I recommend taking an MSF course (http://www.msf-usa.org/). They're offered at very numerous times at many locations country-wide and they do a very good job of teaching you how to ride. When I took it, I did day classes and afternoon riding for one week and was done. It cost about $54 and upon completion you are exempted from the riding skills portion of your class M endorsement/license test. Great deal.
As far as maintenance goes, I don't honestly know much myself. My roommate and I share a bike and he's the one more mechanically inclined.
[quote="
Now, I never owned one before, hence I have no idea how to ride it. I
Sly[/quote]
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Quote from: MR_PINK[quote="
Now, I never owned one before, hence I have no idea how to ride it. I
Sly
:lol: :lol: :lol:[/quote]
Yes i was expecting lots of :lol: :lol: :lol:
Quote from: ANTVoltI recommend taking an MSF course (http://www.msf-usa.org/). They're offered at very numerous times at many locations country-wide and they do a very good job of teaching you how to ride. When I took it, I did day classes and afternoon riding for one week and was done. It cost about $54 and upon completion you are exempted from the riding skills portion of your class M endorsement/license test. Great deal.
As far as maintenance goes, I don't honestly know much myself. My roommate and I share a bike and he's the one more mechanically inclined.
Thats exactly what i was planing to take. i guess all it takes is 3 days here in Ohio, 15 hours to be exact ... i might be wrong
don't mind people laughing at you. you are making the right decision by not riding it until you get some training. like others, i recommend taking the MSF course. they will teach you everything you need to know, even if you've never sat on a bike before.
here in maryland, it runs about $100, and when you pass the class, you get a certificate that you can take the DMV to get your license.
good luck and welcome.
What dealer in ohio?
How did you get from 3999 to 5100... I hope you got some gear in that.
It might be a good thing to take the side plastics off for the first few hundred miles.... you prob will drop it.
you need chain wax, and use the recomended oil....
Youngstown eh?....
I'm about 30-40 mins from there... I might have nothing better to do this weekend... let me know... I'm allways up for an excuse to go on a ride... I don't know about lessons though... it is best left to the pro's but i could go over the basic maintenance with you. or sometime down the road go for a ride.
im not sure 5100 is an awesome deal, i got my 04f mint 500 miles on it for $3300. $3500 after tax from a second owner.
Either way, congradulations and welcome!
second owner is why... trade in on low mile bikes... SUCKS.... 3999 is a good deal... 5100... i'm wondering where the other 1100 came from...
Trumble county has a 6.5 tax... 4258
tags, title say 50 4308
dealer BS fee (assemble, check out....) 100 4408
we are still missing 700 I hope the 600 mile service and or some gear is in there
It is kind of late to worry about getting a deal or not. But remember, every person that buys a new car/moto comes away thinking they got a deal :roll:
You've got a great bike to learn on, just take your time and don't push your luck.
Like everybody says, take the MSF. It won't make you a great rider but it will teach lots of good habits to practice.
Get good gear and wear it. It doesn't have to be full racing leathers or an Aerostich suit. Ebay and newenough.com are great places to get bargains.
For maintenance buy a Clymer manual from the link on this site and spend some time reading old posts here. The GS is pretty easy to work on and there are lots of helpful people here.
If you have a large empty parking lot near you, you might practice there before you get on the road. Or ride around your neighborhood on Sunday mornings. Don't ride til you get some gear though.
Did I mention get some gear? :lol:
Keep the rubber side down.
Quote from: gazingwaWhat dealer in ohio?
How did you get from 3999 to 5100... I hope you got some gear in that.
It might be a good thing to take the side plastics off for the first few hundred miles.... you prob will drop it.
you need chain wax, and use the recomended oil....
Youngstown eh?....
I'm about 30-40 mins from there... I might have nothing better to do this weekend... let me know... I'm allways up for an excuse to go on a ride... I don't know about lessons though... it is best left to the pro's but i could go over the basic maintenance with you. or sometime down the road go for a ride.
Well, so its $3999 plus $375 for assembly and fluids, $375 for destination charge, $98 documentation fee, plus taxes. came to $5100 and change.
I dont have it yet, should be delivered either later on today or early next week.
Is it hard to take plastics off? Special tools or just a screwdriver?
That's close to what I paid. Yeah, you pay more for new, but you get what you want. It's a tradeoff.
Good call on taking a course before getting on the bike - very good call! Do your learning and your drops on the school's bike. Respsect the bike, respect conditions, take it slowly but be sure to have fun with it.
A service manual is a Good Thing. These bikes are easy to work on. You get a toolkit with the bike, and you'll at least be able to take off the plastics with those. ;)
The local dealer told me that the 600mi service has to be done by an authorized Suzuki mech or the warranty's off - I was going to ask on that here as the time got close, to see if that's the case or if there's smoke being blown.
Oh, and you have good taste. :mrgreen:
two things..
remember the insurance. im sure you have. and 2) Use the [Search]feature located ontop. Lots of info you may need is in there. See ya round.
Ditto on the MSF, it'll save your life, "Uncle Jimmy's" or best friend "Johnny's" advice on how to ride won't (unless they work for MSF).
Oh yeah, insurance - don't go with Progressive, they'll charge $1000 (literally) more than you need to pay. Just do an online quote and you'll see what I'm talking about...
:thumb:
liability and uninsured progressive... 219 a year
Progressive: Full coverage, 100/300 limits, $500 deductable, 27 years old and married, $402/year.
Quote from: gazingwaliability and uninsured progressive... 219 a year
USAA sent me to Progressive. But GMAC was much cheaper (and cheaper than Geico, thank goodness - I've heard stories about their coverage).
Quote from: RoadstergalUSAA sent me to Progressive. But GMAC was much cheaper (and cheaper than Geico, thank goodness - I've heard stories about their coverage).
Um... I had GMAC for a few years... And I had to use them twice.
One piece of advice...
RUN!!!!
I switched back to Progressive because they were
nearly the same price and about 500 times better for actual coverage... rather than the pretend coverage you get from GMAC.
Quote from: cucamongaDitto on the MSF,
MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF! MSF!
DO IT!!!!! :thumb:
It's $240 in WA, but it's TOTALLY worth it... Need more convincing?
Quote from: The Hurt Report24. The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.
:o
MSF Free in PA! Woot woo! :O)
Got my 04 GS500F 1 month ago....the parking lot of my apt complex away from cars was the best way to learn for about 2 weeks.....esp like balance and 1st gear into 2nd. from a stop you can try going into 1st etc...you will stall alot, but you will get it down. I then took small baby rides around a 1 block loop for 1 week. Scary at first, but you get more comfortable if there arent many cars around (avoid rush hour times etc). and yes, as everyone else....MSF course is def the first step along with a good jacket, helmet and gloves. Pants are worth it too, but the get the first 3 things...
And the 04 F fairings are cake to get off. Like maybe 5 allen bolts on each side....lil tricky with the bottom piece bc there is a conceter that snaps, but you can fiddle with it and take it off within 15 minutes.
-Hops
Quote from: hoppers69MSF Free in PA! Woot woo! :O)
Got my 04 GS500F 1 month ago....the parking lot of my apt complex away from cars was the best way to learn for about 2 weeks.....esp like balance and 1st gear into 2nd. from a stop you can try going into 1st etc...you will stall alot, but you will get it down. I then took small baby rides around a 1 block loop for 1 week. Scary at first, but you get more comfortable if there arent many cars around (avoid rush hour times etc). and yes, as everyone else....MSF course is def the first step along with a good jacket, helmet and gloves. Pants are worth it too, but the get the first 3 things...
And the 04 F fairings are cake to get off. Like maybe 5 allen bolts on each side....lil tricky with the bottom piece bc there is a conceter that snaps, but you can fiddle with it and take it off within 15 minutes.
-Hops
its $25 here in Ohio, or free if you under 18. but man its booked for months ahead.
sly,
if you're really itching to take the course and get riding (i know i was), check the surrounding towns for courses, especially towns that have community colleges or the like. i was able to get into a course three months sooner by going an hour and a half away. inconvenient, yes, but better that than starting to ride because you simply can't wait for the course. ahem. i never did that...really!
Quote from: RVertigoMSF!
DO IT!!!!! :thumb:
It's $240 in WA, but it's TOTALLY worth it... Need more convincing?
Not to be too picky, but WA doesn't have MSF; the Evergreen Safety Council has a Motorcycle Safety program that uses some of the MSF materials, but isn't overseen by MSF. This is relevant because the school is contracted out. I signed up for the Grays Harbor school because the Seattle one was so booked; the guy who is contracted to run that school is an utter duck (doesn't even ride). DON'T go to that one. I did the Seattle one in midwinter, and it was very cool. I recommend that one. There are a limited number of subsidized spots for $100, and more unsubsidized ones for $240 as said. You get the same insurance discount and automatic license.
a side note, OR does not recognize MSF as a governing safety body, and therefore does not recognize a msf course as a acceptable safety course, I found this out when I was still in NC, and still had a oregon licence and was trying to get a endorsement, I ended up having to get a nc permit and a nc licence and then a oregon endorcement, 300 bucks in dmv fees later I had a OR motorcycle endorsement.
Quote from: splattsly,
if you're really itching to take the course and get riding (i know i was), check the surrounding towns for courses, especially towns that have community colleges or the like. i was able to get into a course three months sooner by going an hour and a half away. inconvenient, yes, but better that than starting to ride because you simply can't wait for the course. ahem. i never did that...really!
i was thinking about doing that too, but i dont have to wait that long. i'll get in msf class at the end of june or very early july. that class is 30min away. i dont feel like driving farther than that.
Well guys... They just delivered it and i took it out for a spin on my street.
The guy who delivered it was very nice to explain pretty much all buttons, lights, knobs, keys, settings.
Anyways, i must of driven total of 1 mile. thats like my street 4 times back and forth. i was going 25-30mph and never went higher than 3rd gear. i didnt risk making turns at the end of the street, so i slowed down a lot and held the clutch in and pretty much walked my bike in the turn part as i was sitting on it.
So i didnt fall and i didnt drop my bike. I have no problem shifting gears once i'm moving in first.
I need some detailed tips on how to start moving, i guess i'm trying to figure out an easy way of letting clutch go and giving it some throttle. i did stall a couple of times here.
That's the kind of stuff the class will cover. In the meantime - forget about the throttle. Spend some time finding the clutch engagement point. The clutch is not an on/off switch; it has some slip. Warm up the bike, go to a parking lot, and then shift into first with the clutch in and practice getting the bike moving from a stop without stalling using only your clutch. You'll want a flat surface without an upwards cant, and keep your feet down for this exercise. ;) Do this until you feel comfy with it.
Quote from: slytekI need some detailed tips on how to start moving, i guess i'm trying to figure out an easy way of letting clutch go and giving it some throttle. i did stall a couple of times here.
To start off easy, I blip the throttle to about 3k and then start to let the clutch out. When I feel the clutch start to grab, increase the gas but not the rpms. They will stay about the same. As you start moving continue to let the clutch out slowly and increase the throttle. After some time you will get the feel of where the clutch grabs, all bikes are different. It is good to practice just letting the clutch out and feel the "bump" where it engages.
If you start going too fast pull the clutch first instead of decreasing the throttle. This should lessen the stalling.