1st Chain Adjustment, 1st Crash, 2 w/ one stone (or bike)

[Budrick320]

Well after much procrastination I finally adjusted my chain. It wasn't too bad, it had about 1.5 in of slack. I did a good search to see how to do it, and after 30 min I found a page that says it is in the fatory book. :x
  So afterward, I decided to run a test ride in beautiful 85 degrees. It felt  more responsive in starting acceleration. Or maybe that is me thinking that I made a difference and not wanting all that time going to waste. But anyway, as I was flipping a U in a culdesac, there was a good amount dirt/sand in the road and only going about 5 mph I layed it down. Scared the bejesus out of me. I wasn't hurt and the bike only got a small scuff on the engine case. That good.
So I got two firsts out of the way in the same day, and learned something:

1. ALWAYS wear full gear (Don't even ask what gear I was wearing, or lack thereof.)
2. Fully read the factory book
3. After you crash, (if you and the bike are ok) stay on the ground a little while and play possum for fun.  Just kidding, don't try this.

[Narcissus]

I almost dumped the bike today, I was on my first ride with a passenger too hahaha    I was making a U turn and I wasn't looking far enough into my turn I guess and I made it through the with about 2-3 inches to spare before I would have dropped off the pavement onto the gravel and slid into the ditch.

[RVertigo]

I almost dumped the bike today, I was on my first ride with a passenger too

The only time I dropped mine (so far) was the only time I rode with a passenger...

[streetsweeper]

I've had my bike for 15 days now, and I've put over 750 miles on it, and I haven't come close to dumping it yet, EXCEPT one time I was backing it out of my garage (my driveway is a steep hill) and I was turning around on the hill and she ALMOST went over on me, but I held it up. There's also been a couple of times that I've had to put my foot down trying to maneuver too sharp of a U-TURN, but other than that, I've been quite lucky. I'm not exactly easy on her either, which I probably shouldn't be saying for only being a 15 day old motorcyclist. I took my girlfriend to work today, about an hour long ride to her work. I love riding my bike with her on it, I think it makes me that much better, because I am responsible for the two most important things in my life when I'm hauling her around, so I stay extra focused. Sorry for the rant and sorry to hear about your spill.

[Alphamazing]

Yeah man! Dropping it isn't so bad. At least it didn't slide. The first day I went out to ride on the old '92 I slid it 15 feet or so because I gave it too much power in the middle of a corner, the rear wheel caught some spilled diesel fuel and away it went, leaving me scooching along the ground. Be glad you wern't seriously injured. Even at slow speeds gravel can hurt like hell.

It sounds like you would be interested in what I'm going to do. Get some case guards, strip the body work off, buy a junk tank from someone, and go to a parking lot and practice very tight slow speed maneuvers. Set up cones like the MSF course and practice getting REALLY good at leaning the GS REALLY far into the slow speed U-turns.

There was a video floating around of the Japanese cops riding Interceptor 400s doing cone excercises like an auto-cross course. They were crazy. And good.

Crazy good.

[dhgeyer]

You don't need to set up cones to practice tight U Turns in a parking lot. If you can turn around inside the width of two parking spaces, you're doing a little better than the U Turn box on the MSF BRC course.

The GS500 is very responsive in this type of riding. With a little practice the tight maneuvers are really no problem.