Being a member of some generic Aussie biker forums and this fantastic, detailed, dedicated, community of GS owners I've observed a huge difference in the ways the GS in seen in Australia and the rest of the world. Maybe looking through rose coloured glasses but in OZ the GS isn't a "real bike" its a "Learner's Bike" until you get a full licence and a "proper one". Im really stunned by those kind of views. I'm not made of money and I happily rode around on my ZZR250 for 8 years. I couldn't ever afford to get rid of my bike because I had a card that said I'm allowed to ride something bigger. I have a bus licence too but I don't own a bus.
I never got "bored" with it. How can you get bored with riding on two wheels? It seems the people who get bored are those who enjoy travelling at frighteningly high speeds and I don't mean when they're trying to overtake a truck.
The US and UK members of this group seem very dedicated to the humble 500 and make it as good at it can be, and I love that so keep up the love for the GS guys.
Jimmy, I get a lot of grief for riding my GS450 (I know, not a GS500 but it's kinda the same). The bike parking lot at work is filled with Harleys, one 750cc Yamaha, a GSXR1000, and a Hayabusa. I relish when the guys at work give me a hard time for riding such a small bike..... a "scooter" as some people call it. But when I walk out after working a midnight shift and there is frost on the ground and on the seats.... whose bike is the only one in the motorcycle lot? You betcha - the humble little GS.
In the US at least, anybody with insurance can go out and buy the fastest bike that is made. IMHO, the most reasonable riders have smaller bikes. More smiles per gallon.....
Most in the US think it's only a starter bike too.
But a few riders do realize how great of a bike it really is; here we are.
There are very few people who are better riders then their GS is a motorcycle. That would take most people decades.
My first bike was a GS125 but I sold it when I took my GF on a holiday. Needless to say I'm married now, but not to her.
My now wife rode a scooter to work and We became the "bikie couple" in our coworkers eyes.
My starter bike gives the mates bidders a hard time in the mountain twisties, around the lake twisties, through the back streets across suburbs.... then the popo give the gixxers a hard time on the freeway and open road when they want to imitate rocket sleds.
.... and I can still get fast enough to frighten myself if I'm not 100% focussed!
And my fuel stops are at a 1:2 ratio...
Its a win!
Yea here in the US the Gs is considered a small beginners bike or "scooter with gears"
Until they see me rocketing around corners and the dual exhaust cafe madness lol
It definitely depends on who you talk to/ride with as to the view on them.
Some at work and elsewhere ask when I'm getting a bigger bike than my 450, but others who I ride with (and some at work) totally get it that little bikes can be oh so much fun!
Having mine a little custom takes some of the questions away too, I do often get asked if there's a cafe racer meet when I'm heading out (although it's not a cafe).
As for the guys I ride with, they're all on big Kats and the only time they lose me is when there's power/torque involved. On the usual roads we ride I'm either right with them or not too far back, the 450 holds her own! In fact one of the guys I ride with keeps telling me I'm not allowed to get a big Kat :icon_lol:
It's a lot more fun to go fast on something slow than to go slow on something fast. My Concours is big, hot and heavy in the city where as my GS500 is a non stop GRIN !
Carol Brunette said you have to have a brain to have a sense of humor. Same goes for appreciating a GS500.
By the way, my GS goes over 100mph which is faster than I care to go...
I remember watching either honda or Yamaha race a 50cc 4 cylinder engine and thinking "that is cool". It guess its a lot like cars. Some people want to drive something fast and others want to drive something they like. The coolest cars IMHO are where those two things meet. Can you get a 4cyl vehicle from the 70s to go fast without dropping the biggest possible engine in it? etc
Jimmy
Even amongst the Learner riders in Australia the GS500F Is considered to be a "baby" bike, I ride with a few other P Platers (Still restricted to the LAMS Approval system) and they are riding Restricted 650's which are 20 - 30kg's heavier and are restricted to ~40hp. The GS being fairly light and extremely nimble (And no non-sense in the way of no rider aids and no ABS) it teaches you *Alot* about how to ride and how to anticipate different scenarios and situations. Once you use this to your advantage, It's fairly fast through the corners. The Restricted 650's seem lag behind in the twisties (Restricted above a certain rev limit) whereas the GS has it's entire rev range to play with.
All in all, I'm about 6 months away from my full license - My intention is to keep the GS500F and get a bigger bike.
Unfortunately the GS is viewed that way (Small, underpowered, obsolete) by many. :icon_rolleyes:
I see the beauty of its simplicity, its reliability, comfort, ease and ridiculously low cost of maintenance, easy to ride, I could go on.
It was the first motorcycle I purchased, new in 1998; It taught me how to properly ride, taught my son how to ride too, now I have bigger, faster, prettier motorcycles, but my 1997 GS still is a hoot to ride, especially when I ride into the city for errands. :thumb:
I've had several 1000cc plus bikes. I bought the GS because it's light, easy to handle, cheap to buy and cheap to own. Plus I really do enjoy riding the bike.