GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

I notice in a lot of posts that the next bike wanted after the GS tends to be 600. Why?

The 600 is not really like a GS. It is a faster reving and requires more shifting. An I4 is a completely different type of motor. They do not have the low end torque of the twin. I am surprised that more GS owners do not get a SV650 next. A much better street bike than a 600, IMHO. There are plenty of other bikes available...sport/touring, V-twins, V4's.

I am not bashing anyones decision. Not the direction I would take, just curious and a little late night rambling.

8)

Are you nuts? Low end torque? Not on the GS. Other twins do.

Yeah good point.... I think I have an answer for you, at least this was my experience.

I eventually sold my first "small" bike and got a Honda F4i 600cc - At this stage I was a sales rep and had a company car so I was only riding 1-2 times a week.

I honestly believe that people on high powered sports bikes most often only ride on the weekends or at best a few times a week. For commuting to school, or work, or whatever the GS500 or SV650 or another sports/tourer - like a BMW! are the best kinda bikes.

When I had my CBR I always wondered why anyone would want anything but a powerful sports bike  :roll:  gee was I wrong. No one wants to ride for 3 hours on a highway bent over with all the weight on your wrists and a shitty hard seat like you get on ALL sports bikes.

Its simple... its something that everyone should try once in their life... owning a bad sports bike. But for those, like me, who ride the bike as their only means of transport, a powerful sports bike is not practical. If I was a weekend basher like a lot of motorbike riders (only go out in perfect conditions) I would have another sports bike!

Stay Safe  :thumb:

I've been looking (lusting for more accurately) at the Speed 4.  The ss600's don't really get me going like they do for some people.  I'd like the power of a V twin but don't want to go liter yet and the SV650 does nothing for me.  The S4 seems like a much better deal than the 599 or FZ6 with its amazing brakes/suspension and comfy seating (for me at least)

I love the sound of VFR's but I am a naked bike lover.  I love the Z1000 and ZRX but the power seems like a huge jump and I am afraid to even ask about insurance

Yeah the Duc's are sweet - but I can get 2 new SV650's for the same $$$ as one S4

Stay Safe  :thumb:

well the reason i'm gonna go with a I4 600cc is because that is the bike i wanted before the GS, i didn't buy the GS because i wanted a twin, or a small bike but because it's cheap and low insurance ($1500/year for liability in ontario  :roll: )
i have my GS because it's close to a sportbike and cheap..i love sportbikes, streetfighters and V twin ducati's but not all of them

i want an SV650 to be honest

I want a YZF-600R, which is really a sport touring bike.  It feels a lot like a VFR.

Actually, what I really want is that new Aprilia 450R they had in Cycle World.  mmmmm..... V-Twin....

i have a speed four, it seemed like a good compromise between a sports bike and a standard, cause even though it doesn't have the same power as a gsxr600, it's still got a ton more power than an sv, and the handling and brakes are wonderful, not to be biased since i have one, but anyone that's ridden one and some other bikes, would probably tell you the speed four is in a seperate class from bikes like the sv650 and the 599, i think of it more like a naked supersport, tuned a little better for the street, which unfortunately cost it a little power, but it keeps up with any other 600 just fine,

as far as commuting, there's times i sit in traffic that i'd rather something a little more comfortable, and the highway gets pretty uncomfortable if i'm cruising anywhere near the speed limit, but you get used to the seating position, when i first bought it, i wanted standard bars so bad, and eventaully i took the time to find all the peices i needed, drilled a spare top clamp, but the bars on, and hated it, not really hated it, but i realized how much i did like being leaned over, it all just depends on how you ride, if i had two bikes, it'd probably be my speed four, with high bars, and a new 600rr, but i've just got one, so it's the speed four, but i've acctually put lower bars on it than stock, bars off an R6, that are probably a good 3 inches lower,

the gs is a good bike, i have a hard time getting used to the seating position, it just makes me feel like i'm sitting on the back of the bike, and makes the front end feel too light to me, it's acctually the seating position on the gs that makes my back hurt, cause i'm always trying to lean over where i'm more comfortable, but over all, just cruising around, i have fun on it, but when it's bike night, and me and a few other guys are tearing down the highway, i'd rather the speed four, i'm willing to put up with some discomfort every once in a while for the fun i get out of it,

Quote from: keyzerIf I was a weekend basher like a lot of motorbike riders (only go out in perfect conditions) I would have another sports bike!

That would be me. The bike is pure entertainment.

a 600 requires more shifting? I dont think so. More than a liter maybe, not more than my gs for sure. I can ride the freeway in 1st gear. if I want to pass quickly I might need to downshift but on my gs it would be 2-3 gears to really romp on it. And in the canyons I had to pick my passing points well or I wouldnt have the room to complete the pass!

Yeah, the 600rr is a pussycat under 7k but still FAR faster than the gs. is that low end torque. Probably not, but it sure does accelerate fast even in the lower half of the tach.

My opinion having ridden (briefly) an sv650, and comparing my gs to my cbr I'd have to say the gs is MUCH more like the cbr in character. Nothing like the sv. The sv really has low end torque and is completely different to ride. The gs feels like a buzzy, low powered, low tech version of the cbr (or any inline 4, generally speaking).

There arent many choices if you want a moderately powerful twin sportbike (thats affordable and not exotic). THe sv650 and the old honda hawk are the only ones available. Otherwise you're looking at a liter twin. Most people that look to the gs/ex bikes as first bikes either want standard or sport bikes in the future and the gs/ex is a stepping stone to get there. If someone wanted a cruiser they'd start on a 650 twin instead, like the v-star 650.

Having lots of low end torque is more true for V-twins, not parallel twins, IMO.

Quote from: keyzerYeah the Duc's are sweet - but I can get 2 new SV650's for the same $$$ as one S4

Stay Safe  :thumb:

The S4 refered to is the Speed4, not the Monster version by Ducati.

The speed four is actually less expensive than the sv650 and a better value (I'll leave the 'its a better bike' discussion for another time). I had one priced at $5500. And it seems like a supersport bike because it IS. They stripped the tt600 of fairing and that was it. So the speed four is a super handling bike, so much so that Motorcyclist did an article on budget bikes (599, FZ6, sv650) and had initially included the speed four because of its price point. They had to pull it and give it its own article stating that it was heads and shoulders above the other bikes. The s4 doesnt have budget suspension and is highly regarded for its handling. It has 600ss quality stuff and feels it.

I rode one and it was so much fun to ride, but needed to be revved like any 600...not unlike the gs. :dunno:

I have an Yamaha R6 now, but I also have my GS. The main difference is the power. The R6 has much more power, but this power is only available above +- 8000 rpm. Below that it sucks........ The GS is better in low torques. This was the main thing to get used to on the R6, riding in high rpm`s. But the handling of the R6 is a HUGE DIFFERENCE with the GS. I thought the GS was handling well, but the R6 is much, much better. I think any 4 cyl. 600cc sportbike is very different compared with the GS and requires some 'getting used to', but in the end you`ll get used to anything.

Quote from: pantablo

Quote from: keyzerYeah the Duc's are sweet - but I can get 2 new SV650's for the same $$$ as one S4

Stay Safe  :thumb:

The S4 refered to is the Speed4, not the Monster version by Ducati.

The speed four is actually less expensive than the sv650 and a better value (I'll leave the 'its a better bike' discussion for another time). I had one priced at $5500. And it seems like a supersport bike because it IS. They stripped the tt600 of fairing and that was it. So the speed four is a super handling bike, so much so that Motorcyclist did an article on budget bikes (599, FZ6, sv650) and had initially included the speed four because of its price point. They had to pull it and give it its own article stating that it was heads and shoulders above the other bikes. The s4 doesnt have budget suspension and is highly regarded for its handling. It has 600ss quality stuff and feels it.

I rode one and it was so much fun to ride, but needed to be revved like any 600...not unlike the gs. :dunno:

wouldnt the speed 4 be in the same class as a 600rr or r6, being it's an I4?

how much do the daytona 600's go for?

Just to add my two cents... I personally, like others, didn't buy my GS because I wanted a twin bike... I actually didn't care much. I wanted something decently quick, small, and forgiving to LEARN to ride on... not for the future. Now that I've ridden the GS thousands of miles, learned what being on two wheels is all about, and saved up a decent chunk of change... I'm going to move on to what I really want.... an I-4 true sportbike. In fact a late model R6 will probably be sitting in my garage next to the GS in a couple weeks... but since I don't have the money for two bikes, the GS will be finding a new home. Just my view.

Scott

I've pretty much got the same view....


I wanted something to learn on, fun to ride, not too expensive.

next year I'll probably get something else.  I dont know what, yet, though.
I like the SVS's, but the SS600s are cool too.   I'll have to go test some stuff out before I go shopping  :mrgreen:

I like the look of the SVS, but it's said the 650 suspension is spongey.  and that's for a rider that weighs way less than I do.  is the sv1000s the same way, or does it have a stronger suspension?

man, there's so many different kinds of cool bikes, it's almost not fair   :cheers:

Quote from: chupacabrahwouldnt the speed 4 be in the same class as a 600rr or r6, being it's an I4?

how much do the daytona 600's go for?

Yes, that was the point of the article. The Speed Four doesnt even belong in the budget class because its so much better, but its priced to compete with them. Thats what makes it such a great value. Its not quite an R6 though because in addition to removing the fairings they also detuned the s4 for more midrange and better driveability around town.

The msrp for the speed four is $6495 (my price of $5500 got me OTD for less than MSRP because they want to move those bikes)

Daytona 600 MSRP is $7999 and they arent discounting them as much. I paid $500 more for my 600rr.


chupacabrah-the sv650 is also a budget bike and suffers from a weak suspension. Maybe not quite as weak but still weak. The sv1000 gets complaints for being too stiff...too harsh suspension...

You guys think its hard to go from a GS to a 600cc I4? Try going from a 90ish HP 750CC I4 to the GS  :P

Quotehttp://www.por15.com/uploads/files/chips2.jpg

that's the thing i don't get, people are just so biased because it's a triumph instead of a japanese bike, if suzuki made the speed four, the media would've shaZam! themselves, but instead, they just pass it off as a bargain bike cause it's british, i don't know many other "standards" you can stand up on the highway in 3rd gear :thumb:

To go back to your question dgyver, I think you answered it your self when you said  

QuoteThe 600 is not really like a GS.

Thats exactly why I want one, one of these days.  So I can experiance what that kind of power feels like.  Then maybe one day I'll get a big V-Twin, then I'll be able to compare that to a I-4.  If all I ever rode was a GS how could I have opinion about wether it is good or not?  This way I will be able to tell what people are talking about from experiance.

I think the reason you see alot of people on this board impaticular saying they want to "upgrade", is that they are starting with the GS.  But, like me, they know it won't be thier last bike.  I'm just getting started, if you ask me, in 20 years I want to be able to say, "yeah, I rode one of those once, it was pretty cool", or "I rode one of those, I didn't go for it."  

I've ridden the GS for a few years, when I get a new bike I will do the same thing, then I'll want something else, and sell it.  After all I'm just buying them, not marrying them. :)

Good question though.  :thumb:

:cheers:

Quote from: tt_four

Quotehttp://www.por15.com/uploads/files/chips2.jpg

that's the thing i don't get, people are just so biased because it's a triumph instead of a japanese bike, if suzuki made the speed four, the media would've shaZam! themselves, but instead, they just pass it off as a bargain bike cause it's british, i don't know many other "standards" you can stand up on the highway in 3rd gear :thumb:

tt-I think you missed the point of the article. They said it WASN'T a budget bike, but had initially included it because of its price. Once they realized how much better a bike it was (I think the author said it was in the first 10 minutes of riding) they removed it from the budget article and gave it its own peice.

They praised it highly, actually.

Quote from: pantablo
chupacabrah-the sv650 is also a budget bike and suffers from a weak suspension. Maybe not quite as weak but still weak. The sv1000 gets complaints for being too stiff...too harsh suspension...

ok...so you're saying the sv650 = too soft
and the sv1k = too stiff

i read it right?

Why the desire to upgrade to a 600?

I have no desire to upgrade to a 600.  At this point I am completely satisfied with the level of power the GS puts out.  It gets me moving, sometimes quickly, and if I spool it up to 9-10k it has a nice tug.  How fast do I need to go on the street, anyway?  I might like some more power, but I certainly don't need it and am not gagging to go faster.

The GS500 is my first bike.  Certainly won't be my last.  I'd kinda like a VStrom 650, or maybe a SV650S, or to dream the dream, an Aprilia Falco.

But I'm cheap.  I certainly won't be buying a new bike anytime soon.

I think the GS will stay even if another bike comes, though.

As a pretty new rider, it's just right for me.  And I have no desire to try to be cool to impress someone.  I don't give a f%$k what people think of me--never have, never will.

I'm looking at getting a FZ6 for my next bike.  Don't get me wrong, the SV is a great move up, but I'm a bit too scrunched up on it for my comfort (I'd get the SVS)

I think 600's are a good balance between value and power.  The increased torque and hp, you might have to seek out high revs, but it is there if you need it.  I haven't found the need to dip into the power band too much on my GS unless I am concentrating on twisties.

Now, if I had the money... I'd get an Interceptor with ABS, that bike is a serious sport touring machine :)  As it is, I hope I can keep a GS around to work on even if I get my FZ6.  I find myself doing a lot of voluntary work on the GS, but I haven't ridden it in 2 weeks because I'm waiting for parts and things!  :x  Would be nice to have a bike I could just ride and not worry about 8 year old, unchecked parts.

Well though i still own my Gs i've had a Ducati M620 Dark for the last 3 weeks and i have to say i'm very happy with it.  It fit's my small frame (5'5" 135#) quite perfectly and it weighs about 5# more than the GS.  The performance is another story entirely.  The bike accelerates quickly and responds easily.  The intrument panel is handy as is the fuel injection.  Not to mention the bloody bike is just sexy....nekkid and all.  Right now i see no need for me needing a larger bike.  I like 'em small, sleek, fast, and naked.....umm....bikes that is.    :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

Quote from: chupacabrah

ok...so you're saying the sv650 = too soft
and the sv1k = too stiff

i read it right?

Yes. the sv1kS has the ergos of the gsxr bikes as well...few are comfy on those. they havent been selling well either so you could probably pick one up at a good price if you wanted one.

Quote from: Turkina... I'd get an Interceptor with ABS, that bike is a serious sport touring machine :)  

if you want a serious sport touring machine look elsewhere. My riding buddy bought a well taken care of 2002 vfr800 and hates it. Not touring enough to be confortable on longer rides (for him or passenger) and not sporting enough for serious canyons. The vtec also was hard for him to get used to-kicked in hard, usually mid corner. he had to get used to riding much higher in the rpm band. You want a ST bike look at the Kawasaki Concours (good value since you can pick them up cheap). There are others as well but the vfr is a compromise in every direction.

QuoteAt this point I am completely satisfied with the level of power the GS puts out.  

its interesting that most seem to equate upgrading to a 600ss bike with more power. Sure, my 600rr has plenty more and its nice to have the squirt when I need it but the real benefit for me anyway was the advanced technology inthe chassis, handling, FI, tires, clocks, wind protection, etc. The bike is much easier to ride and therefore tires me less.

Quote from: pantablo

QuoteAt this point I am completely satisfied with the level of power the GS puts out.  

its interesting that most seem to equate upgrading to a 600ss bike with more power. Sure, my 600rr has plenty more and its nice to have the squirt when I need it but the real benefit for me anyway was the advanced technology inthe chassis, handling, FI, tires, clocks, wind protection, etc. The bike is much easier to ride and therefore tires me less.

I need to just stop posting, Pantablo says everything in my head...  :dunno:  :thumb:

That's precisely why I want to upgrade, power is nice... but so is not riding a 14 year old piece of... work.

Scott

never stop posting. I may go senile someday.... :mrgreen:

pantablo, i read that article, it was a great article for my bike, but i wasn't just referring to that one, just the fact that it's always compaired to bikes like the sv and 599, which are good bikes, but still not on the same level, either way, anytime i ride with someone for the first time, and we stop, i always hear how they thought it was supposed to be a pretty soft bike, and didn't think you could ride it like that, people just get the impression that it's no where close to most of the 600's out now, and even though i do only have 97 hp to their 120 whatever, i don't notice it until my bike stops at 140 and they take off past me going 155, but once you're that high who's counting :dunno:   it's just pointless to listen to everything the magazines have to say, i'm sure someone else here has read it, arron p franks first article for cycleworld(could've been motorcyclist, i don't remember) where he just talked about how the magazines push so hard on all the brand new 600's and 1000's, and any tiny flaw in a bike is jumped on, and you're lead to beleive you're less of a man if you don't have the shiniest new bike, it was a great article, but his main point was that the magazines are there to make money, and if it takes pictures of gsxr's on one wheel, then that's what they print, just like tonight when i was in giant eagle with heather and she was flipping through one magazine and gave me a sad look and was like "why don't they ever have my bike in here?", it's not cause the gs isn't a good bike, but to the most people looking for a bike magazine, a new r6 just sounds a little more appealing

I agree with TT....so many of the bikes reviewed on these mags tend to be what i call "Show" bikes.  I live in NYC and so many of my friends have these superbikes that are just not really meant for the city and rarely go out on the open road.  Meanwhile practical bikes like the GS are rarely even mentioned.  Imagine in about 30 years when Honda comes out with it's 4000 CC hoverbike controlled by telepathy making clip ons obsolete.  I mean is that a bike still..??   T=What the heck was i talking about anyway..??  i'm going back to bed.  :bs:

i want a 600 bc its got enough power to satisfy my adrenal gland for a few years to come.  I like the looks of a sportbike and thats what ive wanted for some time.  I also want to modify it and such.  the gs has been great but it doesnt have the brakes or acceleration i need anymore.

tt_four, I wholehartedly agree. A while back one UK magazine did an article comparing this years latest zx6r and r6 to a several year old version of same to prove that even though the magazines have moved on these bikes are still plenty potent and have a great deal to offer. With a bit of modding the older bikes were actually better.

[edit: magzine was actually Sport Rider, October 2003.]

Quote from: dgyverI notice in a lot of posts that the next bike wanted after the GS tends to be 600. Why?

I didn't get a 600 for a "next bike".  I bought a TT600 in addition to my GS500.
I fell in love first with the appearance of it (in yellow, but I have a caspian blue model), and the fact that it was something different, a Triumph, not your dime-a-dozen Japanese 600's.  But what sealed the deal was the sweet handling on a demo ride.  Plus the seat height is just a little taller than my GS, but not as tall as a GSX-R600 or R6, so I can still get 1/2 of each foot down while stopped.

Pantablo, do I understand from your posts that you did buy a Speed 4?

Quote from: Pam GPantablo, do I understand from your posts that you did buy a Speed 4?

Nope. I started there but after a long, circular path I ended up buying a cbr600rr. Was going to buy the daytona 600 but the fit wasnt right. The rr fits just perfectly.