First Ride On The Street With My 09' GS500F!

[Shinji]

Hello Fellow GSers!

Last night (1-2am EST.) was my first night for not only riding a motorcycle outside of a controlled parking lot, but the first night riding my 09' GS500F!

I have the following to say about my experience:

WoW!!!!

Not only for what may seem obvious reasons for some, did the motorcycle handle and run better than the 250s in class but it was a great ride! I personally feel (have only ridden two other motorcycles be they 250s in a parking lot) that this was a great choice for a first bike!!

Pros from a beginners prospective:

1.Very comfortable seating position
2.Comfortable handle bars position
3.Enough power to really get you going if you need to, but at the same time very manageable, not torquey, not "OMG ROLLED ON THE THROTTLE AN INCH NOW IM A FLYING OUT OF CONTROL FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET" power.
4.Looks (in my opinion) by far the best for its year/price range. (I.e 09' Gs500f vs the 09' Ninja 500)
5.Comfortable ride. I ran over some pavement that looked like a 4yr laid it down and as well as a small hole in the road and "the goods" did not suffer any unfortunate beatings.

Overall I have to say that I could not be anymore pleased with my purchase! This is a great bike and comes with a great community as well! (Thats you guys and gals )

There are a few cosmetic things I would like to do to the bike but are very minor and of no significants to how it rides.

I'm sorry, it looks like I went off a little longer than I wanted to.. Anyways! I can't wait for the riding season to start on the east coast!

Thanks!
Shin

[kamikazepsi]

I own a 2007 GS500F and a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R.....my favorite is the suzuki.

[cWj]

Good stuff.

check out beginnerbikers.com if you haven't already.

Practice, practice, practice,

and Welcome to The Jungle.

[fraze11]

Glad you're having fun!  I think its safe to say we've all been where you are, at one point.  You'll have a chuckle in 6 months time when you think about your ride last night and compare it to where you are after a few thousand K's under your belt.  Enjoy and keep your eyes open

[AnonRider]

Where are you at? I'm in North NJ


FU.CK THIS FUC.KING WEATHER, btw-- this week looks like all 60's for me.

[ron freeman]

Enjoy the bike and have fun. In my opinion the GS500 has plenty of power given most states maximum speed limits. It's a very fun bike that has stood the test of time.

[brickerenator]

Awesome!


Here's a great exercise to work on that will help your confidence in cornering:

[bombsquad83]

I own a 2007 GS500F and a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R.....my favorite is the suzuki.

What do you like about the GS vs. the 650R?  I've been thinking of "upgrading" to a 650R or SV650 for my next bike.  Biggest benefits I was thinking about are a little more power, and FI.

[kamikazepsi]

I own a 2007 GS500F and a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R.....my favorite is the suzuki.

What do you like about the GS vs. the 650R?  I've been thinking of "upgrading" to a 650R or SV650 for my next bike.  Biggest benefits I was thinking about are a little more power, and FI.

2007 GS500F (Re-jetted, +1 tooth front sprocket, Delkevic slip on)

Pros:
-Extremely comfortable riding position
-Extremely nimble, turns just by thinking about turning
-Transmission is silky smooth except for getting into 1st or neutral at a stop
-Seat allows sitting flexibility

Cons:
-Carbed motor is finicky during cold weather or after long periods of storage
-Could use more power
-Soft front forks



2006 Ninja 650R (Lower handlebars, -3 tooth rear sprocket, 3/4" lowered in the front)

Pros:
-Fuel injection is a gift from heaven
-Has a very meaty powerband.....tons of power to pass in any gear

Cons:
-Transmission is very clunky/notchy
-Bike feels top heavy and cornering requires more attention/effort....even after lowering the front
-Seat forces you to sit at the very front and pressed against the tank....a bit uncomfortable for my body frame (5'9", 160lbs)
-Motor transmits a lot of vibration throughout the bike
-Bad fairing design directs a ton of heat towards your right leg
-Turn signal switch feels terrible...hard to explain...it sticks out too much and the engagement/disengagement feels too vague....the GS has a much better switch



I plan on selling the ninja this summer and I'll be keeping my eye out on these bikes:
Yamaha FZ6R
Honda CBR500R
Suzuki GSX650F
Suzuki SV650

[cWj]

The more comfortable I get on the GS (and after having finally done some two-up),

the more I think my nextie will be -> GSX650F.

I just wish the front end styling were smoothed out a bit...and that it didn't disappear in the US.

[BockinBboy]

The more comfortable I get on the GS (and after having finally done some two-up),

the more I think my nextie will be -> GSX650F.

I just wish the front end styling were smoothed out a bit...and that it didn't disappear in the US.

The car dealer down the street from me has a really nice one that got traded in the end of last summer - been lusting after it since it is so close, and I see it every nice day they roll it out onto the lot.

- Bboy

[Shinji]

Good stuff.

check out beginnerbikers.com if you haven't already.

Practice, practice, practice,

and Welcome to The Jungle.

I have not! Thanks!

[Shinji]

Where are you at? I'm in North NJ


FU.CK THIS FUC.KING WEATHER, btw-- this week looks like all 60's for me.

Good Ol' Maryland,

Btw I saw a black and silver Gs500f the other day parked up in Laurel! ...Whoever that was lol.

[Shinji]

Awesome!


Here's a great exercise to work on that will help your confidence in cornering:

I took the MSF course and after watching that video all I can think of is friction zone friction zone...

Although this looks like a great practice test! I had taken a turn yesterday that was quite sudden as well as sharp and learned how to hold 400lbs+ on one leg as well as pick it up from almost a completely horizontal position.. Needless to say I quickly re-learned a basic lesson and now there is much more "trust" and throttle in my turns and less hesitation, but I still have yet to take myself onto the highway. Mostly local and back roads. I might try some highways at night (1-2am) so as to not be a danger to myself or anyone else, but for my 3rd-4th day riding I feel like there is still some steps for me to learn before taking that leap into "unforgiving speeds".

Any thoughts?

[robfriedenberger]

Country roads are one of the best places to learn to ride, very forgiving if you fall victim to target fixation. Meet up with a riding buddy or some locals and do some riding with them, youll learn the tricks to your city and they will help keep you alive lol.