First ride on the GS500! - What I've learned so far

[TarzanBoy]

Since it has been raining here every evening lately (and is supposed to for all of next week)... i convinced my roommate to drive my bike to the local high school and to let me try it out.

I've done a teeny smidge of dirt-bike riding, but it was my first time on a street bike.  Much fun was had!  If anything, I was surprised by how tame the bike was to handle once I'd figured out the appropriate range in which to twist the throttle.

Besides going around the parking lot/bus terminal loop, I also did some figure 8's and tight turn maneuvers since I'd heard/read that those are usually the situations where it is most difficult to control the bike's momentum.

I learned quite a few things, even though i rode for less than one hour.

1. The clutch and starting off is what most new riders are worried about screwing up once they are sitting on a bike (going off too fast and hitting something... going off too slowly and not maintaining balance... stalling the bike.... burning the clutch).   IMHO, this should be practiced between 5-10 times before taking any turns or anything.  I was a lot less worried about it after i'd run the gamut of stalling or reving slightly too high.  

2. Foot placement on the footrest.  The first time I was ready to shift a gear, I realized that my toe was nowhere near the gearshift (lol, so i stopped instead and checked to see what i'd been doin with my feet).   I ended up shifting my heel (while riding) to the foot rest to feel the gear-shift (and shifting).  I'm guessing that's how it works with more exp riders.

3. Turning, leaning, and intertia - when taking some turns.... i started to notice where the 'bike' wanted to drift... which was usually a wider than desirable turn.  In subsequent turns I would consciously lean the bike over a little more to keep it on the desired path (i'm talking differences of 1-4 ft).   This part felt a little tricky since I don't yet have a 'feel' for how the bike reacts to certain rider-made adjustments in mid-turn.... so I didn't try this too much.  (Don't want to low-side it).  I will probably push the MSF bikes a little harder (or borrow a dirtbike) knowing this in order to get this information.

3. If you have to put your feet down for a tight turn, don't let your calf touch the exhaust (luckily, I only barely nicked it... but it was hot enough that I knew EXACTLY what had happened as my leg brushed past it)

4. Bike clearances are LOW.  My roommate and I were talking about how he had to pop a curb once.  I looked at the bottom of my bike and realized that even coming off a low curb would jack up my lower fairing.  Good info to have if I ever have to make a hard choice about an obstacle.

5.MSF is your friend.  Even though I had already resolved to take the class (at everyone's insistence on and off-line), I had debated whether it was objectively necessary for everyone (albeit reccommended).  Riding the bikes in the class will give me an EXCELLENT opportunity to try all sorts of stuff that I am curious about and don't want to risk with my bike...  or the consequences/feel of things that are best learned from experience (braking during a turn, pushing the bike into a tigher turn than it 'wants' to go)

6.  Your first ride makes you deaf, dumb and blind.  I found myself really really having to concentrate to do things that are second nature to me in a car like checking mirrors, blind spots, blinkers, shifting, checking both ways, etc.   I know that this was due to my concentration on riding the bike for the first time.. but it should serve as a testament as to why one shouldn't start riding on the streets immediately.  You're supposed to think *ahead* on a cycle... so the lag time with reflexes is exacerbated even more.

7.  Riding ROCKS YOUR FACE OFF.  It was a blast!  I now understand the compulsion to try to progress faster than one should.  I haven't had that much  fun in a long time, and I doubt I ever will again unless i learn to fly an F-16 or something.  I'm sure that the sunny (but not too bright), cool (but not too breezy) weather had a lot to do with it... but mostly it was the very  well-rounded nature of the machine I was riding.  I haven't riden my bike naked yet, but I admit that I felt pretty cool in my helmet on a sporty looking machine.  (No jacket this time out because it was parking lot riding).

Insofar, I understand why the gs500 is such a highly touted starter motorcycle.... its hard for me to imagine feeling like I would ever *need* to upgrade to the 1-liter crotch rockets I see at the dealership (esp with such a handsome bike)... but maybe that is something that will come along after having ridden for a while.

Your thoughts?

-kevin

[cheesy]

i loved that bike  


you'll love it too!


I bought my 05 zx6r yesterday... wow.  What a blast...  I've ridden 450 miles today... my ass hurts....  gs was a LOT more comfy...



Clearance... yeah.. watch out... I've never had to hop a curb or anything...  but I'd imagine that you could break those lowers...



rear tire... k lets see...

http://store.azmusa.com/avontires.html

you need an av46..... 140/80-17... I think..  look on the tire and make sure.  $99....


EDIT:

gs500 being too small... if I didn't start riding with other people I would have stuck with the GS.  Plus I love the 'mechanics' of a bike.  Relatively speaking the GS is using OLD technology... we're talking early 80's at least... the gs500 is basically a bored out gs450..

Liter bikes.. okay I rode an R1.. stupid fast.  Unless I was on a track I would NOT use that power.. I decided it was pointless..  imho a gsxr 750 or 600 is fine for the street...

I used the GS to get a good feel for street dynamics before jumping on a >100hp bike.. That was my intention when I bought it, and it was perfect for that.

EDIT (again):
I forgot.. I put a foam filter on that... made by UNI..  anyway... it's new... so you have at least 5k miles before it needs cleaned or anything...

[Mickey_D100]

Good write up!     Hopefully I'll be posting a similar one once my battery finishes charging.    

Cheesy, post pics of the new ZX!  And realistically, MOST people couldn't use all the power of a literbike on the track I would think . . .

[TarzanBoy]

Tack on "#8. learning to use the @#$@# centerstand" as part of today's lessons learned.  I almost dropped my bike trying to get it up on it before I googled it and got some tips.

[cheesy]

Tack on "#8. learning to use the @#$@# centerstand" as part of today's lessons learned.  I almost dropped my bike trying to get it up on it before I googled it and got some tips.

okay.. yeah... stand on the left side... left hand on left handlebar... right hand on rear footpeg or passenger grab rail... big thing is to PUSH DOWN with your foot, and up/back with your hands... shoulda showed you before I left... grr.... yeah.... don't drop that beautiful baby... lol... gotta find before pics... ugly duckling turned into a swan.... lol

[TarzanBoy]

okay.. yeah... stand on the left side... left hand on left handlebar... right hand on rear footpeg or passenger grab rail... big thing is to PUSH DOWN with your foot, and up/back with your hands... shoulda showed you before I left... grr.... yeah.... don't drop that beautiful baby... lol... gotta find before pics... ugly duckling turned into a swan.... lol

Actually, that isn't how I did it.   The stand-to-one-side method is too risky, imho.  Maybe I'll have better luck if i use the peg or rail... but I doubt i'll feel any more secure about being one side of the bike if it starts to tip the other way.

I straddled the bike like normal, put my left foot on the center-stand step-lever, gripped the handlebars and then pulled up.  I applied the front brake before the bike could 'rock' back down, while still putting my full weight on the center-stand step-lever.  I repeated this 2 or 3 times until the bike rocked over the center-stand peg.

Not much finesse involved, but it got the job done.   I'll try your method the next time I take it out.  I'm goign to attempt to get a tag tomorrow (if i can get to a tag office on lunch).  Can i get a tag at the kroger or no?

[ajgs500]

Tarzan,
Everything you had trouble with and/or experienced will get better with time, experience, and the MSF.  Good job and good luck!!!!  

[cheesy]

okay.. yeah... stand on the left side... left hand on left handlebar... right hand on rear footpeg or passenger grab rail... big thing is to PUSH DOWN with your foot, and up/back with your hands... shoulda showed you before I left... grr.... yeah.... don't drop that beautiful baby... lol... gotta find before pics... ugly duckling turned into a swan.... lol

Actually, that isn't how I did it.   The stand-to-one-side method is too risky, imho.  Maybe I'll have better luck if i use the peg or rail... but I doubt i'll feel any more secure about being one side of the bike if it starts to tip the other way.

I straddled the bike like normal, put my left foot on the center-stand step-lever, gripped the handlebars and then pulled up.  I applied the front brake before the bike could 'rock' back down, while still putting my full weight on the center-stand step-lever.  I repeated this 2 or 3 times until the bike rocked over the center-stand peg.

Not much finesse involved, but it got the job done.   I'll try your method the next time I take it out.  I'm goign to attempt to get a tag tomorrow (if i can get to a tag office on lunch).  Can i get a tag at the kroger or no?

i dont think kroger has a tag office.. they have like mini dmv's...

[The Buddha]

Grip the passenger foot peg with  your right hand ... now sitting on the bike its harder ... I put the side stand down while on it, then get off, then put it on the center stand ... I dont like to get off without it secured one way or another ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[scratch]

First off: Great write up! Glad you enjoyed it!  Here's to looking forward to more fun!

2. Foot placement on the footrest.  The first time I was ready to shift a gear, I realized that my toe was nowhere near the gearshift   I ended up shifting my heel (while riding) to the foot rest to feel the gear-shift (and shifting).  I'm guessing that's how it works with more exp riders.

Naw, just us street riders...but, when you go into the hills (on the twisty roads there), you will want to put the ball of your feet on the pegs.

so i stopped instead and checked to see what i'd been doin with my feet).

Good!

3. Turning, leaning, and intertia - when taking some turns.... i started to notice where the 'bike' wanted to drift... which was usually a wider than desirable turn.  In subsequent turns I would consciously lean the bike over a little more to keep it on the desired path (i'm talking differences of 1-4 ft).   This part felt a little tricky since I don't yet have a 'feel' for how the bike reacts to certain rider-made adjustments in mid-turn.... so I didn't try this too much.  (Don't want to low-side it).  I will probably push the MSF bikes a little harder (or borrow a dirtbike) knowing this in order to get this information.

Where were you looking?

[pandy]

GREAT write up!!!!! It brings back not-too-distant newbie memories for me, too! As for the centerstand..... I'm still working on that, too!

pandy  

[TarzanBoy]

Where were you looking?

I meant to say that it's probably one of those things that is learned better actually pushing a (MSF) bike close the edge of either drifting or lowsiding.  This is probably what folks who started on dirtbikes mean when they say that dirt biking teaches you how to handle weird spots that you can't safely practice for without risking damage to a streetbike (slipping back tire, etc).

Even though I have a friend with a dirtbike, there aren't any fields nearby to ride it in (that I know of)... so I might have to wait on our next trip out to the ranch.