Crashed my poor little GS500E...

n4t3 · May 31, 2006, 11:37:37 AM

Good news is that I'm ok my right knee's a little dinged but not badly, bad news is my bike is in a bad way. So anyway I was going down a twisty and hit an hairy S-Curve( a right and then a small down hill then a left) coming out of the left turn it cuts back at more of an angle. I wasn't going too fast but it was enough I suppose. I did what my MSF course taught me-- to have faith, lean in, and look to the exit of the turn. I leaned in good and hard and for a split second I could see the end in sight, then I felt a slip and all of a sudden I was completely upright and heading straight for a drainage ditch on the right of the road, went in to the ditch and followed for about 6 feet then hit a concrete embankment and next thing I know I'm rolling on the asphalt with my bike cowering behind.

I've deduced that my stock tires are worthless pieces of garbage and SO not good for any kind of cornering, especially on the hairy road I was on which I shouldn't have been riding, I confess. That road is terrible for bikes, not banked on most and some of the turns are even banked the wrong way....yeesh. I'm lucky to have gotten out of this with only some scrapes and a banged up knee.

Now I need new front forks and a new clutch lever(I think that's all). The frame doesn't seem to be out of shape but I can't confirm as I have yet to dismantle the bad parts and evaluate at the moment. But I wanted to take the opportunity to upgrade if at all possible. Will SV650 forks fit on a GS500E? Or, rather, what's a decent upgrade from the crap suspension that is stock? Also, I need some good tires. Tires Tires Tires.

scratch · May 31, 2006, 12:51:14 PM

Glad you survived. Actually, that road doesn't sound that bad...where is it?

Are you sure you need new forks, or are they just twisted in the triples?

SV owners complain about their front suspension, too. I think GSXR USD forks will work better, but do a search for those; you may have to have the steering stem pressed out and replaced with a shorter one.

Tires: Bridgestone BT-45's, Avon AM45/46, Pirelli's, Michelin Macadam's...

Mitch · May 31, 2006, 12:52:35 PM

Congrats on being alive!

n4t3 · May 31, 2006, 09:09:46 PM

Quote from: scratch on May 31, 2006, 12:51:14 PM
Glad you survived. Actually, that road doesn't sound that bad...where is it?

Are you sure you need new forks, or are they just twisted in the triples?

SV owners complain about their front suspension, too. I think GSXR USD forks will work better, but do a search for those; you may have to have the steering stem pressed out and replaced with a shorter one.

Tires: Bridgestone BT-45's, Avon AM45/46, Pirelli's, Michelin Macadam's...

Umm I'm not sure if it's just the triples....but my front tire is cocked at a near perpendicular angle to the rest of the bike. I'll definitely look into GSXR forks.

The road I was on is called Trinity/Oakville Grade it switches names as you pass from Sonoma to Napa County. I see you live in Sunnyvale, if you ever come up this way give it a go, it's actually not too bad and I crashed on the Napa side coming down.

porsche4786 · May 31, 2006, 10:01:50 PM

Are the stock tires that bad?

Alphamazing · May 31, 2006, 10:06:46 PM

Quote from: porsche4786 on May 31, 2006, 10:01:50 PM
Are the stock tires that bad?

The stock tires on '04+ bikes are BT45s. On the older GSes, people were UPGRADING to those. I had BT35s on my '92 when it went down.

ajgs500 · May 31, 2006, 10:08:18 PM

The stock tires pre 04 really suck. THere is a HUGE difference. Get some pirelli's.

porsche4786 · May 31, 2006, 10:26:32 PM

okay, good i have an 05

FearedGS500 · June 01, 2006, 04:50:36 AM

i got BT-45's and they seem to do great on the twistys i ride on

and i love twistys .........

pantablo · June 02, 2006, 01:23:45 AM

Quote from: n4t3 on May 31, 2006, 11:37:37 AM
..coming out of the left turn it cuts back at more of an angle. I wasn't going too fast but it was enough I suppose. I did what my MSF course taught me-- to have faith, lean in, and look to the exit of the turn. I leaned in good and hard and for a split second I could see the end in sight, then I felt a slip and all of a sudden I was completely upright and heading straight for a drainage ditch on the right of the road,

decreasing radius turn caught you out...
I'm totally talking out of my ass here since I wasnt there and only have this phrase to go on, but I'd guess somewhere along the line you lost the MSF directive. when the bike slipped, had you continued with the MSF way, you would have either made it or lowsided. you stood it up which indicates that you might have looked at where you didnt want to go-other side of road, etc-when the bike slipped. you might have even braked-possibly.

bt-45's are pretty good but arent up to a really really good pace. pirelli sport demons are better. stock size too. maybe a 140 rear instead of 130, but not 150. WHY you slipped is anyones guess and may have nothing to do with the tires-could have been some sand or gravel (might have even been same color as asphalt). who knows...only if you consistently push the tires beyond their limits are they crap-for your riding level.

that said, glad you walked away relatively unscathed. lesson learned. best easy fork upgrade is progressive springs or racetech emulators installed in gs forks. anything else and you're getting into difficult install territory.

ets_gs500f2004 · June 02, 2006, 01:22:10 PM

hey i heard a similar storry exept there was people to witness it ..... the guy on his course crashed in the bush between posts... thought it was a rock or gravel or stuff and the guys told him nothing was there the bike just got up and went straight between the post.... in the end his worst enemy was his own mind... he scared himself looked where it would hert the less and put her exactly in that spot.... bike scrapt, guy not a scratch...

those bridgestone are basically scrap i dont like how they handle.......... at first yes but as my skills got beter they started to be more and more awfull

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Crashed my poor little GS500E...