I would have been happy with the GS being my bike for many more years (until I saved the cash for a BMW F800ST) but the vigor of my youth has caught up with me. I have 4 bad dics in my neck from C3 to C7 and they are causing me some concerning problems. I can't really ride more than 125 miles in a day without sever discomfort and I can tell it's the riding position. I've put bar risers on and that helped a bit but it's time to join the cruiser club or stop and I'm not stopping riding. The nurologist said for me to quit riding all together but my primary doc and physical therpist said a cruiser and a carbon fiber helmet would probably be all right. So I've got the GS up for sale or trade for a 500 or 750 Vulcan, #1 on the wish list will be a Triumph American. I'll let who ever gets the GS know about this place, you folks are a pletheria of info and are better than any manual out there. There is really nothing that can happen to these bikes that isn't covered here (short of a very hot fire). I want to thank all of you who helped with everything both directly and indirectly with the maintance and care of this fine machine. I'll poke my nose back in from time to time but it appears I'm out of the GS buisness for good unless I can make a cruiser out of it and that would just be silly. Thanks again Mark.
Sorry you have to give up the GS but I hear you on the pain. I had the opposite problem, I got rid of my Honda Shadow because of lower back pain from the seating position. Somewhere there is a bike that will fit you and satisfy the motorcycle bug ;) Good luck to you!!
-Jessie
I just sold my GS500E a few days ago and I am going through GS withdraw. I bought a SV650 but as much as I like it and think it is a better all around bike, I miss the GS500 a lot. People said I looked too big for it because I am 6' 220 but I try not to care what other people think. I loved riding it around town, I put the 14 tooth gear in it and it became a peppier bike for sure.
I have a savage chopper/bobber with your name on it if you wanna try it out. 2.5K for it, 3600 mile year 2000 bike.
I also have a regular savage ... 1600 for it. 87 with 2500 miles. Yea 2500. All powdercoated tin on both, coated tanks on both, near perfect everything on both.
BTW savage is the cruiser GS ... seriously. Literally we slap on any pipe we can find (harley sporty can is a favorite mod there) jet it to the 86-88 spec, do K&N and drag bars and what not ... literally its a GS in cruiser guise. Oh yea, Harley sporty seats are a mod as well, as is peanut tanks and other bike tanks, like vulcan 750 etc etc.
The savage clowns are well ... like the GS clowns except add 10 years to the average age.
Anyway I raked mine with 9 degree triples, put a KX250 front end on it, has a 21 inch wheel and a GS rear disc machined to fit the wheel.
43mm forks with 21 inch wheel and a 45 degree rake and its lighter than the stock crap I yanked out. I plan to sell a kit for that some time.
Cool.
Buddha.
Speaking of Savages Buddha, a Savage looks like my next bike. Low and light, the way to go for me. My current 02 GS should last three more years at my current rate of 10k miles per year and I'll retire it with 100k on the clock and be looking for a Savage or similar height/weight bike to buy myself for my 80th birthday. :thumb:
Savage is the cruiser version of the GS I tells ya.
GSJack - PM me for pics and a build list pic.
My chopper will almost out handle the stock ... or feel like it will. The trick is called very very small but positive trail ... :thumb:
Cool.
Buddha.
Isn't the Savage a thumper?
Yes, the Savage aka Boulevard S40 is a 650 thumper. Buddha, I wouldn't want a chopper style Savage, I like the stock 58" wheelbase which is one of the reasons the bike interests me besides the low seat and light weight. If I wanted a 62-63" wheelbase I'd be looking at the Vulcan 500, I like 500cc twins.
You don't HAVE to leave the "GS Business". Get an old-school GS###L - goddamn fine bikes, and they don't sound like fatso cruisers.
Vulcan 500 - yes jared has one ... ping him.
The thing though is ... the stock savage looks like a cruiser but it feels like a chopper. That is the 33 degree rake and a huge amount of trail at work there.
The 500 vulcan is very neutral steering as is the 750 vulcan. I attribute that on both bikes to very small positive trail as well as the smaller rake compared to the savage.
The chopper I built has a very small trail. Its raked +9 over a stock savage but trail is very small. Under 1 inch and positive. It handles better than most and is lower steering effort than most cruisers vulcan's included - or course they got an extra 100 lb weight.
Cool.
Buddha.