My appologies, I've calmed down, <rant> is <off>

http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2919&highlight=tight

Geez, I must be getting old! I was just thinking of just palming the handlebars to train yourself to countersteer. I've gotten myself so trained that way that I never think to grip my bars at all. Maybe that's why I crashed.

And like you said, there's a time and a place for everthing and even I will take my left hand off the bar and put it on my waist. So, I'm guilty of even being a hypocrite. Forgive me.

It kinda goes against the anchor point topic, but it appears that I need to learn something new. Can somebody have their MSF instructor contact me?

Quote from: pantablo on August 05, 2004, 03:01:01 PM

4) clank is normal. if you ever have trouble shifting or esp. finding neutral check your oil level. Bike is particularly sensitive to oil level in regard to shifting.

Could you explain how this works? Because I just put oil in my bike and it's exactly on the Full line. But today I felt like I was having more difficulty changing to the lower gears & especially neutral. How much fluid(how many quarts) does the engine usually hold? I put 2 quarts because it was very very low(I just got the bike recently & didn't realize how quickly oil burns out...). I noticed it sounded "rougher" than usual so I checked it & it was very low. Will that hurt the bike?

This is the oldest thread I've seen bumped.   

The bike takes 2.9 liters of 10w40 no-additive oil. Measured warm, after about an hour after riding up to temp. Sit on the seat, reach down, take out dipstick, wipe off, put it back on the cover (but not tightened), and what it reads now is what your oil level is.

What do you mean when you say "difficult(y) change(ing) to lower gears"?

What kind of oil did you put in? You cant use any with friction modifiers, it will mess with the wet clutch.

Edit: Also, with what Pantablo said (BACK IN 2004!!!), I can't agree with. I have an 89' gs500, and the first time I changed it, I overfilled my oil, and the only negative effect was it spewing everywhere in my airbox.

I have also experienced difficulty downshifting when full to slightly overfull.  The difficulty is that it requires a more forceful press on the pedal than normal.  Mine works best when it's about 250ml low. 

LuciStar, 2 quarts?  That's pretty low.  How many miles on your bike?  and in how many miles did it use up 2 quarts?

Rweimer,
Welcome to the fold.  I've had my '96 GS (my first bike) for a little over a year and it's been a love affair.  My wife has complained that I think about the bike more than her.  Of course I try to reassure her but I suppose after 31 years she can tell when I'm lying.  I'm somewhat mechanically inclined for the easy stuff and have found this bike very tinker-friendly.  I plan to ride later today even though the temperature here in central Illinois is only supposed to top out around 50 degrees.  I am resisting the temptation to winterize as long as I can.  Enjoy the GS, take the MSF course, read everything you can get your hands on, watch a million YouTube videos and have fun!  And no more spillage please.
Mike 

Quote from: LuciStar on November 22, 2011, 07:29:31 PM

Quote from: pantablo on August 05, 2004, 03:01:01 PM

4) clank is normal. if you ever have trouble shifting or esp. finding neutral check your oil level. Bike is particularly sensitive to oil level in regard to shifting.

Could you explain how this works? Because I just put oil in my bike and it's exactly on the Full line. But today I felt like I was having more difficulty changing to the lower gears & especially neutral. How much fluid(how many quarts) does the engine usually hold? I put 2 quarts because it was very very low(I just got the bike recently & didn't realize how quickly oil burns out...). I noticed it sounded "rougher" than usual so I checked it & it was very low. Will that hurt the bike?

It's one of those "quirks" about this specific bike.  It's usually due to lubrication; more oil, more lubrication.  Similar to Yamaha's oil 'warmed' alternator coils, and a neutral between every gear.  And, Lucas electronics (an oxymoron for early Triumphs (Lucas: The master of darkness)).

When I do oil changes, I put in 3 quarts; and then monitor oil level once a week.

You probably did not hurt the bike; the oil light didn't even come on.

Man, this is an OLD thread!

LEGENDARY TOPIC NECRO

SEVEN YEARS, and STILL nobody has noticed that the guy was trying to re-position his handlebars by undoing the top triple clamp fork bolts...lol

Michael

Quote from: Rweimer on August 05, 2004, 12:02:29 PM
Hi, everyone.  my name is robert weimer, i am from mobile alabama, and due to the strong response for the gs500 in this website, i decided to get it as a starter bike, rather than becoming a statistic and getting a gixxer.

I have had the bike for going on four days now, new 04 gs500F, and am in love with it. but i have several questions.

1.  I had a minor spill, scratched up the muffler exhaust, the handlebar weight, and a tad on the engine metal thingy that says suzuki.  Everything seems to be ok, and i haven't had another spill, but something did happen.  It appears that my handlebars have been knocked out of alignment, and are shifted to the left.  Well, i looked at the nut on the bottom of the handlebar, and got a 14mm socket, and attempted to turn it left. (righty tighty, lefty loosey, right?)  try as I may, it didnt seem to loosen any for me to reposition the handlebar, and retighten it.  it seems to be really tight.  I dare try any harder.  Am i doing it correctly, or do i need to bring it to my local suzuki salesman to adjust it?

since you're so new, I'd suggest getting an experienced mechanical buddy to show you how to loosen the 'triple trees' and then re-tighten them again. most likely this will sort the straightness problem.


2.  I have ridden the bike all the time now, and am very happy with my purchase, i wonder, though, what does a 'liter' bike have to offer that the gs doesn't?  simply more top end speed? which i am completely not conernet with, the 140 that the gs can do is more than i ever dare go.
Would i still be able to keep up with my friends in low end torque, start up acceleration, etc?

better brakes, better fueling (usually EFI on newer bikes), better torque, possibly better ergonomics (the gs is pretty good here as a standard), and better all day comfort, along with nicer interstate manners. heavier bikes generally will ride more smoothly and require less revs to maintain higher speeds. quickness / speed is only a very tiny fraction of what a bigger bike offers.


3.  I have pretty normal to big sized hands, but i find that having to extend my fingers over both the clutch with my left hand, and both the throttle and front brake with my right hand, it just simply doesn't reach comfortably.  I am having to depress the front break a bit at all times, which scares me that i will be grinding away that front break.  is depressing it a bit, normal?

see the adjustment others have posted. i'll agree that covering (not actually modulating) both the clutch and brake at all times (other than heavy acceleration for the brake) is a very, very, very good idea. the msf will teach you more about this, along with why. the msf will do so much good.


4.  My bike is new, it has 95 miles on it now.  Never ridden/owned/rode on a bike.  Whenever i go through the gears, which i have gotten real good at, no stalling or anything, i hear a clank, as the gear is moving into place ( i assume). is this audible clank normal?  It is not anything frightening sounding, just a bit of a clank.

congrats ! the gs has a very slick transmission, if / when you learn smooth use of the clutch, throttle, and timing of the shift. if you 'lug' the engine at all, shifts will be more pronounced and clanky. a smooth shift will bring progressively faster rpm's, without approaching redline, and use both the torque (lower rpms) and horsepower (higher rpms) of the engine. the gs' carburetors are a real treat for lower speed commuting and cornering. they provide smooooooth power and progressive response as you throttle up without becoming snatchy. the loudest 'clank' you should hear is shifting from neutral to 1st gear, or possibly from 2nd back to 1st, if you're moving to quickly. from then on it should be just audible.

5.  Last question.  thanks for the patience.  My buddy has a gixxer 750.  He noticed my chain, when at rest, on the kickstand, was very slack, but as soon as i set the bike ride up, and got on it, grew taut again.  his didn't do this.  at first he was alarmed, but then, seeing how it didn't impede performance, he said it probably was nothing.

your buddy with the gsx-r may not be as knowledgable a rider as he or you believe, given he didn't address pre-load of the rear suspension. the gs manual will tell you how much slack the chain should have (shift to neutral, check from bottom of swing arm) and how to adjust the pre-load. assuming you're not a little guy, you may want to up the pre-load so the bike doesn't squat so much when you sit on it.


Thank you for all of your time.  I have been a long time reader (bout a month), and a first time poster.

Thanks again
Robert Weimer
noob extraodinaire.

also, get on bamarides.com forum. we have local rides of varying skill level. the ghymkana events are GREAT for  riders of all experience levels. generally there is a ride in birmingham 3-4 times a week wether it's dirt, street, or cruiser oriented. the photo-tag game comes to mobile quite a bit.

enjoy the new ride and gstwins, this is one of the best forums around. 


***edit***

wow just noticed the OP's date of thread. oh well, good info anyway.

Last post by Robert was August 2005.