My thoughts after this weekend (riding with gsxrs, r1s, r6s, etc)

Started by sveach, July 13, 2008, 10:05:52 AM

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sveach

July 13, 2008, 10:05:52 AM
So I met up with about 30 other riders on Friday night. I pull up and realize I'm easily the smallest bike there. There were a few 600's, and plenty of 1000s, 1300s, etc. People around here like their big bikes. So I'm immediately worried that I'm going to get left behind in the dust. The first part of the ride is pretty easy. We're doing about 55 through town, but we hit the highway and all hell breaks loose. As mentioned, there's about 30 of us...We're all cruising 100+ mph. About 8 guys in front are riding wheelies well over 100 yards long, etc. Quite fun to watch  :thumb:

I was quite happy to report that the GS kept up just fine. The only time I had a problem was when they started doing over 130 mph. Then I just went as fast as possible until they slowed down a bit. After about 60 miles, we stopped at a Hooters, blocked off the entire front curb, and parked the bikes. We ate some food, had some fun, etc. After that, just about all of us headed down the road to another restaurant to meet some people. Probably at least 20 of us still. Another ride like the first one. We cruised around 90-100 mph. Not too many cars on the road, thank god. Plenty of wheelies, etc. No, I don't do wheelies. And especially not on the highway....

Anyway, we stop at the second restaurant. A bunch of people decide they're ready to head home. So there's about 6 of us left. A yellow r6 shows up that saw us while we were going down the road, and decides to ride with us. He ends up leading the pack. And this guy is INSANE. He lane splits semi's, he rides on the shoulder to pass, etc. Of course, the group, not wanting to look bad, follows. Including me. We end up cruising for another 60 miles or so. The roads we're on are quite fun too. You have to lean about as far as possible to make these turns doing 115 or so. Of course the other bikes left me in the dust for the most part, BUT i wasn't very far behind them. I couldn't even say how many close calls we had with cops...

We end our ride at QuikTrip and meet up with another large group, so there's probably 30 bikes total again. One of the guys has been racing bikes for the past 15 years or so, and is on his gf's r6, instead of his r1. A bunch of guys are giving him shaZam! about how he managed to keep up with the r1s, gsxr 1000s, etc. Well he and the rest of the guys proceed to say that I managed to keep up with them on the ride too, and the group that we met with asks me what kind of bike I'm on... I tell them i'm on a 500 twin and they're all shocked. They all crowd around my bike and they all think it's pretty cool. Before I pointed out what bike I was on, there were a few guys walking around it trying to figure out wtf it was. They were so confused, it was hilarious to watch. I have a seat bag that covers the gs500f sticker on the tail...

It's pretty funny to watch all the guys with r1s, gsxrs, line up to sit on my bike and see how it feels. Everybody says something along the lines of "This thing is comfortable as shaZam!!". And the 6 guys I was riding with congratulated me on my damn good riding, managing to keep up with the big boys, which was pretty cool to hear.  :icon_mrgreen:

So anybody that thinks this thing is grossly underpowered, or will be laughed at, etc...trust me, it's not as bad as you think. Mine's completely stock, no pipe, no rejet, etc.

*Disclaimer* I know that the aforementioned riding was dangerous. It was late at night, we were riding between cars, riding the shoulder, doing wheelies, etc. I was wearing full gear except for jeans. Just about everyone else was too. We knew the risks of what we were doing. We did not deliberately disrupt traffic.

Keep the rubber side down...  ;)
2007 GS500F - 18k miles as of 7/15/2010

metalforever

#1
July 13, 2008, 10:27:40 AM
I dont agree with that style of riding but i am also from the other side of the pond i believe!

I frown upon this sort of thing even as an 18 year old not having held his licence for even a year yet, however!

Good write up, but remember, whats going to happen to that baby in the back seat when one of you hit them side on at 100+mph

Poor kids going to be split left to right with shards of glass, possibly within it's own metal cage as the car crumples around them.

Do you want that to happen? your never in full control.

Fry

#2
July 13, 2008, 10:31:57 AM
Quote from: sveach on July 13, 2008, 10:05:52 AM
So I met up with about 30 other riders on Friday night. I pull up and realize I'm easily the smallest bike there. There were a few 600's, and plenty of 1000s, 1300s, etc. People around here like their big bikes. So I'm immediately worried that I'm going to get left behind in the dust. The first part of the ride is pretty easy. We're doing about 55 through town, but we hit the highway and all hell breaks loose. As mentioned, there's about 30 of us...We're all cruising 100+ mph. About 8 guys in front are riding wheelies well over 100 yards long, etc. Quite fun to watch  :thumb:

I was quite happy to report that the GS kept up just fine. The only time I had a problem was when they started doing over 130 mph. Then I just went as fast as possible until they slowed down a bit. After about 60 miles, we stopped at a Hooters, blocked off the entire front curb, and parked the bikes. We ate some food, had some fun, etc. After that, just about all of us headed down the road to another restaurant to meet some people. Probably at least 20 of us still. Another ride like the first one. We cruised around 90-100 mph. Not too many cars on the road, thank god. Plenty of wheelies, etc. No, I don't do wheelies. And especially not on the highway....

Anyway, we stop at the second restaurant. A bunch of people decide they're ready to head home. So there's about 6 of us left. A yellow r6 shows up that saw us while we were going down the road, and decides to ride with us. He ends up leading the pack. And this guy is INSANE. He lane splits semi's, he rides on the shoulder to pass, etc. Of course, the group, not wanting to look bad, follows. Including me. We end up cruising for another 60 miles or so. The roads we're on are quite fun too. You have to lean about as far as possible to make these turns doing 115 or so. Of course the other bikes left me in the dust for the most part, BUT i wasn't very far behind them. I couldn't even say how many close calls we had with cops...

We end our ride at QuikTrip and meet up with another large group, so there's probably 30 bikes total again. One of the guys has been racing bikes for the past 15 years or so, and is on his gf's r6, instead of his r1. A bunch of guys are giving him shaZam! about how he managed to keep up with the r1s, gsxr 1000s, etc. Well he and the rest of the guys proceed to say that I managed to keep up with them on the ride too, and the group that we met with asks me what kind of bike I'm on... I tell them i'm on a 500 twin and they're all shocked. They all crowd around my bike and they all think it's pretty cool. Before I pointed out what bike I was on, there were a few guys walking around it trying to figure out wtf it was. They were so confused, it was hilarious to watch. I have a seat bag that covers the gs500f sticker on the tail...

It's pretty funny to watch all the guys with r1s, gsxrs, line up to sit on my bike and see how it feels. Everybody says something along the lines of "This thing is comfortable as shaZam!!". And the 6 guys I was riding with congratulated me on my damn good riding, managing to keep up with the big boys, which was pretty cool to hear.  :icon_mrgreen:

So anybody that thinks this thing is grossly underpowered, or will be laughed at, etc...trust me, it's not as bad as you think. Mine's completely stock, no pipe, no rejet, etc.

*Disclaimer* I know that the aforementioned riding was dangerous. It was late at night, we were riding between cars, riding the shoulder, doing wheelies, etc. I was wearing full gear except for jeans. Just about everyone else was too. We knew the risks of what we were doing. We did not deliberately disrupt traffic.

Keep the rubber side down...  ;)

What a great contribution you've made to this site in only your 2nd post, thank you for sharing....I predict Darwinian moment in your future.
Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?
Walt Whitman

DoD#i

#3
July 13, 2008, 10:39:18 AM
"Full gear, except for jeans" - I have some personal experience of that. It don't work. Get your squidly behind some decent leather riding pants. Denim lasts about 10 feet on pavement, and what comes after that smarts a bit; for several weeks.

In anything other than flat out straightaway riding, it's the rider more than the ride.

Hoping you live long enough to learn better, but figuring it's pointless to waste breath or pixels on your foolish behavior.
1990 GS500EL - with moderately-ugly paintjob.
1982 XJ650LJ -  off the road for slow repairs
AGATT - All Gear All The Time
"Ride a motorcycle.  Save Gas, Oil, Rubber, Steel, Aluminum, Parking Spaces, The Environment, and Money.  Plus, you get to wear all the leather you want!"
(from DoD#296)

Chef GS500f 06

#4
July 13, 2008, 10:44:03 AM
Huh, I had almost the exact experience the other night at Kendall Bike Night here in South Florida. About 20 riders, some doing wheelies at stupid speeds, aside from my buddy's 08 Kawa Ninja 250, my gs was the smallest, but I kept up just fine, especially around the turnpike offramps we were taking at 90-110. In the straight away the bigger bikes took off like r1 and gsxr1000, but my gs hung with the 600's until aftr 130, fun though. But my buddy with te 250 got smoked, i think top end is 110 on his. But the GS's are fun and fast enough.  :cheers:Chef
06 gs500f-Rejetted,Jardine Full Exhaust,Vortex Clip On's,Yamaha R1 tail,Vortex 41T rear sprocket,Afam 15T front sprocket,Katana Rear Wheel,Katana Rear Shock,Progressive Springs,Custom Rear Fairing,GSXR pass sets,GSXR mirrors,K&N Lunchbox,GSXR Yoshi Cams(modified),lots more custom touchs

mach1

#5
July 13, 2008, 10:54:45 AM
dang just bahs the guy for having fun, :nono:. yeah the GS can hang pretty well I ride sometimes with a gixxer 600 and another 750 and have no problem keeping up with them, until we get twisties than I lead the pack with them a few keeping up. as far as your riding goes do what makes you happy I ride the same mainly by myself and I tend to go fast.
04Gs,fenderectomy,V&H Full exhaust,Vortex clip-ons.13t front sprocket.,Uni Pods,22.5/65/147.5,Katana rear shock,M-1 metzeler 150 rear tire,Yamaha R6 Tail-SOLD
79 Honda CM185t-In restoration mode with this bike.DEAD slammed 2003 Honda Shadow 600, matte black everything 18inch ape hangers

Fry

#6
July 13, 2008, 10:54:48 AM
Pack Mentality will get you every time...

You just illustrated the problem with riding with 1. Bigger Bikes and 2. Road Race Charlies on the GS, you have to really hustle the bike, and for the most part I would hazard to guess that riding your GS's at the limit is exponentially more dangerous and your more prone to mistakes, than riding it within it's specified range and intent.

You'll learn, everyone goes through this phase and eventually either Crashes slows down, gets a billion dollars worth of tickets and points and slow down, or get killed and slow down, really that simply. You cannot go on with riding without care or regards for the law and more importantly other users of the road without it eventually coming back to haunt you in one form or another.
Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?
Walt Whitman

SIKDMAX

#7
July 13, 2008, 11:27:21 AM
Ride your own ride and dont be a fuckin squid.
1999 GS500E - Corbin Seat, Bar End Mirrors, K&N Lunchbox, Vance & Hines Exhaust, Carb Magic by Buddah, Progressive Front Springs w/ 15W,  EBC Front Pads, LED Front/Rear Signals, 15T Front JT Sprocket.

NEED:  Katana Rear Shock, OEM Rear Pads, New Chain!

sledge

#8
July 13, 2008, 11:29:42 AM
Not big, not clever............not impressed.

GeeP

#9
July 13, 2008, 01:06:48 PM
Welcome to GStwins.   :thumb:

Nice writeup.

Being that you're a new rider, I'm not going to ream your ass.  BUT what you were doing is NOT acceptable behavior and a good way to get killed.  Not only that, but all you did Friday night was piss off a bunch of cagers.  Don't think they won't remember it when they have a chance to run a bike off the road.

I suggest you find another group to ride with.  Groups like that tend to have lots of nasty crashes.  Sooner, rather than later, you'll have the opportunity to witness one, hopefully not your own.  Holding somebody's guts in while they cry for their mother is not something you want to have to repeate more often than necessary.   ;)

You can have a lot of fun on a motorcycle without risking your life, the lives of others and pissing off a bunch of other road users.   PLEASE be careful! :)

Every zero you add to the tolerance adds a zero to the price.

If the product "fails" will the product liability insurance pay for the "failure" until it turns 18?

Red '96
Black MK2 SV

mach1

#10
July 13, 2008, 02:20:33 PM
like I said I ride fats I lane split as much as possible even two lanes at a time if traffic permits. I wheelie every now and again on a resident street not open roads or freeways. I do jump up and sit on my tank on the freeway and or run the group. I aint no squid I stay under 100mph most of the time. I aint a newb but ride for fun and have fun, sitting down and riding is boring in itself on the freeway so I make it fun. Sorry Im not as old and or boring as you guys.
04Gs,fenderectomy,V&H Full exhaust,Vortex clip-ons.13t front sprocket.,Uni Pods,22.5/65/147.5,Katana rear shock,M-1 metzeler 150 rear tire,Yamaha R6 Tail-SOLD
79 Honda CM185t-In restoration mode with this bike.DEAD slammed 2003 Honda Shadow 600, matte black everything 18inch ape hangers

DoD#i

#11
July 13, 2008, 03:08:10 PM
Quote from: mach1 on July 13, 2008, 02:20:33 PM
Sorry Im not as old and or boring as you guys.

...and may well never get to be. The laws of physics don't have exceptions for cool fools.
1990 GS500EL - with moderately-ugly paintjob.
1982 XJ650LJ -  off the road for slow repairs
AGATT - All Gear All The Time
"Ride a motorcycle.  Save Gas, Oil, Rubber, Steel, Aluminum, Parking Spaces, The Environment, and Money.  Plus, you get to wear all the leather you want!"
(from DoD#296)

Fry

#12
July 13, 2008, 03:12:56 PM
Mach, I too have frisky moments, though I'm not Old as you might think I take riding a motorcycle as a real serious affair, not so much because my lack of ability but the complete and utter wanton carelessness Cagers have for us, anything that I can do to create more risk is something I really really think about before doing, odds are already against us.

And as someone mentioned earlier, when non motorcyclist witness "Fun" non Boring riding, they automatically consider you an ambassador of sorts and form their opinions of all bikers right there on the spot. In the off road world this same type of behavior has resulted in many many land closings and restrictions placed upon us, simply because of the careless actions of a few.

Sure I'll Wick It Up from time to time when I'm on the XBR9, few stoppies and wheelies when the moment is exactly right, and 100MPH does feel nice, but once you've done it a few times it looses it's luster.

I won't get into all of the death stories I could bring up not worth the heart ache of recounting them,suffice to say I've lost 3 friends in the last 10 years and now of at least 3 others who have gotten seriously injured, one is now confined to a wheel chair. Though it shows a complete lack of respect for the fallen, all the dead ones were at fault.
Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?
Walt Whitman

b_long_1

#13
July 13, 2008, 06:32:03 PM
you can have plenty of fun on the GS within the limits of the law. (Although sometimes I might slightly exceed the speed limit) ;) I also think you need to find another group to ride with. They are only taking you down a dark path toward destruction, whether it be the GS or you or both. :cookoo:
06 fenderectomy,Fairingectomy So far

mattj0206

#14
July 13, 2008, 08:09:10 PM
im glad around here everyone stresses "ride your own ride" and with that mentality i have no problem "keeping up" with anyone if they feel the need to go 130+ on the freeway well they can just meet me at the next stop  :cheers: and luckily the guys i ride with arent squids that feel like 130 on the straights is fun. Youll learn its all about the curves and that is the great equalizer, a guy might be fast on the freeway but that dont mean anything if he cant turn worth a shaZam!

spc

#15
July 13, 2008, 09:19:02 PM
Quote from: DoD#i on July 13, 2008, 03:08:10 PM
...and may well never get to be. The laws of physics don't have exceptions for cool fools.

Well said.  I had my moment, I was hit by a truck merging into my lane as I was splitting past him.  Technically it was his fault, but a little caution and a little more awareness on mmy part could easily have prevented the wreck.  I haven't had a single incident since and only one ticket that I received as I was rushing home to deactivate the alarm, because a f%$king squirrel hit a window hard enough to set it off while I was out at midnight.  I was cited for 60/45 on a 6 lane divided US hwy, I won that one and paid no fine.

mach1

#16
July 13, 2008, 10:16:32 PM
I have seen and heard and had my bad expiriences but life is short so have fun. for some fun is riding as the law limits other like me say screw them laws and lets go, I have tried to get pulled over speeding on the freeway and unless its a MC cop goodbye.
04Gs,fenderectomy,V&H Full exhaust,Vortex clip-ons.13t front sprocket.,Uni Pods,22.5/65/147.5,Katana rear shock,M-1 metzeler 150 rear tire,Yamaha R6 Tail-SOLD
79 Honda CM185t-In restoration mode with this bike.DEAD slammed 2003 Honda Shadow 600, matte black everything 18inch ape hangers

the mole

#17
July 14, 2008, 01:21:27 AM
Interesting replies to that first post, I'm into having fun but we do need to consider other road users. We all get a bad rep when some fools cut loose in traffic, and that means more restrictive laws down the track.
Chef, you're talking about staying with the big bikes to 130. On a GS with 15/41 sprockets, you'd be at redline at 122mph. Even allowing for greater radius on your big back tyre it'd be 127mph! Can you really get it over redline in 6th?? Tell us more!

yamahonkawazuki

#18
July 14, 2008, 01:28:57 AM
ive got a question to the OP, why did you fel the need to do this?, hell many of us have, BUT each has their own reason. whats yours?
Jan 14 2010 0310 I miss you mom
Vielen dank Patrick. Vielen dank
".
A proud Mormon
"if you come in with the bottom of your cast black,
neither one of us will be happy"- Alan Silverman MD

Chef GS500f 06

#19
July 14, 2008, 04:46:32 AM
When I say 130 that's the absolute highest i got it up to, probably 128 129, i wasn't staring at the gauge, but i glanced down, that was the fastest i had gotten her up to. Not for long at all, couple seconds,i was well into the red and i was afraid of hurting her. It used to not go into the redline in 6th gear when it was stock, but i could go faster in 5th gear - that was weird. Anyway, i don't know what makes the bike go intop the red in 6th now, i've done alot of mods including fabricated cams, maybe that is it. But ya, there's going to be alot of guru's saying there is no way i got to 128 130 on that gs, but i should strap on a helmet camera and prove it. :cheers: Chef
06 gs500f-Rejetted,Jardine Full Exhaust,Vortex Clip On's,Yamaha R1 tail,Vortex 41T rear sprocket,Afam 15T front sprocket,Katana Rear Wheel,Katana Rear Shock,Progressive Springs,Custom Rear Fairing,GSXR pass sets,GSXR mirrors,K&N Lunchbox,GSXR Yoshi Cams(modified),lots more custom touchs
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