Passed my MSF, got Endoresement, and Dropped Bike Same Day!

[novon]

So today was the second day of my MSF class (highly recommended BTW) I passed both written and skill with flying colors, and probably got a little too cocky with the Virgo 250 I was riding. Went straight to the liscencing office and got my endorsement put on my liscence.

Went home VERY TIRED after a 12 hour day...but I just couldn't wait to ride again, and decided to take my 2001 GS500 out for it's maiden flight (never ridden before by me)

It took getting used to, the bike was much heavier, bigger, and sounded different than the MSF Viragos. I used all the skill I practiced in the MSF, went on about a 6 mile trip through traffic (first time) to a local park, drove around a bit, looked at the view, and headed back home.  With a grin on my face, I made my way back home safely and I breathed a sigh of relief that I could ride my GS500....not too fast: Reached my street, took a 20mph turn up a steep hill that leads to my garage, and overshot it, turn around to avoid curb, and I was now going down hill. Too slow though, the bike went down on the right side, my arms were too weak from a whole day of riding to hold it up.

The oil cap somehow fell off, and about a quart of oil spilled out onto the street (My baby is bleeding!) I kept slipping on the oil trying to get the bike up, and after a few falied attempts, I was successful. The damage? minor scratches on the exhaust, one qt. of oil lost, and the break leaver tip broke off.

Lessons? Don't ride when you are tired, don't get cocky the first day, and take it slow on the turns going uphill.

Now I have to find some new break levers online, any suggestions?


CLIFF NOTES:

Passed MSF course with flying colors, got too cocky
Got endoresement same day
Got home very tired, decided to ride anyway (against what I learned in MSF)
Went out first time on GS500 for 6 mile trip
Made it back safely, except....
Dropped bike in front of driveway by overshooting a turn up a hill
Bike lost 1 quart of oil, scratched exhaust, and broke break lever tip

LESSON LEARNED....can't wait to ride again though!

QUESTIONS:

Where can I get a cheap break lever online?

I put in 10W-30 oil to replace the lost oil, should I drain and put in 10W-40 or just add more 10W-30?


Thanks

[newbieone]

Damn nice cliff notes, hahah Congrats on passing the MSF class and getting you legal.  Terribly sorry to hear about the drop.  Check out ebay for levers.

[Seth]

You should make sure the oil you put in to replace what was lost was NOT energy conserving .  If it is you need to drain all of your oil and put oil in specifically for motorcycles.  On the back of the oil bottle it will tell you whether it is energy conserving or not.

[AR5ENAL]

damn...sorry to hear about your drop, at least you're okay.  i *almost* dropped my bike once, when i was checking the petcock.  i was just holding it up and standing on the left side, and the bike started tipping to the right....i freaked out and hauled as hard as i could on the bars to keep her from going down.  i think i tore something, but the bike stayed put... :mrgreen:

ever since then, i've been very aware of weight shift on the bike.

[b1k3r 3li+3]

hehe welcome, now your bike has some character!!  

[oldsport]

Don't feel bad.  Twice over the years, I've pulled up to a stop and forgotten to put my feet down and fell over.   Doh!


If you ride, at some point you'll probably find yourself sitting on your tail.

[novon]

Thanks for the support, I'm just happy it wasn't any worse, and I didn't get hurt.

For the OIL - I just read the bottle and it is Energy Conserving (Chevron 10W-30). I had to put something in just to drive it a little to get into the garage. But I guess now I'm in for a mandatory oil change.

What kind of oil\brand do you guys recommend? Can I get it at auto shops or should I got the the Suzy dealer?

[novon]

hehe welcome, now your bike has some character!!  

I'm glad I didn't get a brand new bike   . It's actually a 2001 - and it has been dropped before by a previous owner, so I don't fell bad, the damage is very minor. Now I'll be more careful though...

[pantablo]

you might be alright with the energy conserving oil because its only 1 qt. but I wouldnt chance it and I would drain the existing oil and put new oil in, using motorcycle specific oil. its a little more expensive but worth the peace of mind. When you are better versed in riding and maintenance you might experiment with different auto oils but right now just concentrate on riding. its a lot to take in.

Congrats on your passing the MSF-an excellent way to start. You remind me of my first ride. 2001 gs500, bought in the middle of my 4 session msf course. Rode it to the last day. dropped it 3 times in 18 months. happens to lots of people.

Try www.flandersco.com for replacement levers for $15/ea (although I heard they're not perfect replacements and you might have to shave a bit off where they attach). OEM replacements can't be much more ($30?)-you should check your local dealer for pricing first at least as a point of reference. Also check www.ronayers.com and www.bikebandit.com for replacements.

Welcome to the site too.

[chupacabrah]

Oil Stuff:   http://www.yft.org/tex_vfr/tech/oil.htm


I used the Mobil Delvac super 1300.  good stuff.

i hear the shell rotella t is good, too.

[wasabi_peas]

Don't buy a brake lever online.  FInd a local dealer, and you can probably get an aftermarket lever (just the end, right?  My wife dropped our bike the first time out, and bend just the last piece to bolt on.)  You can probably find one for around 8 bucks, which is around the price of shipping from some online places.  

Ordering online ain't bad, but you can't beat the local places for getting the bike up and running quickly.  And for cheap stuff like brake levers, you're not going to be saving much online, if you save anything on a small order with shipping included.

[novon]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll look local for the lever.

[Jeff P]

Just a second on wasabi's comment.  Everybody seems so gung-ho to order everything online.  Sometimes a call to your local shop will get the job done quicker and cheaper!

jeff

[WAP]

You might have more trouble finding a good replacement brake lever than you think. I have a 2002 and so far the only option i've found is the factory lever ($40-some from local Suzuki dealer). HOWEVER, the lever is most likely shared with other late-model Japanese bikes. My dealer had no idea, but your best bet might be to find a list of the bikes that share the '00+ GS brake levers (and share that list with us!), then find an aftermarket lever for one of those bikes.

[novon]

I found that too, could only find up to 2000 levers online.... maybe an SV650 lever will fit?