..and it happens to be a GS500 

Hi. I'm mike. I'm 28 and i just bought my first motorcycle. It's a 2001 GS500 with 11k miles on the odometer (3600 actual miles). I live in Sacramento and it's summer time 

here's a link to it:

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/111/l_978f6991adac4d3896535a710353e33d.jpg

I was recommended to check this site out from the guy i bought it from. This site seems pretty informative. I hope to learn a lot from you guys, about both riding in general and the gs500.

Quote from: humangod on June 19, 2009, 02:38:56 PM
..and it happens to be a GS500 

Hi. I'm mike. I'm 28 and i just bought my first motorcycle. It's a 2001 GS500 with 11k miles on the odometer (3600 actual miles). I live in Sacramento and it's summer time 

here's a pic of it:

I inserted the image for ya. Cause I have a soft spot for black 

If it has 11,000 on the odometer how do you know it has actually only done 3600? And why the discrepancy?

Michael

the bike was crashed at 600 miles. forks were totaled. insurance salvaged the title and sold it to a salvage yard. they in turn sold it to a dealership who repaired the bike. this was all in nevada. the dealership altered the odometer to 8000 miles so they could register the bike in california.  guy i bought it from put 3k miles on it which makes 11k.

even if it has 11k miles, it's clean and smooth. but i honestly believe it has 3600. he listed the bike with every intent and purpose to sell as 11k miles.  i bought it for 1400. i think i got a deal. the only visable damage is a small, quarter sized dent in the tank from the left handlebar and some minor scratches. from 10 feet away, the bike looks amazing.

thanks for posting the image. i was trying to use standard html code. i later found out it's a [img] tag

Hi Mike, I think you will love your GS. It has been my first and only bike. I have ridden many other bikes that have much more power, better handling and smoother riding but everytime I get back on my little GS500 I feel better. It's the 'Ol Yeller of the motorcycle world.

Some of the benefits of the bike that most people forget or over look...

Cheap to own, low and easy maintenance, cheap replacement parts, excellent gas milage no matter how you ride, low insurance in most states it is not considered a sport bike and it is under 500cc's, very forgiving for new riders and is light and has just enough power for advanced riders to have a lot of fun!

You say your in Sacramento? You need to take a ride up to Auburn and take the Foresthill exit and go nuts. Some of the best riding around.. HWY 49 to Cool or you can even keep going into Foresthill. Lots of elevation changes, many challenging corners for any rider. I was born and raised there. My Father and I used to spend the whole day on many weekends on his Yamaha SR500 exploring that area in the late 80's. It's built up quite a bit since then but the ride is still worth it.

GAS UP before you head down the hill and cross the Foresthill bridge! There are gas stations around but they are spread out. Check it out and tell everyone what a blast you had! 

so what rpm should i be shifting at for normal cruising? this is my first bike. i'm so used to a car or truck.

I'd say there is no golden rule for shifting.
I shift UP anywhere between 6K and 9,5K rpms. If I am in a peaceful (quiet) neighborhood I prefer to shift around 5-7K rpms to keep the engine quieter.
And I shift DOWN whenever I feel the bike doesn't pull anymore (you will not exactly what I mean after some time spent on the road)

Honestly I wouldn't worry too much about shifting! You'll get it very quickly.

Important thing is to choose appropriate speed and gear before turning (entering the corner), especially if the turn appears to be tight or difficult.

cheers, have fun, and wear gear ALL THE TIME!
KML

Quote from: humangod on June 19, 2009, 08:40:16 PM
so what rpm should i be shifting at for normal cruising? this is my first bike. i'm so used to a car or truck.

That depends. Depends on...

1. How fast you need to get up to speed
2. How heavy you are
3. How heavy your load is
4. How noisy/quiet you need/want to be
5. The gradient of the road you are on

I live in a complex because I am complex. Early in the morn - like 4am early - I'll change up at around 4k and keep the speed down low. A few clicks further on when I'm hammering to get onto the highway I'll be changing around 9k - 9.5k. Otherwise I think I change somewhere around 7k - again, depending on road gradient, load, etc. So if I'm on the flat and 7k is fine I'll change up. With a load and going up, the engine might Feel like it's beginning to Lag. Change down time.

Don't lose sleep over this. Get on the bike and ride and you'll get a feel for when you need to change. You'll know that doing the speed limit while the engine is doing 9k feels darn wrong.

And oh, don't worry about forgetting which gear you're in cause you lost count. You'll get used to it and Just Know like you do with your car.

Michael

Sup Mike, this is Luis up in Roseville... congrats on your bike. Sadly, I'm right about to sell mine no more riding!!! gotta quit the game before my 1st crash

http://aprisoneverywhere.blogspot.com/2009/06/second-title.html

My handlebars get a bit buzzy between 7-8k RPM so I tend to use that as an artificial "rev limiter" when shifting. The first few times that I ran it up to the red line I forgot to let off the throttle when I pulled in the clutch. Hint--the bike doesn't like that...

I also kept trying to go around turns when the bike was still cold in third gear and roll in the throttle at 1800 RPM. Hint--the bike doesn't like that either, not much happens below 3k rpm...

The point is, after riding a few thousand miles shifting will become second nature and you will find that you no longer "think" about it most times and will up/down shift as the situation requires.

Good luck.

Quote from: humangod on June 19, 2009, 08:40:16 PM
so what rpm should i be shifting at for normal cruising? this is my first bike. i'm so used to a car or truck.

haha, this reminds me of the first time I drove a manual car. We were on a road trip, and my friend was tired of driving but no one else knew how to drive one. I understood the concept perfectly because I had my triumph at that point(14k redline). I practiced for a minute in the parking lot, pulled onto the highway, gassed it up to the redline(only 6k rpm) and shifted into second. He started screaming and the car started to smell like burning oil. Haha, I kept the RPMs a lot lower after that.

Welcome!

Make sure you sign up for the California Motorcycle Safety Foundation course near you.  You will learn so much, it isn';t funny. How to ride safe, how to turn, shift, brake, etc.  This stuff is not easily learnable on your own.  Spend the $250 & 2 days having fun & learning, added bonus is that you can get your licence without taking the stupid DMV riding test & might get a discount on insurance. 

Same bike I have.  I have enjoyed mine so far

Quote from: JStrube on June 24, 2009, 07:41:37 AM
Welcome!

Make sure you sign up for the California Motorcycle Safety Foundation course near you.  Spend the $250 & 2 days having fun & learning,  

That's crazy! that course if free in PA. Half of the money you pay for your permit goes to paying for the class, so it's only about $7 per person, but I guess considering everyone pays it, and if only 1 out of every 35 people who get a permit sign up for it, then it evens out.

californians like to charge for everything.

btw, you owe me $2 for that last piece of information kthx

Welcome to the board!  You will love your new bike, especially if you ride often, and it sounds like you got a good deal on it, especially if nothing breaks soon, which they normally don't.

Your friend is right.  Gobs of info here, and quick, friendly help from dozens of regular posters.  Parts are cheap and plentiful compared to most other bikes, and posters will tell you where to get them the cheapest and fastest. 

If you ignore top speed you will accomplish two things.  #1, your odds of staying in one piece go way up.  #2, the fact your 500cc air-cooled twin can't accelerate like a 600cc, liquid-cooled 4-cylinder won't bother you.  I'm old school so I think the GS is fast.  It'll do 105 if I want.  It's fast enough for me, and I have no trouble at all keeping-up with my friends who ride cruisers with engines that are 2-3 times larger.  I remember slow bikes, and hardly anything is slow anymore.

People love this bike and only tire of it for three reasons.  Either they were too tall to begin with, they want more power, or they want a two-up touring bike.  You can bathe in the satisfaction that you bought one of the most reliable, long lasting engines Japan ever made, so you can rest assured you'll be riding your GS long after your friends blow-up their Ninjas.  You will be fixing your GS more easily with inexpensive parts while they get raped at the shop.  That's the beauty of the GS 500.

a small windshield on the front will help you against the feeling that the wind will throw you out of the bike when you get it up to 55+mph, that is, until you (and your neck) get used to it.