[egypt60543]

I just put a deposit on a 2007 GS500F, new, at a dealership. I am going to test drive it Saturday. I hear great things about this bike, and some not so great. I am hoping to love it on sight and take it home. I have a 04 Honda Shadow right now. I want to trade it. I am just not loving it. It is a sharp bike, smooth for the most part, but bulky on the turns. Not what I thought it would be, but then again, I wasn’t allowed to test drive it when I bought it last fall, so I didn’t know how much bike it would be for me. I welcome any comments, info, encouragement offered. Thanks and be safe out there!

[megaspaz]

Hiya and welcome! I hope you find the bike that you like… i myself would say, go for the sv650… ;-P

[Kellisanth]

Howdy, and welcome to the boards… Glad to have you here.

Which part of Chicago are you in?

[egypt60543]

Well, I test rode the GS500F and decided to buy it. I love it. The sv650 was sold when I got there. But it was much more BIKE then I am ready for…lol…So I am happy. I do notice some things…going to call the dealer service shop in a bit.

When I filled the gas tank, I stopped long before I could see it, but the gas breather tube was leaking gas all over my garage floor on the right side! DOH

There is a knock in the engine. Probably what everyone noticed, “the cams” or the support or frame for them.

Mirrors are too short to see around the shoulders so I am going to buy the spacers for them.

It smells of oil and gas, but it is brand new and the tech that dropped it off said that it would smell for a while. I also may have over filled the tank.

I am hoping most of this works itself out.

The dealer didn’t include the manual under the seat, so they are ordering me one. So I have no idea when to shift. The “shift points” so to speak. So I am watching the RPMs and shifting about 4000 RPMS. Hope this is right.

Thanks to anyone that offers insight. LOVE THIS BIKE!

[Clay Dowling]

There’s no exact point where you should shift. Going up, it’s a matter of shift when you can. If you need the power of the lower gear, delay the shift. If you shift earlier, you’ll save on fuel at the sacrifice of power. But power isn’t always appropriate, so it isn’t a big deal.

Shifting down, you need to shift before the engine gets rough. Shift down at higher RPMs if you need to slow faster by using engine compression. You’ll work out very quickly when the right times to downshift are.

The tach is nice, but that shouldn’t be your guide for when to shift. The feel and sound of your bike will tell you when it’s time.

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