My GS is the only bike that I have been on.  In highway traffic I feel like a hang glider coming into LAX.  On open highways I have no complaints but I feel like I could use more tug when there are cars everyfriggenwhere.  I live in DFW and traffic is bad.  Very bad.  Some times it is very bad even at 70+ MPH.

I was thinking of moving to an SV or maybe a Bandit for some highway acceleration.  Do you guys think that I would be making a mistake?     I use the bike for everything aside from getting to work.  If I am going to the corner store, I take the bike.  If I am going across town (highway) I take the bike.

Cheers,
RC

Go for it, they're both great bikes for how you ride. Both of those motors are great for all around riding, even the inline 4 in the bandit isn't a top end screamer like most sportbikes, but their weight and handling still gives them enough to be ridden sporty. Out of the two, I think I'd definitely prefer an SV, but the bandits have a really good record too, despite not having the 'cool points' that the SVs do. If you spend time on the highway you'll definitely appreciate a little more power, and the ability to accelerate without always having to drop down a gear or two.

+1 Both are fine choices.

If you find a reasonably priced Honda 919, consider that too. The riding position and appearance is similar to the GS. The engine is large (900cc vs the SV650) but it's midly-tuned at 100hp so it will cruise all day at 80 without heading problems and over-revving.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/mcd/2762894268.html

They look like this. This example is quite pricy at $6000 because it's barely broken-in. I've seen them pop-up in Pennsylvania for $3000

I find with my GS, after 80MPH you really have to keep that throttle open to get any faster.

Which sucks when traffic is flying around you at 90mph, or you're riding with your friends who are all cruising along at 100mph

On the GS I really cannot be stuffed riding the highway faster than 75. If cars want to go faster than that, then I let them. Sometimes I'll even plod along at 65 in the slow lane and let Everything go past me. Riding is so less stressful when you don't need to think how to weave through the melee of cars in front. The time saving is negligible as well.

Friends who ride at 100? Traffic at 90? Let them go man. Seriously. Even on my 919 I cannot be stuffed trying to keep up with traffic like that or "friends" who ride at those speeds. I just let them all go.

Michael

The GS does not accelerate very fast, i have learned that first hand. At stop lights random "sports cars" would gun it and sometimes i actually try to out-run them, needless to say, my GS fails miserably in that department.

But in terms of freeway, 80mph on a GS is sorta the comfort limit. or it sounds like it to me.

In my opinion, any bike that will exceed 100mph is "fast enough" for the highway. The GS500 is in that category.

However, if I was going to choose between the Bandit and the SV, I'd pick the SV hand over fist. The SV650 (or 1000 but those are hard to find/had reliability issues) is a great bike. While I haven't personally ridden one, I've always dreamt of owning one. For a time I owned a DL1000 which was a sort-of weird amalgamation with an SV1000 motor. I loved the motor in the bike, but that was the only thing I loved about it.

The Bandit won't ever match the SV's low-end torque, that's just the nature of v-twins versus 4-bangers.

SV1000 vs Bandit 1200 or 1250? Torque?

At those CCs torque numbers don't matter for street use. Both bikes will get up and go. Your only question would be, do I want to do it with vibes or without?

I Have ridden these bikes...

I'd choose the SV650n over the Sport version.
I'd pick the SV650 over the SV1000 for general purpose bike. The thou might be better on the highway (maybe) but it's a bit of a dog in the twists.
I'd take the 1200/1250 Bandit over the SV1000. But these bikes are overkill for in-town riding just to the local shops.

SV650 vs 1250 Bandit? Depends what Use it would be for? Commuting and some weekend riding, the SV. Weekends only, the bandit.

Other bikes which could do Commuting and Weekend are the Z750 and the Honda 919. Both have roughly the same performance specs. So it comes down to your own personal choice on ride comfort and handling. I pick a 919 over a Z750 on both accounts. Then again, I am bias - but went through this when buying the 919, which I keep for weekend use.

Michael

Lower-end torque translates into more "usable" power. Yes, any of those bikes will get up and go but you have to consider that the difference between v-twins and 4-bangers (aside from the obvious), is that they can generate almost all their torque at a very low RPM whereas 4-bangers must be "wound up" in order to generate their torque. This translates into an easier bike to ride, in my opinion.

Quote from: Kijona on January 28, 2012, 01:05:04 PMIn my opinion, any bike that will exceed 100mph is "fast enough" for the highway. The GS500 is in that category.

The problem is that it's BARELY in that category. Above 70mph you have to work the GS as hard as you can ~ in areas where gas is cheap, SUV's are everywhere and people drive fast it can be a pain in the ass to commute on.

I would love the GS if I lived in a place where it's 44hp 60+mpg engine and sub-400lb weight made it a joy to ride.

Don't forget the Bandit came in a 600cc version that was pretty much a naked Katana.

Quote from: Kijona on January 28, 2012, 01:26:11 PM
Lower-end torque translates into more "usable" power. Yes, any of those bikes will get up and go but you have to consider that the difference between v-twins and 4-bangers (aside from the obvious), is that they can generate almost all their torque at a very low RPM whereas 4-bangers must be "wound up" in order to generate their torque. This translates into an easier bike to ride, in my opinion.

Dude, you haven't ridden them so STFU. Seriously. You've ridden a DL1000 which you were scared of. You haven't ridden these other bikes. You don't know what you're talking about. So please, keep your unknowing Opinions about their usability on the street to yourself.

4 bangers do not necessarily need to be "wound up" to achieve anything. Stop merely repeating stuff you just hear/read elsewhere. It only serves to perpetuate an untruth.

My 919 will sit at 4000rpm at 65. My GS will be over 5000 at that speed. Crank the throttle on the 919 and  WOOSH I am away from 4000 in a flash. Heck dawdling around in 4th at 37 I'm sitting on 3000 while the GS sits on 4000. Crank the 919 throttle at this low rpm and high gear and the bike will launch you. Redlines at 9500.

Same goes for the Bandit. That bad boy will easily take turns and corners two gears too high and just power right out without lugging the engine.

As I said, at those CCs the torque difference means nothing for riding on the street.

Sure, a dyno might show the SV produces torque lower down its rpm range. Again I say, this means nothing on the street for these CCs. The bikes in question are tuned for street riding. They have enough engine Grunt to ride the streets with ease, regardless of where the torque is better according to a dyno. The bikes in question do not need to be 'wound up' end of story.

And as someone who has actually ridden these bikes, as opposed to you, I can categorically say, they are ALL easy to ride. The SV650 and 1000, the 1250 Bandit, 919, Z750. All of them are easy to ride and none of them need to be 'wound up'. The 4 bangers will all readily pull you forward while idling if you let the clutch out. Same cannot be said of the GS.

@SAFE-T. at 70mph you do NOT need to work the GS as hard as you can. Maybe your one is a dog. But mine easily sits at 75 all day long and will easily go faster from there leaving it in 6th without needing to go WOT. Maybe yours is different.

Bandit 600 yes. Also 600 Hornet. Haven't ridden a Bandit 600 but yes to 600 Hornet. Didn't need to Wind It Up. Having said that, the Yamaha FZ6 does need to be wound up - but - without winding it up it already pisses all over the GS, so In Comparison it can also be ridden sedately and leave the GS behind. In comparison to the 600 Hornet is does need to be worked more. And certainly more than the SV650 - I'd pick the SV650 over those 600s as well.

Michael

Quote from: Rough Customer on January 28, 2012, 08:51:45 AM
My GS is the only bike that I have been on.  In highway traffic I feel like a hang glider coming into LAX.  On open highways I have no complaints but I feel like I could use more tug when there are cars everyfriggenwhere.  I live in DFW and traffic is bad.  Very bad.  Some times it is very bad even at 70+ MPH.

I was thinking of moving to an SV or maybe a Bandit for some highway acceleration.  Do you guys think that I would be making a mistake?     I use the bike for everything aside from getting to work.  If I am going to the corner store, I take the bike.  If I am going across town (highway) I take the bike.

Cheers,
RC

This is precisely why I'm upgrading to a 600/750 as soon as I get my shaZam! together. The GS500 is fun, but in the few times I've had to zoom ahead of someone to not get picked off, or to pass them quickly and efficiently, the GS500 needs a full crank of the throttle to get anywhere. Don't even get me started on the wind completely ruining any acceleration this bike has.

I've been on an SV650, I've seen a few bandits, and I've rode around on a few 600s as well. They're all solid choices. If you're going to streetfighter your bike the SV650/Bandit is the way to go.

Quote from: mister on January 28, 2012, 12:14:41 PM
On the GS I really cannot be stuffed riding the highway faster than 75. If cars want to go faster than that, then I let them. Sometimes I'll even plod along at 65 in the slow lane and let Everything go past me. Riding is so less stressful when you don't need to think how to weave through the melee of cars in front. The time saving is negligible as well.

Friends who ride at 100? Traffic at 90? Let them go man. Seriously. Even on my 919 I cannot be stuffed trying to keep up with traffic like that or "friends" who ride at those speeds. I just let them all go.

Michael

I ride in similar traffic Monday-Friday. Every single day I wish I had more acceleration to get to the front of the pack (safely) so I COULD cruise and not worry. In real traffic you want to be as close to the front as possible.

The main argument here is it's not easy to defensively maneuver the gs500 in a situation where giving it throttle is your only option. Such as if you're 3/4 of the way up the side of a car in your lane and he starts merging. Braking will bring you back and get you hit from the side (and the back), so dumping the throttle for a second to clear the rest of the car is your only safe option. This isn't a "The gs500 is too slow I can't do 120 mph all the way to work" argument at all.

Where the hell are people going 90 mph on the freeway?  I've crossed the US and never needed to go above 65 mph, even when the speed limit was 75 mph. You know you don't have to be the fastest vehicle on the road? It will save you the speeding/reckless driving ticket.

Quote from: Dr.McNinja on January 28, 2012, 02:31:02 PMSuch as if you're 3/4 of the way up the side of a car in your lane and he starts merging. Braking will bring you back and get you hit from the side (and the back), so dumping the throttle for a second to clear the rest of the car is your only safe option.

I had this happen Thursday, thus this thread.   

Inline 4s can definitely be tuned for good midrange and better low end. That triumph speed four I used to own had a great lower end. It actually felt pretty similar to my Buell in the low rpms, but just kept powering on through to the 14k redline when the Buell stopped at 7200rpm. My friend had the same triumph I did, so I got to try his back to back with my Buell, and honestly the buell really didn't feel that much stronger in the bottom end, and the triumph definitely had more kick up top.

I wouldn't hesitate to own another I4, even though I like riding in lower RPMs, you just have to make sure you get the right one. I'd say the biggest difference between the Vtwin engine of the Buell and the I4 engine of the Triumph, is that the triumph always felt like a stretched rubber band. You could feel the tension in the motor just making you want to push it. The Buell motor just felt way more relaxed. It still had power, and would still move fast, the power just wasn't quite as in your face. Hard to explain. There was a big difference at highway speeds though. Even though the Buell was 984cc, it still didn't really want to cruise much faster than 65-70mph. I was always going too fast on the triumph, but anything over 65mph and it felt like the Buell was spinning too fast. Something to consider when you're shopping, that bike was meant for twisty back roads, just because something has twice motor doesn't mean it's gonna go twice as fast.

I'd love to own something like a TL1000S or an RC51 next time around, but twins aren't as easy to come by, so I'll see what pops up when I'm ready for another bike.

Our GS500F would do 190km/h, but it took its time after 175 or so. 70mph is around 130km/h, so you are getting into the upper end of the GS's performance envelope. All I know is my wife hated having the slowest bike in the group. I borrowed it one day and rode it for 9 hrs at speeds up to 170 km/h, so it's do-able. But her FZ6R is considerably more powerful and a lot less work to ride, and can pass other traffic without even trying hard. Not in the same (minor) league as the GS at all.

Not all inline 4 motors are alike either ~ you really have to do some reading. I have been quite impressed with the tuning of Yamaha's FZ6R ~ needs to be re-geared a bit for extended travel, but has nice roll-on performance in the mid-range. Power seems to fall off after 9,500 rpm but I rarely want to spin it that hard anyway so I don't feel I'm missing much.

I rode the CBR900RR that Honda's 919 engine came from. I really liked it, but it was criticized in the motorcycle press as being "too tame" compared to the competition. 

Quote from: mister on January 28, 2012, 02:05:52 PM

Quote from: Kijona on January 28, 2012, 01:26:11 PM
Lower-end torque translates into more "usable" power. Yes, any of those bikes will get up and go but you have to consider that the difference between v-twins and 4-bangers (aside from the obvious), is that they can generate almost all their torque at a very low RPM whereas 4-bangers must be "wound up" in order to generate their torque. This translates into an easier bike to ride, in my opinion.

Dude, you haven't ridden them so STFU. Seriously. You've ridden a DL1000 which you were scared of. You haven't ridden these other bikes. You don't know what you're talking about. So please, keep your unknowing Opinions about their usability on the street to yourself.

4 bangers do not necessarily need to be "wound up" to achieve anything. Stop merely repeating stuff you just hear/read elsewhere. It only serves to perpetuate an untruth.

My 919 will sit at 4000rpm at 65. My GS will be over 5000 at that speed. Crank the throttle on the 919 and  WOOSH I am away from 4000 in a flash. Heck dawdling around in 4th at 37 I'm sitting on 3000 while the GS sits on 4000. Crank the 919 throttle at this low rpm and high gear and the bike will launch you. Redlines at 9500.

Same goes for the Bandit. That bad boy will easily take turns and corners two gears too high and just power right out without lugging the engine.

As I said, at those CCs the torque difference means nothing for riding on the street.

Sure, a dyno might show the SV produces torque lower down its rpm range. Again I say, this means nothing on the street for these CCs. The bikes in question are tuned for street riding. They have enough engine Grunt to ride the streets with ease, regardless of where the torque is better according to a dyno. The bikes in question do not need to be 'wound up' end of story.

And as someone who has actually ridden these bikes, as opposed to you, I can categorically say, they are ALL easy to ride. The SV650 and 1000, the 1250 Bandit, 919, Z750. All of them are easy to ride and none of them need to be 'wound up'. The 4 bangers will all readily pull you forward while idling if you let the clutch out. Same cannot be said of the GS.

@SAFE-T. at 70mph you do NOT need to work the GS as hard as you can. Maybe your one is a dog. But mine easily sits at 75 all day long and will easily go faster from there leaving it in 6th without needing to go WOT. Maybe yours is different.

Bandit 600 yes. Also 600 Hornet. Haven't ridden a Bandit 600 but yes to 600 Hornet. Didn't need to Wind It Up. Having said that, the Yamaha FZ6 does need to be wound up - but - without winding it up it already pisses all over the GS, so In Comparison it can also be ridden sedately and leave the GS behind. In comparison to the 600 Hornet is does need to be worked more. And certainly more than the SV650 - I'd pick the SV650 over those 600s as well.

Michael

"STFU"? Excuse me, have I hit some sort of sore spot with you? Is there a reason why you feel the need to be crude and crass towards me? I am entitled to my opinion just as you are yours - but telling someone to "STFU" because you don't like what they're saying is just juvenile. If you don't agree with me, that's fine. I could honestly care less. I could also care less whether I'm right or you're right or if we're both wrong. That isn't the point. Being right your whole life doesn't mean anything if you've treated everyone like trash. Think about that.

If you keep up this incessantly insolent behavior towards me, I'm going to block you. Since I started posting you've made a POINT to harp on me and frankly, I'm sick of it.

You're one of the older members here. Start acting like it.

I don't think it's worth debating the power of the GS500 ~ it is just one of the bike's weak areas. Accept that it is an underachiever whose limitations are what they are and everyone will be a lot happier.