Brand New Rider - 2006 GS500F First Bike

[plewis51]

Steve, welcome to the community of biking. I am also a recent newbie riding a 2007F. Where did you get your kevlar jeans with knee pads?

[reload]

not sure where he got his but i have a pair of draggin jeans

http://www.dragginjeans.com/

they sell the pads as an option

[Pigeonroost]

Wish you long and safe riding "career".  Over confidence kills.  Speed kills. Cagers kill.  You are INVISIBLE and must ride knowing you are invisible; not invincible!

prs

[Twism86]

What is a cager?

[StevenDavisPhoto]

What is a cager?

a car driver.

[StevenDavisPhoto]

Steve, welcome to the community of biking. I am also a recent newbie riding a 2007F. Where did you get your kevlar jeans with knee pads?

thanks. got em at cycle gear for about $100. they're called red routes.

[StevenDavisPhoto]

also, does anyone else think the stock seat isnt that comfy? any way to remedy this? is there a comfier seat for longer rides i can switch to?

[pandymai]

corbin makes aftermarket seats, not sure if it fits the F though.

some people reupholster their stock seat.

it all depends on what your price range is.

there was a thread recently about redoing the seat.. not sure now though.

[mister]

Cager = Car Driver. Cage = car = metal cage.

Seats... are you sure it's the seat making you not comfy? In what way are you uncomfortable?

I can do a 300+ mile day without drama - I don't ride it in one hit, but won't really go more than two hours at a stint before have a break.

Tricks I've found help are...

Wear soft cotton boxers - any kind of Brief and the Line cuts in to you.
Adjust your feet - toes on pegs, arch on pegs, heel on pegs - and flex your feet (up/down) accordingly.
Look around. Exercises your neck.

A previous bike had an uncomfy seat which was also giving me an achy back. I threw on an airhawk seat cushion and it fixed all seat/back issues.

Michael

[StevenDavisPhoto]

Adjust your feet - toes on pegs, arch on pegs, heel on pegs - and flex your feet

thanks. i usually ride heels on the pegs, with the toes off to the side of the shift/brake. is that ok? i heard you're supposed to use the balls of ur feet on the pegs, but that feels really weird.

[mister]

Adjust your feet - toes on pegs, arch on pegs, heel on pegs - and flex your feet

thanks. i usually ride heels on the pegs, with the toes off to the side of the shift/brake. is that ok? i heard you're supposed to use the balls of ur feet on the pegs, but that feels really weird.

If you have the balls of the feet on the pegs, then make as if you are standing on tip-toe, you'll see how this gives a little movement to an otherwise unmoving leg/calf. With heels on, lift your toe up for movement in the other direction. For really odd feeling, get your leg onto the passenger pegs and see how that feels. That's odd alright.

Normal - what is normal - would be the heel of your boot just behind the peg so it cannot slide forward. So almost like, but not quite, on your arch, so the side of the Heel of the boot can butt up against the heel plates on the bike. Balls for riding through the twisties - or sit as per normal and ride through more relaxed. 

Michael

[Chuck500]

Welcome to the forum and the best motorcycle there is!

As for seat comfort, here are some thoughts.  I still consider myself a newbie ( 2+ years and 11,000+ miles).

My first rides were about 50 miles and nearly killed me.  The I got to doing 90, then 100, now 200+ with little problem.  This is mostly conditioning.  When I stared out, a Barcalounger on wheels would have felt uncomfortable.

A big key, especially here in the South, is what you wear under the riding suit.  In a word, NO COTTON .  Cotton gets wet and chafes .  The worst ride I had lately was about 200 miles in 90 degree heat wearing cotton briefs .  Get shorts form Under Armor or the like which are 100% polyester.  The key is to keep dry.

I too am looking to do some seat mods and am torn between Greatdaytoride.com and Sargent.  Spencer at Greatdaytoride does a fairly standard upgrade which fits under the stock cover for $100.  Sargent will do whatever you want but he minimum will be about $300.  Almost no one makes a ready made after market seat for GS500F.  Corbin shows one on their web site but is is for the 500E.  They are not interchangeable due to a change in tank design.

Any way, get out and ride and

keep the shiny side up,
Chuck

[scratch]

Welcome!

When you feel up to it come join us on the Doc Wong rides (in the Training forum on BARF)!  They are free and are the best way to learn proper riding techniques in a safe manner.  It starts in Redwood City at 9am, once a month, and we teach a different topic each month (and then repeat them next year).  Doc updates the schedule each month.  My GS is out of commission at the moment, but I'm hoping to ride my Virago in the beginners group.

[romulux]

also, does anyone else think the stock seat isnt that comfy? any way to remedy this? is there a comfier seat for longer rides i can switch to?

I don't think it's that comfy, but it's actually not terrible.

Last weekend I rode 1150 miles between Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

My ass was not what was sore.  I need some bar risers.

[pandy]

Welcome, Steve! Have no fear; we can be just as immature as BARFers. Just wait until winter when half the moto population is stuck inside and going stir-crazy...fortunately, we don't have that problem so much in California! But when that cold, white stuff starts falling elsewhere.... oh boy!

[ragecage23]

For really odd feeling, get your leg onto the passenger pegs and see how that feels. That's odd alright.

Michael

I've done this, and it helps actually.