From CBR125 to GS500?

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Yes the gs is a great bike... especially easy to work on.... even changing the valve clearance shims is relatively easy.

shakey? I've seen an old gs500 that had old stock suspension going round in circles in a parking lot with the rider's knee constantly on the ground. I use to have one and never got left behind in a group ride.... it handles just fine. Anyone saying a modern bike doesn't handle is because:
- Something is seriously wrong with the geometry of the bike or the suspension is completely out of whack
- They don't know how to ride.

I have ONLY experienced serious handling problems at the track (not a gs btw)... on the street even going knee down here and there rarely will a bike exhibit horrid handling characteristics.

One more thing - bike was dropped? It doesn't really matter too much unless it isn't straight. If you want to double check that take it here:

www.gmd-computrack.com

11-2179 Dunwin Drive
Mississauga, ON L5L 1X2
(905) 820-8808
 
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Metastable said:
shakey? I've seen an old gs500 that had old stock suspension going round in circles in a parking lot with the rider's knee constantly on the ground. I use to have one and never got left behind in a group ride.... it handles just fine. Anyone saying a modern bike doesn't handle is because:
- Something is seriously wrong with the geometry of the bike or the suspension is completely out of whack
- They don't know how to ride.

I have ONLY experienced serious handling problems at the track... on the street even going knee down here and there rarely will exhibit horrid handling characteristics.

One more thing - bike was dropped? It doesn't really matter too much unless it isn't straight. If you want to double check that take it here:

www.gmd-computrack.com

11-2179 Dunwin Drive
Mississauga, ON L5L 1X2
(905) 820-8808
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Nah a stock GS500 is a piece of crap, to make it handle at all without bottoming out constantly both the front springs and rear shock have to be changed. The biggest downside to the GS is it needs it valved checked every oil change, yes every since time cause after about 8000-9000 kms the valves will get tight and the bike won't run correctly. If your lucky you can do it every second oil change... Not cheap at any dealership.

My suggestion: get an older generation SV650, not bad on insurance and an excellent beginner bike. Maybe look into a sprocket swap on the 125, I know I hit 140 downhill and i'm 195lbs... :D But that was red-line in 6th.

An 04 with 24k kms with minor crash damage at this time of year should sell for about $2.6-2.7k
 
You have to be riding it pretty hard even on the street to deck out the pegs.... it's a pretty bullet proof little bike. Of course there are better handling bikes... even an SV650 with stock boingers will pogo all over the place if you push it hard. For a relative newbie with less than 1 year on the clock.... I can't seriously think this would be a huge issue with either bike.
 
Metastable said:
You have to be riding it pretty hard even on the street to deck out the pegs.... it's a pretty bullet proof little bike. Of course there are better handling bikes... even an SV650 with stock boingers will pogo all over the place if you push it hard. For a relative newbie with less than 1 year on the clock.... I can't seriously think this would be a huge issue with either bike.
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It was my first bike in 07, I only kept it for 5 months cause I got bored and it had too many deficiencies for my liking. Plus starting in 06 the bikes are made in Spain and suck ***! My wiring harness was made with electric tape, sad :(...
 
janjan said:
What company are you with?
I am also a 22yo female. I pay just over $1800/year for insurance for my 07 GSXR600. Full Coverage too. I'm with Statefarm, I had to bring my car over but it was well worth it..Do you have a clean driving record?

I'd call around and ask to see if you can get a better deal...

Janice
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You chicks got it easy, Im also 22, male, insurance for an R6 07 3200$!!!
 
mahnoy said:
And someone mentioned that it's kinda shaky in turns? Maybe I'll wait then... A guy I ride with had a katana 600 as his first bike. He told me that it scared him going taking corners because it would shake and it was just heavy and not agile. .
I'm actually really considering the ninja250 as my next bike. Maybe after my insurance policy expires, I'll see how much they'll quote me for that. Anyone knows how the ninja250 handles?
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i had a GS500E last season and didn't notice any shakin' in the tight turns or gentle sweepers. the kat600 is a heavy bike (460 lb dry) compared to the GS500 (370 dry).
a ninja250 would be a nice step up from the cbr125.
 
Whichever way you choose to go, just remember the most important thing about being a motorcycle rider........That's IT !......you're just a motorcycle rider on the street and not a racer......forget about comparing chicken strips, dragging knees etc., and let all that stay in the future for you, until you have a few seasons of normal standard street riding under your belt.....concentrate on smooth and controlled riding.
Racers by nature, push the envelope and will at times, come off the machine when they don't want to......that's not an envious stat for new riders....or for old ones either.....

One thing to live by on your bike, - "don't let what you love doing, stop you from doing what you love".......

Any situation which takes away your riding pleasure is one to avoid before it occurs.....so exercise good(read PERFECT) judgement to keep upright.

Ride safe on whatever you choose for next season........enjoy .
 
Rifleman said:
Whichever way you choose to go, just remember the most important thing about being a motorcycle rider........That's IT !......you're just a motorcycle rider on the street and not a racer......forget about comparing chicken strips, dragging knees etc., and let all that stay in the future and at the track for you, until you have a few seasons of normal standard street riding under your belt.....concentrate on smooth and controlled riding.
Racers by nature, push the envelope and will at times, come off the machine when they don't want to......that's not an envious stat for new riders....or for old ones either.....

One thing to live by on your bike, - "don't let what you love doing, stop you from doing what you love".......

Any situation which takes away your riding pleasure is one to avoid before it occurs.....so exercise good(read PERFECT) judgement to keep upright.

Ride safe on whatever you choose for next season........enjoy .
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:thumbup: and fixed for further clarity! enjoy FAST, Turn2/ARCx.x and track days in a few months!
 
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mahnoy said:
I don't feel comfortable riding it on the highway because of the lack of power, I don't feel like if needed, I'd be able to avoid a dangerous situation. So maybe it's time for an upgrade?
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No offense but I really don't understand this power issue on the highway. Why does everyone think they need more power? The 2 alternate solutions are brakes and handling/skill. To me people who require more power for the wrong reasons are similar to the people who buy trucks/SUVs to feel safer. The problem lies with the driver not with the machine.

Heck give me a scooter that does max 100 and i'd take it out on the highway while feeling secure. I'd tick off a lot of drivers but I wouldn't have a problem.

Like the other day i was travelling at least 30 km/h faster than the slow pokes parked in the left lane. One decides to pull in front of me. I ended up going around him on his left (in his previous spot) and then back into the middle. No power, no brakes. The 250R, which to answer your other question handles amazingly, and i'm guessing your 125R have the agility to compensate in dire need.

Watch this video to see how power or even brakes couldn't help this guy. He should have maneuvered around the @$$H@T in the white car.

http://www.break.com/index/motorcycle-totalled-by-collision-with-car.html

Power to me is only an issue if you need to go faster (which I don't think you do at 120), or cruise at a decent RPM for long periods.

Personally I believe you shouldn't upgrade bikes (if the reason is only because lack of power as mentioned above). Instead spend the money that you would be giving away to the insurance company to upgrade your skills and confidence with advanced lessons and track time. To me getting a bigger bike will only mask your insecurities, you need to do something to eliminate them. Riding scared is NEVER a good thing.
 
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if you like the riding style of the 125R, then you will also love the GS500 and 250R. these are not race bikes, so some people will think they are not good enough. thats fine, they are very very good at doing what they were built for. cheap, simple smooth riding.

there is no problem with handling, although if you have passenger on the back, the center stand will scrape over bumps as the back suspension is soft. but the soft suspension also makes for a smooth comfy distance cruise.
if its shakey or weird going into a turn, then there is something wrong with the bike, or the rider.
 
My friend got a naked 2008 for that price. Keep on looking more should be coming out for sale soon as people want new bikes for the next season. Try asking for a lower price.
nioero said:
hey guys just wondering is $3000 for a 05 gs500 reasonable? thanks
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PS GS500F is my first bike and I love it and I'm not bored of it:) If you ride in your power band and go to fifth gear you can loose your licence. Not sure who thinks it only goes to 120. lol Oh and I'm talking acurate speed from my gps not spedometer.
 
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If it has low mileage and in great condition, then try bargaining on it a bit more. And of course, october-november are the best months to buy a bike. Look in the boonies too (like 200 km radius around Toronto).
 
I'm not normally a fan of the 125 but for your weight it's almost an ideal around town and short country rides bike and I would try and hook up with some of the more experienced CBR riders here and really master the machine.

You may not be riding it in the upper RPM ranges where with your weight it should be pretty brisk - it's not a machine to keep at low RPMs at all.

The Ninja 250 tho would indeed be an excellent transition but it also likes to wail to have fun.....and that does not mean above the speed limit but rather getting the acceleration these low displacement high rpm bikes are capable of with a light rider.

Nimble is much fun..... ;)
 
$3000 is not bad, if in good condition. As a larger "beginner" bike, they're not too hard to sell after you're done. A flyscreen (unfaired version), good tires and front springs (if you're over 200 lb) are cheap, effective upgrades.
 
mahnoy said:
Anyone knows how the ninja250 handles?
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First of all, I think it is quite a huge jump going from CBR125 to Ninja250. 0-60 times on one is almost twice as on the other, and let's not even talk about the power output at 130km/h+. Sure it is even a bigger jump when it comes to maybe GS500 or any other 600 SS's, but it doesn't make the 125 - 250 jump any smaller.

I bought my first bike (Ninja 250) in June this year, and put over 10,000kms on it since. Ninja250 is capable of cornering just perfect, not only in my opinion; you can find a ton of videos on Youtube from all over the world, where motorcycle experts are reviewing this bike and giving it a 10/10 for balance and agility. So, I would do no questioning there.

The only downside I can tell tho: I ride mostly on the highways and a lot of times in nights. If you are one of those people like me, cruising around 149kph for many kms, or even just 140+, you are def not going to have any problems with power as the CBR125, but the bike is going to be revving 10K+ depending on the outside and engine temp. And I don't think my bike is going to last for long, pushing it so hard all the time. Just for that reason, I will have to get a bigger bike soon unfortunately. Also, 15L = 220kms at that speed, where 15L = 330kms in the city.

And the other thing is, it will probably feel as a downgrade as soon as you start riding on the Ninja250 after the CBR125, just because of the fact that CBR125 has FI and Ninja runs on the carb. Your bike is really really smooth compared to Ninja on a cold day. I never thought of this as an issue in the beginning (summertime), but I wish I had an FI bike everyday now.

Would I get a Ninja250 again tho ? Yes, I would without even thinking twice.
 
thanx guys for the input. sorry to bump up the old thread since i don't really want to create a new one. i just called TD and they only told me that the insurance premium till feburary next year is gonna be 50 bucks and wouldn't tell me how much it would cost for a full year coverage. i did a quote online with gs 500 and it quoted me 1800/yr. how accurate do you guys think this number is ?
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