So, uh, I'm seriously considering getting rid of the GS soon. I've always had it in my head that the GS would last me a little while as a beginner. I'd love to keep it, but as a young student I can only afford a single bike in my life.

I know that one guy moved up to a GSX-R1000, and I'm personally looking at the Kawi (uh oh) ZRX1200R. Fell in love with it since I first saw one up for sale on CL. It's got a bit more power (a lowly 3x) and more torque (about 3x) than our lovely GSs, so it also has me worried. Now, I'm still close to the newbie category with only about 8k miles under my belt on the GS, but anyone else make a pretty extreme jump in power? The most I've ridden is my buddy's Hornet 599 which, if I remember right, has about 100hp and about 45 ft-lbs of torque. I personally love that thing, feels exactly like a beefed up GS500. They're also a bit more expensive than the ZRXs I've found in the area and also a little more rare, so I don't know about choosing one.

This is all just thinking out loud, really. Not sure if I'll get cold feet when it comes time to lay the money down but it's always cool to have advice.

the 1200 has enough power to kill you easily. if youre ready for the bike, and are comfy on it, then go for it.. I went from a gs along with a kz400 to a Harley 883c. in the beginning went from 2x power andf torque to the 1200 conversion. nearly triple. course it wasn't as apparent for two things. the weight, then the weight on the dragon. best way to try out a bike fit, is climb aboard. ands then ask yourself are you comfy?, then ask yourself, if yes, will you be comfortable in 3 hours

I moved up to a 800 with almost 3x the power and 100lbs heavier. It not even the biggest most powerful bike on the road by far, but it's more than enough. There is no place on public roads that I can push an 800 to it's full potential.
I honestly don't know how those guys handle the 1000's, 1100's and 1200's. It's all that wasted potential that will get you in trouble when you least expect it. Be careful whatever you move up to.

I moved down!

LOL, not by that much.  My first bike was a GS650 and my current is the GS500.

I don't need to go over 100 MPH, I don't need to accelerate from 0-60 in 3 seconds, and I never have a passenger so I don't need that much pull.  For me the GS is perfect and I don't see me upgrading any time soon unless I just want a different bike.

I don't think I'd ever move up to a 1000cc+ bike, but I might move up a little bit.  I'm not afraid of more power, but I want to keep the amazing gas mileage.
I dream of owning an Aprilia Shiver 750, but it's because of the bike as a whole rather than the engine.

I could see me getting an SV650, or a CB500, or maybe an FZ8.  But I don't dream of a big ol' CB1000 and I have to question people who measure their motorcycle engines in inches rather than centimeters.

2nd on the Move Down:

02  BMW R1150R  Put 80,000 on that one
08  Suzuki Strom (650) Put less than 10,000 on it.  Just never loved it.
Still have a Triumph Bonny

The GS is a really great around town and short trip bike.  Cheap to buy, cheap insurance, low maintenance, darn hard to beat.

Quote from: Watcher on March 20, 2014, 02:32:52 PM
I moved down!

LOL, not by that much.  My first bike was a GS650 and my current is the GS500.

I don't need to go over 100 MPH, I don't need to accelerate from 0-60 in 3 seconds, and I never have a passenger so I don't need that much pull.  For me the GS is perfect and I don't see me upgrading any time soon unless I just want a different bike.

I don't think I'd ever move up to a 1000cc+ bike, but I might move up a little bit.  I'm not afraid of more power, but I want to keep the amazing gas mileage.
I dream of owning an Aprilia Shiver 750, but it's because of the bike as a whole rather than the engine.

I could see me getting an SV650, or a CB500, or maybe an FZ8.  But I don't dream of a big ol' CB1000 and I have to question people who measure their motorcycle engines in inches rather than centimeters.

Hehe. I understand the whole "why the heck would you need that on the road?" and to be honest, I chose the ZRX as a potential choice for my upgrade because of a few factors, not just the engine size. First off, I think it's an amazing looking bike:



The rectangular headlight, the naked body. Also, it's a pretty upright riding position.

Now, the power is just a plus for me. Ever since taking the GS500 on freeways, I would rather have something that'll handle them a little bit easier. I'm not one that does wheelies, but I will do twisties. Sure, I could go to a more sporty-oriented bike, but insurance would be more expensive and everything else would be as well.

I was actually talking to a few guys in my motorcycle club yesterday who owned ZRXs and they both immediately said they were great bikes, so that definitely didn't help my wallet's screaming at me.

If you really like the ZRX, have you considered a Honda Hornet or a Suzuki Bandit?

The Bandits have a decent variety of engine sizes and I think the Hornet was offered in what was around a 600cc and a 900cc.


Naked style, upright posture, more power than the GSs.

I know if I wanted to upgrade on the cheap and didn't want to go with a SV650 I'd get either of these.  Right now on CL by me there's a 2003 Hornet 919 with 11k miles, a Demotto exhaust, and a Power-Commander for less than $4000.

 The ZRX I've got my eye on is probably the cheapest I've found one yet.

Hornets are nice, yes. My friend has a 599 and I really enjoy riding it, but around here they're rare (although so is the ZRX) on CL and typically asking a bit more than I'd be willing to pay. If I could find one for this low I'd probably bite.

Bandits, not really a fan of their looks. I know that sounds shallow but I want to enjoy the aesthetics of what I'm riding and they don't do it for me.

Quote from: Watevaman on March 21, 2014, 03:15:25 PM
Bandits, not really a fan of their looks. I know that sounds shallow but I want to enjoy the aesthetics of what I'm riding and they don't do it for me.

Not shallow at all, you should like what you ride.  If you don't like what you ride... well, you won't like riding it...



It's not like hand tools or a work truck where if it looks like total and complete dog-sh** but still works you'll still use it.  A bike's gotta look good 

I moved from the GS500 to a Yamaha FZ1. Yes, a stupid amount of power but similar dimensions and weight with much better brakes and suspension. It effortlessly travels at warp speed but I find it much easier to ride around town than the GS. I think the lower weight of the FZ makes it better balanced. You just have to be disciplined with the right wrist.

I think the FZ8 is a brilliant all-rounder and would have been more "sensible", especially for commuting. I found it a little bit more comfortable thanks to the narrower fuel tank but after riding an FZ1 I knew I would get bored and frustrated with the much lower power of the 8 out on the open road.

I put 500 country kilometres on my FZ1 today. It is still scary enough that I give it a lot of respect. It has abilities so far above mine that I don't think my skills will ever be greater than the bike can handle.

My original shortlist when upgrading was the FZ8, BMW F800 (ST or GT) and Shiver GT. All around 800cc and similar power. All are good bikes. The Aprilia is a bit more of a hoon bike and you don't buy an F800 for excitement while the FZ8 fals somewhere in the middle but has the smoothest engine of the three.

My bike history : aprilia rs125 , kawasaki er-5 , suzuki bandit 600,  honda cbr1000r , gs500

So yea im also a step down but im really struggling with the gs from the mightly powered cbr1000 and ive had the gs for over 12 months now!!

I miss everything about the cbr the power , the handling , the brakes the looks the list goes on.
But i needed an everyday commuter and thats why my life jurney brought me to the gs.

The bandit was a great bike aswell and i nearly bought one instead of the gs but i already had one and wanted something different.

I think in the next 6 to 12 months ill be back on a supersport like a gsxr 600 though

I moved up to the F800r and it was reasonable, my running costs stayed about the same. Only thing that got more expensive was tyres but I'm not complaining.

 Yeah that's one thing that'll get me with a bigger bike. Tires will be a bit more frequent and expensive and fuel economy is going to decrease.

I'm going crazy at the moment because it'll be at least a week before I can get my GS down to where I am now (and however long it would take to sell it) and I'm afraid the ZRX I'm eyeballing may be sold by then.

Try working out a deal with the seller.  Sometimes they'll pull the listing for cash down or if you are lucky just on a word.

When I bought my GS it took me over a week to get the money together and wait for the weather to cooperate so I could ride it back.  The seller was very easy to work with, told him I wanted it and needed some time then offered him $100 in good faith and he went ahead and pulled the listing without taking any money from me.

I moved to a CBR F4i (and still have my GS ... again).  I love the Honda, I actually chose it because it has a very "GS like" reputation in terms of reliability despite its age (mine is an 03) and it has an incredibly comfortable riding position for a sport bike and has just the power I was looking for over the GS.  Its just slightly lighter than my GS and has ~110hp.  They can be had for $3000-$4000 second hand (in my area anyway).  Worth a look based on what you said you are looking for.

I frequently bounce between a 2003 Harley Road King and a 1978 PUCH moped... But since neither one is very fast (compared to a ZRX1200R), I guess I'm safe. 

My advice to Wateva... 
Sell the GS and go with the old-school Kawi. That 120 HP will put a smile on your face and terror in your heart.

Quote from: Watcher on March 20, 2014, 02:32:52 PM
I moved down!

He he ... me too. I bought a ninja 600, a katana 600, a Nighthawk 650 and a virago 535 before I even saw a GS.
Of course I bought a GS a year later ... bike #5 out of the 44 I have owned. However I've owned 17 GS'es. More than any others ... he he ...
Cool.
Buddha.

Just get the ZRX, you will endup getting one sooner or later.
When I was moving up from my first GS500, I really liked the SRAD 750, but there wasn't a nice deal around so I ended up buying a CBR600 F4, which was the worst mistake I did.
Eneded up selling it soon after, and bought the SRAD 750 which I still have today, even after I got and sold another GS500 meanwhile...
BTW, the Hornet 900 is more like a ship compared to the 600. The 600 is very sporty.

Quote from: The Buddha on March 29, 2014, 11:29:24 AM

Quote from: Watcher on March 20, 2014, 02:32:52 PM
I moved down!

He he ... me too. I bought a ninja 600, a katana 600, a Nighthawk 650 and a virago 535 before I even saw a GS.
Of course I bought a GS a year later ... bike #5 out of the 44 I have owned. However I've owned 17 GS'es. More than any others ... he he ...
Cool.
Buddha.

You got me on number of GSs owned but I'll bet I got you on number of GS500 miles ridden.  180,000 miles and still counting. 

Quote from: gsJack on March 31, 2014, 07:00:52 AM

Quote from: The Buddha on March 29, 2014, 11:29:24 AM

Quote from: Watcher on March 20, 2014, 02:32:52 PM
I moved down!

He he ... me too. I bought a ninja 600, a katana 600, a Nighthawk 650 and a virago 535 before I even saw a GS.
Of course I bought a GS a year later ... bike #5 out of the 44 I have owned. However I've owned 17 GS'es. More than any others ... he he ...
Cool.
Buddha.

You got me on number of GSs owned but I'll bet I got you on number of GS500 miles ridden.  180,000 miles and still counting. 

... I dont even come close ... I'll say total 100+K on bikes - all bikes put together comfortably 100k ... 150k, maybe not. One GS counts for about 40k, another gs for 10 more. Probably have 25k in the other 15 GS'es including 5k on this current one I built from a truck full of parts I picked up from 10 different people on GSTwin. About 40-50k in all the other bikes - 10+k on one eli 1000, 10+k on the virago 1100. 120-130K - yes that would be it.

Cool.
Buddha.