modifieing gs500

[rockyrunner99]

I bought my gs500 planning on it being a starter bike.  I don't know when it will be but I do plan to get a little bigger bike.  My question is would upgrading things in the suspension, particularly, the front fork help me become a better rider? 

I plan on doing some track days latter this year, after it cools down here, and I get some more time in the seat.

[Affschnozel]

And Alpha: the GS with stock springs terrified me on its own.  All of the other mods I would consider optional, but the springs are 100% required.

After having the GS out on the track with stock springs and the Racetechs, I'd agree. However, I was still able to regularly hang with worse riders on 600s with stock springs.

After getting the DR-Z, a bike must have high quality, fully adjustable suspension if I am going to buy it. I'm aiming for an '03+ SV650 next, and the first thing I am going to do is swap the forks and shock for GSX-R units. First thing as in using the leftover cash from the sale to order them within a week of getting the bike.

Quality suspension makes a huge difference. That being said, I wouldn't appreciate it as much if I didn't put so much time and effort into learning how to ride the crap out of a bike with rubbish suspension.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=49330.0

[Alphamazing]

I posed the question to a friend of mine, albeit in car terms.

Me: Can modifying or upgrading your suspension make you a better driver?
Him: The best approach is to learn your car and push your limits until the weak part of the equation is the car, not you. Then you should start upgrading.

I agree.

[annguyen1981]

I posed the question to a friend of mine, albeit in car terms.

Me: Can modifying or upgrading your suspension make you a better driver?
Him: The best approach is to learn your car and push your limits until the weak part of the equation is the car, not you. Then you should start upgrading.

I agree.

Your friend is quote worthy for the rest of time.

[rockyrunner99]

thank you, that does make sense!

[Roadstergal]

I agree - whenever someone comes asking 'what should I mod?' I always feel that the right answer is "Ride until you can come back and say what problem you're having that you need a mod to fix."

Make sure your bike is mechanically tip-top before modding, as well.  Make sure your fork oil is fresh, your brakes are bled, your tires aren't squared or old, your pads and rotors aren't dead, anything that is supposed to move does so freely and quietly, and anything that isn't supposed to move doesn't.

That being said, the suspension is a weak spot on the GS500, and that's probably the first thing you're going to look at changing, with the brakes a close second.