Hi everyone!
I'm Shawn and I'm a new rider from Maine. I have not yet purchased a GS500, but after weeks of research I've decided it's the perfect first bike for me and I'm super excited to get one! Two summers ago I took a MSF course and now have my motorcycle license. Recently my cars engine blew, so once I'm out of school for the year I'm picking up a GS500 as a way to get around until I figure out what I'm going to do about a car. Everything happens for a reason I suppose! I've been wanting a motorcycle for years now and I already have a few long rides in mind for the summer! Stoked!
A quick question for you riders. I'm no speed demon by any means and safety is my number one priority when I ride (already got head to toe gear!), but how much "oomph" does the GS500 have for highway passing (say 70mph)? I would love to do some 5+ hour rides that would involve highway riding and I know the GS500 isn't the best bike for that but I'm curious as to how much go the bike would have if I cranked the throttle on the highway. I only weight 130lbs. I ask because around here you get the occasional idiot that should be avoided on the road. As a comparison, my 2002 Subaru doesn't move any faster when I step on it doing 70 (thats when the engine worked, now it doesn't move it all lol.) Is the GS500 much better?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to joining you all on the road soon! Ride safe everyone and most importantly, have fun!
Hey Shawn, welcome aboard!
I'm also in Maine (Falmouth) and had my GS for a couple years now, my first street bike and really happy with the choice. I also weigh 130lb and the GS will have no problem hauling your ass around! There are much more powerful bikes out there, but the GS is really affordable, and coming from basically any car is going to be fast.
There is definitely enough power at 70mph to keep pulling, unless you're flat out racing, it's gonna be faster than most cars out there.
Unless you have a lot of experience on motorcycles, the GS is a great place to start. Enough power to have a blast and get comfortable on a bike, not enough power to be out of control.
Hope to see you around, if you're near Portland area hit me up if you ever need an extra hand to wrench or someone to cruise with. :)
Gabe