What to check and watch out for with brand new bike?

[mike_mike]

I've never had a new street motorcycle before.

Aside from the factory reccomended break in procedure, and oil/filter change, what else should i take into consideration when getting my new bike and riding it for the first few hundred miles?

- preventative measures?
- things to watch out for before i ride, and while i'm riding?

the bike is 2005 GS500F

Thanks - this site is so helpful, Suzuki should be paying you folks some sales commissions 

[DMac]

Well I just followed the facorty break in and some tips from previous posts you can find be searching.
But the mains reason I'm posting is since you're from Toronto, when this very weird winter is over we should get going for a ride, there are some good places 30 mins or so out of downtown to ride.
Let me know if you'd be interested

Oh ya, about the gas (later post reminded me) we have the same model and you can be safe and get it fill every 300km and shouldn't have hit reserve yet, I've pushing it to around 340 before using reserve but no point in pushing it unless you need to, but hte second you hit reserve you find a station.

[mastrind]

....set the controls to your taste....rotate the levers and bar elecs so they're comfy now and you don't develop any bad habits....also make sure the shifter and brake pedal are in a good location....

....if you don't have much riding experience, you may want to remove the front side fairings until you've had some good ol time in the saddle...hate to have a boo-boo right after buying it....

....just follow the manuals advice for break-in and first service and you should be ok....

[mastrind]

....also...be conservative with the gas until you've got a good idea how much is left in the reserve...

[mike_mike]

Well I just followed the facorty break in and some tips from previous posts you can find be searching.
But the mains reason I'm posting is since you're from Toronto, when this very weird winter is over we should get going for a ride, there are some good places 30 mins or so out of downtown to ride.
Let me know if you'd be interested

Oh ya, about the gas (later post reminded me) we have the same model and you can be safe and get it fill every 300km and shouldn't have hit reserve yet, I've pushing it to around 340 before using reserve but no point in pushing it unless you need to, but hte second you hit reserve you find a station.

sounds good - This has been a weird winter, i love the warmer weather. It is nice to be able to walk outside in January in a light jacket. I saw someone driving a convertable last week.

....set the controls to your taste....rotate the levers and bar elecs so they're comfy now and you don't develop any bad habits....also make sure the shifter and brake pedal are in a good location....

....if you don't have much riding experience, you may want to remove the front side fairings until you've had some good ol time in the saddle...hate to have a boo-boo right after buying it....

....just follow the manuals advice for break-in and first service and you should be ok....

Good point. I am going to take off the front side farrings for the first little while. The shifter and brake pedal are adjustable?

[mastrind]

the shifter has a bolt that needs removed then the shifter slides off....it's on a gear like peice and you can put it back on at either an upper or lower level (or the same level if that's the best)....I have to look of the brake pedal movement, but it should be adjustable too....

[scratch]

Get into the habit of checking your oil level every week after a ride.  And checking your tire pressures regularily (monthly at least) after break-in.

[budget speed demon]

Well I just followed the facorty break in and some tips from previous posts you can find be searching.
But the mains reason I'm posting is since you're from Toronto, when this very weird winter is over we should get going for a ride, there are some good places 30 mins or so out of downtown to ride.
Let me know if you'd be interested

Oh ya, about the gas (later post reminded me) we have the same model and you can be safe and get it fill every 300km and shouldn't have hit reserve yet, I've pushing it to around 340 before using reserve but no point in pushing it unless you need to, but hte second you hit reserve you find a station.

YES! Represent'n the T dot!  lol, just nice to hear that there are fellow GS-ers in this city. I think all of the Toronto GS riders should meet up in the spring sometime. I know there's at least a couple more people on the board.

[Simba]

I live in kingston just  few hours away from T.O.

Organizing a ride for every one in this area would be nice.

[monopoly]

Well I just followed the facorty break in and some tips from previous posts you can find be searching.
But the mains reason I'm posting is since you're from Toronto, when this very weird winter is over we should get going for a ride, there are some good places 30 mins or so out of downtown to ride.
Let me know if you'd be interested

Oh ya, about the gas (later post reminded me) we have the same model and you can be safe and get it fill every 300km and shouldn't have hit reserve yet, I've pushing it to around 340 before using reserve but no point in pushing it unless you need to, but hte second you hit reserve you find a station.

YES! Represent'n the T dot!  lol, just nice to hear that there are fellow GS-ers in this city. I think all of the Toronto GS riders should meet up in the spring sometime. I know there's at least a couple more people on the board.

I live in Newmarket north of T.O...Great roads in my area to take a bike out for a spin!

[solarpulse]

come on you wimps...takin off the side fairings!!!  i got my bike in august first biek ever and left the fiarings on...figured if i drop it i drop it and besides its not when you dropped it..... its when are you going to drop it...you can not have an accident withthe fairings off but as soon as you put them back on you might fall over and do something stupid like fall into a crack while parkign it lol