Considering gs500- Highway driving

[jesseyo]

Hello everyone.  Im highly considering the gs 500 as my first bike.  But my only problem with it is that Im afraid that it may not have enough power to keep me happy on the freeway.  I need the bike to commute to work but have a car if it is raining too hard or is snowing.  I like to cruise at about 80mph and almost never go more than that.
  What worries me about the gs 500 is that going 75-80 may be straing the bike too much.  I need something that can also go on week end rides of about 300-500 miles on ocasion.  

Here are some of my questions:

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?

2.Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much of a difference.

3.  Are you happy with you gs overall?

4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?


Thanks a lot overyone.
Jesse

[weaselnoze]

1.  i drove 2.5 hrs straight on the freeway anywhere btw 65 and 90.  i didnt feel like i was beating the hell out of it.  anymore than 90 makes me feel like im pushing the bike.  110 and its screaming 'let go of me!'

2.  adding a tooth will drop your rpms some however you will loose acceleration which the GS isnt famous for to begin with..

3.  I'm extremely happy with my GS.  couldnt have made a better choice.  i will outgrow it someday but for now it has all the power i need/want.

4.  i dont like my mirrors.  i have the stock ones and i hate them.  i would take them off but i dont want to comprimise saftey for looks.  i have yet to find a solution that i think is better asthetically.

5.  i dont know  :mrgreen:

[poormanracing]

i ride freeways to go to twisties( or just do speed runs  )...the naked GS needs a windshield of some sort to be comfortable in freeways...

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?

yes.....but my GS having some fuel starvation problems if i opened it wide on 6th...i think its just my bike...

2.Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much of a difference.

never done this ...but i heard added acceleration and more shifting

3.  Are you happy with you gs overall?

we had our ups and downs  :lol:

4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

it couldn't fly...

5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?

75 mph..lets see that 83 in the tach...bout 6.5 k i think  :dunno: ...i try not to shift to 6th mine coz of the fuel starvation...i just rev 5th mekes me feel like going fast  :mrgreen:

[Roadstergal]

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?

I don't feel it, I know it.  I've done Seattle to Portland many times on my GS500E (70-100), and commute on it over the freeway.


2.Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much of a difference.

Sure, but not one that you'll want, IMO.


3.  Are you happy with you gs overall?

Yes.


4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

I'm not on it right now.


5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?

60 is 5K... I don't know what 70-80 is.  But it's comfy and not overextended.




Only one comment - I am getting another bike as a commuter because I have bad knees and the crouch hurts them after a week of commuting and a weekend of roadtripping.

[Rema1000]

1) Comfort is not ideal on the GS at 75mph, mostly because it's nimble and light.  A heavy bike with long wheelbase will track better on the freeway, but I would not recommend a heavier bike as a first bike.

2) adding a tooth would help gas mileage, but is not necessary to cruise comfortably at 75mph.  Here's a picture of engine RPMs at each speed:



...looks like you'd be at about 6000 RPM at 75mph, in 6th gear.  The ideal cruising RPM changes with speed.  5250 RPM is good for cruising at 45-55mph.  For 65mph, I like to be about 6k.  If I were cruising at 75mph, I'd probably drop to 5th gear whenever I'm riding around traffic (and 4th gear to get passing acceleration).    

Adding a tooth would lower RPM, which could lug the engine.  It needs some torque to push against all the air resistance at 80mph; I'd just leave it stock.


3) Are you happy with your gs overall?

Yes; there's no single bike I'd trade it for (might trade it for 2 bikes: in-town nimble commuter, and highway cruiser.  Can't afford 2 bikes, so the GS is it).

4)  What in preticular dont you like about yours?

Might like water cooled, fuel injection some day.  The GS500 is very easy to work on, but noisy when it is first started, and the smoothness of the engine changes as it warms-up (generally for the better).  It has a little more "personality" than some of the newest bikes.

[Blingmasta]

5. I'd say about 7500 rpm-though I may be wrong since i haven't ridden in two weeks because of my pesky oil filter cover stud problem that Ijsut got fixed about an hour ago. I've been having withdrawal symptoms-I think I'm addicted to the GS.

[Nomak]

First of all let me tell you the the GS is a TANK, it can take a massiv beating, smile and just ask for more  ... AWESOME bike ... I ride year around, I have no car and up until a couple of weeks ago I only had the GS as my sole vehicle (just bought another bike) ... I commute on it, and have also done 600 mile days on the GS ...

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?
I can cruise at 90mph all day but I shal not be doin that as the speeding ticket I got is killin me

2.Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much of a difference.
I actually went down one tooth in the front to get some acceleration and help stop me from gettin another ridiculous speeding ticket

3.  Are you happy with you gs overall?
I am ECSTATIC about my GS ... I just did a track day on it and embarassed numerous bigger sport bikes ... Busa, ZX6, CBR954 to name a few ...

4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?
I love EVERYTHING bout my GS ...  cept GS' are known to burn a lil oil

5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?
6000 I think ...

and this pix should help you see what a GS can do ...

[Phaedrus]

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?

>> Absolutely. I have driven on the highway at anywhere from 65 to 90, even up hills and around corners, and it cruises right along. Good gas mileage too.

2.Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much of a difference.

>> I don't know.


3. Are you happy with you gs overall?

>> Very happy. It is comfortable for my body size, is reliable, cheap insurance, looks great, is peppy, and good gas mileage.

4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

>> I wish it had a better sound. It sounds kinda..well, it sounds like a small displacement sport bike. Haha. But a good aftermarket exhaust can fix that, when I have the time and money.

5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?

>> Not sure, it redlines around 10k and I think in 6th gear @ 75 it might be somewhere around 5500-6000 but I am not totally sure. No where near maxed out though. It's comfortable.

[jesseyo]

thanks for the help.  I really apriciate people who are willing to help a new rider.  The more the marrier......keep em coming!

[ANTVolt]

dang, i could redline in 1st and go 50?

[goat]

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?

I've never made long trips, so I don't know

3. Are you happy with you gs overall?

I love my GS. Even if she breaks all the time.

4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

See #3. I have yet to go 1000 miles without something going pretty wrong. One of which was my fault (I crashed). Don't take this to be the norm, though. I'm pretty sure that my bike had the living crap beaten out of it by a PO, then it sat for a long time (old, low milage bike). Not a good combo for a machine. If it is well maintained, the GS seems to be as reliable as any other bike is.

[ajgs500]

1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for exstended periods of time?

Yes never had any problems, but a windshield will be very helpful if you buy a GS500 or GS500E.

2.Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much of a difference.
Have no idea.

3. Are you happy with you gs overall?

Very happy a great beginner or for that fact a great bike overall.

4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

Sometimes I wish I had a little more power.

5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?

I think that it is somewhere between 6000 and 7000

[brembo]

If your doing alot of highway trips, a windscreen is a MUST! or get the faired GS500f. I've done a few trips (300km+) on my bike, and at 110-160kph for an extended period, my arms were about to fall off when I eventually stopped. After one stint of about 250km, the constant barrage of air against your entire upper body takes it's toll.

That aside, in the twisties, with a good set of tyres, the GS is a barrel of fun.

[marc]

> 1.Do you feel that the gs500 can comfertably cruise at 75 for
> exstended periods of time?

At 75Mph (120Km/h) the GS500 is comfortable, in fact, more
than other bikes (speaking about cruising)
Wind is a problem beyond 90MPH (140Km/h).

I use to have trips of about 200Km (125Mi) for business, and
need to be as soon as possible in place. My cruise speed is
between 90-100 during these trips. After the trip, I'm quite tired,
but my GS is fresh.

I could only feel the GS's engine "tired" when I go beyond 100MPH
or when race-driving with continous gas-brake and climbing mountains.

> Would adding one tooth to the front sprocket make much
> of a difference.

It depends on how you use to drive.
When racing, a 15 tooth sprocked is adviceable.
When cruising, a stock 16 teeth is good.
If lots of highway at illegal speeds, a 17 teeth sprocket might work.

I'm willing to test a 17 teeth too, just because I have lots of torque
from 4000 to 7000rpm, and engine dies beyond 7000.
But a 17 teeth will make the bike more lazy, feel like less power available,
and might lead to an unusable 6th gear.

> 3. Are you happy with you gs overall?

Well... not at all:
I have a '91 GS, 5th owner, was 39000Km (25000Mi) old when purchased.

I got the bike and began to measure everything to be sure that all was OK. This lead to:
- need to replace forks: slightly bent and need to machine them because
 of early damage to fork seals.
- need to replace disk rotors: both were bent and worn out.
- need to replace exhaust: broke inside.
- need to replace clutch disks and springs. These things just wear out.
- need to replace clutch assembly: something clicking in there.
- need to replace voltage regulator.
- need to replace several things that wear out too: chain and sprockets,
 oils and filter, airfilter, tires, brake pads, battery, valve shims, etc.
All these things have been done.
Now for the pending things:
- Front forks springs. They are completely worn out.
- Engine carb and petcock diagnostics: will not pull over 7Krpm
- Engine diagnostics: lots of oil consumption. Piston rings? Valve seals?
- Engine diagnostics: very low gas mileage.
- Replace head cover studs. Threads are damaged.
- Camshaft chain replacement.

Yes, bikes do wear out, but replacing all these things hurts my pocket.

Performance is average (you will not catch a CBR), brakes are bad when
racing, suspension is bad always, parts are quite cheap, it is known to
last forever if cared, and does not break when dumping it. Excellent bike for the price. Excellent "stage-II" bike for beginners (beginners are
adviced to go and get a 125cc two-strokes! before getting the GS).

> 4. What in preticular dont you like about yours?

Fork springs, brakes, bike weight, and engine behaving beyond 7000rpm.
Sorry guys, I'm still in love with 2-strokes.

> 5. At about hot many rpms is your bike at in 6th gear going 75mph?

With stock 16 teeth sprocket, this is 6.5Krpm.
Excellent cruising speed. Engine will last forever.

[Anonymous]

This is your first bike?

If so, then I would recommend it. It's a GREAT first bike.  

It is a good commuter (55-60MPG) and it is OK on the highway.  How far is your commute?  You'll begin to want to take the back roads for the fun.

Everything else has been answered EXCEPT your planned 300-500 weekend trips.  Forget it!  Unless you're Mr. Iron Butt.  On my GS, 100 miles and I was done.  Needed a break.  A LONG break.  And if you're a poor young guy, maintenance is EASY, REALLY easy.  You can do most everything yourself.

I'd do it, I DID do it.  Then in a year or so when you're ready, get something else.

[jesseyo]

thanks guys.  I am a young man on a pretty tight budget so it has to last quite awile without any problems.  My dad was a michanic for about 14 years so he's a maintnince nazi.  I picked up the same habit so I religiuosly change the fluids in my car and would definitly change them in my bike.

[SheDevil18]

I bought a 2005 GS500F for my first bike and half of my driving is on the highway. I dont have any problems at all.  

1. The very first day I brought my bike home I drove for an hour and a half on the highway with no problems at all.

2. No Idea what this means lol

3. I am very very happy with my GS. I'm glad I bought this one for my first bike.

4. The only pet peeve I have with it is the HP. My BF also has a bike but he has a SV650S and going up hills I can't keep up with him but I can catch up after a few seconds.

5. I am in Canada so I use KM/H and going 120 KM/H my bike's rpm's are around 6000 so 75mph is about 120 KM/H

[joedude]

If you want some advise about riding at highway speeds for long priods of time in all weather... take it from me. I drove my 1996 GS500 from Dallas, Oregon (Just west of Salem) to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 4 Days. That's a 3000Km (1860 miles).

The first day (June 11th) was one of beautiful weather. I took it pretty easy speed wise as it was my first day driving the bike - kept it around 75mph - and drove it from Dallas, OR to Castlegar, BC which is about 950km and I spent a total of about 9 hrs on the bike that day (12 hrs start to finish including gas stops and border crossing).

The following 3 days were only meant to be 2, but because of horribly crappy weather, I chose to take my time. So I drove from Castlegar, BC to Lethbridge, AB (roughly 6 hrs) on the second day. Then I went from there to Moose Jaw, SK the third day (another 6 hrs) and the last day I drove from Moose Jaw to Winnipeg, MB and that took about 5-6 hrs as well.

I can't say that I had any issues with the GS. She performed exceptionally well through some pretty nasty weather. Constant heavy rain, and what felt like ice pellets at times didn't do anything but make my ride really wet! The bike handled well even in winds that spawned a few twisters not far from my route.

Even through the rain, I usually kept my speed up around 75-85 mph, just cause to me, if I'm getting drenched and I have a 60mph wind on me (which tends to make you pretty damn cold!), to me it's better to tough it out and make it an 80mph wind, that way you get to where you're going a little sooner and get out of that damn rain!

One thing that I noticed is that around the 5000RPM range (which in 6th gear puts you near 60mph) you will find some vibration. I think that's just how the GS is, every bike has its range where the engine / transmission / wheels and acoustic vibrations coincide to make the bike vibrate a little bit more than at every other rpm range. So basically what I'm trying to say is that riding along at 60mph is uncomfortable, so why not go faster and be comfortable?!

One thing you might want to consider is that adding a tooth to your sproket may bring your 5000rpm range closer to the cruise speed that you want to ride at. I don't know exactly how much one tooth will change it, but just giving you a heads up!

All in all, its a sweet bike to ride in any driving condition.

If you have any more questions or want elaboration on anything, feel free to PM me.

Cheers!
Luc



PS: A side note to anyone thinking of importing a motorcycle into Canada - It's alot easier than it seems!  Just have the proper paperwork properly filled and the money to pay the GST and you're all set!