GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

I was inquiring about possible upgrade bikes next year in this thread (http://www.gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=23058) and I'm wondering now wether I should just keep the GS and upgrade it with the money I would have spent on a new bike.

If I got a new bike I'd turn the GS into a track bike, so she's not leaving me just yet. By the time I bought a new bike next year I will have racked up somewhere in the vicinity of 10,000 miles on it, most likely. I put about 1000 miles a month on it when I can, more during the summer if I can help it. That's the benefit of having a 10 month GOOD riding season.

So, my question to y'all is this: Should I upgrade to a "fancier" bike next year and turn my baby into a track tool or keep her for yet another year and continue to mod the hell out of it with the money I would have spent on a new bike?

On another note: I should be participating in 4-6 track days between now and then, if at all possible.

buy a bike better suited for the track-older cbr600f3/f4 or something like that...keep the gs for around town.

Aren't SV track bikes fairly cheap, or would an I4 be better suited for the track?

sv's are a good choice too. might be cheaper, might not depending on how much you paid for the sv. if you paid under $2000 for a salvage wrecked bike, then fixed it up-that'd be the way to go...


having said that, I would never run an sv, or any Vtwin on the track...something about them just doesnt sound right on the track. Thats just me though-I prefer the scream of the I4 to the staccatto of the twins. Yah, ducatis are born for the track. rc51's are on the track often too...still, WFO, they just dont sound right to me...


whatever you do, whatevr you get-a track bike should be a beater.

I got to see the AMA Superbike races at Laguna Seca this year (and the MotoGP race too  :nana:  :nana: ) and the sound of the Ducati 999 could be heard a few turns back. When it came down the corkscrew, that BRRRRUUUMMMMMM was absolutely intoxicating. Maybe only because it was different than the NNNEEEEEEEEEEEER of the other bikes there.

I prefer twin tone to the harsh scream of an I4, but I think a 2 stroke would be the best sounding track bike of them all.

NSR500 baby!!!


I say keep the GS for street use, buy a beater track, and do light mods to the GS as budget allows.  Suzuki hasn't changed the GS for a long time because they got it right.  It's cheap, reliable, takes abuse/neglect pretty darn well, and it's one of the best commuting rides I've seen/used.

Quote from: Mk1inCaliI say keep the GS for street use, buy a beater track, and do light mods to the GS as budget allows.  Suzuki hasn't changed the GS for a long time because they got it right.  It's cheap, reliable, takes abuse/neglect pretty darn well, and it's one of the best commuting rides I've seen/used.

:thumb: +1. Well said. Ever notice how a lot of the guys that upgrade to bigger bikes always miss the GS? There is a reason for that. I say hang onto it and buy a beater track-only bike with larger displacement and more aftermarket support. Use it as your toy, and the GS will be your REAL bike  ;)

Which ever route you choose, if you choose to track the GS, it will make you a better, smoother rider on your new street bike; if you decide to buy a used track bike that is already set up, it will make you a better, smoother and faster rider on the GS. So the real question is: Do you want to spank 600 supersports on the street with your GS and maybe edumacate some wannabes into investing in some skillza?

I thought your yen for a new bike sprang out of the desire to have something big-displacement for the street?

Quote from: RoadstergalI thought your yen for a new bike sprang out of the desire to have something big-displacement for the street?

Nope. It was more along the lines of added tech (FI, better suspension, etc), better aftermarket support, okay yeah a bit more torque would be great, better selections for rubber, and the added bit of uniqueness. The only reason I was comparing liter bikes was because there aren't many middleweight bikes that aren't either horribly expensive, hideously ugly, or unique at all. The SV650 is so prolific nowdays; they are like rabbits. I am also just in love with the SV1000 and the Z1000. That had a lot to do with it.

scratch, so basically no matter what I do it will make me a better, smoother rider on the street because of the fact I am track riding, right?

A CBR600F2/F3 can be had for less than $2000 for a clean titled one in decent condition. If I find a salvage titled one that is dirt cheap I can fix it up for nothing and have a good ol' fashioned beater track bike.

Well, then it depends on some things... your budget... what kind of aftermarket you want that the GS lacks?  I'm not sure the Z1000 has much more.  You've already crashed the GS, so that worry might be less... but you didn't trash it, so it's still a nice street bike.  Middleweight modern fuel-injected bikes?  650R, FZ6, Moto Guzzi Breva 750, used F650CS...

I'd say just keep what you got until it no longer fits the bill.  When that happesn just get some race rep with an undertail like everyone else is doing... :?

Quote from: RoadstergalMiddleweight modern fuel-injected bikes?  650R, FZ6, Moto Guzzi Breva 750, used F650CS...

650R - ugly as sin, can't buy used
FZ6 - hate the styling (damn I'm picky. I like the FZ1, though)
Breva - Reliability?
F650CS - not exactly sporting

My budget will be in the $4000 range. If I had the cash though, I'd jump on the new Daytona 675... Maybe I'll save up for a few years and buy one. Man that would be sweet.

Quote from: AlphaFire X5Breva - Reliability?

I wondered about that, too, but it's a very simple and easily-maintained machine with a proven FI system (the last from Dave of Guzziology, and I trust him).

Quote from: AlphaFire X5F650CS - not exactly sporting

Have you ridden one?  It's sportier than the Breva - the handling is delightful, and it'll lean farther before it scrapes.

If you had an F, I'd trade you a nice TLS.

$4000 and EFI?  You can get TL1000S and R's, some Milles, and R1 and R6 here and there, F4i's, GSXR 750 (some 1000's), Buell XB's, and a sleugh of other bikes.

Quote from: RoadstergalHave you ridden one?  It's sportier than the Breva - the handling is delightful, and it'll lean farther before it scrapes.

I think he means asthetically.  Most beemers are absolutely visually hideous.

(a little trivie:  do you know the difference between a beemer and a bimmer?)

Slough or slew, take your pic.  ;)

A beemer is a bike and a bimmer is a car.  I love beemer looks these days.

Quote from: RoadstergalA beemer is a bike and a bimmer is a car.

It's aamazing how few people know that...


I like their new R line-up...and I like the OLD OLD OLD OLD R line up...all the rest, despite their more than adequate performance, look horid to me...

I like the new K series. The R models look nice for touring though. Aside from those, bleah bleah bleah.

Quote from: Roadstergalwhat kind of aftermarket you want that the GS lacks?

Umm, considering the GS has essentially NO aftermarket support... :lol: The Z1000 actually shares many parts with the ZX-9 mill, so parts can be interchanged between the two.

I like the new Rs and the K1200S/R.  I do love the Fs of all flavors, though!

Er, so to speak.

I'm still thinking of a CS down the line.  The single-sparkers are getting pretty cheap.

Quote from: makenzie71

Quote from: RoadstergalA beemer is a bike and a bimmer is a car.

It's aamazing how few people know that...

I think it's largely due to the fact that most people don't know that BMW also makes motorcycles.  You get strange looks when you say, "I don't have a beemer...mine has too many wheels."

Quote from: RoadstergalI like the new Rs and the K1200S/R.  I do love the Fs of all flavors, though!

Have you sat on a K1200S?  I haven't seen one up close, but they look huge.  I really like the styling, but I think 160+hp is freakishly excessive...not to mention the price tag.  :o

They actually come closer to fitting me than most beemers.  The low-seat-height GSs and CSs fit me best, but the K1200R and S fit me second-best.

So I'm thinking of finding an old salvage titled F2 or F3 for under $1500 and taking out the headlight and taping over to create a track-only bike. If all else fails I can put the lights back in and ride it around.

Anyone know much about the F2 or F3, or how it compares with the GS?


(https://webspace.utexas.edu/bah562/Photos/IMS2005/card6/IMG_0103.jpg)
Those things are HUGE. Bulky as can be.

And they run the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under 8 minutes.


http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/specials/k1200s_special/download/onw_download_video_1.html

Quote from: RoadstergalAnd they run the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under 8 minutes.

Sure...but not with me on it.  :o

A friend of mine has one.  They are the damndest combination of sport and touring.  They have better sport credentials than any other sport tourer I know of out there, but they have ludicrous comfort features (you don't have to get your hands dirty to adjust the suspension - they have buttons for one-up, two-up, sporty, touring... etc.).

Not to mention that the yellow, black, and silver is purdy.

All that notwithstanding, it still seems like way too much bike.

I'd love a 500cc that's half the size and weight with the same amenities - but it just isn't worth it for them.  A 1200cc doesn't really cost them any more to make than a 500, and they can charge more.

You should find a cheap salvage-title bike and track it...  Use the GS for the street (until it has a salvage title  :lol: ).

Quote from: RVertigoYou should find a cheap salvage-title bike and track it...  Use the GS for the street (until it has a salvage title  :lol: ).

That's the new plan! :thumb:

Oh... HA HA...  I didn't read page 2.   :oops:

If there is another bike out there that is more reliable than the GS500, then I'd surely like to know which one it is. I'd keep it and if you just GOTTA then buy your crotch rocket "catch me-f%$k-me bike" for your piece of mind/ego. You can envision all the townspeople that have turned out to cheer you across the finish line and all the women that want to be impaled atop your blatant 18 inch phallus.

Keep the GS for "short trips" to the store for beer. :)

Quote from: Old Mr. WilsonIf there is another bike out there that is more reliable than the GS500, then I'd surely like to know which one it is.

1983 Yamaha Maxim 400.  the mono-shock one.  Mine has endured:

5 minute ride with no oil (I hate my friends)
Sliding off a trailer at 60mph. (I really hate my friends)
Sliding out of the bed of the truck and lodging under aforementioned trailer.[I really hate my friends...)
Being looped by a noob rider because the throttle stuck and thought he'd turn around to us and hold his hands up in surrender without killing it. (but sometimes they're entertaining)
Never seen the enterior of a garage.
22 years, original filters, sprockets and chain.  Tires, too, i think...
22 years, no valve checks, cleaning or general asthetic motorcycle care.
3 gallons of water, 1 gallon high octane.
12 years, oversized open exhaust and no rejet.

some other crap, too...still ride it...awesome bike.

Hey McK! I stand in orthopedic shoes and a more learned man!
Now THAT sounds like a helluva bike! I've never seen one. I do remember the 550 Maxims somewhere around 1983 though. Thanks for the info and the tale! Wilson

Quote from: makenzie71

Quote from: Old Mr. WilsonIf there is another bike out there that is more reliable than the GS500, then I'd surely like to know which one it is.

1983 Yamaha Maxim 400.  the mono-shock one.  Mine has endured:

5 minute ride with no oil (I hate my friends)
Sliding off a trailer at 60mph. (I really hate my friends)
Sliding out of the bed of the truck and lodging under aforementioned trailer.[I really hate my friends...)
Being looped by a noob rider because the throttle stuck and thought he'd turn around to us and hold his hands up in surrender without killing it. (but sometimes they're entertaining)
Never seen the enterior of a garage.
22 years, original filters, sprockets and chain.  Tires, too, i think...
22 years, no valve checks, cleaning or general asthetic motorcycle care.
3 gallons of water, 1 gallon high octane.
12 years, oversized open exhaust and no rejet.

some other crap, too...still ride it...awesome bike.

Sounds like an old mopar 4 banger I had...had a major oil burning issue but I never worried about it...OK sometimes I put oil in it but most of the time I wouldn't bother until smoke was pouring out from under the hood and you could smell it....Yea I know thats bad for it but what can you do... I sometimes would put gear oil in there or any kind of lubricant didn't matter much, cornered like it was on rails but had no balls...usually I would put used oil in it, when I changed my truck oil I would put fresh into the truck and the old, used oil into the 4 banger just to keep it from smoking, hit some snowbanks, had no heat, 4 bald tires, no headliner...demised was due to the large crack in the windsheild.....was pulled over by an officer of the law and was forced to surrender the car to the state of NY or fix it, $150 beater car not worth fixing at that point.....atleast not for the $250 it would have cost...Yea I coulda took got a junk yard replacement but didn't want to fool with it in winter.

Cool. Phaedrus.  :P  :lol:  :P  :P

Quote from: RoadstergalAnd they run the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under 8 minutes.

Last year a gentlemen I work with (and also the majority owner of the company I work for) was invited by BMW to test the K series bike at the track prior to its debut.  He was one of 30 people invited world wide to Nurburgring for free track day lessons and three days on bike with the local instructor.  Contestants had to complete a three part entry test; i) demographic information (aka "Can this dude really afford the bike and provide free advertising for BMW"), ii) technical questions, and iii) an essay in any reasonable format (document/presentation/video) explaining why the contestant should be selected.  

Anyhow, he had an amazing time.  Although the bike was a blast to ride around the track, he found that the engine vibration was a bit too pronounced for his taste.  He said the engine on his VFR felt more smooth banging up and down gears.   I think in the end BMW called back the bike for a year or so to fix engine related problems.  

All that being said, the ergos on the bike are fantastic.  The picture of AlphaFire on the bike is a perfect example.  That just looks comfortable.  It was by far the most comfortable sport touring bike I sat on at the Toronto Motorcycle show this month.

Quote from: AlphaFire X5So I'm thinking of finding an old salvage titled F2 or F3 for under $1500 and taking out the headlight and taping over to create a track-only bike. If all else fails I can put the lights back in and ride it around.

I've heard very good things about these bikes, especially for track use.  Parts are readily available, they're relatively easy to wrench on and built tough, meaning they'll hold together reasonably well if dumped on the track a few times.

Quote from: sys49152All that being said, the ergos on the bike are fantastic.  The picture of AlphaFire on the bike is a perfect example.  That just looks comfortable.  It was by far the most comfortable sport touring bike I sat on at the Toronto Motorcycle show this month.

It was pretty comfy, but heavy as hell, especially for its dry weight. I'm sure it's a great sport tourer though. Bulky as hell though. It dwarfs my skinny ass frame, as you can tell.

Quote

Quote from: AlphaFire X5So I'm thinking of finding an old salvage titled F2 or F3 for under $1500 and taking out the headlight and taping over to create a track-only bike. If all else fails I can put the lights back in and ride it around.

I've heard very good things about these bikes, especially for track use.  Parts are readily available, they're relatively easy to wrench on and built tough, meaning they'll hold together reasonably well if dumped on the track a few times.

Yeah, likewise. I've heard they are about as reliable as the GS with better aftermarket support and lots of people who know how to work the kinks out. Dry weight on one is only a tad more than the GSF's dry weight (408lbs compared to 397lbs) and it makes roughly around 100HP and 46ft-lbs of torque. It'd also be a track only bike, which means I could drop the unnecessary bits like lights and stuff to bring the weight down a few more pounds.

I know there are always tons of parts availible on the WERA boards for decent prices, so I think I'll be good on hard parts if I crash. I'll just zip tie the bodywork back together and epoxy it if it cracks too badly.[/quote]