Just bought a 1998 GS500. My first motorcycle.
It's currently with my mechanic as it's been sitting awhile.
Hoping for good weather this weekend! :icon_mrgreen:
Will get pics up when I can.
are you a young guy who likes stunting (or who is interested in stunting in anyway, even if youve never, or never plan on doing it yourself) ? if so, join the club, that so far i think me and just one other guy on here are a part of. cant remember his name though. he was selling his stunted out gs a little bit ago.
Quote from: gregvhen on November 11, 2009, 08:30:51 PM
are you a young guy who likes stunting (or who is interested in stunting in anyway, even if youve never, or never plan on doing it yourself) ? if so, join the club, that so far i think me and just one other guy on here are a part of. cant remember his name though. he was selling his stunted out gs a little bit ago.
I seriously don't know what your post has to do with this new rider's thread. :dunno_black:
Anyway... Island3r... WELCOME! :cheers:
Pics of the beast when you get her road worthy!
congratulations on your first post!
Happy to join the community! Thanks for the welcome!
and sorry Greg, I don't have any interest in stunting. I'm better off being a by the book MSF guy. 8)
Quote from: Island3r on November 11, 2009, 08:15:12 PM
Just bought a 1998 GS500. My first motorcycle.
Island3r:
Welcome. And yes please... pics... or it didn't happen.
As this is your first motorcycle I suggest spending a day or two riding around on a bicycle to help re-familiarize yourself with two-wheel physics.
Do a motorcycle riding course as well.
Also, find a deserted parking lot and spend time riding around it. Even take down some half tennis balls and make a small slalom course, or just zigzag in and out of the parking bays. The idea is to get acquainted with your GS without the pressure of cars on the road and other obstacles to deal with. Practice Slow riding too.
Michael
Thanks Michael!
Safety is actually my (and my wife's) #1 concern.
I did the Team Oregon course a couple months ago, and have had jacket gloves and helmet for over a year. (I jumped on some good deals) Hopefully I can weasel pants and boots for the Holidays.
Funny you mention the parking lot, I've been planning on doing some of the team Oregon exercises in the High School parking lot a couple blocks from my place.
And as far as bicycles go, I've been riding a brakeless fixed gear around town as my main transportation for 2 years now. :icon_twisted:
I really do like how safety minded this forum is. I've been lurking here and a few other places for a long time, I'm excited to finally have a bike to post about! :icon_mrgreen: :thumb:
Awesome, sounds like you're ready to pull the brakes off your GS and go at it!
Welcome!
Now that's out of the way, I have to say that safety and fixie's without brakes don't mix! :nono:
Hopefully those days are behind you. The GS is small, but not a toy :thumb:
i always thought that when fixies had to slow down it was pretty cool having to power slide and get back on course :thumb:
Quote from: centuryghost on November 12, 2009, 10:33:47 AM
Welcome!
Now that's out of the way, I have to say that safety and fixie's without brakes don't mix! :nono:
Hopefully those days are behind you. The GS is small, but not a toy :thumb:
Oh don't you start old man! (just kidding, I have no clue how old you are)
I'm still sticking to my story that if you know what you're doing, a brakeless fixed gear will keep you a live a lot longer than one with brakes. I only put the brakes back on mine because I want to be able to walk when I'm 60, but I'm not where near as smooth as I used to be before I had them.
Actually, I'm old enough to just get out of that indestructible phase!
So fill me in, is it a performance enhancement to go without brakes on fixies, or is it fashion. :dunno_white:
It was performance enhancement, and now it's fashion, although I think it's at the tail end of fashion as I believe most people are moving on.
If you ride in the country, and are doing 40 mile rides then there's not all that much of a benefit, and you may get too tired to stop yourself going down some hills after the first hour or two of riding like that, but for those of us who live in the city it's very convenient. The first part being the fact that grabbing the brakes is rarely the right answer to any problem, and 99% of the time you're better off swerving around or jumping over the problem. The same is true for motorcycles when you're not sure if you're going to make it through a turn. First instinct is to grab the brakes, but that's the easiest way to stand the bike up straight, shoot off the ouside of the turn and land in the bushes.
The seconds is that same awareness that comes with riding a motorcycle that we blame car drivers for not having. Not having that steel cage around your body means you're going to be that much more aware of your surroundings and know your limits. Riding a bike without hand brakes means you're not going to take your eyes off the road, you're not going to take chances around cars you're unsure of, and you're just not going to push yourself beyond the limits you know you can handle, and various other similar situations. I switch back and forth between geared, single speed, fixed, and used to have a couple brakeless bikes, and I was 100% more focused and fluid on the brakeless fixed gears. With brakes you occasionally catch yourself staring at a distraction, or checking a cute girl on the sidewalk, and just not paying attention in general.
It's not something I'd recommend for someone who isn't comfortable on bikes, or never ridden a fixed gear before. I would expect anyone who does it to have ridden in traffic, on a fixed gear specifically for a while before they take them off. Same goes for motorcycles. A gsxr750 is perfectly safe to someone who knows how to ride and has experience on sportbikes, but I would still expect that person to have put in their time on a 125cc dual sport, then a gsxr600 before they need the 750. Once they're good at it they'll tell you that the gsxr750 is also safer on back roads and on highway traffic than the 125cc dual sport is, even if the 125 sounds pretty safe, that's not what you want to be on in fast moving traffic, but you also need more focus and skill to go with it.
Make sense?
If not, I recommend you wrap yourself up in an old matress and put training wheels on the GS before you go out, because the answers that looks the most obvious to the general public are always the right ones!
are you a young guy who likes motocross (or who is interested in motocross in anyway, even if youve never, or never plan on doing it yourself) ? I think we should turn our GS5's into the world's crappiest motocross cycles. As a close second we turn them into the world's crappiest underpowered stunt bikes.
:icon_twisted:
;)
Welcome to the forum!
I just picked up road bicycling recently after a little over a year on my GS. I've noticed its made me far more confident on the motorcycle during slow speed maneuvers. I just have a better sense of balance. You should do great with all your biking experience.
The idea of a fixie scares me, especially one w/o brakes. I like my gears (especially in Seattle) and I also like coasting, I just don't see the appeal of fixies other than fashion.
Anyways, YAY FOR SAFETY. Crashing sucks >:(, but if it has to happen you will be much happier with good gear on.
lol, I guess I should explain how I arrived at my current brakeless fixed gear state.
I built my bike (frankenstein style) with a friend of mine and rode with a front brake for about a year.
Said friend needed his brake for another build that required that specific style of front brake. Around this same time I won a raffle at my local bike shop and ended up with a pair of $320 wheels for free. Yay! :thumb:
However, these new, fancy wheels were not machined for brakes, and at the time I didn't have brakes. I rode the new wheels anyway.
I commute almost everyday on my bike. I had more close calls when I HAD a front brake. Not because I'm any more "zen" now or "in the zone", but simply because I ride considerably slower in the city than I did before. I adjusted my riding style to give myself more time to react. So far it's been great.
If I rode the way I did when I had a front brake, I would have had a major accident by now. No doubt about it.
If I want to ride fast I find a nice bike path or back road and spin like crazy. :icon_twisted:
The End.
Quote from: Island3r on November 12, 2009, 08:00:23 PM
However, these new, fancy wheels were not machined for brakes, and at the time I didn't have brakes. I rode the new wheels anyway.
I'm also guilty of not putting a brake on a bike just because my rims weren't machined.
The other positive side to a fixed gear.... year round riding, the only thing that keeps my blood from freezing when it's only 10 degrees out is the fact that I don't stop pedaling, ever. You also get the traction control because you can feel everything your back tire is doing. On most bikes you don't realize your rear tire lost traction until you're already laying on the road, but when you're riding fixed you can feel it the instant your wheel starts to slip and catch it most of the time. Makes you much more comfortable riding in the rain or snow.
Quote from: tt_four on November 12, 2009, 08:43:42 PM
Quote from: Island3r on November 12, 2009, 08:00:23 PM
However, these new, fancy wheels were not machined for brakes, and at the time I didn't have brakes. I rode the new wheels anyway.
I'm also guilty of not putting a brake on a bike just because my rims weren't machined.
The other positive side to a fixed gear.... year round riding, the only thing that keeps my blood from freezing when it's only 10 degrees out is the fact that I don't stop pedaling, ever. You also get the traction control because you can feel everything your back tire is doing. On most bikes you don't realize your rear tire lost traction until you're already laying on the road, but when you're riding fixed you can feel it the instant your wheel starts to slip and catch it most of the time. Makes you much more comfortable riding in the rain or snow.
Dude, good to know that someone "gets it". So much more feedback on a fixed gear.
When I tell folks why I love riding fixed, I usually say "I can make my 15 minute work commute without putting a foot down."
If they don't "get it" then, they never will. It's usually fairly polarizing when I have folks ride my bike, they either love it or hate it.
How much do you motorcycle vs. cycle for short trips around town?
I've been wondering if my bicycle is just gonna collect dust once my bike is good out of the shop.
I don't get it :icon_razz:
Welcome Island3r. 'Hope that you really like your GS500 and motorcycling. Get some good motorcycle gear (decent jacket with padding, a good pair of gloves/pants, and over the ankle boots). One place for gear is www.newenough.com - check out their closeouts...
Ride safe and enjoy your GS500... :D
Quote from: Island3r on November 12, 2009, 10:59:46 PM
How much do you motorcycle vs. cycle for short trips around town?
I've been wondering if my bicycle is just gonna collect dust once my bike is good out of the shop.
I actually came at it from the opposite direction you did. I lived in the suburbs and rode a motorcycle everywhere for transportation. Then when I moved to the city I just parked my motorcycle and let it collect dust. As fun as it was, there's no easier way to get around the city, not to mention the absolute freedom that comes from never having to worry about stop lights, traffic, speed limits, tickets, 20lbs of riding gear, oil changes, gas, insurance, not to mention how nice it feels to ride down an open road at the end of the evening wearing shorts and a t shirt. So my motorcycle got parked, spent about 2 years in my parents garage, then a year next to my apartment when I thought I might use it, then eventually ended up selling it. I went for about 2 years perfectly fine without one, then all of a sudden it got to me and I decided I need another one. I pulled my wife's GS out of storage, which had also been parked for about 4 years at that point and spent this past summer fixing it up. Took so long I didn't even get to start riding it, so I'm gonna get a fresh start this next spring.
I'm sure your experience will be different, since the motorcycle will be the new one, and it'll be exciting, but once you spend some time sitting in rush hour traffic with a 200 degree engine burning up your legs, I'm sure you'll pull your bicycle back out for trips that are no more than a couple miles.
This time around I also just plan on using the bike for joy rides outside of town. I think I'll enjoy that more instead of using it specifically for transportation like I did last time.
theres still no pics on this thread. im too lazy to read all these posts to find out if you are getting to it or not. all i know is, theres no pics, and there should be.
I'm kinda with tt_four on this one. I bought my GS last August, and for 13 months I rode it everywhere, rain or shine. Didn't matter if it was 2 miles, 20 or 200. I just recently bought a used road bicycle and I am absolutely LOVING IT. Now I take my bicycle everywhere within ~7 miles unless I am really in a hurry. My GS now only get used once or twice a week, maybe only 150 miles per month.
Its awesome to have multiple forms of transportation. Bicycle gets used for all around-town personal transportation. Motorcycle gets used if medium amount of stuff is needed to be carried or if destination is beyond biking distance but within 500 miles (long motorcycle trips being a notable exception). Then I have a van, it gets used when I need to cary many bulky items or anything that won't fit on the bike, or if I am going on a road trip where time/people carrying capacity is a factor.
Nothing is perfect, I just try to avoid 4-wheels when they are not needed. The world would be a better place if everyone did the same.
Soo TT bikes don't have to obey traffic laws? Here in Florida you have to stop at traffic lights, stop signs, etc.... I saw a dude get pulled over for flying through an intersection the other day. Of course they were pulling over everything with two wheels that evening! No one is safe from the revenue officers I mean :police:! Around here everthing is just far enough away that riding bicycles are not practical and public transportation is spotty at best. Maybe in the next ten years we will get the sun rail up but I'm not holding my breath!
Mary
Quote from: gregvhen on November 17, 2009, 10:21:23 PM
theres still no pics on this thread. im too lazy to read all these posts to find out if you are getting to it or not. all i know is, theres no pics, and there should be.
Ill post pics soon. If there's no sun tomorrow, you'll have to be satisfied with pics of the bike in my garage.
Finally was able to ride it today after getting it from my mechanic. Apparently it was only running on one cylinder when I test drove it. It was nice having twice the power. :)
I'll have to look for some threads on winter riding, I don't think I'll be able to stay off of this thing.
Quote from: Toogoofy317 on November 18, 2009, 11:18:46 PM
Soo TT bikes don't have to obey traffic laws? Here in Florida you have to stop at traffic lights, stop signs, etc....
We're supposed to follow pretty much all the same laws that cars do, but that's one of those things that sounds better on paper than it does on the street. Just about every law for a bicycle will get you killed due to the way car drivers treat you when you're on the road, and it's pretty obvious all the laws were written by overweight rich politicians who have never even tried to ride a bicycle in traffic. The other reason most people on bikes just don't care is because most of the traffic laws were written to keep car drivers from killing people, and considering there's absolutely no chance of me killing anyone, there's no reason I'm going to sit at a red light when no one's coming the other direction with a line of homicidal road rage wrapped up in 2 tons of steel each lined up behind me.
Any time I try to be nice and stick to the right side of the road, I get nothing but people flying by 1 inch from my shoulder, so next time there's someone on a bike taking the entire lane, and you think they're a jerk for making you go around, you'll know why. I've gotten rear ended more than once, and had the car driver stop to scream at me. I've had someone pass me, get out of their car to knock me off my bike and hold me up by my neck, and the cops could have cared less, I called them after it happened, gave them the drivers car and license plate number, and never heard from them again. I've also had plenty of people nearly run me off the road right in front of the cops, and they didn't get so much as a second look. Pretty much you're on your own, and it's a shame how miserable some people have managed to make something that's supposed to be as nice as a bicycle ride should be.
When all else fails on a deadly treadly you can always do as Danny MacAskill does http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o
Michael
Quote from: mister on November 22, 2009, 12:27:13 PM
When all else fails on a deadly treadly you can always do as Danny MacAskill does http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o
Michael
I've thought about how amusing it would be to have a bmx bike downtown, and next time everyone gridlocks and pulls straight into an intersection they know they're not going to get through, you could just grind straight across their hood or bumper, or just bunny hop right onto their hood and right off the other side once the light turns and they're just sitting right in your right of way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppVfcoQlLJE&feature=related
Yup, here in Kissimme you can get busted for it. KPD has to pay for their new Can Am Spyders! What are they $32,000 base? We are the only city in the nation to sport them!
I used to ride alot but due to knee surgery I've slacked off :embarassed: so I know how it is. When I drive if I can't give at least half of the road when I pass I stay behind them other idiots blow their horns alot at me but better at me then taking it out on the cyclist. Of course in Kissimmee I've had people try to pass me on my motorcyle like I'm a bicycle going 5 over the speed limit on 192!
Of course here I get to deal with stupid cagers from all over the world!
Mary
I'm always trying to transfer to the other office that's on the other side of my neighorhood, where everyone around is a driver from in town. There's nothing worse than having to go downtown and fight your way through intersections full of commuters from the suburbs with no idea how to drive in the city. They're not from other parts of the world like the people you have to deal with, but they might as well be. They still haven't gone for my suggestion of putting giant cement barriers on all the roads in and out of town to completely keep the cars out.
Quote from: tt_four on November 23, 2009, 01:12:50 PM
. They still haven't gone for my suggestion of putting giant cement barriers on all the roads in and out of town to completely keep the cars out.
Wouldn't work.
There's road works on a Major thoroughfare in our city. Maybe 20 clicks of road widening. Extra lanes. Extra Signage. Resurfacing. Big big deal. Been going nearly 2 years now and maybe one more year to go - there is more to do but that is being postponed by the govt.
Anyway. Between two site locations is a small railway bridge with access underneath. It isn't surfaced. Just bare dirt. And it is used by the company doing the roadwork. It's not an official access way for the public. So on weekends, the roadwork crew place large boulders on the access way to prevent people using it - during the week the access way is controlled by traffic controllers. So come Friday afternoon, the boulders are in place. Maybe a half dozen of them. By Monday morning the roadworkers do not have to remove the boulders because the public have removed them themselves sometime over the weekend.
Another nearby road has bollards installed into the road and a large Road Closed black/white sign thing in the middle. The sign thing is still there. ALL the bollards have been ripped out so people can still use it as a throughway.
The only way to stop people is to physically remove the road.
Ever notice how a lot of the Laws which relate to driving - seatbelt, elbow on window, no talking on cell while driving, etc., seem to benefit big insurance companies? That is.... reduce the $$$ they need to pay out.
Michael
I think people where you live must be a little more rowdy than the people here. People wouldn't be happy, but I don't picture too many people just crushing cement barriers out of the way.
It's a shame that the majority of traffic laws passed aren't actually there to protect the general public from other people in cars. They've been trying here for years to make driving while on your cell phone illegal, and they've had no luck. Not much hope for a city who doesn't even have the common sense to realize it's a bad idea. They haven't even made much progress with people text messaging while driving, and a move like that is just sticking-dynamite-up-your-ass-stupid. What a mess.