<<<I have less than 3,000 miles under my belt...........................But now I'm a little bit bored with it and feel like I get no respect on the road>>>

Yep, that's about the point where many must decide whether to get more bike or to just start learning to really ride the one they have.   

I started with a CB400 and traded it on a CB750 six months and 6k miles later.  Now 22 years and 350k miles later I'm having a ball on a couple GS500s and have yet to be bored while riding a bike.   

Respect is earned, not purchased.

Quote from: gsJack on March 08, 2007, 10:02:03 AM
<<<I have less than 3,000 miles under my belt...........................But now I'm a little bit bored with it and feel like I get no respect on the road>>>

Yep, that's about the point where many must decide whether to get more bike or to just start learning to really ride the one they have.   

I started with a CB400 and traded it on a CB750 six months and 6k miles later.  Now 22 years and 350k miles later I'm having a ball on a couple GS500s and have yet to be bored while riding a bike.   

Respect is earned, not purchased.

That is a great quote Jack.

Quote from: jen_ on March 07, 2007, 03:02:12 PM

I don't agree that modding the GS is required before moving up.  GS mods cost money, for minimal HP gains, and subtle "character" gains.  If you want to learn to wrench, then go for it.

A lunch box and rejet cost less than $100.  The power isn't increased so much, but the delivery is more linear.  The change is VERY noticeable.  The bike sounds and feels different.  You are right, it's not required.  It's recommended.

Addressing the boredom issue and the respect issue both at the same time, you will need to ride more aggressively, more assertively, make yourself more known and seen (in mirrors, moving around in your lane), use hand signals (for the left hand lane changes, point to the space that you are taking).

GSJack nailed it.  3k isn't much at all.  Put more time just riding before moving up.  Work on being smooth (takes more effort than you think) and ride as often as possible.  Remember that it's the rider and not the bike.  When I take my SO's gs out I turn into a hooligan because it is so easy to ride compared to the SV I ride daily.  We also have a Ninja 250 in the stable because they are so much fun to ride WOT.  Remember it's not the bike, it's the rider.

Quote from: Teecegirl on March 07, 2007, 10:05:39 AM
Hi all!  I'd like advice from anyone on this Board who has gone from a GS500 to a 600 bike.  I currently have an 04 GS500, but am REALLY considering trading it in on a Katana 600 (I like the way the Katana fits).  I have less than 3,000 miles under my belt, but have never had a problem handling the GS500.  If anyone out there has upgraded from the GS500 to a 600 bike, I'd be really grateful if you could share with me what you thought about the difference in horsepower.

Thanks much!   

My friend got a Katana GSX 600 after I'd  been riding my GS500 for a few months and I got to ride his quite often.

A few things:
1.  Going from a GS500 to a *Katana 600* after 3,000 miles is fine.  The Katana is the cadillac of sport tourers (imo).   Long wheelbase, great mirrors, good headlights, comfortable ergonomics and the power delivery is fairly close to that of a GS500.
2. The Katana is *not* a race replica bike.  It is a sport tourer... and a light one at that.  The rear tire is a 160, and it is just about the weakest  inline 4 600cc sportbike around.  (~80 hp i think).

3. Boredom - What exactly do you mean by this?  When I hear someone say they are 'bored' with a bike it usually means they are looking for an adrenaline rush.  What do you really mean?  Are you looking for some thrills, or just a bike with a little more 'oomph'?

A Katana is not a very big step up from a GS500.  If you are really ready to *start learning* on a bigger bike then you might prefer somethign more along the lines of a CBR-600, YZF-600, etc..... and then there are the race replicas:  GSXR-600, YZF-R6, ZX6R, TT600, CB-600RR, but  I would  *definitely* ride one of those first before you get one.  They are quite different from a GS500

Here's the article I've been searching for ever since you started this thread; it's about respect: http://www.southbayriders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2401&highlight=respect

check out the SV650.

Quote
As far as "respect", ride your own ride and ignore the rest.  The kind of people that look down on you because you show up on a GS are the same kind of people who would look down on Nicky Hayden if he showed up on a GS.  (Minus the numbered leathers, of course.)  The bike isn't what's important, it's the rider.

Ture ture, I am feeling the same, but you can keep up with them, they will soon give you RESPECT...... I got my respect in the local rider group after kicking some sport bikes ass.........

Yeah, i was riding with a recruiter I used to work with who rides a busa ( by the way that bike sucks you're better of saving a couple of K and getting the gsxr1000)  And every time we hit a hard curve I dusted him.  He told me after the ride that he was seriously impressed with my little GS  and was thinking about getting a smaller bike because of it!!!

Quote from: spcterry on March 24, 2007, 10:33:59 AM
Yeah, i was riding with a recruiter I used to work with who rides a busa ( by the way that bike sucks you're better of saving a couple of K and getting the gsxr1000)  And every time we hit a hard curve I dusted him.  He told me after the ride that he was seriously impressed with my little GS  and was thinking about getting a smaller bike because of it!!!

Sounds like he didn't know how to ride. I've seen plenty of Busas boogies down real hard.

It's his first bike so he probably isn't the best rider.  It's out of commission right now he was screwin around and didn't check his oil popped a wheelie and threw a rod.   Yeah the busa is a mean machine but I'm just not that impressed with it, at least not when you take into account the other machines out there similarly priced.  the Duc monster S4RS  is significantly lighter and produces almost the same horsepower and the MSRP is about the same

peak power on paper rarely does any justice to the feel and flexibility of a broad power curve that larger displaced engines put out.  it's still a personal preference thing but I wouldn't be looking at peak hp/$ on paper thinking that's all there is too the comparison.  If you're really interested in understanding the difference and haven't already done so, then take both out back to back and then you decide.  you still may end up personally preferring the higher peak power, less broad power distribution, but understand that not everyone will prefer that and and that doesn't anything away from either machine.  it's just a preference thing.

I haven't ever ridden a busa or a monster,  but I have ridden a 998r, its what I learned on,  yes my friend was stupid!!   And i absolutely loved it.  Incredible acceleration  and god knows what for top-end I pansied out at 160  but he got his license revoked when he was clocked at 220.  Overall the bike just felt very stable and very nimble.  it was one of those bikes you just fall in love with.  And i'm starting to like the naked bike look so i figured  Monster.  This summer I'm gonna try to get down to Miami and test one.  Probably buy one too.   

Quote from: spcterry on March 24, 2007, 11:45:34 AM

the Duc monster S4RS  is significantly lighter and produces almost the same horsepower and the MSRP is about the same

I haven't ever ridden a busa or a monster,  but I have ridden a 998r, its what I learned on,  yes my friend was stupid!!   And i absolutely loved it.  Incredible acceleration  and god knows what for top-end I pansied out at 160  but he got his license revoked when he was clocked at 220.  Overall the bike just felt very stable and very nimble.  it was one of those bikes you just fall in love with.  And i'm starting to like the naked bike look so i figured  Monster.  This summer I'm gonna try to get down to Miami and test one.  Probably buy one too.   

Ducati claims 130HP and 76.7 ft/lbs torque on an inertia dynamometer for the S4RS Monster the original Busa was 155HP at the rear wheel and the 07 currently Makes 176HP and 98 ft/lbs at the rear wheel. So I call bullshit. I also call bullshit on the 220mph license revocation. I have friends down at the Texas Mile this weekend and it takes a lot of bike to break 200mph.

I can believe 220Kph but since your in the U.S. I assume you are stating MPH

My 954 dynoed the same night we dynoed the Busa does 138.72HP at the rear wheel and 68 ft/lbs of torque.

Busas can boogie very well our state highway patrol has 2 of them and the troopers that ride them have been to the keith code and jason pridmore schools as well as a few others and they can ride those busas to the very limits of the of the bike unlike most wanna be riders with 1 inch chicken strips that think they can ride.

At our last bike night here we dynoed a stock 07 busa cause we were at the suzuki dealership.  147..........  As far as my buddy and his lack of a license....whatever believe what you want  I was at the hearing.   Our State Patrol doesn't have bikes, they do however have a repoed Lambo that couldn't come near touching him. ( and several crown vics that I think they feed steroids and jet fuel, cus I've seen one reel in a porsche)  Anyway as far as my buddy multiple officers clocked him and one with a high speed camera was able to identify the plate.   The video from the first cruiser is hilarious you see this flash of a yellow blur then the cruiser starts shaking and the tard actually pulled out like he was gonna be able to do something.........

I'm not disputing that the busa is one hell of a bike,  I'm just saying that there's better out there  ( I have  a little bias against the busa because I've seen several airmen and soldiers go out and buy one as a first bike next thing they know they lose control at 150mph and crash reconstruction is picking bits and peices of him up 3 miles down the highway.  next time you're at a major military installation go to the safety office and ask how big of a problem inexperienced rider on over powered bikes is.  And the most popular over powered bike that soldiers and airmen want is the busa)

Quote from: spcterry on March 25, 2007, 09:10:45 AM
At our last bike night here we dynoed a stock 07 busa cause we were at the suzuki dealership.  147..........  As far as my buddy and his lack of a license....whatever believe what you want  I was at the hearing.   Our State Patrol doesn't have bikes, they do however have a repoed Lambo that couldn't come near touching him. ( and several crown vics that I think they feed steroids and jet fuel, cus I've seen one reel in a porsche)  Anyway as far as my buddy multiple officers clocked him and one with a high speed camera was able to identify the plate.   The video from the first cruiser is hilarious you see this flash of a yellow blur then the cruiser starts shaking and the tard actually pulled out like he was gonna be able to do something.........

I'm not disputing that the busa is one hell of a bike,  I'm just saying that there's better out there  ( I have  a little bias against the busa because I've seen several airmen and soldiers go out and buy one as a first bike next thing they know they lose control at 150mph and crash reconstruction is picking bits and peices of him up 3 miles down the highway.  next time you're at a major military installation go to the safety office and ask how big of a problem inexperienced rider on over powered bikes is.  And the most popular over powered bike that soldiers and airmen want is the busa)

It's not hard to believe 220 on a Busa, I think they can do 150 in 3rd gear...   

What's hard to believe is that it's his first bike and he was doing 220... Where? Without vaporizing himself on a corner?  Regardless he sounds like a REAL idiot.  Hopefully he's doing it in the desert where he can only kill himself and not some other poor slob bystander.

It just absolutely amazes me that some idiot right out of an MSF course can go to a dealer and buy a frigging Hayabusa... and people wonder why accidents are common on US soil on motorcycles?  Unfreaking real.

Sorry for the rant but it's hard not to get pretty PO'ed about somebody like that, those are the people that give bikers a bad name.  I wish this country would do the smart thing and adopt what they do in Europe with graduated licenses and bike sizes/restricting.

I was a different guy that got the 220  he'd been riding all his life.    Yeah, Europe definately has the right idea with the graduated licenses and restrictions.   I know up at Ft. Benning they said they lose about 1 man a month to motorcycle wrecks, mostly because they just got bonus money and bought the meanest bike they can afford..........   

I'm beginning to think that bikes are a form of natural selection. 140 plus horsepower is a little like handy fire to a baby.

As far as 220 MPH, that sounds a good deal high. I've only been 160MPH, in a slightly modified cage, but that was EXTREMELY noisy, windy, shakey, and not exactly fun. On a slippery bike on a salt flat I guess it could work, but on the street ? Damn man, make the first payment on your friends' burial plan, he's going to need it.

Nope,  he's not allowed to operate a motorcycle...violates the probation guidelines so he's safe.   I've done 160 in a GTI  you're damn near killing it and it's a little unnerving when you realize the speed but it actually handled quite well.  I've comfortably ran my gs at 115.  it stays pretty solid.  sure made that trip a lot shorter.  what was really cool was when I looked over and saw a bald eagle flying next to me.............it was an awe-inspiring moment

Honda 599, Very nice bike, loved to ride it, but highly priced, no longer in production.
Katana: no personal experience but I know 2 people at work that used to daily drive on them and they switched to an SV and GS because they did not like the power on it.

Cheers