are they really that slow?

[ausgs]

was talking with friends who all ride bikes and they were saying the "little" GS500 are so slow they would only do a high 15 sec 1/4 mile.
I know they are not fast but high 15's?  Has anyone been on a drag strip on a GS500

[Soloratov]

Unless you have done some pretty decent mods...I'd say sure, 14-15 would be average. It's a 25 year old 500cc motor...what do you expect?

[ausgs]

just was surprised when they said high 15's

[Wagoneer]

I think low 14's would be pretty easy even on a stock bike. They're pretty easy to launch and have plenty of grunt for a decent 1/8 mile. The last 1/8 is where you're going to see the bike start to trail off, especially a naked GS.

Maybe I'll bring mine to track and see how she does. I could also do some dynolicious runs on my phone as well for a fairly accurate basis.

[ausgs]

I think low 14's would be pretty easy even on a stock bike. They're pretty easy to launch and have plenty of grunt for a decent 1/8 mile. The last 1/8 is where you're going to see the bike start to trail off, especially a naked GS.

Maybe I'll bring mine to track and see how she does. I could also do some dynolicious runs on my phone as well for a fairly accurate basis.

dynolicious?

[Wagoneer]

It's a 1/4 mile, 0-60, top speed etc. timing app for any phone with GPS. The 0-60 always reads a bit 'optimistic' and the trap speed in the 1/4 mile isn't very accurate (usually +/- 2mph), but I've found the ET to be extremely close. I've tested it alongside actual time slips at the track.

And the horsepower readings are obviously garbage. Not a bad tool for getting an idea of your 1/4 mile times though.

[ausgs]

sounds like a cool app, reckon  you can give it a crack on your bike?
my drag strip experience is limited to cars only

[Banzai]

I know my GS is definitely slower than my car. My car also has a better power-to-weight ratio so it is hardy surprising.

However the bike is still more spritely than the majority of cars on the road.

[weedahoe]

They way I feel about it is this, the GS5 is MORE than enough to kill you if you dont respect it. I dont need anything bigger so I can go faster

[Wagoneer]

My last car, modified Volvo 850R 5spd, did the 1/4 mile in 13.8. I really have no idea how to compare that to my bike since the feeling going from a bike to a car is completely different. I can't say my GS feels much slower though except for highway pulls.

I'll rig up a mount for my phone on my bike and see if I can get some runs in. My GS isn't too modified, just has an exhaust, K&N drop-in and jets, and I'm not the most experienced rider out there yet, so should be a pretty honest 1/4 mile time.

[ausgs]

My last car, modified Volvo 850R 5spd, did the 1/4 mile in 13.8. I really have no idea how to compare that to my bike since the feeling going from a bike to a car is completely different. I can't say my GS feels much slower though except for highway pulls.

I'll rig up a mount for my phone on my bike and see if I can get some runs in. My GS isn't too modified, just has an exhaust, K&N drop-in and jets, and I'm not the most experienced rider out there yet, so should be a pretty honest 1/4 mile time.

thanks mate, that would be cool
looking forward to see how she goes.
I have a 11sec street car and our family car is a '07 Falcon which my daughter to to a street meet and ran 14.8
but like you said different feel.

[BockinBboy]

I don't care what my bike does in a 1/4 mile... I didn't buy it for drag racing, and I'm guessing you didn't buy it for that either. I bought it because I was a newer street rider. I wanted a bike I could learn from. I wanted a bike I could lean over without scraping the exhaust all over the pavement. 
Don't let anyone put you down for riding a GS500 because its 'slow' or for 1/4 mile times... They shouldn't ride on the street at all if thats their reason for riding... No one buys a GS for that, and if they did, they weren't looking to win... Besides, anyone can ride in a straight line... You want a decent argument on race times, look toward real racing (NOT pathetic drag racing) and tracks with a lot of turns and the GS will actually have a shot over 'faster' bikes.

- Bboy

[codajastal]

I don't care what my bike does in a 1/4 mile... I didn't buy it for drag racing, and I'm guessing you didn't buy it for that either. I bought it because I was a newer street rider. I wanted a bike I could learn from. I wanted a bike I could lean over without scraping the exhaust all over the pavement. 
Don't let anyone put you down for riding a GS500 because its 'slow' or for 1/4 mile times... They shouldn't ride on the street at all if thats their reason for riding... No one buys a GS for that, and if they did, they weren't looking to win... Besides, anyone can ride in a straight line... You want a decent argument on race times, look toward real racing (NOT pathetic drag racing) and tracks with a lot of turns and the GS will actually have a shot over 'faster' bikes.

- Bboy

hear hear

[utzguy]

According to the August 1989 issue of Cycle World the stock GS will do a 1/4 in 13.39 seconds at 98mph, according to March 1990 issue of Motorcyclist it will do a 13.69 at 94.6.
According to the real world, who gives a damn? Enjoy your bike and don't worry about what other people say. They're probably just jealous about how much fun you are having without spending near as much as they did.

[ausgs]

I don't care what my bike does in a 1/4 mile... I didn't buy it for drag racing, and I'm guessing you didn't buy it for that either. I bought it because I was a newer street rider. I wanted a bike I could learn from. I wanted a bike I could lean over without scraping the exhaust all over the pavement. 
Don't let anyone put you down for riding a GS500 because its 'slow' or for 1/4 mile times... They shouldn't ride on the street at all if thats their reason for riding... No one buys a GS for that, and if they did, they weren't looking to win... Besides, anyone can ride in a straight line... You want a decent argument on race times, look toward real racing (NOT pathetic drag racing) and tracks with a lot of turns and the GS will actually have a shot over 'faster' bikes.

- Bboy

the thing is BockinBboy with a 1/4 mile time people anywhere can get a good idea how it performs, while a track time somewhere in say England wont mean much to any one else around the world. I never said anything about arguing about race times only trying to gauge acceleration.
You say anyone can ride in a straight line that's a pretty dumb thing to say.

[Janx101]

.... not to fan any fires.... but .. around the local university lately... there seems to be a lot of riders who cant ride in a straight line!!... no matter how hard they appear to be trying!! ..  .. how some of them have missed the hedges and parked cars remains a mystery!! .. its a brand new crop of overseas students by the look of it... 

[BockinBboy]

the thing is BockinBboy with a 1/4 mile time people anywhere can get a good idea how it performs, while a track time somewhere in say England wont mean much to any one else around the world. I never said anything about arguing about race times only trying to gauge acceleration.
You say anyone can ride in a straight line that's a pretty dumb thing to say.

LOL Ausgs, my comment is not true at all no doubt...  A lot goes into drag racing, and its a universal race with more skills involved than most realize... yada yada... I know this, but you are on GS forum and this bike doesn't belong near a drag strip is all I'm saying.  I was just emphasizing that this bike is well suited for twisties, and if your friends want a decent conversation about 'which bike is faster'... the only conversation the GS has a chance involves turns.  It can outperform much 'faster' bikes in that scenario, but a straightaway the GS will never win. 

Hell, I thought I was sticking up for you against your friends comments about a 'slow' bike! Guess I read that wrong... lol
Anyways, it just seemed like you were trying to defend your 'slow' bike... So I gave you something to chat with them about where your 'slow' bike had a chance...

- Bboy

[gsJack]

was talking with friends who all ride bikes and they were saying the "little" GS500 are so slow they would only do a high 15 sec 1/4 mile.
I know they are not fast but high 15's?  Has anyone been on a drag strip on a GS500

And I can recall talking to a friend after a group ride down in the Smoky Mtns 10 years ago who said "I never knew a GS500 was that fast."  That was riding thru the mountain twisties with a small group of bigger bikes, not lining up for a drag race. 

GSs run about 14.5 sec @ 90 mph quarters now, not quite as fast as the earlier ones.  Here's a list of data from all the road tests I've found in the Moto Mags:

http://www.gs500.net/gallery/data/500/GS500tests.jpg

[vinny]

Its fast enough to get away from most cars at the lights
Its fast enough to overtake at motorway speeds
Its fast enough to make me loose my licence
Its fast enough to injure me if i mess around too much
Why would i want more power? 

[Soloratov]

Its fast enough to get away from most cars at the lights
Its fast enough to overtake at motorway speeds
Its fast enough to make me loose my licence
Its fast enough to injure me if i mess around too much
Why would i want more power? 

And that's really all that matters as far as speed. More importantly though, if you want faster, you bought the wrong bike. I'll keep this old girl til she's dead!