I know the subject may be misleading, as I have 250 miles on a brand-new GS and have no plans of selling it. I love the looks, the ride and just the biking experience in general. It's plenty quick for me and I'm still in the break-in, so my mouth is watering at the thought of taking it past 5K RPMs. Should be a couple more weeks as the damned Oregon weather won't let me ride as much as I'd like. :x But I love her regardless. :kiss:
So, my question is one for the future. Should I ever decide that I would like a new, bigger bike, should I hold onto the GS? I bought it new for a little over $5K after all the fees and crap, so I know that I would take a loss no matter what if and when I decided to get rid of it. I am going to try and pay it off in under 2 years, so then it will be mine. I can lower the insurance and all that, which will be nice.
It just seems like a good bike to keep and to have in good shape. Something to give to my wife, kids, etc. (none of which exist but someday will.) And a good commuter for me. Just wanted some input from you all who have years on this bike and know its value, both in terms of dollars and sentiment. And how cool would it be to have the bike in 10 years and know that only I have owned it? Very cool. :)
Dave
I'm planning to keep mine. trade in value is hardly worth it, and after mods I would lose money there as well. I'd say hang on to it.
Well, you can't answer that until you're actually in that position. ;) Without additional data, I'd say hang on to it.
I knew I would hear that, but I needed to confirm that I was thinking with the right head. ;)
I was planning on getting it and selling a year later for something else, but I'm rethinking that. None of my friends know anything about bike but they all agree that it looks hot. They look at it as being equal to any other sportbike. Not that I need their approval, but it affirms that it has great styling. And it rides great, even with stock springs and shock.
$5K for a brand-new vehicle is not bad. It makes sense to just keep her rather than lose money on a sale.
I'd like to keep her in tip-top shape and make her last. And with the help of this forum, I know I'll be able to. :cheers:
Dave
Bikes are small enough that you can have a couple of them without taking up too much space... So... Why not have two? If something goes wrong with one, you can ride the other.
If you find that you NEVER ride it, then sell it.
Hey Vertigo, how much riding are you getting up in Seattle? We have had rain off and on for the past week, so I'm stuck thinking about where to ride rather than actually going out. Sucks.
And you both make good points. I've had the fairings off for a week because I wanted to keep them mint in case I sold it, but now It's just for looks. I'll get them back on in the near future.
I've been riding every day (except last weekend because I broke my bike)... Just suit up in some ghetto rain gear and ride slower.
I think the GS looks better without fairings... :)
I also like it naked, as does everyone else. I have the headlight fairing on (I don't know if you can even remove it and leave the headlight intact) and put one of the screws in to hold the pieces that used to connect to the body fairings in place and it just stays in place like a charm. I taped the blinker wires up under that piece I mentioned and I'm set to go. It's also easier to get in and out of the storage spot without the body on.
I am going to have to get some rain gear if I don't want to have a 3-month riding season. But I'm still breaking it all in and myself in, so I'll keep to the dry pavement for now.
Good luck up there. :thumb:
Hey, I like it faired! :p
Especially when it's raining all of the time, as it is now. Keeps the road crud off of your legs.
I kinda like the road crud... It's like a souvenir of where you went that day.
... That's a weird lookin' bug... When did I go to the beach? :dunno:
My insurance is higher than I was quoted because I forgot to mention that I had a loan for the bike. Arrrrrr, that sucks. Looks like I should start paying as much as possible towards paying it off. :roll:
Yeah... I should get some insurance one of these days...
I have been putting it off, but my sketchy neighbors would love to trade my bike for some meth, so I'd like compensation if it disappears. Or if I get hit. Or if...
There are a million things that could happen. I just felt obligated to get the insurance now rather than riding dirty for more time.
For me, the only reason to get insurance would be to pay for damage to other people's stuff...
I didn't pay much for my bike, so paying the deductible to fix it would almost be a waste... And $10 co-pay $50 emergency co-pay is pretty damn good... So, medical wouldn't really be worth it either.
Now, AD&D would be worth it if I managed to kill myself... I'll just try not to do that. :thumb:
And you are not obligated to have it in WA. In OR, it's another story. Mandatory. Ride across the Glen Jackson or any other bridge.
"Welcome to Oregon. Insurance is mandatory."
I'm sure it's coming here...
They were trying to mandate seat belts on motorcycles... :roll:
Are you serious? God, what could possibly go wrong with a guy strapped onto his bike?
Crap, now I almost regret buying a new one because of the insurance. No, no I don't. I can't think like that. :nono:
Nothing is sweeter than a brand-new bike. Except a brand-new girl that's real hot. But that's all. ;)
With a new bike, you know EVERYTHING it's been through...
With a used bike, you have to guess...
Ride what you can afford...
True. The bike payment and insurance still add up to less than what I pay monthly just for my car loan. And the MPG is a little better. And by "a little" I mean about double. So the drive from Portland to the Couv will be much cheaper when I'm able to get my bike up past 5K RPMs and take her on I-205. :cheers:
Quote from: RVertigoWith a new bike, you know EVERYTHING it's been through...
With a used bike, you have to guess...
Ride what you can afford...
Same thing with girls...
Quote from: 2005-GS500-PDXTrue. The bike payment and insurance still add up to less than what I pay monthly just for my car loan. And the MPG is a little better. And by "a little" I mean about double. So the drive from Portland to the Couv will be much cheaper when I'm able to get my bike up past 5K RPMs and take her on I-205. :cheers:
Yeah... My gas milage went from 15 MPG to 50 MPG... :o
Driving an SUV is SOOOO pointless when you're solo... I'd get rid of the damn thing if I didn't need it to move my band's equipment.
Quote from: groff22Quote from: RVertigoWith a new bike, you know EVERYTHING it's been through...
With a used bike, you have to guess...
Ride what you can afford...
Same thing with girls...
:lol: True!
groff22,
That was clever! I liked it.
Dave,
If you keep the GS500 for a couple of years, it'll be worth around $3000. If you don't want or need to sell it to pay for your next, and you have the space for two, then by all means keep it.
You now have a "hacker bike" you can use in the rain or when you'd rather not let your "good bike" get dirty. You also have a spare, in case your other bike is in the shop, a family member needs it or a friend stops by for an impromptu ride.
But now is not the time to decide these things. Think about it again when you're convinced you need something else (or instead).
____________________
groff22, in my neighborhood you'd get into trouble with words like that. Good thing you're somewhere else. :) (Ouch, hey!!! Stop pinching me honey. I didn't write that... he did...)
Roy...
Words of advice ... treat the GSTWIN forums like porn, when the wifes around, struggle to get to a new screen before hearing "is that all you ever do" hahah
Ok
Thanks everyone. I like the idea of being the original owner of this bike some years down the road. It still is treating me well and I can't ever imagine "outgrowing" it, but it's feasible that I may want another bike in the future. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. ;)
By the way, I rode it to work today for the first time. It's about 25 miles and mostly freeway. I felt like I was ready, and I was right. No issues, no panic attacks, just a beautiful, sunny Portland morning ride. They're rare.
I'm over 300 miles now. I can almost taste 500. :thumb:
Dave
2004 500f with nice mods, 4k miles and never dropped. The dealer offered me $3000 for a trade on a new Ducati...
I haven't decided on that yet. I imagine the trade price would be the same this winter when they're really trying to sell some bikes, maybe I'll wait.
Dave: Congrats that is a great feeling.
Thanks guys.
I have a quick question regarding mods. Should I hold off until the end of the warranty to add any? I am mainly looking at a Katana rear shock and progressive front springs (if anyone has one or both of these that they would like to part with, let me know). I know how the manufacturer loves to void warranties, and I'd like to keep mine for the year it's valid.
Any suggestions? I am just going to hold off unless I hear with 100% certainty that it is ok to mod and keep the warranty. :dunno:
Dave
Quote from: 2005-GS500-PDXThanks guys.
I have a quick question regarding mods. Should I hold off until the end of the warranty to add any? I am mainly looking at a Katana rear shock and progressive front springs (if anyone has one or both of these that they would like to part with, let me know). I know how the manufacturer loves to void warranties, and I'd like to keep mine for the year it's valid.
Any suggestions? I am just going to hold off unless I hear with 100% certainty that it is ok to mod and keep the warranty. :dunno:
Dave
hah..i modded my bike 2 days after i got it - '04 gs. chopped the fender and replaced the signals.
Quotehah..i modded my bike 2 days after i got it - '04 gs. chopped the fender and replaced the signals.
What signals did you use? I would like to get short-stalks if not flush-mount ones. Or a brake light/ signal integrator, although I doubt one exists for the wee 500.
I called the dealer before the filter/jet/slip-on mod. He said as long as I have the jetting done at a shop it's all good.
chinox22x: who's fighting in that gif image of yours?