I am seriously torn on which bike to start on. :dunno: :?
I've heard dozens of arguments on for boths sides on the SV forum.
I mounted both today at the dealership. I know it was just in neutral, but the throttle on the SV650 was so sensitive it worried me. Just a tiny, miniscule roll on the throttle was all it took to really rev it. The GS500 seem to have a lot more play and more forgiving throttle. I'm not a spaz, but am a newbie.
I think the SV looks (and performs) way cool and I want one ASAP, if I can handle it. I know I can upgrade eventually, but I don't want to get bored of the GS500 after a month or two.
What y'all think???
Justin
The GS500 is already more of a bike than most of us are riders. If you start getting bored on it, take it to a track event, and you'll find how little you've been using of its capabilities. It's a great bike in that you can wring it out a little bit on the street without getting into significant legal issues. Owning-wise, I know of no reasonably modern bike that's more DIYable.
I used to have an SV...
As RG would say do a search. This topic has been talked about alot.
RG even did a comparission post when she had both bikes.
I started on the GS and still have it. And I'm glad I did. It's a great bike. Fun to ride, easy to take care of, fun to ride, cheap insurance, oh did I mention it was fun to ride? :mrgreen:
If I was buying a bike all over again I would still get the GS. The most important thing is not what bike you are getting but making sure you take the MSF course first.
Owning-wise, I know of no reasonably modern bike that's more DIYable.
[/quote]
What does that mean (DIYable)?
I've heard the maintenence on GS is very user friendly.
Justin
P.S. Hot avitar ;)
DIY=do it yourselfer
in this case this is Also know as you can do the maintence yourself
don't mess with RG she'll run you off the road :nana:
Quote from: blue05twinmaking sure you take the MSF course first.
Took the course, of course.
Is that Jesus of Nazareth doing a wheelie?
are you a responsible rider? if you can keep yourself in check, get a sv. otherwise, get a gs
what ever you buy....
save some serious $$$$ get a good used one
either one is fine
Quote from: JustinNoobHi my name is Justin I am crazy in many ways waqy spaz
ehh... Get the black-n-red '05 GS you crazy wacko.
Don't listen to Ryan, he hasn't ridden any sportbike newer than an '89..
Quote from: 97gs500eHi, my name is Teewee and I just crashed someone elses CBR 600...
Hey dude. I'm still heading in the '05 GS direction, but I had asked all my questions in the SV forum so I thought I'd see what this forum had to say about the matter.
Justino
Whatevever you buy, get some gear. Flip-flops and a T-shirt don't cut the mustard.
Personally, I think the SV is too much bike for an inexperienced rider.
Get a GS, you'll be glad you did.
That's buddy christ doign a wheelie.
I started on the gs, now I have an SV. I'm glad I started on the GS, but I feel people could start well on the sv. I decided to take the safer route, and I'm glad I did. I progressed much more quickly I feel.
You're right, the sv throttle is extremely touchy
buy used
either bike is good to start with, which is better for you depends on lots of things.
however, having said that, whether or not YOU are okay to start on an SV is irrelevant IMO. Whats really more relevant is that the GS is a more forgiving to learn on and will in the long run make you a better rider. Learn to ride a slow bike. then learn to ride a slow bike FAST. Then move up.
You'll be bored in a month on either bike. boredom doesnt mean you've mastered it though. The first few weeks you ride you're on sensory overload. your attention id divided among your foot controls, hand controls, consciously keeping your vision far enough in front of you, scanning traffic and road conditions, etc-lots of things that start to become easy right away. You also start to get past that initial anxiety about riding itself, and/or riding in traffic. THAT is what people mistake for boredom.
THAT is the time when the real learning starts and when the GS is most important. It will teach you how to become a better, SMOOTHER rider. Smooth=fast. It will do this because it will force you, for example, to carry more corner speed in order to keep a certain pace. You'd need to learn to be a smoother rider through the corners in order to carry more speed through there. Eventually, you'll be able to hang with the 600's and 1000cc bikes in the twisty bits easily. I did.
Yeah, all things being equal, those bikes walk away from the GS. But in the real world all things arent equal. YOU will be the better rider.
Commit to the GS for a full year. I guarantee you'll be a far better rider than someone who starts even on an SV in the same time.
It worked for me. I could hang with most riders in the canyons, as long as there werent any long straights. even then I'd make the ground back up.
Even now, when I ride my 600rr at the track, people comment all the time about how smooth a rider I am, and how I can carry lots of corner speed.
Quote from: blue05twinAs RG would say do a search.
I'm too tired to beeyotch about searching. Do a search for me beeyotching about searching.
Quote from: pantabloeither bike is good to start with, which is better for you depends on lots of things.
however, having said that, whether or not YOU are okay to start on an SV is irrelevant IMO. Whats really more relevant is that the GS is a more forgiving to learn on and will in the long run make you a better rider. Learn to ride a slow bike. then learn to ride a slow bike FAST. Then move up.
You'll be bored in a month on either bike. boredom doesnt mean you've mastered it though. The first few weeks you ride you're on sensory overload. your attention id divided among your foot controls, hand controls, consciously keeping your vision far enough in front of you, scanning traffic and road conditions, etc-lots of things that start to become easy right away. You also start to get past that initial anxiety about riding itself, and/or riding in traffic. THAT is what people mistake for boredom.
THAT is the time when the real learning starts and when the GS is most important. It will teach you how to become a better, SMOOTHER rider. Smooth=fast. It will do this because it will force you, for example, to carry more corner speed in order to keep a certain pace. You'd need to learn to be a smoother rider through the corners in order to carry more speed through there. Eventually, you'll be able to hang with the 600's and 1000cc bikes in the twisty bits easily. I did.
Yeah, all things being equal, those bikes walk away from the GS. But in the real world all things arent equal. YOU will be the better rider.
Commit to the GS for a full year. I guarantee you'll be a far better rider than someone who starts even on an SV in the same time.
It worked for me. I could hang with most riders in the canyons, as long as there werent any long straights. even then I'd make the ground back up.
Even now, when I ride my 600rr at the track, people comment all the time about how smooth a rider I am, and how I can carry lots of corner speed.
Just have to comment on a great post. :cheers:
Makes a lot of sense and made me feel even better on my gs500f purchase. :thumb:
Pablo's post was even better cuz he typed it with one hand!
He's got a broken collarbone, you preverts!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I had the experience of counseling a new guy recently. He sought me out because I was the only other person in the building with a bike. He is about 15 years my junior so I felt almost paternal :lol:
He was dead determined to get a SV and I tried to talk him out of it. I finally convinced to at least buy a used one. Despite being 21 he appears to be a cautious rider and I no longer worry he'll do something squidly and get hurt. He recently went riding with some guys on gixxers that were wearing sandals and t-shirts. They razzed him about having full gear and riding a "boring" bike. Once they hit the curvy roads they could barely stay with him. :lol:
I guess my point is that if you are level headed and careful, you'll be fine on the SV. It is less forgiving and more expensive when you drop it, though.
Like Pablo says, people that get bored in a couple of months are mistaking boredom with the lack of terror. They are the people that get liter bikes and accelerate madly in a straight line away from the stoplight.
Ride for yourself not for others. The fact that a lot of accomplished riders here still keep a GS tells you something about it. :cheers:
one other aspect you might want to consider is the fact that sv is fundamentally better bike - better parts, build, quality.
i have two friends who started on monster 750 and 600rr. both have never crash or even dropped their bikes. i did always teased them for riding so slow though :lol:
riding, whether on gs or sv, is about how much risk you're willing to accept. some accept bigger risk. others are not. if you're the risky type, go with a gs.
i realized this because i have another friend who bought a r6 as a second bike. he never even hit 80 mhp on it. he would never let himself be in a difficult situation on that bike. though he was fairly a noob, he would probably do okay on r6 believe it or not. he eventually sold the r6.
you have know what type of rider you're. everyone's different.
Like people said earlier, the ability to do all the servicing yourself is huge. I've done every scheduled maintenance on my brand-new '05 and not only saved a shitload of money doing so, but I also learned a lot about the bike and formed a sort of a bond with it, as ghey as that sounds.
I've also done a fair amount of modding on it, which also was simple.
Dave :cheers:
Quote from: RavenXQuote from: pantabloeither bike is good to start with, which is better for you depends on lots of things.
however, having said that, whether or not YOU are okay to start on an SV is irrelevant IMO. Whats really more relevant is that the GS is a more forgiving to learn on and will in the long run make you a better rider. Learn to ride a slow bike. then learn to ride a slow bike FAST. Then move up.
You'll be bored in a month on either bike. boredom doesnt mean you've mastered it though. The first few weeks you ride you're on sensory overload. your attention id divided among your foot controls, hand controls, consciously keeping your vision far enough in front of you, scanning traffic and road conditions, etc-lots of things that start to become easy right away. You also start to get past that initial anxiety about riding itself, and/or riding in traffic. THAT is what people mistake for boredom.
THAT is the time when the real learning starts and when the GS is most important. It will teach you how to become a better, SMOOTHER rider. Smooth=fast. It will do this because it will force you, for example, to carry more corner speed in order to keep a certain pace. You'd need to learn to be a smoother rider through the corners in order to carry more speed through there. Eventually, you'll be able to hang with the 600's and 1000cc bikes in the twisty bits easily. I did.
Yeah, all things being equal, those bikes walk away from the GS. But in the real world all things arent equal. YOU will be the better rider.
Commit to the GS for a full year. I guarantee you'll be a far better rider than someone who starts even on an SV in the same time.
It worked for me. I could hang with most riders in the canyons, as long as there werent any long straights. even then I'd make the ground back up.
Even now, when I ride my 600rr at the track, people comment all the time about how smooth a rider I am, and how I can carry lots of corner speed.
Just have to comment on a great post. :cheers:
Makes a lot of sense and made me feel even better on my gs500f purchase. :thumb:
+1 This post reminds me of why I started on the GS. I can feel myself getting impatient to move up, but my time will come. It is funny though when I see guys on liter bikes pedaling with their right foot on right hand turns. I've seen this twice now and that too makes me glad I chose this bike. I don't just want to ride, but I want to ride really good.
if you INSIST on buying new, imo, get an SV to start.
I think you should buy a used GS. Ride it for 6mo-1yr, sell if for what you paid, and move up from there.
Wait for the Kawasaki 650 IMHO ... worth checking out even if it is a kawasaki ...
Cool.
Srinath.
Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLastPablo's post was even better cuz he typed it with one hand!
He's got a broken collarbone...
yeah, took me all night but I feel very strongly about it.
I thought about these two bikes a lot too when i had to choose one. I chose GS at the end. Ofcourse SV looks nice and technical specs are nice to look at. But i guarantee you that you will be surpriced by the GS power if you have never ridden a bike before.
I was afraid of GS the first 2-3 weeks, because the bike was overwhelming. And this feeling sucks because i didnt felt any pleasure of rinding. Guys who get powerfull fast bikes as their first are stuck with this feeling and wont go out of it. Eventualy they crash their bikes looking for pleasure in speed or sell their bikes.
The SV 650 is a VERY fast bike. It takes 3.7 secs to get to 60mph. I dont want to sit on a bike that can do a backflip if throttle is used incorectly :).
My advise would be: buy a used GS for 3 reasons:
Nothing will happen WHEN you will drop it.
You will learn to control a bike and work on it mechanicaly.
You will almost lose no money if you will want to sell it and buy SV afterwards.
If you buy a new gs you will lose a lot of money if you will sell it after a year. If you will like the used GS then you can buy new one or the SV, by that time you will know exactly if gs is enough for you without asking others and reading endless reviews.
Everyone makes such a huge deal out of "which bike to start with". Sheesh... just Bbuy a used bike... GS, SV, F3, Ninja500 whatever... to make all of your mistakes on and learn from. As you ride it you will begin to truly understand what you do/do not want from a bike, and when the time comes to throw down 5,000 or 6,000 dollars, you will be a much better rider and an more informed consumer than you could hope to be now.
remember, it is your first bike, not your last. You don't have to make the perfect decision here. Just go get a sensible bike so you can get out there and learn to ride with it, for cryin' out loud.
Quote from: JustinNoobI know it was just in neutral, but the throttle on the SV650 was so sensitive it worried me. Just a tiny, miniscule roll on the throttle was all it took to really rev it. The GS500 seem to have a lot more play and more forgiving throttle. I'm not a spaz, but am a newbie.
Sounds like you might have already made your decision.
For what it's worth, the GS has a 1/4 throttle, and the SV is a 1/5 throttle, I believe. That means you have to turn the throttle on the SV less to hit wide open, which is liable to make it seem jumpy (on top of producing 30 more HP than the GS).
But how many people here wreck their GS's? I mean, dolepineapple had a GS and he died it. Many others have piled up there GS's. Nobody here has that has a bigger bike has wrecked b/c they have a bigger bike.
Tommymoto moved up to a CBR way too fast. He is fine. That other young guy got an R6 and everybody was sweating his nuts about it. He's fine.
Everyone wrecks, it seems, because they are nailed by a car, for the most part.
Danny is the only one that went down where people said, Uh, maybe you were going to fast on your CBR.
I say get what turns you on and keep your eyes peeled for cars. Don't go crazy on corners you've never seen before and be cool.
Quote from: aaronstjQuote from: JustinNoobI know it was just in neutral, but the throttle on the SV650 was so sensitive it worried me. Just a tiny, miniscule roll on the throttle was all it took to really rev it. The GS500 seem to have a lot more play and more forgiving throttle. I'm not a spaz, but am a newbie.
Sounds like you might have already made your decision.
For what it's worth, the GS has a 1/4 throttle, and the SV is a 1/5 throttle, I believe. That means you have to turn the throttle on the SV less to hit wide open, which is liable to make it seem jumpy (on top of producing 30 more HP than the GS).
i think sv has a 1/4 throttle as well...they do the r6 throttle mod, which is 1/5
sv has a lot more torque compared to gs...it's hard to keep it steady especially on low end
Quote from: Jake DBut how many people here wreck their GS's? I mean, dolepineapple had a GS and he died it. Many others have piled up there GS's. Nobody here has that has a bigger bike has wrecked b/c they have a bigger bike.
Tommymoto moved up to a CBR way too fast. He is fine. That other young guy got an R6 and everybody was sweating his nuts about it. He's fine.
Everyone wrecks, it seems, because they are nailed by a car, for the most part.
Danny is the only one that went down where people said, Uh, maybe you were going to fast on your CBR.
I say get what turns you on and keep your eyes peeled for cars. Don't go crazy on corners you've never seen before and be cool.
I've seen PLENTY of newbies wreck their sportbikes. I've seen so many wadded up sportbikes ridden by newbie squids it isn't even funny. There was a guy here at my school that bought an R1 as his first bike. Everyone in my club tried to tell him how dumb he was, but he got it anyways. A few days later he calls up our VP and mechanical guru and asks him to come fix his bike because the "wind" knocked it over. His friend "saw" it too. When our VP got there, the right clip on was busted, the plastics were cracked and rashed on both sides, even the upper fairing was cracked. The right footpeg had been ripped off, too.
The fact of the matter is that the modern sportbikes have a LOT of power that can be easily abused. The GS has a tiny bit of power. It's hard to abuse it. It takes skill to be able to use the GS to it's full potential thus making it safer, as it is much more difficult to get yourself into a dangerous situation because you're giving it too much power.
On a related note: I crashed my GS. I would have crashed a LOT earlier probably had I had a faster bike.
Quote from: JetSwing
i think sv has a 1/4 throttle as well...they do the r6 throttle mod, which is 1/5
Looks like you're right. I take it back.
I'll vouch for the GS. I was going to wait for the Kawasaki Ninja 650R, but I couldn't wait until Feb. I bought a 2005 GS500F brand new with 6 miles on it as my first bike. I bought new because I am not your typical college student looking to upgrade to an R1 and kill myself doing 120 through campus. I plan on keeping this bike for many many years. I have been having a blast learning on it. I haven't been able to sample much of it's acceleration or handling potential, as I am still learning. I am still in the break-in period at only 90 miles so the revs must stay below 5k. I have gotten about half into the throttle and brought it to 5k. I nearly had to change my underpants, the bike is freakin fast. I have been a pro-stock mechanic for 6 years (drag cars), i've driven dozens of 9 second and faster cars that could pull the front wheels...but this bike still scares the hell out of me. It's plenty enough bike.
Ride smart, take the MSF, learn what you are doing and don't get yourself in over your head. Everyone claims "You WILL dump your first bike". Wrong. Be responsible, bottome line.
I get compliments everywhere I go and all of my riding buddies are surprised the first time they see it. I'm happy with my GS.
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c391/KSUDanimal/gsf1.jpg)
-Danimal
Alright folks. I'm sold on the GS. I'll worry about an SV later.
Anyway...everyone preaches "get a used one". Well, out here in rural Oklahoma there is almost no market for used sportbikes. The nearest suzuki dealer is almost 100 miles away. I've checked cycletrader. I might just have to get a new one. Besides, I'm single and just started making 50k+ a year.
Justin
Quote from: JustinNoobAlright folks. I'm sold on the GS. I'll worry about an SV later.
Anyway...everyone preaches "get a used one". Well, out here in rural Oklahoma there is almost no market for used sportbikes. The nearest suzuki dealer is almost 100 miles away. I've checked cycletrader. I might just have to get a new one. Besides, I'm single and just started making 50k+ a year.
Justin
Exactly. I got a new one because who knows when I'll next have the chance. Wife, kids, etc. may come in the near future, so do it now while you can.
Congrats on the killer jobby, and good luck with the bike. :thumb:
Dave :cheers:
There's no way you'll regret it. I have yet to talk to a GS or former GS owner who hasn't immediately exclaimed their love for the bike. I have no less than 3 friends who have claimed that they wish they had kept their GS when they got a newer bike.
-Danimal
Yo Danimal,
Maybe we could ride sometime. Ada, Oklahoma isn't that far from Kstate.
Have you ever ridden with my little brother??? He lives in Overland Park and rides a 97 GS500. I plan on meeting up with him in the future to ride (once I buy this thing next week).
Justin
OK... Pablo covered everything:
Quote from: pantabloeither bike is good to start with, which is better for you depends on lots of things.
however, having said that, whether or not YOU are okay to start on an SV is irrelevant IMO. Whats really more relevant is that the GS is a more forgiving to learn on and will in the long run make you a better rider. Learn to ride a slow bike. then learn to ride a slow bike FAST. Then move up.
You'll be bored in a month on either bike. boredom doesnt mean you've mastered it though. The first few weeks you ride you're on sensory overload. your attention id divided among your foot controls, hand controls, consciously keeping your vision far enough in front of you, scanning traffic and road conditions, etc-lots of things that start to become easy right away. You also start to get past that initial anxiety about riding itself, and/or riding in traffic. THAT is what people mistake for boredom.
THAT is the time when the real learning starts and when the GS is most important. It will teach you how to become a better, SMOOTHER rider. Smooth=fast. It will do this because it will force you, for example, to carry more corner speed in order to keep a certain pace. You'd need to learn to be a smoother rider through the corners in order to carry more speed through there. Eventually, you'll be able to hang with the 600's and 1000cc bikes in the twisty bits easily. I did.
Yeah, all things being equal, those bikes walk away from the GS. But in the real world all things arent equal. YOU will be the better rider.
Commit to the GS for a full year. I guarantee you'll be a far better rider than someone who starts even on an SV in the same time.
It worked for me. I could hang with most riders in the canyons, as long as there werent any long straights. even then I'd make the ground back up.
Even now, when I ride my 600rr at the track, people comment all the time about how smooth a rider I am, and how I can carry lots of corner speed.
Just thought it needed another quote. :thumb:
Get a used GS and sell it when you get bored.
Better to loose a few bucks than to get scared off or getting hurt.
I have a GS500 and A DL650.
The boring part is that the GS needs lots more service per mile.
I don't have the time for it so it costs me a little.
As far which is the most fun bike to ride it's the GS hands down.
If you get an SV get the newer ones with the fuel injection.
Like someone once said "carbs are the devil".
I was in the same situation, trying to decide between an SV650, GS500, or EX500. I really wanted a Ninja 500, but when I saw a GS500 for sale nearby, I decided to take a look. Easy maintenance, no fairings, abundant supply of parts, durable - simply a great starter bike.
Then I found this forum. This forum gave me the confidence to work on my own bike. My plan was to ride the GS500 for a while then buy an SV650. After about 5,000 miles on the GS500, I decided I wanted more power than the SV650 had to offer and bought a 600cc sportbike as my second bike.
I'm one of those that wasn't willing to get rid of their GS500. I still have it and use it every day to commute to work, 70 miles a day. It is perfect for that task. Here in Houston, it is more than capable of keeping up with traffic on the highways. I routinely do 80-90 mph and have no problems accelerating to pass people.
You've got a lot of really good opinions here already. I just wanted to add my own experience.
I am really new to riding. I have '98 GS which I bought after going back and forth from it to the SV. It really came down to money (used GS's are so much cheaper) and a bit of fear. I had never ridden before, not even a dirt bike. I'm 27 and realizing I get injured much more easliy now (my recent strugle with marathon training proved that quite well). That's why the GS has been great for me.
After the initial jitters of being in traffic passed, I started to become more and more confident. The confidence all came from the bike. It was easy to learn how it would respond which allowed me to focus on my skills as a rider rather than concentrating on keeping the bike tamed. This is what I felt like when I have ridden my roommate's SV. The bike is awesome, don't get me wrong, but, it just scares me right now. This will change when I'm a better rider. However, the touchy throttle and the brut torque the bike puts out is too much for my skill level. As a rider I feel like I am behind the bike at all times. That is to say I focused on the what the bike is doing and not what I myself am doing. This can become unhealthy.
Regardless, I have to say that the SV is my roomates first bike (he has ridden some dirt bikes in the past though) and he is doing fine with it. I'm sure I would have done okay with it too but, it would have taken me much longer to feel comfortable.
Hope this helps. Either way you go, buy used, get good gear, and practice your ass off!
-Joe
Quote from: JustinNoobYo Danimal,
Maybe we could ride sometime. Ada, Oklahoma isn't that far from Kstate.
Have you ever ridden with my little brother??? He lives in Overland Park and rides a 97 GS500. I plan on meeting up with him in the future to ride (once I buy this thing next week).
Justin
I haven't ridden outside of Manhattan (where K-State is). My folks live in Overland Park though. Nice place.
-Danimal