Quote from: yamahonkawazukiJohNLA wrote:

QuoteOnce I replace my front, Pablo will be my Beeatch

I thought he already was

That skinny SOB is very quick. It is hard on my ego I have many years experience over him but he is still faster
In my defense, I am still really learning to lean. I did most of my riding in Florida where the roads are flat and straight and the woman are anything but :lol:

Quote from: JohNLAThat skinny SOB is very quick. It is hard on my ego

Practice makes perfect...The gs is a great first bike for learning how to really cormer. Also helps to have lots of canyons locally. Today's rain doesnt help things though.

Less HP means less to worry about while learning and just as much fun.

what about adding an exhaust pipe?

will that make the top speed any higher, and if so, by how much?

Too much power is a relative concept.  The gs was never about stoplight drags, but I very much doubt anyone with 4 months riding experience is able to fully utilize the power of the gs riding while riding twisty roads well.  I've learned a lot more riding the gs than I would have a more powerful bike where mistakes are much more costly and you can't use as much of the powerband.

The fact that this rider with 4 months experience is complaining about not keeping up with friends is a warning sign, with that little riding you should focus on skills building, not racing.  You won't win and you just might get yourself really hurt.  Your real friends will be telling you to take it easy, get comfortable on the bike, and have fun with that early in the game.  They will lead slowly and follow while giving you tips.  Motorcycles are counterintuitive (I still have to remind myself to stay on the gas when hot in a corner), it takes time to learn the skills and adjust your natural reactions.

That said, the sv650 is a great bike and really good value.  It can be a handful, but I don't think you'd be crazy to ride one as a first bike, it just demands more attention and has less margin for error.  I probably would have bought one if they didn't cost such a premium used.  I didn't want a new bike as my first bike (less depreciation to eat if I decided to stop riding and less regret if I had [or will] dropped the bike).  If you really think you need more power an ex500 might be a better choice - and is certainly cheaper.

I don't think a new gs is a great value (but can be a good bike), but used the gs goes for quite a bit less.  Try finding an sv for less than $2K (they don't often go much under $4K, at least around here)!  There are loads of good, (mostly) clean gses in that range.  Being a popular racebike (in the case of the sv) also ups the demand for used bikes.  You can buy a used gs, ride it for a year and sell it for more or less what you paid if/when you're ready for something else.

BTW, if you're in the area, Golden Gate Cycles is a *horrible* dealership.  They are notorious for overcharging people in an unbelievable fashion on service and have a really slimy sales staff.  Also, make sure you budget for good gear, wear leather or textile pants and jacket all the time along with a good helmet, gloves, and sturdy boots.

wow you live in san fransisco!
actually i live in cupertino, about an hour away.
i've been having trouble finding motorcycles that cost about 1000 dollars
i've been looking for '89s so that they would be cheaper.

I actually have no riding experience and plan to take MSF in about a month. I'll be looking at gs500e deals in the meantime.
I check craiglist pretty much everyday.

Thanks for the help, appreciated.

Craigslist is definitely the best place to check (I bought mine there for well below blue book, but I was patient).  Bikes are just start to get cheap with the rains starting, late december is the low point and they stay pretty low until about march.  Be sure to check out the bike show this weekend in San Mateo, there's a thread in the ride forum about Sac and local people going so you might be able to see some of our bikes there.

$1K is pretty low for bikes around here (especially if you are expecting sales tax, registration, and title transfer fees [~$100-150] to be included in that), most any good running usable bike stabilizes at about $1-1.5K.  Lots of choices between $1.5-2K if you can save up a bit more (add another ~$3-500 for gear - not optional).  Its doable, but you're going to have to be patient and shop around.  If you don't mind doing a little work, that can help a lot.  I saw two gses in the last couple months for ~$750 that sounded like the only real problems were a good carb cleaning (but you never know until you check it out in person).

Either way, do some research and don't spend money until you take the MSF class.  Getting on the bikes (if only in a parking lot) gives you a chance to get a feel for things and decide if its for you.  Make sure to bring *warm* clothes for the outside riding session, I was freezing (shivering actually) when I took the test even though I was wearing warm clothes.  Damn fog.

BTW, you'll probably have more luck finding a 90-93 cheap.  The 89s command a bit of price premium due to the clipon bars.  Just keep an eye out for excessive rust (light surface rust is to be expected on an older gs) or major engine problems.  Search the archives, there are lots of guides on what to look for.  Another good resource is Adam's Used Motorcycle Evaluation Guide.

My opinion on the GS's power (or lack there of) can easily be summed up.
The bike is great to learn, and have fun with in the twisties. However, I grew out of mine in a mere 12 months, and after riding an RC51, its time to go bigger.
If its your first bike, the GS is absolutley stunning. Its equally as stunning if you are looking to carve up canyons, and toss it around. But, if your like me, and have an insaciable appetite for going fast, learn on the GS, and upgrade a year or so after.  

jumped on my cousin's yammy yzr600r the other day, and noticed a significant difference in power.  it's fun for going fast, and i could see myself getting in a lot of trouble with it... i have to keep reminding myself to stay under control on my gs!
i always wanted a sv (pre 03 with tube frames are sooooo sweet) or a monster, but i think i need to hold off on that for a while until i'm 100% sure that i'll be able to keep it under control.

the gs is ideal if you already know more than likely you will NOT out run a good rider on a larger displacement bike. it can beat most cars though :mrgreen:   no   , however, in corners, it is great, and not too much power. I.e. not a death rocket it has enough power for most people, and for those with a fair amount of seat-time, has enough power to get you to trouble, but not into it. (unless you get crazy with it)

As the proud owner of both a 93 GS500E, and a 03 SV650S, I'd say that both are excellent beginner bikes.  If you have self control issues, you don't belong on a motorcycle to begin with, so I don't really believe that getting less power will make you any safer.  As far as your first bike, you have to think about how long you will have to keep it, I rode my 500 for 3 years before I could afford a different bike.  I picked my 93 up for about 1500 with 7k on it, and would definetly recommend buying used for any beginner.  Most of the time with a 500, or a SV for that matter you can find great buys from people who have "outgrown" the machines in a year or two, and are practically giving them away while having already done the costly modifications that you would do to a new bike anyway (i.e. exhaust, fender elim's, etc.)