To quote Joerocker " The GS is GREAT for what it is and a full blown sport bike it isn't". Who agrees, disagrees, and why?

Personally, I think the GS is a great sportbike. Just because it isn't the fastest/lightest/most advanced/etc/etc/etc, does not mean it is not a great sport bike.

That is like saying volleyball is not as good of a sport as cross country running, or softball is not as good of a sport as soccer. Volleyball is not any less of a sport because you don't run like you have a fire under your ass.

The American obsession with SPEED and POWER makes me think some people are comphensating for something.  

Thoughts?

I have ridden many other bikes including Honda sport bikes, metric crusers, and Harleys.

The GS is a fine bike. I would agree that it is not the most technically advanced bike around, and obviously does not have the power my VFR had, but for what it is, and esp. mine with a re-jet and a wylieco it is defenately a fun bike to ride.

I would say it's a sporty bike but I don't consider it a sportbike.  There is a difference there

it's a standard bike,  not a sport bike, not a supersport bike.  with that in mind it's a great bike.  now put a good rider on her and you will smoke 600's in the twistys.  

what joe and most of the rest of america dosn't understand is that if you can't push the suspention to the max you have no business pushing the motor.  HP is a cruch for the weak and a bad excuse for skill.  I have yet to see a road ware I could leagely push a 600 sport bike, let alone a supersport.  so what's the point?

Quote from: davipuwhat joe and most of the rest of america dosn't understand is that if you can't push the suspention to the max you have no business pushing the motor.  HP is a cruch for the weak and a bad excuse for skill.  I have yet to see a road ware I could leagely push a 600 sport bike, let alone a supersport.  so what's the point?

standard

this is from wikipedia:

Quote
SPORT BIKE - A sports bike as a type of motorcycle more commonly known as a crotchrocket. Sports bikes usually have a more streamline, aerodynamic design. The footpegs are located further back than conventional motorcycles, which enable the rider to position themselves in a lower more aerodynamic stance. Another typical characteristic is the ability to travel at extreme speeds. Some sports bikes can top out at approximately 260 km/h (160 mph).

CROTCH ROCKET - Crotch rocket is a slightly derogatory term for a sports bike. The name is derived from the way the rider sits on the bike and the speed of the bike. A sports bike's foot pegs and shifter are located further back than conventional motorcycles; this puts the rider in a position that is more streamlined and aerodynamic and places the rider's crotch in very close contact with the seat.

RICE ROCKET - A rice rocket is a derogatory term used to deride Japanese-made sports bikes. The term is derived from the speed of the motorcycles (rocket), and the "Japanese" nature of the vehicles (rice). Usually, people that use this term believe that American and/or European vehicles are superior to Japanese made vehicles.

so by these qualifications, I would say no, the GS is not a sport bike, or any of the other nicknames for a sportbike.  The GS500f comes closer then the GS500e, and I think it is debateable whether the "F" is a sportbike, especially with a set of clip-ons, exhaust (aftermarket).  I would say that an "e" bike is more akin to a cafe racer then a sportbike.

The main benefit to the GS not being a sport bike is the lax treatment by most insurance companies.

Guys I work with typically call it a crotch rocket, ricer rocket and the other names.

The F model is sportier looking than the older ones but is the looks that makes ita crotch rocket?   :dunno:

I'd say it is a a so called sport bike, but don't let my insurance company know..  Okay?

A salesman once told me that first look at the handle bars.

Clip-ons below the triple is more supersport, clip-ons above or on top of the triple is a sport and the style like the GS is a sport touring.  Another salesman made the comment that the lower the bars the higher the insurance then he started laughing, he was pretty close.

On Suzuki web site, GS500F is considered to be a sportbike. I believe it IS a sportbike. People call Ninja 250 a sportbike, why not Suzuki GS500F?

Definitions change over time.   For example, this steed was considered Suzuki's top-of-the-line sportbike when I bought it.  
http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/suzuki-history/1983/1983_GSX750E4_450.jpg  
Now, it most closely resembles a Bandit, so is probably a standard by today's measure.

I rode my standard down to the Canyon today, pretending it was still a sportbike.

I passed a light SUV just as the twisties were getting serious.  He didn't go away, though.  He must've thought this squid was going to put on a show dragging a knee or scraping the pegs or something.  In actuality, I've been cautiously tiptoeing around on big red all season as it's my only runner at the moment.  Plus, I definitely wasn't  feeling it yet.

What I was feeling was a twinge irate because the Canyon has miles and miles of blind corners, off camber corners, decreasing radiuses, trees, cliffs, RV's and pickups pulling boattrailers, tarsnakes, sometimes everything at once, and a novice or newcomer could easily get in over his head from the pressure the SUV driver was applying.  Of course, I could just let him pass, but, naaahhhh.

Concentrated on keeping my grip on the bars relaxed--countersteering / trail braking / back on the throttle early.  Reminded myself to breathe thru my nose.  Concentrated on the road--picking apex markers again and again--keeping one eye out for trouble because the road ain't the track.

Finally, the route above the reservoir opened up enough to let the inline-4 stretch its legs a bit and I peg the throttle in 4th gear and it moans until it spools up and begins to wail and as I crest an uphill righthander there's the sheriff coming at me with his lights flashing and he's motioning me to pull over down by the dam!  No, no, no, no....

The sheriff, an old timer, says, do you know what the speed limit is?  I say, 35 MPH?  He says 25 MPH and that I was doing 60-to-70 MPH.  I say, come on!  That's a dangerous road!  You can't go that fast up there!  He says he already ticketed a couple kids doing 70 MPH and he knows what these machines are capable of.  He says if I was only going 10 over the limit he'd let me off, but he insists that I was doing 65-to-70.  He stands there studying my card, writing in his book, and shaking his head for another minute, then hands me back my card and sternly says YOU'D BETTER SLOW IT DOWN!

So I'm off scottfree.  Perhaps he noticed that my drivers license had expired 6 months ago and didn't want to get me in trouble that deep.  THANK YOU, SIR!  

Okay, sorry for the ride report.  Interestingly, the official Suzuki site http://suzukicycles.com has the GS500F listed under the sportbike category while all the SV650 models were listed under the standard cat.     :dunno:

Quote from: Dima26On Suzuki web site, GS500F is considered to be a sportbike. I believe it IS a sportbike. People call Ninja 250 a sportbike, why not Suzuki GS500F?

the ninja 250 is liquid-cooled and has clip-ons..

With the stock bars and seating position the GS screams UJM with a little twist.  But it is definately not a sportbike, more of a standard.  The F is closer, but lacks the teeth of a sportbike.  Kind of like a Geo Metro with a body kit.

I think the Gs is a great bike, closer to a sport touring then an out right sport bike. It has just the right mix of ridability and spirit. Fun no matter where I ride.

A quote about the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is highly applicable to Wikipedia - "Although it has many omissions, and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate..."

"Sport bike" is either subjective or a bike-by-bike judgement.  The first way of defining it is by what you think is "sporty."  Which varies from person to person.  The second is by the use it's actually put to - a bike that's tracked or raced is a sportbike, while one that isn't - isn't.  Under that definition, there are a lot of GSX-Rs and R1s running around that aren't sportbikes.

In other words - who the heck cares?  I use it as a phrase of convenience - if it's primarily for twisties, I call it a sport bike; if it's primarily for the highway, I call it a cruiser or a tourer; if it's primarily for commuting, I call it a commutermobile.

I don't care what anyone has to say about my little GS....I LOVE IT! Sport bike or not...I'm happy with it all the way! :nana:

What does it matter wheather it is a sportbike or not, other than for insurance reasons? It depends on how you ride it.

Quote from: BlazinjrGuys I work with typically call it a crotch rocket, ricer rocket and the other names.

I get that too, but that's only from people who know little about bikes.  To them, there are only two kinds of bikes: Harleys and crotch rockets.  But really, who cares

I'd classify bikes as follows

Cruiser: characterized  by the low seat, feet placed far forward, swept back handlebars, leather saddlebags, etc. etc.  many Harley's, Vulcans, Shadows [/list:u]

Touring: Goldwing, etc.  includes the adventure Touring subclass[/list:u]

Naked: like a sport bike, but no fairings, generally more upright seating position, usually a big round headlight.  The GS500E is a naked bike.[/list:u]

Sport bike: plastic fairings covering much of the engine, usually incorporates a small windscreen.  Often lean forward more. The GS500F is a sport bike.[/list:u]

So, if someone comes and steals my fairings, will I no longer have a sportbike?  Is my SVS only half the sportbike my GS500 is?

I consider the GS500 a sport bike because is is high revving, sporty looking, and has a 6 speed transmission. And yes it has a lot to do with how you ride it...but if you drive a 1989 Crown Victoria Stationwagon 85mph around corners, does that make it a sports car? Or if you drive a Corvette 30mph under the speed limit like a granny, does that mean it is no longer a sports car? =)

Maybe the GS500, if it were a car, would be a "Sport Compact"  (and not a "sports car").  :lol: