Handling

[dmoore]

Hi All- I'm new to the GS500 having recently bought a '93 GS500E. The bike is crazy fun to ride but it seems a little herky-jerky especially on a windy day. Even without the wind it seems like I'm constantly having to find my balance. It's not really severe but it's there. Is this charcteristic of this bike. I'm thinking maybe my front wheel could need balancing. The tire is new by the way. And the bike only has a bit over 5K on it. I'm an experienced rider and realize road surface can play a big part in handling. But it seems even on smooth surfaces there is still a bit of instability. My daily rider is a V-STAR 1100 so I'm spoiled as far as stability is concerned.

Thanks for your help.

[bombsquad83]

Can you describe a little better what you mean by "herky jerky"?  Is the power delivery inconsistent, or are is the bike difficult to keep straight? 

Check you steering head bearings.  Put the bike on the center stand and sit on it to lift the front end up.  Does it turn smoothly from lock to lock?  Has the bike been dropped severely in the past?  Maybe there is some damage to the front forks.  Have you checked your rear wheel alignment?  How old are your tires?

[dmoore]

The tire on the front is very new. The rear looks to be in very good shape too. I know from receipts there was fork work done but I believe it was to upgrade the springs not because of any accident. The bike is in excellent shape. Doestn't look like it's ever been dropped.

I didn't mean the power delivery was herky jerky. I was referring to keeping it straight. I'll try your suggestion for checking the steering head bearings.

Thanks for the reply.

[kyled25]

does it pull to one side more than the other?

[gsJack]

What kind and what size tires are on it?  The GS can feel a bit twitchy on the road on a windy day but it's hardly noticeable after you get used to it unless you have a big windshield on it catching the wind?  It will never feel as stable as your big 1100 Star.

[dmoore]

I can't say it pulls to one side over the other. It's just a kind of a mild instability. Ohio's roads are nothing to brag about so surface condition could play into it. Maybe I'm expecting too much. I'll check the tires to make sure they are spec. They don't look under or oversized. I have 33 psi front and 36 psi rear. No windshield.

Thanks men.

[Badot]

When I rode a ninja 250 home for a friend I noticed that the bike was very 'stable'... meaning you have to push HARD to get it to turn. It also followed little ruts in the road very enthusiastically. On the other hand, it let you roll along at 1-2 mph without issue.

The gs500 takes a lot more effort/skill to keep stable at low speeds, but you can actually turn at higher speeds without wearing out your arms in 20 minutes.

Perhaps this kind of thing is what you're noticing?

[dmoore]

Funny you mention that, Badot. It seems the lower speeds are mainly when this is noticeable. Thanks.

[ohgood]

The tire on the front is very new. The rear looks to be in very good shape too. I know from receipts there was fork work done but I believe it was to upgrade the springs not because of any accident. The bike is in excellent shape. Doestn't look like it's ever been dropped.

I didn't mean the power delivery was herky jerky. I was referring to keeping it straight. I'll try your suggestion for checking the steering head bearings.

Thanks for the reply.

mmm, every bike I've ridden that had weird steering isues was wheel alignment front vs rear, or wheel bearings. both are very easy to check.

the gs is very stable at any speed, and should not feel this way.

grab front wheel 180 degrees apart, and pull/push, then change to another position and try again. front and then rear wheels. any slop or crunch is bad. replace bearings.

for wheel alignment "string thing " will find you several youtube tutorials and wiki pages on motorcycle wheel alignment methods.

this should have you hapy in no time.

[adidasguy]

Been there: after 5 minutes the bike wanted to wander and not stay straight.
Steering head lower bearing was a pile of rust.

Get bike on center stand. Get front wheel off the ground. How easy does it turn?

Replacing the bearing is a be-itch. 

Get a used lower triple from a recent model with low miles. Swap it out. Probably do not have to change the lower raceway/collar/thingy in the steering stem - that's a lot of work. Top bearing just sits there so that's easy to replace. A lower triple might come with a good upper bearing.

[mister]

front wheel seems to give you poor steering? One of three things....

Thing # 1: Steering head.

Thing # 2: Under inflated rear tire

Thing # 3:  Rigid arms holding handlebars

[dmoore]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll check everything out.

[J banning]

The GS is a much lighter and more nimble bike that your V-STAR. With it's narrow tires it'll turn in or change direction MUCH faster. Because of it's light weight you will notice wind (either from mother nature, or passing trucks) affecting the balance of the bike.

Any chance you know of someone with a similar bike (Ninja or CBR 250, Bandit, SV650, etc.) that you could take a spin on to see if they exhibit the same "herky-jerky" traits?

If not, I'd look into the following:
- tightness of all suspension componenets, including axles & pinch bolts
- loose steering stem bearings
- wheel alignment
- tire balance
- Check the sag front & rear. Perhaps front is way too low, which will make low speed handling more responsive

Good luck.
*EDIT: Duh, I should have read the other comments before posting. Looks like everyone already said what I did. Sorry*

-B