Oh goodness  

Don't hold in the clutch going down hills unless you are coming up to a stop sign or red light. And try to stay away from neutral at lights, you never know when there is going to be a situation you will have to get away from. The GS does have a stiff clutch though, you will get mostly used to it, but if you drive in heavy city traffic, its going to hurt at least a little.

Stiff clutch? Maybe your clutch cable needs lubing. I find it not too much effort to actuate the clutch on my GS, and I know I don't have super strong hands.

My clutch works fine, but shifting on my bike is a pain. It's less of a smooth click and more of a long *CLUNK*, it's also 18 years old, so eh....

Don't disengage the clutch going downhill...bad for the bike if you let go of the clutch and you're in 1st gear and the hill made you gain lots of speed. Let the engine do some braking.

Btw, my hand hurt like hell when I first started riding...I was always in 2 hours of traffic and I was too scared to lane split.

Yeah, I think some people here just forgot what it's like to learn how to work the clutch, I think my hand was definitely sore for a day or two. Maybe less of my hand, and more of my forearm, not to mention how many times I honked at people walking around my old neighborhood when I was trying to hit my turn signal.

OH yeah I had clutch hand for about six months. Couldn't ride as frequently as I wanted to get my hand and forearm acclimated I guess. But, now 90% of my ride is in traffic unless I hit I-4 oh wait half the time it's a parking lot too! For the throttle side the cramp buster was a life saver (tendinitis in that wrist) well worth $10. Then good bar end weights and prog grip gel grips really made riding much more bareable!

Mary

You might also be tense.  Make sure your elbows are slightly bent and you aren't resting any weight on your arms.  Your legs and torso should be doing all of the work in holding you upright; your shoulders, neck, arms, and wrists should be relaxed.

Today I got it to go on neutral going down a hill, and I couldn't get it in to gear when I wanted to give it some gas. 

After that I just kept it in gear going down the hill? Isn't that bad for the engine? I guess I'm trying to drive it like my manual truck. I usually just put it in neutral when I'm going down hill.

The clutch doesn't feel hard at all. I hardly ever downshift when going down a hill or coming to a stop, and instead just hold the clutch in. I guess that's why my hand hurts.

Ugh. Please, please, please don't paint your bike flat black. Usually, it'll turn out uneven (rattle can) and it definitely hold dirt and stains forever. IMHO, it looks like you either didn't care enough or don't have enough money to spend $30 on a quart of real paint and find a friend with a high velocity gun (also, Harbor Freight sells them for $10).

FYI, the paint I used on the bike in my signature cost me $30. It's arcylic enamel. No clear coat! I did it myself.

$0.02

Quote from: Archangel1183 on July 28, 2009, 01:01:00 PM
Today I got it to go on neutral going down a hill, and I couldn't get it in to gear when I wanted to give it some gas. 

After that I just kept it in gear going down the hill? Isn't that bad for the engine? I guess I'm trying to drive it like my manual truck. I usually just put it in neutral when I'm going down hill.

The clutch doesn't feel hard at all. I hardly ever downshift when going down a hill or coming to a stop, and instead just hold the clutch in. I guess that's why my hand hurts.

Disengaging the clutch on a motorvehicle is not good. Forget the stories of badass truckers going down hills in Angel Gear. It's about the lubrication getting pumped around the bits that need it. With the engine idling the lube is pumped less - but - there is still a need as the rear wheels are turning all the little cogs and other mechanical bits within the entire drive system.

When going down a hill, leave the darn thing in gear with the clutch out. You will get some engine breaking. It's all good, the engine is designed to be revved and ridden etc., so don't sweat it. If it slows you down too much, also have a small amount of throttle (just a tad), or kick it into a higher gear so there is less compression effect for the speed you're at (but don't Lag the bike engine - no 40 in 6th, ok?). It's not like hills a five miles long or anything.

As for pulling the clutch in while rolling to a stop at lights or a stop sign... I'll argue all day long for slowly changing down gears and letting out the clutch as you go. Any supposed additional wear on the engine is negligible IMO. And any supposed fuel saving is also negligible. The upside is, you have assisted breaking (every bit helps, specially in a Crash/Emergency Breaking scenario which could mysteriously be required out of the blue at any time, this way you are prepared) and Know you are in the correct gear you need to be in should you need to give it a burst.

Neutral at lights... some wait at the lights with the right foot on the ground and right hand holding the front break on, with left foot on peg ready to change gears; some keep the bike still with the rear break and have the left foot on the ground. If you do the later (left foot grounded) then to get in and out of neutral requires the right foot to be planted, front break engaged, left foot raised and gear changed, left foot back down, right foot back up - what I call the Motorcycle Riverdance - unless you're on flat ground where the bike doesn't roll when break is released. Easier to stay in gear, unless you're stuck in a roadworks dead stop.

Front break holders can enter and leave neutral any time - but - to let go of the bars and just sit also requires the right foot to come up and engage the rear break before releasing the front. Then they have the river dance to reengage when the time comes.

Me? I'm a rear break guy with left foot on the ground. I have Plenty of time to get my foot into position to change gears when leaving lights.

Sore Clutch Hand... where the clutch engages could be too close to the bar. Requiring additional effort for friction zone riding. You could also be having Death Grip where you are really grabbing hard instead of gently puling the lever in. And not relaxed enough as Roadstergal said - I'd probably say this is the main thing new riders do (tense up in the arms and grip like crazy instead of relaxing the arms and shoulders and hands).

Do you find you also hold your breath sometimes? Just curious.

Michael

Quote from: Toogoofy317 on July 28, 2009, 09:18:03 AM
OH yeah I had clutch hand for about six months. Couldn't ride as frequently as I wanted to get my hand and forearm acclimated I guess. But, now 90% of my ride is in traffic unless I hit I-4 oh wait half the time it's a parking lot too! For the throttle side the cramp buster was a life saver (tendinitis in that wrist) well worth $10. Then good bar end weights and prog grip gel grips really made riding much more bareable!

Mary

Mary,

Have heard reports (one actually) of the flared part of winter gloves keeping the crampbuster down so the result is a bit of throttle still being applied while breaking for lights or whatever. Has this ever happened to you?

Michael

Quote from: Archangel1183 on July 27, 2009, 11:55:59 PM
Yes, I do let go of the clutch but I hold it in when I'm going down hill or whenever I can't find neutral at a stop light.

Take the course Luke.  You shoulding hold in the clutch going down a hill.  Why would you do thaqt anyway?   

Quote from: mullethunter3 on July 28, 2009, 01:29:08 PM
Ugh. Please, please, please don't paint your bike flat black. Usually, it'll turn out uneven (rattle can) and it definitely hold dirt and stains forever. IMHO, it looks like you either didn't care enough or don't have enough money to spend $30 on a quart of real paint and find a friend with a high velocity gun (also, Harbor Freight sells them for $10).

FYI, the paint I used on the bike in my signature cost me $30. It's arcylic enamel. No clear coat! I did it myself.

$0.02

I could tell that you painted your bike yourself and that you didn't use any clear coat. I don't like cheap looking paint and don't want to have it professionally painted as this is my first bike, so I already painted it flat black. Flat black doesn't always mean you're cheaping out or just don't care. Some people actually like how it looks. No offense on your paint job.





Dadsafrantic, I actually just didn't hold the clutch in today. I engine broke at every hill.

Thanks for the help and all the replies guys.

It's 102 degrees today . Don't think the winter gloves are a problem ! I think only twice have I ever thought about winter gloves. I just have some silk liners!

Mary

Archangel, welcome to the board!  

Mister's right, don't hold the clutch in going downhill.  Just leave it in 6th with the clutch out.  If you start going too fast, just click it down a gear and/or use the brakes a little.

Your clutch should be very easy to squeeze.  If the lever pivot is greased and your cable is lubed, not frayed, and routed correctly, it will pull very easily.  Mine is a 2-finger job and I'm only half as strong as I was when I started riding motorcycles.

It should also be easy to find neutral.  Your clutch may not be adjusted properly under the cover.  It's very easy to do if you have the manual.  If not there are many here who will be happy to walk you through it.  It's a 10-minute job and no special tools are needed.  Also using a good oil will make your bike shift very easily.  I'm using Shell Rotella T 15W-40 and my bike shifts ridiculously easily and neutral is a cinch to find every time.  Shell Rotella isn't the only good oil to use, but it was recommended by many here and it's only $13/gallon so I gave it a try and boy, am I glad I did!  

My bike is 15 years old with 21,000 miles and it operates pretty much like a new bike.  Just because it's old doesn't mean it shouldn't operate very well as long as it doesn't have a ton of miles on it and it hasn't been thrashed.  These bikes are tough.  Maintain them and they will work very well unless someone else abused it.  Most GS 500s get used as learner bikes, so they typically have less than 10k-20k miles on them when they're a dozen or more years old, so they typically have a ton of life left in them.  Have fun!  

I also like how you think the GS is powerful after riding a 250 scooter.  Many think, even here, that's it's not.  It's all relative to me.  I think it is powerful.  Hell, it goes 105 and does a 13-second quarter mile, plenty of snot for the highway and backroad antics I think.  I remember a time when street bikes performed pretty much like the GS unless they had 1000 cc's and they didn't handle very well.  It wasn't very long ago, either.  The GS also get upwards of 60 mpg.  You made a good solid choice. 

^^ Ouch. I feel you. I came back from Modesto, Ca about 2 weeks ago. It was about 103 every day we were there. I couldn't even sleep because of the heat.

I bought my first set of motorcycle gloves today. I used winter gloves for my scooter.
They're black Icon leather/mesh gloves.

I think I'm falling in love with my bike.  


Thanks for the warm welcome Bill. I've been engine breaking down hill since my last post. I think I got it down pretty good. Thanks for the oil Info. I'm gonna pick myself up a gallon of it for my next oil change.

I'm finding neutral quicker now. I just give it a light tap instead of a push.

103 degrees??  Hell, it's barely broken 80 here this summer and it won't stop raining!  I'm still riding a lot because I'm incurable but it sucks!  That's why I'm typing now instead of riding! 

Yeah the 102 was actual factor in heat index 113 and humidity was 89% today I think coulda been higher being I got rained on without a cloud. But, it wasn't one of those oh that was kinda nice cool rains it was mist just enough that the pavement starts steeming!

So, if I can wear FF helmet, Jacket (with armor), boots, and pants (sorry I did have to wear jeans my riding pants don't breathe). Than I don't want to hear people griping a jacket is too hot in 80 degree weather!

However due to my wonderful tank bag I have a camel back in it. I freeze half of it at night and fill the rest of it up before I head out the door and it was Cold all day yesterday. I was out from 1200 to 2000. When I ran out of water I just filled back up with water at gas stations (free) and the remaining ice cooled it right down. Love the little insulated bag holder in there!

Mary

A good mesh jacket can feel cooler in hot weather than a t-shirt. When you stop at a redlight you start to sweat just slightly, and then when you start moving the extra air flow cools you off extra than if you didn't have it. The key is to find a nice mesh jacket though, a lot of them are pretty cheap, such as the Joe Rocket ones people used to wear.

My mesh jacket has armor and pads. Also has a removable rain lining and a removable winter lining (which should be used with the rain lining to stop airflowing through the quilting). It's a Dririder Climate Pro or something.

In summer after work I take off my work shirt, have a singlet on and top it off with the jacket - dirty work shirt. My climate is like Florida and the airflow is Very welcoming.

Winter, my locale gets cold so I add the linings as well as a pullover on top of my work wear. I'll start to feel it after about 25 minutes. But if I add my keval pullover as well as another pullover I don't feel it at all no matter how long I ride. I'm home within 30 so do't usually go for the double pullover (when I say cold I mean less then 5 C (41F))

Weekend riding sees the Kevlar jeans come out. Made by an Aussie company down in Philip Island http://bikersgearaustralia.com/ cheaper than draggin jeans and so far quite comfy.

Michael