Any Tips?

[Stallmaster]

Hi all,

Im sort of new at the whole riding a motorcycle thing so i was wondering if any of you had some tips for me to help me out. Ive been riding since May when i bought a 2006 gs500. I love the bike, but i just am always unsure about what Im doing. I did take a safety class before I got my license, but i feel like they cannot teach you anything about riding in the streets in real world situations. so...any tips for me?

[Suzuki Stevo]

Keep your speed down, speed compounds all things bad that are MC related for newbs
Leave your High Beam on during daylight hours
When stopped behind a car, always have an "escape route" and leave your bike in gear
Ride as if nobody sees you.....because they don't
When riding the twisty's, always "look though" the corner to avoid "target fixation"
When riding with faster riders, leave your ego behind...they will wait for you
Never ride over your head (see above)
Just because your bike has a racing stripe..that doesn't make you a racer
Anything painted or steel is as SLIPPERY AS ICE when wet
Use the Two Second Rule when following traffic
Never ride next to a car, get in front of them or behind
There is no such thing as Bad Weather, just bad gear 

[justafifteen]

Even though I'm a new rider (I've ridden only about 15 minutes so far)...

Watch Twist of the Wrist II. And then watch it again, and again!

[lanesplitter]

Here's my 2 cents.

Ride just to the left or right of the grease strip in your lane.  Some "experts" say that you should ride in the middle but riding in the spot that has the most grease and oil on the road??!!  Try not to ride behind the tire of the car in front of you.  You never know what a cage will run over and throw up in your face.  Always work to stay out of the blind spot of the driver beside you.  It was bad enough before cell phones but now...  Find a parking lot with some concrete islands and practice fast and slow tight turns.  Look through the turn, not right in front of you.  It's amazing how you follow where you look and how your speed in a turn doesn't seem as fast when you're looking 50+ feet ahead.  Lock up the back wheel a few times so you won't freak out if it happens in a panic stop.  And lastly - there's nothing better than seat time.  Ride, ride, ride!!

[Dr.McNinja]

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

http://www.amazon.com/More-Proficient-Motorcycling-Mastering-Ride/dp/B0057D9YKW/ref=pd_sim_b1


There are no better books to read than these two. Read them front to back and practice everything he says like it's gospel.


Other than that, riding a motorcycle is mostly common sense. Learn to use your peripherals and keep your head on a swivel looking for trouble. Never trust a left turner OR a right turner. If someone has been sitting idle for longer than two seconds you're in a SMIDSY situation. The longer someone sits at a left-turn-yield or right-turn-yield the more likely it is they'll whip out in front of you without thinking. If you find yourself in this situation, cover your controls and get ready for an emergency maneuver.


Anyone who argues the "safest lane position" should be taken with a grain of salt. The safest lane position at any point is the lane that affords you

1.) An escape lane
2.) The ability to see oncoming vehicles
3.) Space

The fact that you should avoid the middle of any lane is smart thought. The middle of the lane is where all the oil and crap from the car's engine spills out. You'll that learn quickly when you slide your back tire around on polished concrete water ways/middle of the lane turns. I've nearly had my bike slide out from under me (low speed) taking a turn too fast with some slippery ground. Every since then when I'm in the city I tend to take turns as upright as possible.

On the highway most people suggest getting on the far left (or far right in Europe) into the "Fast lane" where people are less likely to run you over. This isn't true at all. If you have escape room and a good following distance in the lane you're holding, there really isn't a reason to move. The only lane you should try to avoid is the merging lane until you're ready to merge/exit.

Experience is the best teacher. Read the books and go practice. Me personally? I take a few rides a month up to the northern part of town where SMIDSYs are all too common to observe traffic as I'm riding and learn how to better predict a car's actions. For example: it's fairly obvious what a car will do if you look at their front wheel. If it's moving, you're riding into a SMIDSY. Period. Cover your controls and get ready to swerve/stop and survive.


Motorcycling teaches you one thing. YOU and ONLY you are responsible for your safety. Unlike a cager, you aren't afforded the luxury of handing off your personal safety to the cars around you. If you do that on a motorcycle you'll spend a lot more time in a hospital than on a bike.

[MistahT]

I've been riding just over 6 months and the GS500 is my first bike. Took my class on a Nighthawk 250 

Most of these have already been said, but the things that I've learned.....

Lines in the road can be slippery! Even when not wet, at least I feel they provide you less traction

Ride like you're invisible

Ease on the throttle. Smooth is best, ALWAYS

RIDE CAUTIOUSLY. SLOW into corners (especially if you can see the end of the corner) You can always add throttle.

I heard it can feel 20 or 30 degrees colder when you're riding

Proper gear and ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME

[Dr.McNinja]

I've been riding just over 6 months and the GS500 is my first bike. Took my class on a Nighthawk 250 

Most of these have already been said, but the things that I've learned.....

Lines in the road can be slippery! Even when not wet, at least I feel they provide you less traction

Ride like you're invisible

Ease on the throttle. Smooth is best, ALWAYS

RIDE CAUTIOUSLY. SLOW into corners (especially if you can see the end of the corner) You can always add throttle.

I heard it can feel 20 or 30 degrees colder when you're riding

Proper gear and ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME

It doesn't feel 20 to 30 degrees colder. It IS. Not in the sense you're thinking though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_chill

Wind Chill is the "felt" air temperature. The truth is, Wind Chill is pretty accurate when it comes to heat lost from your body as your riding 70-100 MPH down the highway. Your body chills faster, and thus the "temperature" is lower. Think of the temperature as the temperature of the air if you're standing still, and Wind Chill the number to factor in when you're moving fast enough to get air moving around your body.

Wind Chill is a good reason to have a faired bike

[Paulcet]

Wind Chill is a good reason to wear appropriate gear

Fixed it for ya!   

[XLAR8]

i wouldnt leave your hi-beam on at all

one it annoys car drivers and other bike riders, ive laughed at road rage over this in the past but after having this happen to twice last Thursday (by the same bike rider, on the way to work then again on the way home) and if the police hadnt drove past when they did he would have eaten his head light.

[Suzuki Stevo]

i wouldnt leave your hi-beam on at all

one it annoys car drivers and other bike riders, ive laughed at road rage over this in the past but after having this happen to twice last Thursday (by the same bike rider, on the way to work then again on the way home) and if the police hadnt drove past when they did he would have eaten his head light.

I have been doing it on the street for 40 years, and nobody has ever flashed their "Hi's" at me or turned left into my path, it's all about being seen 

[Captain Slow]

In no order of importance, here are some tips I can share.  Welcome to the ride btw.  I've only been riding for about 6 months myself.


1.  As much as you can, ride where the cars' wheels go, not the middle of the lane where its greasier.

2.  In the twisties, don't be afraid to use up the whole lane. That's a lot of real estate for a motorcycle you know?  DON'T put yourself in a situation where you could end up across the center-line.

3.  If you've been driving a car for a long time before you started riding a motorcycle (as I did), you're brain is programmed to react a lot differently than in should [while operating a motorcycle].  If you screw up in a turn in a car you'll probably just hit the brakes and steer back on course.  Not so on a bike - you know this from your training class.  As long as you have traction and are moving, you can push the handlebars as far as you want.  The bike will keep leaning until the pegs scrape.  Don't freak out when you do inevitably scrape something, you'll be fine.  Anyway, all of this is easy to talk about here, but I guess what I'm saying is, if you've been driving cars for a long time, you have to unlearn a lot of the instincts you've gained and relearn them for the bike so that you'll react properly (often doing the exact opposite if what you would do in a car) whenever something starts going wrong.

4.  Don't go out tomorrow and buy a cbgsxrrR609990 whatever crazy sport bike your friends keep telling you you need because it will do a million miles per hour.  You bought a GS500, which was the right thing to do.  I've made a ton of mistakes that would've not gone well on a high powered bike.  Not to say the bike can't get you into trouble, because it can, but it is a lot more forgiving than any high end sport bike.

5.  Don't be afraid of the front brake.  Fortunately on the GS500 the front brake is not that scary anyway.  The rear brake can actually get you into a lot more trouble.

6.  Don't ride around with your high beams on.

[mister]

The "ride on the car's wheel tracks" has already been covered. And while it has been suggested either side is good, that is really a Depends thing...

If the Other lane is on your left, ride in the left track of your lane, if it is on the right, ride in the Right of the lane. This enables you to see between lanes and ahead, the cars in the other lanes to know you are there as they look in their mirrors and see your headlight, marks your spot as being in the lane and gives you a lane to move over to in case you need to move away. When a moped rides in the track near the curb they Invite others into their lane or to pass them dangerously close. By riding opposite to that, you Own your lane.

EVERY intersection has a debris zone - the size of this zone and the amount of debris in it are all that vary. This is a part of the road where turning cars and going straight cars do not go. Down here we ride on the left, so if you were heading up and wanted to turn right, if you took the corner late you would be in the debris zone as you were leaning. Uh oh, down you go.



When riding down a multi lane highway I have found the better of the options are either, go faster than everyone and create gaps behind you - or - sit in the slow lane doing almost but not quite the speed limit and let everyone pass you in the faster lanes (this is no stress and leaves Plenty of space in front of you, you catch noone and do not need to weave to get around anyone cause you never catch them, and those who merge in and out are really not a problem).

Have a good drink before you ride. Riding can be surprisingly dehydrating, this way you stay hydrated.

Keep your arms loose and your grip as loose as can be while still keeping the throttle twisted.

And finally, no powdered milk in the handlebars.

Michael

[adidasguy]

If no rain for a while, the first rain will bring lots of oil out of the road making it very slippery.
Where you're located - watch out for black ice in the mornings. It is a real problem here in Seattle because temperature in the winter drops below freezing at night and above during the day. The west side of a hill doesn't get morning sun and will have black ice.

Find other GS500 owners in your area. Share experiences and have wrench sessions. It is amazing what you can do and learn when a couple of you get together with your bikes.

Ride safe - there's no shame in being a safe rider. Don't let others talk you into doing squidly things and wrapping yourself around a tree.

And remember what the others have said.

Enjoy! I love riding my GS500.

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

I agree with pretty much everything that has been already said. Especially what mister said about owning your lane, and riding in there mirrors. One big thing is to watch the mirrors on big trucks. Don't invite an accident by hanging out where they can't see you. I normally wait until I have enough room to go completely past them, then sit up and drop a gear, so they can maybe see and hear you better as you pass. It may not work exactly like that but makes me feel better anyway. Another thing is to find an empty parking lot to practice panic braking as well as turns. Good luck. And ATGATT.

[HaydenH]

get out and ride. biggest tip anyone can give you. (somebody gave it to me too!)

When i got my bike i wrote down a list. i still have it somewhere. goes something like:

Confidence
Look where you want to be
up straight then brake.

these three were my little mantra when i first started riding.
Confidence - in that you can ride and can balance and can turn. at least as a learner.
look where you want to be - look through the turn with your head, scan the road but keep looking through the turn. (this applies 100% of the time, don't try dodging a pot hole by looking at it, you'll just end up in it instead.)
up straight then brake - this was to get me out of bad car habit of trailing brakes late into corners. only touch that front brake if your vertical and straight.

don't get me wrong, everything everyone has said is absolutely true as well, this was just my way.

oh, and dress for the fall. it'll happen when you don't expect (literally!).

once you know you can ride (it'll only take a few outings) then read through Twist of the Wrist II (or watch it), i found it made allot more sense when i knew just a little of what i was doing to have those "so that's what i should be doing" moments.

[fraze11]

get out and ride. biggest tip anyone can give you. (somebody gave it to me too!)

+1

Sadly theres no magic button.  You learn some fundamentals in a bike course but like almost anything ... practice practice practice.  So get out and ride like HaydenH said.  Get comfortable with yourself and your abilities and everything else should fall in place.  If you aren't even comfortable with the basics, whether your in traffic or all alone on a road your not setup for success.   The worst thing you can do is get out there and not be comfotable with the bike and how it reacts to you.  Always be aware

[crzydood17]

Watch out for black parts of white roads, if they get any amount of oil on them they are ICE. That was how I had my fall, turned onto a highway onramp and wooosh thank god for light traffic.

Always pay more attention to the cars infront of you than behind, this was another lay down of mine in the early period. I tried to find a slot in the cars to change lanes and didn't pay attention to the car in front and had to slam on my brakes, bike went down at a slow enough rate to jump off thank god.

Make sure you can turn at any speed. There is a point right between when the bike steers and counter steers that you have to learn how to manage because you will think your gunna turn and hit the ditch.

Twist of the wrist is amazing

The MSF course is only good for low speed stuff, high speed turns are scary as h e double hockey sticks at first. Sit up get a good view of the road, don't look at the scenery!

Practice low speed turns and maneuvers in a parking lot, keep turning and braking and going faster and faster till you just look through a turn and your done.

Personally I ride on the left 1/3rd of the left lane, I have a easy escape and it gives me more time to react to a incoming car, It has saved me and my fiance getting flattened a few times.

Gloves and Helmet are a requirement, you can live with most everything else but losing fingers or a head put ya in a bad place. I completely recommend full gear ATGATT but if you must go cheap gloves and helmet. And for the love of god never dress like this...



Remember you have a standard/sports cruiser this is a slow bike but is still brutally fast in the world of speed. It will hurt you and could kill you if you abuse the responsibility.

[Dr.McNinja]

Remember you have a standard/sports cruiser this is a slow bike but is still brutally fast in the world of speed. It will hurt you and could kill you if you abuse the responsibility.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_motorcycles

Where's in the box did it come with better touring handling and highway pegs? I want mine, it would make being hunched over my tank for 30 minutes every day more comfortable. I'm calling Suzuki tomorrow and asking for my off-the-lot luggage and passenger accommodations (my gs500f can't go 2 up without lagging in acceleration or comfort). I want a refund!

All I got was a sport fairing that improves my aerodynamics over my naked counterparts. .

[Phil B]

I feel the need to share some wisdom i just recently learned "the hard way"

(new rider, just got off crutches 2 weeks ago :-/ )

In no order of importance, here are some tips I can share.  Welcome to the ride btw.  I've only been riding for about 6 months myself.

...
2.  In the twisties, don't be afraid to use up the whole lane. That's a lot of real estate for a motorcycle you know?  DON'T put yourself in a situation where you could end up across the center-line.
....
4.  Don't go out tomorrow and buy a cbgsxrrR609990 whatever crazy sport bike your friends keep telling you you need because it will do a million miles per hour.  You bought a GS500, which was the right thing to do.  I've made a ton of mistakes that would've not gone well on a high powered bike.  Not to say the bike can't get you into trouble, because it can, but it is a lot more forgiving than any high end sport bike.

a GS500f can get you in a LOT of trouble, in the twisties. Stay well away for a few months, and then pull this article up again.

A GS500F is enough of a sportbike that you can keep up with much more experienced riders, on more powerful, fancy bikes, in a good canyon twistie bit. This can get you into a lot of trouble *cough*, because then, hypothetically *cough* , they may stop going easy on you, and just ride at normal levels.
This is no problem for the GS500 !  But it can be a big problem for an inexperienced rider. So dont get carried away.

important tip #2:  REALLY important, cant believe no-one told me this:  in twisties, left turns are trickier than right turns, because right turns will usually have a little angle in your favor. Whereas left turns are going to be, at best, flat. and at worse case, banked the WRONG WAY for you to turn!!
So for any turn of "X" degrees, you will have to either lean further, or go slower, for the left turn.

Plus theres that whole thing about, "if your wheel is just to the right of the yellow line and you lean left, **YOU** are going to be *OVER* the yellow line"
It's not a car; your "left" side is YOU, not your wheels

I was lucky on the second one. but not on the first one. I goofed a left turn.

5.  Don't be afraid of the front brake.

gotta contradict, or at least clarify, this one here.
Yes, you SHOULD be afraid of using the front brake (or even the back brake) at the wrong time!!
When you're in a lean (or just about to start a lean) you should be well off the brake. You need to look ahead, and get all your braking done, BEFORE you start to lean for a corner. Otherwise you risk lowsiding.

You can get away with a teenie bit of brake, in a very gentle lean curve. But if you're hard over, then braking will drop you.

Oh. and related to that; get real (R&G) sliders, not the fakie ones(if you even have those) :-}
The little fakie high-up ones, will protect the bike pretty good from a very gentle 0mph side drop. But for anything harder, you'll end up damaging our bike a fair amount. The fakies are only on little tinfoil things that are only meant to hold the fairings on. not support the whole bike's weight.
So spend $100 now, to avoid spending $500-1000 later.
(and/or take your fairings off before doing any challenging riding, perhaps. But you'll still scratch up your engine housing that way)

[adidasguy]

So spend $100 now, to avoid spending $500-1000 later.
(and/or take your fairings off before doing any challenging riding, perhaps. But you'll still scratch up your engine housing that way)

If you take off the fairings, add engine bars to keep those covers clean and shiny. There's OEM, Renntec and SW Motech. You can have engine bars and R&G sliders on at the same time for max protection. Can't have engine bars on with the fairing or a belly pan because they get in the way.