Hayabusa as a first bike........GS500F reviews?

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bigbadbrad · Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:33 pm

J/K J/K I'm not a mentally challenged.

So here my question. So I searched and decided on a GS500F for my first bike. I want to keep it for a year or a little more and learn on it and take some riding classes and advanced classes maybe and then get a 600cc bike. (BTW: good job to who ever wrote that "don't get a 600cc bike as a first" sticky, it actually convinced me out of it) I was wonder what you guys think of the gs500f, like not, o its nice. I mean people who have owned it. And How good of a starter bike is it. Will I be able too learn good basics on it so when I get the 600 I wont feel like I'm starting over again. So what do you think of my plan and what you you think of the gs500f?

VermilionX · Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:18 pm

never owned one but know some poeple that do/did own one.

one of my riding buddies got an R6 after a couple of months on his GS500. i met another guy who had a ninja 250 and jumped to a gixxer600 after a couple of years. another rider i met had a GS500 too, but she upgraded 2 times in the 1st year and is now on a gixxer1000.

you can't really expect your transition to be the same as others but i don't think you should worry about it too much.

anyway... the GS500 has good reputation of being a starter bike. im sure you can't go wrong w/ starting on it.

good luck!

TR7 · #3 Unread post by **TR7** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:26 pm

i have a GS500E, same thing basically. i think its a good starter bike. its a little topheavy compared to the 250ninja my friend had that i rode around for a little bit, but its not like its bad, just different. its also a really easy and cheap bike to maintain. the motor is stout and air cooled with carbs so its not so complex. you can do most anything yourself. its not a slow bike by any means but its just enough to keep you out of major trouble from minor new biker problems (ie if you let out the clutch to fast, it wont buck you too badly) and insurance is also cheaper as it is just at the 500cc cut off point. its also light enough that you can gorilla it around if you need to slide it in and out of a shed or park it perpendicular to your other car if you dont have a place to store it. plus this helps when learning to handle the weight of the bike. great stuff for learning basic manuvers and spirited riding. ive never had a problem learning to control the bike. i have had mine for about a year now and am quite happy with it, i cant think of any cons other than others who complain of the soft suspension, but ive yet to really come to the point where this is a major problem for me so it doesnt hold me back and upgrades to the suspension are also very cheap and easy from what i hear.

Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:39 pm

It's a perfect starter bike and I like your plan

Way to read the sticky- I was starting to wonder if we should rename it "600cc or larger for a first bike?" Just to get people's attention

bigbadbrad · Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:41 pm

I got a little question. I want to keep this bike for a year or so and then get a gsxr or something. I'm not going to think about it too much now but, Will this bike teach me what I need to know about handling it like as in taking turns. I know its different from riding a bike. You can't just turn the handle bars, you need to lean and shift your weight a bit and all. so will this bike be able to teach me this? I don't want to get a gixxer or something an then just like fall over.

VermilionX · Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:45 pm

bigbadbrad wrote:I got a little question. I want to keep this bike for a year or so and then get a gsxr or something. I'm not going to think about it too much now but, Will this bike teach me what I need to know about handling it like as in taking turns. I know its different from riding a bike. You can't just turn the handle bars, you need to lean and shift your weight a bit and all. so will this bike be able to teach me this? I don't want to get a gixxer or something an then just like fall over.

again... you're thinking about it too much.

the skills you will learn on the GS500 will transfer when you get a more powerful bike.

just remember, whenever you get or ride an unfamiliar bike, whether it's more powerful or less powerful. always take it easy for a while. each bike will handle differently but the basics will be the same.

Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:48 pm

It's a different riding style, but this will teach you all the basics of riding and prep you fairly well to step it up to a sports bike. The difference being that the gs500 is a standard, more upright sitting position and a sport bike is a more leaned forward arms extended position.

Sport bikes are also a bit harder to handle at low speeds but honestly starting on a standard and then moving onto whatever style suits you best seems to be the best course of action to me. It's not like you'll have to start all over learning to ride when you move to a sports bike, you'll just have to learn to hold on better

Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:49 pm

The Crimson Rider® wrote: just remember, whenever you get or ride an unfamiliar bike, whether it's more powerful or less powerful. always take it easy for a while. each bike will handle differently but the basics will be the same.

That's the Crimson Rider, and you can qoute him. I mean, I just did.

bigbadbrad · Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:51 pm

I do that, think about it too much.

Kal · #10 Unread post by **Kal** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:02 pm

Right well don't worry about it.

If you learn to ride the wheels off of a bike you will be able to adapt to any other bike, including those with the shifter on the worg side and any number of other idosyncrasities.

I spent two years piloting a 125, 6 months flying the CX500 trike and hopped straight on to a friends CBR900 with all the performace goodies and ran it no problems.

When you can ride the wheels off of a GS500 you'll be able to ride anything - its just a question of scale.