Looks like it'll be a used GS500F for me

[CrioGeniC]

GS500F is an excellent starting bike, it was my first, and i still kick myself in the pants for selling it. I rode the wheels off it for almost a year and never had any problems. The bike is light and very manueverable(sp?).
Never had any problems commuting 40miles/ day to work and bank.

Enjoy it,

CrioGeniC

[flw]

My course was 4 hours classroom on a friday, 7 hours in parking lot on Sat and another 4 on Sun. Following Sat to the DMV with thier bikes for a riding test (already had written test). Passed 1st time, would not have without course.

[Dragonhawk]

I went to the Suzuki dealership and they had a shiny used GS500F. I sat on it and fell in love immediately. I hear it's a great beginner bike, despite being over 250cc's.

But all of that aside, would anyone be able to tell me what to expect during the MSF course? Any stories?

Does that mean you bought it?

I hope not.

It's wise to take the training class BEFORE you purchase a bike, so you'll have a better understanding of the power and control of motorcycles.

Before my MSF class, I sat on a lot of cruisers and liked the feel ... until I learned to actually ride. Then my opinion changed.

If you already bought it, well, it's too late and all I can say is - it's a great bike and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. But if you haven't bought a bike, hold off until after the class.

[gsJack]

The Ninja 250/500 and the GS500/F are all considered good bikes to start on for persons interested in sport/standard type bikes. My 5th and 6th bikes are GS500s and I've put the last 120k of my 350k miles on the GSs.

It's not just a starter bike, it's a good all around bike that is very nimble and much fun to ride. I've been to the mountains to play with it doing 400-500 mile interstate days to get there.

The GS500/E/F bikes are moded all the time. The mods I make are just for performance/functional reasons but you can find out anything you want to know about them at:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php

Can't tell you anything about the MSF course, I haven't taken it yet.