Why on earth would you track a GS500?

[ecpreston]

It's odd. Coming from doing car track days, I'm used to seeing Miatas, Civics, old BMWs, plenty of "slow" cars. I recommend anyone start out that way, you learn more and spend less. I love driving them. So that's why I chose the GS, though I didn't know I'd be almost alone. Some people are surprised when I show up with the GS, as I am sometimes the "slowest" bike at a track day. Most consider a 600 as your basic track machine, why waste time with anything else? Based on cost, I can see why. You can get a used 600 for just a little more than a used GS, and the capability is so much greater. Not like cars really. To go twice as fast as a used Miata, you have to spend at least 4 times as much.

So why do you track a GS500?

Well, for me....

I am shocked by the speed of a modern 600. Let alone 750s or 1000+. I think the whole bike world has gone mad. A used, $2-3000 GS will beat most cars 0-60, and despite its commuter focus, needs NOTHING to go straight to the track and do just fine. Tires, brake pads, gas and go. Now spend a couple hundred bucks on it:
-case guards
-front springs
-kat rear spring/shock
-stainless brake lines and decent front pads
-you don't even need to do exhaust/intake/rejet/sprockets, but hey, knock yourself out
And now you have yourself a damn fine track machine IMHO. On a smaller track, with no power mods, I am having a LOT of fun. And in a beginner group with NESBA or TPM, on a smaller track (Summit Jefferson Circuit, VIR Patriot or even South, CMP, Talladega GP, and I imagine Shenandoah circuit or NJMP) I'm one of the fastest bikes out there. I'll be perfectly comfortable running in the intermediate group on a small track. And I STILL haven't gotten my knee down, (ok I did ONCE) and I am still by far the limiting factor when considering bike+rider. I haven't done any tracks with really long straights, but why would I want to? My idea of having fun at the track is trying to figure out how to ride/drive the piss out of whatever it is I have. I'd just as soon be going 100 MPH when I get to the end of the longest straight, I honestly don't see any extra fun in going 150+. Anyone can go fast in a straight line, and this bike has enough power to still make throttle modulation an issue when not straight up and down. And if something fails, me or the bike, I'd rather it happen with 1/4th the momentum built up.

So anyway, I recommend the GS for track use. Get a GS500. Track it in stock form. Now do the kat shock and front springs. I weigh 200 with gear, got the .85 sonic springs and kat 600 rear shock, (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=46393.20) and the bike is a whole different animal. I thank this forum for the idea! It almost felt too stiff at first, then I started tossing it around more. And more. Transitions are SO much faster now. So is the response to everything I do. And I can still run up on the curbing on exit, full throttle, pop up the front wheel, and it's all even more manageable and fun with the new springs. I'm still working on the confidence to sustain the new lean angles the bike is capable of now that the pegs don't hit the ground so easily. On damn BIAS BLY STREET TIRES (sport demons)!    And I'm backing off the throttle so I don't run into people. So I will keep taking my GS to the track and getting confused looks. And when I pass you on your 600... who's getting the most out of their machine and $? 


P.S.
I would love to see a track day club that only runs "slow" bikes. Maybe the fastest thing you could have would be a Monster 620 or SV650. Ninja 250, Blast, GS, motard, old ass CB400 or BMW, whatever, come have fun without worrying about some hot head on his new rocketship rear ending you. Then we could do VIR full and Road ATL.    Maybe there's a vintage group I'm looking for.... 

[D-Day]

You are completely right in your thinking.  I am a retired road racer, havin held an AMA pro licence in the mid to late 80's.  My son bought his first bike, a GS 500, and year later wanted to do track days.  So I went out and bought a GS 500 to do track days with him.  Here is short video of him chasing me at Grattan.


http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/pictures?userid={B30242B7-2F1D-4B87-A5E2-45DD6272E638}&inv=685F6C66C0A8F2F&userid={B30242B7-2F1D-4B87-A5E2-45DD6272E638}&AlbumId={13556C42-E1FC-4314-9476-38AA06ED1603}&inv=685F6C66C0A8F2F&GroupId={A1F495C1-AE80-4262-9D0B-29C8C603AFDD}&nt=a

  The picture is from Black hawk two years ago, me chasing him. 

[badguy]

  You have it figured out.

I bought a 600 for my track bike because I couldn't imagine anything but the 500 for street use.  (It was definitely a blast on the track the two times I took it to Summit Point)  ...then I ran into problems with the engine's top end and bought an SV650 to ride while I fixed it.  I'm still debating selling the track bike once I get the 500 running again. 

Great post!

[ecpreston]

Here is short video of him chasing me at Grattan.

That video is one of a few things I saw 2 years ago when doing research on the GS that sold me on its trackability.    Looked fast and fun enough to me! So thank you! You guys are hanging off those things big time too. 

[Roadstergal]

The things that most new track riders (actually, a lot of track riders overall) struggle with is learning how to judge entry speed, how to carry more entry speed, how to take precise lines, and braking late.

GS500s teach all of those.  You can't compensate for bad lines or low entry speed with horsepower.

And if you do a few mods, like to this bike, you have the ability to brake late and good front-end feel while still having a tossable, light bike.

It's important to ride the bike - and not let the bike ride you.

[fred]

You are completely right in your thinking.  I am a retired road racer, havin held an AMA pro licence in the mid to late 80's.  My son bought his first bike, a GS 500, and year later wanted to do track days.  So I went out and bought a GS 500 to do track days with him.  Here is short video of him chasing me at Grattan.


http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/pictures?userid={B30242B7-2F1D-4B87-A5E2-45DD6272E638}&inv=685F6C66C0A8F2F&userid={B30242B7-2F1D-4B87-A5E2-45DD6272E638}&AlbumId={13556C42-E1FC-4314-9476-38AA06ED1603}&inv=685F6C66C0A8F2F&GroupId={A1F495C1-AE80-4262-9D0B-29C8C603AFDD}&nt=a

Sweet sweet video! Makes me want to go to a track day so bad now!

[rohde88]

+1, i track my bike and for over a year it was my only transportation. I was extra careful, but still low sided plenty of times.

On Sport Demons, I feel fine dragging knee, although my aluminum pegs just disappear when they make contact.


I have been having issues with smoke on downshifts though, any advice? doesn't seem to affect power a la rings, but :dunno:

Ron

[D-Day]

+1, i track my bike and for over a year it was my only transportation. I was extra careful, but still low sided plenty of times.

On Sport Demons, I feel fine dragging knee, although my aluminum pegs just disappear when they make contact.


I have been having issues with smoke on downshifts though, any advice? doesn't seem to affect power a la rings, but :dunno:

Ron

Probably valve guide seals.  My son's bike has been doing it for years on the track, hardly a puff on the street.

Paul

[rohde88]

[/quote]

Probably valve guide seals.  My son's bike has been doing it for years on the track, hardly a puff on the street.

Paul
[/quote]

so do i need to worry about fixing anything?

[D-Day]

Probably valve guide seals.  My son's bike has been doing it for years on the track, hardly a puff on the street.

Paul
[/quote]

so do i need to worry about fixing anything?
[/quote]

If it is not using more than a quart of oil a thousand miles, I wouldn't worry about a thing.  Have you done a compression test?

Paul

[rohde88]

Doesn't consume any more oil than it used to before I started tracking it.

Never done a compression test.

[D-Day]

Doesn't consume any more oil than it used to before I started tracking it.

Never done a compression test.

You can buy a compression tester for around $40.  Useful tool to have.  But, if it is using less than a quart a thousand miles, the motor probably has good compression.

Paul

[dwkfym]

I did my first event yesterday. the track here seemed to me a very momentum heavy course. Couldn't imagine trying to learn on a 600. Save for one section, I didn't think you could stay full throttle that long. On the GS, I found it much easier to control the throttle and dial up to full throttle when needed. In esses, I was keeping up with the faster guys in novice and passing most others in the novice group. (I was the only one on a bike slower than a 600SS, and there were no SVs in the group..) I realized that the quicker bikes are hindering a lot of these guys' learning curves.

I was on bt090s. Turned in great, uses the entire width of the tires.

[gsagent005]

great video, looks like a blast out there!

[Mk1inCali]

I've done 3 trackdays on mine.  Even at "The Fastest Road in the West" (Willow Springs IR), I was dicing with the 600s in intermediate group.  It ain't the bike, but we're preaching to the choir here.

[steguis]

I'm curious...do you remove your center stand? Did you install new rearsets to void having the pegs constantly scraping the ground?

[Bluesmudge]

You definately need to remove the center stand. I know for me, it was the first thing to start scraping in corners.

[Mk1inCali]

I pulled the center stand on mine, and I put F2/F3 rearsets on.  Still would like to get the shifter linkage setup so I could go to GP shift.

[Chanse]

You didnt use the one with the F2/F3 sets? Thats what I did. theres a pretty decent write up if i do say so myself in my boot state thread. To get the GP style shift pattern all you would have to do is reposition the stock shifter downward.

I pulled the center stand on mine, and I put F2/F3 rearsets on.  Still would like to get the shifter linkage setup so I could go to GP shift.

[ineedanap]

oops, wrong button