Hello!

[Teek]

Welcome! and glad you're okay! Maybe take the rest of the fairing off for awhile... keep the other half nice!

I hate gravel, I slid the rear tire on some mud and rocks in a blind steep downhill twistie going in yesterday, scared me enough to keep the bike slow for the rest of the blind corners. I had to let a little sportscar pass me in the canyon!     Sheesh! I was embarrassed but it was a loooong way down, with the cliff edge just a skinny lane away all the way down to the bottom of the canyon, and there was a lot of moisture (fog stuff) on the pavement. I'm old enough now to prefer to err on the side of caution and live to ride another day, and I'm just a fair rider and still newish to the bike. So, yes, did I say I hate gravel?!

I do the tracking thing too, it's about 1K up or down a gear, but I hardly ever get out of 3rd in a canyon, and only into 5th on a long fast stretch of PCH at maybe 65mph, which is speeding... I haven't had a tach for years, so I shift more by the sound and feel of the engine's response. I only have been checking the tach on the GS to make sure I'm not revving it too high, LOL, joke. But, actually, learning it's power curve. Now I pretty much know where I am, and I (maybe this is stupid) used to count shifts a long time ago when I was a teen, so it's now automatic and I usually know what gear I'm in. I haven't even had it in 6th yet. Haven't gone any faster than about 70mph. No wide open roads in my area. Google "405 freeway"! 

And yes, I always double check neutral too...