Couple Questions for new GS500f owner...

[streetsweeper]

Hey everybody, my name is Josh and I'm obviously new to this site and new to GS500s'. I just bought an '05 GS500f today with 1.3 miles on the odometer today for  $4960. Very good deal if you ask me!   Anyway, I have a couple of questions that I can't seem to find the answer to.

1) What is the weight limit on these bikes? I'm about 195 pounds (6 ft.2) and my girlfriend is in the 150 range. Will this bike easily go two up with that much weight on it?

2)What are the performance specs on it and what type of cages are they able to beat? 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc.?

Obviously I didn't buy this bike for straight line performance, but for the twisties. I'm just interested in the #'s anyway though.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.  

[Badger]

Hey everybody, my name is Josh and I'm obviously new to this site and new to GS500s'. I just bought an '05 GS500f today with 1.3 miles on the odometer today for  $4960. Very good deal if you ask me!   Anyway, I have a couple of questions that I can't seem to find the answer to.

1) What is the weight limit on these bikes? I'm about 195 pounds (6 ft.2) and my girlfriend is in the 150 range. Will this bike easily go two up with that much weight on it?

2)What are the performance specs on it and what type of cages are they able to beat? 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc.?

Obviously I didn't buy this bike for straight line performance, but for the twisties. I'm just interested in the #'s anyway though.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.  

1. Check the owner's manual for gross weight limits...I'm pretty sure it's in there.  I expect you're not going to have a problem 2-up.  Up the pressure in the rear, and you might want to up the rear shock preload.

2. Let me be the first to say:  Search is your friend.  Performance #'s can be found in many other threads here.

Congratulations on the new bike.  Have fun with it!  Mine had 1 mile on it a little over a month ago, almost 2K now.  

[Phaedrus]

1. I've ridden two up with combined weight limits of a little over 300lbs. It isn't bad, but acceleration and braking times are obviously slower. All of my 2-up riding experiences were quite positive though, despite that.

2. I don't know the numbers off the top of my head. A lot of people will tell you to search, and a lot times they tell you that because they themselves don't know and are too lazy to tell you.   But I really don't know. I would GUESS 0-60 might be around the 5 second range, and 1/4 is roughly in the 13's stock.

The GS is a great bike; good buy!

[cheesy]

fwiw  

I weigh 190... my gf weighs 130...


we rode 2 up all the time.. up to the dragon twice... had an awesome time.


be sure to increase the rear shock preload and rear tire pressure.

[Caffeine]

According to my official 2005 GS500F manual, the GVWR is 840 lbs.   Subtract the dry weight of the bike, 396 lbs to get 444 lbs.   Subtract the combined weight of 5 gallons of gasoline, oil, etc...oh, we'll call it 40 lbs.  That leaves about 400 lbs for you, your girlfriend, and all the crap she's going to bring along, er, I mean, all the important things she needs to bring along.

Just FYI:  If you weigh 190, you can safely date girls up to 210 lbs.    More than that if you lose a few pounds yourself.  

[Badger]

Subtract the combined weight of 5 gallons of gasoline, oil, etc...oh, we'll call it 40 lbs.

Gasoline is approx. 6lbs per U.S. gallon.  5gal=~30lbs.

[Alphamazing]

Subtract the combined weight of 5 gallons of gasoline, oil, etc...oh, we'll call it 40 lbs.

Gasoline is approx. 6lbs per U.S. gallon.  5gal=~30lbs.

Yeah, but then you've got the oil and battery, too. Dry weight doesn't include those or radiator fluid, either (not that that matters for us).

[buzz]

I have no problem riding with my wife. I weigh about 180 and she is about.................I'd better not.

Together we are about 320. The GS pulls alright. I mean it is not great but you can do highway speeds and you wont get ran over merging on the interstate.

Just watch that rear brake. It will bite much harder.  

I scared the Hell out of my wife when I had to emergency stop. The rear came out a little  

[Jace009gs]

well when I ride around with my gf [which is ALOT] the GS does fine. It's just as good as a 6cyl car performance/speed wise. YES watch the brakes for 2 reasons.
1. hit them and the go-nads get squashed because of the person behind you...Ironic that  the one you love is the person who did it :lol:  :kiss:
2. stopping power is decreased dramaticaly. I dont' know if you ever practiced a quick stop @40mhp ish in a parking lot and slamed on the brakes and you will find that the supension bottoms out and things stop very ver quick in about 15feet...2up riding expect in the range of 22ft or more.

On a side note I once took a few co-workers out on a little blip around the parking lot. I'm in the 165 range and I can assure you they were "bigger" than me [est. 375+lbs cargo]. I was probably close to the GVW limit but the GS never hicked-up just kept mumbling on through despite the "abuse"

Ya ya da da of course you already knew to bump the rear shot to position 7 and put some more air pressure in the tires. AND WEAR YOUR GEAR!

MOST IMPORTANT that if you are new to Motorcycling don't take her out the first couple of times. Get a feel for the bike. Learn it's limits. When you put another person on it things get hairy and the bike's limits become something like a big freight truck...Good training I have found is to load up a backpack with some books [jam it full to the brim] and take a ride. You will notice a night/day difference between single riding and backpack riding then imagine double up riding. That should give you a ball park idea.

o-60??? I know that a jetted bike w/ an exhaust [41 rw hp] will do the 1/4miles in the high tens. [given a decent reaction time] I ran it @ 10.78 108mph. Belive me if you get the shifts down to a science it might break mid 10's. IMHO save this strictly for the track. The Road is not the place to find this out! +why buy a little ol'487cc motored bike and expect it to fly  hello go take it on the twistyies!

have fun

[streetsweeper]

Well thanks for all the replies everybody. I appreciate it. Today is the 2nd day I've owned it and it already has almost 80 miles on it. That's just cruising up and down my road (my road is very twisty and has beautiful scenery, but not many cars travel on it, so it's a good place to practice. I don't have it licensed yet, that'll be probably monday or tuesday.)

I feel like this bike was made for me. It has a lot of room (thankfully, since I'm about 6ft.3). I love it to pieces. I'm already doing VERY well U-turns, cornering, shifting, etc. I'm definitely ready for the MSF course.

Oh, and I'm dying to see what it's like once it gets a 100 or 200 miles on it. I really wanna open it up some (past 5k anyway!).

Anyways, thanks again to you all.