Wow dennisgb that sure is a beauty    12 different bikes... it turned out fantastic.  Me having a degree in fine art/graphic design I can REALLY appreciate that paintwork... symmetry, placement, etc 

I hope your back feels better soon!  I have a friend (she is 27 like me) that has had a few back surgeries already in her life to correct a few discs and I hate seeing her go through so much pain and issues (headaches, etc).  Back problems are no walk in the park 

I came close to getting one back in 2012 and ended up getting a ninja 250.  Go figure!  Then I was looking for another bike in the spring this year and I couldn't find any for sale within a reasonable distance.  Tried looking for a 599 and I found many but they all looked like they had been owned by the GSXR wannabe crowd.  Tacky paint jobs, wheel tape, glow kits, stickers, ridiculous performance accessories that made their asking price astronomical.  Etc.

Surprising about the 919 is how many people say that it feels small.  I only sat on one, never rode, but at 5'7 160lbs the bike felt totally manageable.  Low seat height and low center of gravity.

Have anymore good photos of yours?

Quote from: ShowBizWolf on December 17, 2014, 09:55:48 AM
Wow dennisgb that sure is a beauty    12 different bikes... it turned out fantastic.  Me having a degree in fine art/graphic design I can REALLY appreciate that paintwork... symmetry, placement, etc 

I hope your back feels better soon!  I have a friend (she is 27 like me) that has had a few back surgeries already in her life to correct a few discs and I hate seeing her go through so much pain and issues (headaches, etc).  Back problems are no walk in the park 

Thanks for the positive comments. I have a background in graphic design but eventually became a mechanical engineer. I'm retired now, so put my "talents" into things I enjoy and just have fun...a little tip...you should try to do that when you are young 

My back has been a struggle. Most of the problem is from old injuries...the last couple of years have been difficult but I am now 3 months out from fusion surgery so hoping it is over and I can get on with the rest of my life.

Quote from: NYNJ8 on December 17, 2014, 10:01:24 AM
I came close to getting one back in 2012 and ended up getting a ninja 250.  Go figure!  Then I was looking for another bike in the spring this year and I couldn't find any for sale within a reasonable distance.  Tried looking for a 599 and I found many but they all looked like they had been owned by the GSXR wannabe crowd.  Tacky paint jobs, wheel tape, glow kits, stickers, ridiculous performance accessories that made their asking price astronomical.  Etc.

Surprising about the 919 is how many people say that it feels small.  I only sat on one, never rode, but at 5'7 160lbs the bike felt totally manageable.  Low seat height and low center of gravity.

Have anymore good photos of yours?

I have more pics but afraid of highjacking your thread and getting too far off topic will get it tossed.

Thinking we should keep on topic.

Here's a couple of pics of my GS500...it was like new when I bought it last summer...only put a couple thousand miles on it since I took these pics...next year 

First bike. Love it!
Paid $500 w 4k on it. Completely stock.

A made a few tasteful mods

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Nice bikes!
Out of curiosity: is this cargo net thing a 'thing' overseas, or is it just convenient?

It's just convenient for me. I slide my iPod bag in there when I make quick trips around town.

FirstGS500E,

Wow! What a deal! Nice bike.

I put a windshield like that on my Honda 919. Makes a big difference on the highway.

Dennis

Quote from: Atesz792 on December 17, 2014, 01:00:16 PM
Nice bikes!
Out of curiosity: is this cargo net thing a 'thing' overseas, or is it just convenient?

A few bikes I bought had em, I fitted 1-2 on bikes that didn't have em, but I usually dont like em.
On some bikes they look good, on other bikes they work good.
Cool.
Buddha.

They sure are convenient (nets) but I don't like the look of them so I ride with it rolled up under the seat.  For quick trips I have a couple of luggage options that I like to use:









Tail bag straps are attached to the subframe and remain under the seat at all times.  Takes me 10 seconds to secure and remove the bag.  I love that tail bag. I've been a bag whore since I got into riding and this is by far my favorite.  Tank bag was a snag from Walmart for $30. Awesome bag for the price.

Thanks for the replies.
Yeah, I can understand being a bag whore... I have a biga$$ topbox (fits 2 full face helmets), sometimes still attach stuff to the rear seat using a cargo net, and I'm thinking about having a pannier rack welded (cannot do it myself... and I got a real good idea for el cheapo hard panniers).

When I really need to carry stuff I take this bike. It's actually one of my favorites to ride since my back has been bad.

NYNJ8, I like that tail bag. Do you mind my asking where you got it? Thanks!

Dowco Fastrax.  It came with a bike I bought a while back.  Can't recommend this thing enough.  Came with 8-10 different kinds of straps, and has different color inserts to match your bike color.  It stays rigid when empty, secures tightly, and expands to hold a ton of stuff.  I've had it on 3 different bikes, a dual sport, the GS, and a TU250 and it fit all 3 like a glove.  $99 on Amazon right now. 

http://www.amazon.com/Dowco-50144-00-Fastrax-Adventure-Luggage/dp/B000ONZQF2/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1418881434&sr=1-1&keywords=dowco+tail+bag

As far as the "awesome" part goes my 97 GS500E I bought new in Mar 99 replaced a 85 CB650SC that I rode over to the dealers and traded in to get rid of and as I rode back home on the new GS and hit hilly twisty River Road the GS felt like a sportbike compared to the Nighthawk it replaced.  I was sold on the GS and 15 years and 180k miles on 2 GSs later I remain sold on them.   

As far as soft luggage, bungies, and nets go; I put a small Givi E33 trunk on my 02 GS back in 04 and it's been there since.  On trips I added a tankbag and was good for a week in the mountains.  Can't believe I fought the rain with soft luggage for so many miles and years.  The lockable trunk is worthwhile year around.

Yes it is an awesome bike as long as you accept it for what it is, this is the last view I had of mine as it went away.

Did it make me sad? A little...but the good news is bikes have changed alot for the better since '89 and yes the GS is a classic, but it's not irreplaceable.

That pic is just so sad...

Last bike I sold I was really sad to see it go, but the guy who bought it was so excited about it that it made me feel better.  Seems like the guy who bought that GS was pretty excited about it.  I mean, he rented a pickup to tow the rented trailer!

I use my $300 92 Sentra and a foldable 4x8 harbor freight trailer I got for $175 to haul bikes, but I haven't bought one in a while. Last one was a 1965 Honda 50 cc super cub, in July and the seller delivered it to my door for $250, got it running for the first time in 20 years the next day. Same bike as the 1963 ad "you meet the nicest people on a honda".

regards
mech

I have the same style cargo net, very useful! I thought it was ugly at first, but it hold my spare coat, a water bottle, and sometimes a couple other things as well. I'm lost in the bickering though. Yeah the gs500 is a great bike, I routinely get great gas mileage, pay $136 per year in insurance, and have pride in it truly being "my" bike. I rode it, wrecked it, and rode it some more, and it's still kicking! Yeah I can go drop 10K+ on a newer bike with similar performance, or I can enjoy what I have. It's all about appreciating what you have! I'm buying a 1966C20 or a 1963 C10 here in the next week (hard decision), sure I can get a new truck with better MPG's, but it's not going to be cheap, or fun to work on, get what you want to ride, find something you enjoy, if you REALLY need that extra 10mph or another 5MPG, then you obviously chose the wrong bike. If you like having a new / old bike that you can work on and fix easily, ride hard, and it will still keep on going, then this is a good light weight fun bike.


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