Oh i how had my heart set on a gs500 as my first bike. I love the naked look, the fuel economy, the relatively tame power and handling, the price, and the aftermarket support. So i went to my local suzuki dealer last night and sat on an F model for the first time. It felt like i was sitting on a foot stool! My knees were cramped up high and it felt very uncomfortable and unnatural.
I am no giant, standing at 6 feet. But i do admit that my legs are a little longer than most people my height. I also ride my road bicycle around all the time. So i am used to a high seat, stretched legs, and leaning forward. I also sat on an sv650 and ninja 650. They both felt way more comfortable.
are there any "easy" mods i can do to the gs500 that will give me more leg room? I live in the inner city and don't have access to a garage or metal shop. Most of the work i do would probably be out on the sidewalk. Are there any other smaller CC bikes that feel like a ninja 650?
Thanks!
-dave
Since you're tall and long-legged, you might want to check out a cheap dualsport while you're looking around. DR650s are tall, competent, not too fast, and super-easy to maintain. DR-Z400s are taller and a little more maintenance-intenseive, and are better on dirt and worse on the freeway, and have massive aftermarket support.
I'm a big fan of dirt riding to increase your skill and safety on the street, so a dualsport has that benny, too.
The 650 is a wll mannered bike and the mileage is comparable to the GS's... Take it for a spin, you will love it. I have a few friends with them and I enjoy the bikes.
Quote from: davejunk78 on April 02, 2009, 08:29:37 AM
Oh i how had my heart set on a gs500 as my first bike. I love the naked look, the fuel economy, the relatively tame power and handling, the price, and the aftermarket support. So i went to my local suzuki dealer last night and sat on an F model for the first time. It felt like i was sitting on a foot stool! My knees were cramped up high and it felt very uncomfortable and unnatural.
I am no giant, standing at 6 feet. But i do admit that my legs are a little longer than most people my height. I also ride my road bicycle around all the time. So i am used to a high seat, stretched legs, and leaning forward. I also sat on an sv650 and ninja 650. They both felt way more comfortable.
are there any "easy" mods i can do to the gs500 that will give me more leg room? I live in the inner city and don't have access to a garage or metal shop. Most of the work i do would probably be out on the sidewalk. Are there any other smaller CC bikes that feel like a ninja 650?
Thanks!
-dave
I'm 6'1" and I don't have too much of a problem. Unlike a bicycle, you're not really putting any weight on your legs, they're mostly just resting on the pegs. You'll probably find that most bikes that are the same size are the same height or lower... You can stiffen up the suspension to make the seat higher off the ground (and improve the handling at the same time) which will help. Unless you've got terrible knees (like I do) you should probably be able to ride the GS for a few hours at a time without any discomfort. If you really start to have problems and go on super long trips, you could eventually get some case guards and install highway pegs on them, which would be an easy mod, but other than that there's not too much you can do. Most people post here looking for rearsets that move the pegs up and back...
Quote from: Roadstergal on April 02, 2009, 08:37:11 AM
Since you're tall and long-legged, you might want to check out a cheap dualsport while you're looking around. DR650s are tall, competent, not too fast, and super-easy to maintain. DR-Z400s are taller and a little more maintenance-intenseive, and are better on dirt and worse on the freeway, and have massive aftermarket support.
I'm a big fan of dirt riding to increase your skill and safety on the street, so a dualsport has that benny, too.
Dual sports are a lot of fun and taller, but is the peg to seat distance really that much different? I just spent a week and a half riding a klr 250 while waiting on parts for my GS and the klr's pegs weren't too different. They were a few inches further forward and the seat was higher off the ground, but the actual amount my legs were bent didn't change much at all. Perhaps it is different on the larger dual sports, but if they make the seat to peg distance too big, they'll cut all the short people out of the market...
Smaller cc bikes are just that - smaller. there are no mods that I know of except possibly getting more aggressive bars to make you lean forward more. That wouldn't do anything for your legs though.
On the DR and the DR-Z (and my Wrecks), it definitely feels longer peg-to-seat. My legs are straighter when riding those. It might be a big vs. small DP thing; I only rode a KLR250 once, and it was many moons ago, so I don't remember.
QuoteThe 650 is a wll mannered bike and the mileage is comparable to the GS's... Take it for a spin, you will love it. I have a few friends with them and I enjoy the bikes.
I don't think most riders would recommend at 650 cc bike as a first bike. I'd recommend at 250 or 500, or else trying a different type of bike.
Quote from: tripleb on April 02, 2009, 08:47:24 AMI don't think most riders would recommend at 650 cc bike as a first bike. I'd recommend at 250 or 500, or else trying a different type of bike.
Have you ever ridden a DR650? Air-cooled low-compression 650cc thumper. It is
very tame.
don't use the aftermarket support for a GS sway you
the support is crap compared to almost any sport bike
ok thanks for the input! i haven't tried any dual sports out because the styling kinda turned me off. i don't plan to do any off road riding, but they could be useful for curb jumping. i'll definitely go back and sit on the dual sports and v-stroms. Perhaps the gs500 is something i could get used to, but i'm not really willing to take that chance as an initial investment.
what's they point of a 650 cc bike if it's tame? Isn't that the reason riders get bigger bikes in the first place?
I would steer away from the V-Strom as a starter - it's a big heavy bike.
The DR650 will take you all kinds of places, as will the DR-Z; it'll be easier to find a cheap used DR-Z, and just about any aftermarket shizz you want for it, but for mainly freeway, the DR is a better choice. The DR-Z is a great city bike.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/11_26_05/56.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_15_07/884.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/9_9_07/909.jpg)
I used to ride my dad's DRZ400 before I bought a GS for myself. I do mostly city commuting in Seattle and I do miss the DRZ a lot. It's a completely different bike than the GS with a different purpose. You can jump curbs and take many more "shortcuts" than with the GS and still go as hard into corners as you would want to on the street -- even with knobby tires. In pretty much every regard the GS I got was a downgrade from the DRZ, but I wanted my own bike and it had to be cheap.
I'm 6' and to make the bike more comfortable I got clip-on bars to bring my upper body a few inches forward, got aftermarket aluminum GSXR pegs to get an inch more legroom (the stock pegs have all that rubber). I also made a custom plate to move the rear sets 2" towards the rear of the bike. The result is a bike that is tailored and comfortable.
(http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4498/crw7706ir3.jpg)
(http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3387/crw7704ed7.jpg)
(http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/8913/crw7705ta2.jpg)
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:01:48 PM
I used to ride my dad's DRZ400 before I bought a GS for myself. I do mostly city commuting in Seattle and I do miss the DRZ a lot. It's a completely different bike than the GS with a different purpose. You can jump curbs and take many more "shortcuts" than with the GS and still go as hard into corners as you would want to on the street -- even with knobby tires. In pretty much every regard the GS I got was a downgrade from the DRZ, but I wanted my own bike and it had to be cheap.
I'm 6' and to make the bike more comfortable I got clip-on bars to bring my upper body a few inches forward, got aftermarket aluminum GSXR pegs to get an inch more legroom (the stock pegs have all that rubber). I also made a custom plate to move the rear sets 2" towards the rear of the bike. The result is a bike that is tailored and comfortable.
(http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4498/crw7706ir3.jpg)
Oooooo bluesmudge - first generation flange first lot carbon wileyco ... one of only 7 known first gen flanges in existence. And like a good boy you have a muffler clamp holding it on the header. :thumb:
Cool.
Buddha.
I feel so honored to have a piece of GS history! Lol, I got a good deal on it too. Needless to say it has a good home and that rearset plate wouldn't have worked without it (stock pipe curves too close to rearsets).
i'm 6'2" and I fit just fine on the 500. I don't think it's as cramped as you think it is, you're just used to something different. I wouldn't let that scare you off
Quote from: arbakken on April 02, 2009, 03:49:15 PM
i'm 6'2" and I fit just fine on the 500. I don't think it's as cramped as you think it is, you're just used to something different. I wouldn't let that scare you off
i'm 6'4" if i remember to stand up straight. usually, i'm around 6'2 or so, chained to a betts borer........
but anyway, the gs fits me, kinda. i have 89 clipons, and have learned to love the position. if you have a choice of a DRZ or Vstrom, do it. sure they're a little heavier, but really nice machines.
:)
VStrom is heavier, but DR-Z is much lighter.
Quote from: arbakken on April 02, 2009, 03:49:15 PM
i'm 6'2" and I fit just fine on the 500. I don't think it's as cramped as you think it is, you're just used to something different. I wouldn't let that scare you off
Same here. I don't like being on mine for more than an hour or so without a break, but anything short of that is not an issue. All my height seems to be in my legs too :dunno_white:
klr650 or sv650 should be your best bet imho
both are decent first bikes
Yes the DR-Z is much lighter than a V-Strom, but I would never consider it for touring with a passenger and fully loaded with gear like I do with my V-Strom. Yes the V-Strom is a pig off-road, the DR-Z is far better suited for off road use, but it can't touch a V-Strom on the open road for comfort. It all depends on what you want to do with your bike? If a GSX650F is considered a starter bike..than I guess a V-Strom could be one too?
(http://home.comcast.net/~stykers/mcamp01.jpg)
I agree with roadstergal and fred. Compared to a 27" men's bicycle, any motorcycle will seem short. The GS is actually average in ergonomic size, as am I, so for me it's perfect. Dual sport bikes, or enduros as we oldsters call them, are the tallest. You can get dual sport bikes nowadays with street tires, and I think that's a way cool commuter bike option, especially for a lanky guy. Long ago I bought a 5-year-old 1975 Honda XL 350 with 3,400 miles on it. It remains the best deal I ever got on a bike. ($450 and it was showroom!) After riding it for a couple years I wanted to put street tires on it because the zzzzzzzzz was getting to me, but street tires wouldn't fit the rims in those days. My wish came true 20-some years later, as they now have dual-sport bikes that take street rubber.
I'm 6'2" as well...I fit fine. It's a great first bike especially considering the low cost to ride it. The thing that gives me the most trouble is the narrowish seat :dunno_white:
But get what feels right for you...it's not a great beginner bike if you won't ride it!! Try to find a dealer who will allow you a couple test rides.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=47348.0
If riding a bike named the Gladius doesn't scream "I'm ghey" I don't know what does. Does it come with crotchless panties?
Quote from: bill14224 on April 03, 2009, 03:45:59 AM
If riding a bike named the Gladius doesn't scream "I'm ghey" I don't know what does. Does it come with crotchless panties?
Nope ... A$$ less undies.
Cool.
Srinath.
I find cruisers to be very comfortable. They have such low center of gravity that even the big ones are pretty easy to manage. I can ride a Honda VTX1300 all day and not be cramped. The 1800VTX was too top heavy, but lots of other cruisers have smaller size and weight -- even a nice Harley Sportster is comfy to ride.
prs
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:58:01 PM
I feel so honored to have a piece of GS history! Lol, I got a good deal on it too. Needless to say it has a good home and that rearset plate wouldn't have worked without it (stock pipe curves too close to rearsets).
:thumb: :angel:
Aaaah yes, that too, my second and third and 4th lots all had the middle S pipe bent so tight outward and so sharp upward, the muffler would burn the turnsignal almost ... it was just under it actually. But out sharp and up sharp was the game in the flanges.\How high is yours, I remmeber the first lot I didn;t push it that far up.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: bill14224 on April 03, 2009, 03:45:59 AM
If riding a bike named the Gladius doesn't scream "I'm ghey" I don't know what does. Does it come with crotchless panties?
Quote from: The Buddha on April 03, 2009, 08:10:16 AM
Nope ... A$$ less undies.
Cool.
Srinath.
As I said, not a good name. But, I'm definitely NOT ghey, and I'd happily ride that bike--but only in the appropriate gear. :cheers:
I'm 6ft and have been riding my GS almost every day for nearly two years now. Even though I'm very used to the bike and generally feel quite comfotable around town I do get a painfully numb butt after an hour's hard riding on fast twisty country roads and motorway (freeway) riding. I wouldn't recommend a GS if you wanted to tour - although plenty of people on this site would dis-agree.
I bought a gel cushion in the hope that would improve things but it turned out to be a complete disaster! It felt more like I was having an enema administered than a comfort accessory :icon_eek:!! One lives and learns...
bassman
I'm all of 5'10" and find the GS painfully tight, perhaps because I'm old enough that bending my legs that far makes my knees and/or hips ache. Not unrideable, but not comfortable. My plan is to make the seat higher (un-cover, add foam, re-cover and change seat color while at it) and the pegs lower, because otherwise it's pretty darn good for what I want in a bike. The fit on the olde Yamaha is better for me, stock, though. Some of the dual-sports I'd also considered have the same problem - they have lots of seat-to-ground, but seat-to-peg is short to keep the ground clearance high.
Mark two, if I ever get there (I've had the bike for ~10 months without getting mark one mods done yet) would be a taller seat pan, with more storage under it. Just as soon as I find that copious spare time...
I am 6'6 and dont have a problem with legroom on the GS, i attempted to ride a CBR250RR. Ill leave that to your imagination.
But as far as the GS goes i find it quite comfortable, the seating position isn't aggressive and the pegs aren't up near your ass. I get an occasional cramp from god knows what maybe every month or so but if it is just a new feeling of the position try jumping of something with much less room for a day. But if you dont feel comfortable maybe a dual sport is what you are after. :)
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:01:48 PM
I used to ride my dad's DRZ400 before I bought a GS for myself. I do mostly city commuting in Seattle and I do miss the DRZ a lot. It's a completely different bike than the GS with a different purpose. You can jump curbs and take many more "shortcuts" than with the GS and still go as hard into corners as you would want to on the street -- even with knobby tires. In pretty much every regard the GS I got was a downgrade from the DRZ, but I wanted my own bike and it had to be cheap.
I've been thinking about trading in the GS on a DR-Z400SM. I commute from Beacon Hill to the waterfront through SODO. Most of the roads are pretty bad. The poor GS can't take much more of my daily abuse.
Quote from: RVertigo on April 07, 2009, 05:37:06 PM
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:01:48 PM
I used to ride my dad's DRZ400 before I bought a GS for myself. I do mostly city commuting in Seattle and I do miss the DRZ a lot. It's a completely different bike than the GS with a different purpose. You can jump curbs and take many more "shortcuts" than with the GS and still go as hard into corners as you would want to on the street -- even with knobby tires. In pretty much every regard the GS I got was a downgrade from the DRZ, but I wanted my own bike and it had to be cheap.
I've been thinking about trading in the GS on a DR-Z400SM. I commute from Beacon Hill to the waterfront through SODO. Most of the roads are pretty bad. The poor GS can't take much more of my daily abuse.
I don't know, the GS can take a whole heck of a lot of abuse. It is likely that if it really was on its last legs, you wouldn't be able to trade it for a bicycle, let alone another motorcycle... I think people underestimate how solid these bikes are...