angeles Crest is not nearly as tight and technical, more fast and flowing.

pimpcaddy · February 20, 2005, 03:00:28 PM

man i saw my first gs500f today in person. and the katana 600 after getting on it and taking it for a test drive its a good bike but its so heavy?

Bob Broussard · February 20, 2005, 08:48:57 PM

The Katana 600 is not the bike to race. You would have to run the 600 class against all the new 600s. It would be ugly.
The GS500 would be the cheapest and easiest to start out on.
Not a new one, but a good used one.
They handle good.
No fairings to destroy in a crash.
A simple bike with less things to safety wire.
No radiator like the 500R (water pump housing vulnerable in crash).
All around the GS is the way to go.

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good racing bike