[Gary856]

Good point on brake feel and being loose from cycling. Cycling teaches one brake modulation to avoid lock up, so I guess from that I never had problem “squeezing” instead of “grabbing” the brake lever. From mountain biking I knew to be off the brakes and carrying enough speed to float over rough/loose pavement, and brake just enough where I could find traction without exceeding it. Trail braking and keeping maintenance throttle into a turn were both intuitive to me.

I was more of a cross-country recreational rider in mountain biking who spent much more time grinding up hills than flying down. I thought maybe someone who’s a downhill racing specialist (mountain biking) or a road racer (bombing down steep mountain roads at high speed) who are used to higher speed on a bicycle would find even more connection between cycling and mc riding.

I just started reading a book on motocross and dirt riding techniques. It says riding well starts with positioning your body at the balance point at all times. This is so true both in cycling and in riding motorcycles. When I manage to do it right, it feels like dancing in steps with the equipment (bikes) and the weight of the bike disappears, instead of wrestling with it where you feel the tremendous weight and momentum.

[Gary856]

I haven’t sold a bike yet but I’m just about ready to sell my GS500 to make room for other bike(s). Do your homework and research your local market. Craigslist is great for that, both for browsing listing from others from which you can see what people are asking for specific model/year/mileage/condition so you can price your bike accordingly, and for you to post your for sale ad. Listing your bike at the low end (i.e., more realistic) of the pricing tend to get people’s attention and may move it faster.

[Gary856]

There’s a brand new rider in my town (San Jose, CA) who was debating between a Ninja 250 and a GS500. He’s 5’3″. Earlier today someone let him test ride a Ninja 250, and I let him test ride my naked GS500. He felt the Ninja was a little lighter in comparison, but was surprised by how light the GS500 felt and liked the low-end power of the GS500 better. He felt confident on both bikes. He ended up buying a newer GS500F today.

Just sitting on a bike doesn’t tell the whole story. Try to get test rides.

[Gary856]

Heavy chain through the frame and wheel(s) and a sturdy post. If it’s not chained down to a fixed structure, two guys can drag it and shove it into a van very quickly and easily. From what I’ve read of all the people who got their nice bikes stolen from an open car port, I’d be afraid to own a nice bike without a garage.

[Gary856]

lol…

I had the same experience. When I was looking at a brand new GS500 in the showroom, the sales guy there said something about in today’s traffic, you need a bigger bike with more power, so he tried to steer me toward a FZ6. Bigger and more expensive bike, more profit, right? Can’t blame them.

It comes down to margin of safety. You can start on any bike if you really want to. Really. Fundamentally, they all work more or less the same. It comes down to how much margin of safety you want. Everyone can ride ok on a straight road in light traffic, but how much extra margin of safety do you want in reserve to handle the surprises, when an unexpected situation overwhelms your skills?

If you really, really, really want a ___, get it. Everyone’s different, and you’re the only one responsible to yourself.

[Gary856]

When people say 600cc is too much for beginners, they mean 600cc “supersport”.

FZ6 (aluminum frame) and FZ6R (steel frame) both have handlebars which give them a much more upright, street-oriented riding position. In this way they’re more like a standard bike, like a naked SV650 or a faired Ninja 650R, which are more ok for beginners. 600cc supersports like R6/GSXR600/CBR600/ZX6R, on the other hand, have low clip-ons for a crouched over riding position. More than the peaky engine, the low clip-on and the bent over ergonomics (unnatural until you’ve learned how to adapt to it) make a 600cc supersport uncomfortable, much more difficult to learn basic controls on for a beginner, not as easy to balance/turn at low speed so less suitable for street riding.

You can say FZ6 and FZ6R’s inline-4 engines are “detuned” (less peak HP) from R6, or you can say they are made less peaky, less track focused, and more street friendly. They’re still plenty powerful if you rev them up, but they’re actually less torquey than a SV650’s v-twin at lower engine rpm. The character of the engines are different. Inline-4s feel a little like a turbo 4-cylinder car – you need to rev it a bit. A SV650 feels more like a strong V6 – more punchy off the line.

[Gary856]

These are two different questions…

Generally a SV650 sells for $1k more than a comparable GS500.

Long term, I agree that SV650 is a better overall bike, and a better buy.

Look carefully at the tires, chain, sprocket and general maintenance and condition. New tires can cost $300+ w/ installation. Chain/sprockets another $200+. Tune up cost around $200+.

[Gary856]

Looks like MSRP for DRZ400sm is $6699. A quick cycletrader.com search showed prices from dealer (2 hr distance) listed as low as $5,399 (more than 1 place). I’ve heard people got out-the-door price in the low to mid $6k range. Good luck.

[Gary856]

That way you don’t need to ask them – you know and tell them what you want to pay. Cycletrader.com allows you to search within specified distance and has many dealer listing on new bikes. But, dude, why buy new and pay $6k+? That bike is cool and fun as hell, but it’s not for everybody. What if you end up not liking it? Late model, low milege DRZ-400sm have around $3.5k-4.5k asking price; make offers to see if you can do better.

[Gary856]

I started riding in Jan 09 on a GS500. In June 09 I bought a YZF600R. In Sept 09 I bought a SV650. In March 10 I bought a DRZ400sm. I give this history so you understand where I’m coming from.

– For a brand new rider, one who has never touched a bike before, like me, GS500 is better than the SV650. GS500 is cheaper, lower seat (by about 1.5”), more user friendly. It’ll build up your confidence quickly, which enables you to learn quickly. If you just ride around town, the power is enough. If you are into hard accelerations, it feels a little lacking after a while.

– For someone with dirt bike experience, and knows how to deal with clutch/throttle, maybe SV650 is ok as his first street bike. The power is not crazy, but the strong low-end torque and strong engine braking requires a smooth throttle hand, one that takes time to develop.

– SV650, with its seat about 1.5” higher than a GS500, fits me (6”, 32” inseam) better. GS500 used to feel very comfortable, but now feels small, since I’ve been riding physically bigger bikes.

– Projecting what you want and like 2 years down the road is difficult, and making the purchase based on that is iffy. Within the first few months, you go from knowing nothing about motorcycling to gaining a lot of real life experience, and your thinking and taste may change along the way. You’re better off getting something used, cheap, that you can sell without loosing much, than get locked in financially with a new bike. Used GS and SV are both pretty easy to sell. For my second bike, I wanted to get a FZ1, or R6, or SV650, but I decided to try an older design 600cc to get more contrast from the GS500. Turned out to be another steep learning curve, challenging but fun and rewarding. Now, with 4 bikes, I still have a hard time deciding which way to go next – R6, or skip it and go to a GSXR750/1000, or some kind of dirt bike, dual sport, etc. You see, I’m all over the place, but I’m really enjoying (ok, often agonized by the decision making process – why can’t I get them all?!) the journey.

– Yeah, everyone wants a sexy looking sportbike. Yeah, you’ve got to own one to see for yourself. Yeah, people buy it as their first bike. If you don’t want people’s advice, just get one. But if you want advice, get something cheaper and smaller to learn on first.

– The more I ride, the more I realize how much more there’s to learn. When I had 3,000 mile of experience, I thought I was a good rider, and could handle pretty much any situation in the hills. When I had 10,000 miles of experience, I looked back and wondered – god, how did I survive that, when I knew so little about riding? Now I have 17,000 miles of experience, everyday riding is no problem, but I’m also aware that I’m not trained to handle emergency maneuvers as well as I’d like, still don’t feel my skills are nearly good enough, and I sure am clueless when it comes to off road riding. I’ll need some track school and dirt school, and a lot of practice, to fix that.

My point – one step at a time. Don’t over project yourself too far down the road.

[Gary856]

Good beginner bike?

gs500 – perfect.
sv650 – not really, but if you have to…
zzr 600 – absolutely NOT!
gsxr600 – absolutely NOT!
cbr600 – absolutely NOT!

The same question has been asked and answered thousands of times. Check out the links on the right side under “Recommended Reading” – “Why 600ccs is Too Much!”, “Beginner Motorcycle Guide”. Also, check out the “Motorcycle Reviews” link on top of this page, find reviews on gs500 and sv650 and read user comments.

[Gary856]

#9 in the thread below was my experience:

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308894

[Gary856]

– I’ve never used bar end mirrors, but don’t like the idea of low-mount mirrors. I want the mirrors to be higher up because: a) I lane split in traffic so don’t want to add width at the handlebar level; b) I prefer the mirrors to be close to eye level so it’s easier to take quick glances.

– I’m fairly trim so I just tuck in my elbows or lean the head out slightly for a better angle to see behind. I’d try mirror stem extenders if I needed the mirrors to be farther out.

– Convex mirrors works well during the day. It makes me a little lazy with head check. At night it’s harder to distinguish the many points of lights in a convex mirrors.

[Gary856]

Are you a brand new rider or have experience? A bike is a very personal choice, so I don’t think anyone knows better than you on what you want. From your list, I’d take any Suzuki or Kawasaki for their low cost and reliability, and skip the Ducati for a first bike. Kymco shouldn’t even be on the same list; if you want a scooter then you should do a separate scooter comparison.

I own several bikes and I still have a long list of bikes I’d like to own, but when I first started last year, I just zeroed in on the GS500 and called it good. I’m 6′, 170 lb, the GS500 feels a little small physically now, but I still feel it’s the perfect beginner bike.

[Gary856]

These bikes are easy to ride but are pretty tall – you need about 32″-34″ inseam to flat-foot them. Not a problem for a experienced rider, but the height may be uncomfortable for a beginner and may contribute to dropping the bike.

It’s awesome if you live close to lots of dirt trails. I’m in the SF Bay Area and the closest dual-sport area are 3-4 hours away, so I can only day dream about it.

[Author]

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