Adventures in 6th gear

[lord1234]

..and beyond?

So, yesterday i finally got a chance to take the GS out for a nice spin...after a week of sitting it was calling my name. So I decided to head up 119 to Keene, NH. Man what a beautiful ride. Not only was this a great shakedown ride for the bike, but also a great shakedown ride for me. I wasn't really sure of my comfort level on the bike, and needed to get going on it to see how comfortable I really was.

First off...the bike ran great! I topped it out in 6th gear at 78 miles an hour or so(by speedo measurement). It was great on the long sweeping turns on 119, through a couple of state parks, and back...

The only problem I encountered was my own idiocy. I hadn't filled my tank before leaving...and so the bike died...switched to reserve, and it wouldn't go...Then I figured out that it took this bike a few kicks to get going in reserve...Also I realized that I had been underfilling the tank due to the little sensors in the gas pumps...and that I needed to pull the hose out of the tank a little bit and just let my eyes tell me when to turn the pump off rather than the pump sensor. I also found out my "beating around" problem. It is basically just wind beating against my helmet...I found that if I crouched down far enough and assumed a L position on the bike with my face looking forward but my body flat down I could basically have the gauge clusters cover the wind from me...but really a mini fairing might be next on the list. The ride also gave me a great chance to clear my head and think about some things....Man, why didn't I get one of these when I was 16?

What a great bike...Thanks to the community that has helped me keep it that way.

--L

PS: to those of you with only 5 gears....haha.

 

[8trackmind]

PS: to those of you with only 5 gears....haha.

Those of us with 5 gears can roll 125 easy.

Cool story, I'm glad you decided to keep the bike.:-D

 

[Hoomgar]

Those of us with 5 gears can roll 125 easy.

Cool story, I'm glad you decided to keep the bike.:-D

Ditto that. Leo, glad you kept it man

 

[Jethro]

Those of us with 5 gears can roll 125 easy.

Matter of fact Leo, let's have a little race from your house to Keene, same route you just took. I'll only use my first 3 gears\\/

Don't worry, I'll save some pizza for you when you get there- it just might be cold by then...:-D

 

[lord1234]

Matter of fact Leo, let's have a little race from your house to Keene, same route you just took. I'll only use my first 3 gears\\/

Don't worry, I'll save some pizza for you when you get there- it just might be cold by then...:-D

you can use all the gears you want if i can pull 2 of your plugs bikes that go 90 in 3rd scare me...

 

[Billyboy]

I'm not sure how fast mine'll go, but I had it doin' 160km/h (100mph) and it was still climbing fast. I don't like to look down at the speedo at that clip.

At 62mph (100km/h) I'm sitting at 3400 rpm. How's this compare with other GS1000's?
(I've got 15/40)

 

[Nerobro]

I remember being frustrated at 80mph. The XS400 would do 90 with me flat on the tank. The CB450 would do... 87-88 I think.

I'm glad you got on the highway. LIfe is simpler out there. Cars are easier to keep track of. And you have more choices on lane position. It's nice.

 

[earlfor]

I glad you kept the bike and are enjoying the ride. I hate to see anyone give up anything before they have given it enough of a chance to know what it is they gave up. LOL

Earl

The ride also gave me a great chance to clear my head and think about some things....Man, why didn't I get one of these when I was 16?

What a great bike...Thanks to the community that has helped me keep it that way.

--L

 

[earlfor]

Hell, I can run about 106 in 2nd gear. LOL

Earl

bikes that go 90 in 3rd scare me...

 

[KGB]

Now one, actually 2 things our dear Leo has neglected to tell all of you.


He's run out of gas twice!!! And called me twice about it!!!!

Now I'm partly to blame..........no I'm not!
i was the one that suggested the route he took.
He's the one that didn't fill his tank!!! TWICE!!

See any pattern here??
So after calling him a moron and knucklehead and dummy, all in my good
natured fatherly voice..............I felt bad.
So an hour or so later I call him back...........this is when he tells me
he ran out of gas!

So the F I N E C part of the MSF class.........Leo were you awake?
Or dreaming of..........ridng off into the sunset?

 

[lord1234]

hey man..i thought i had gas....

ps....i hate you.

 

[Billyboy]

"I thought" is a dangerous word pairing.

"I thought I could make it."

"I thought he was going slower."

"I thought no cars were coming."

"I thought moose were in season"

"I thought it wasn't loaded."

"I thought you locked the door."

"I thought your husband was out of town"

"I thought I had enough gas"

"I thought" is a very poor excuse when things go wrong.

Pardon me if I seem harsh on such a trivial matter, I'm mopping up a mess and looking stupid this morning because one of my employees "thought" something and he was wrong. MAKE SURE! I can't stand the idea of screwing up and the only answer I have to give is: "I thought.."


(Hope you didn't have to push it too far.)

 

[lord1234]

oh i didn't push..i had reserve

 

[Billyboy]

Then you didn't actually run out of gas. Reserve is there to avoid running out.

 

[lord1234]

ok how about i emptied the floats

 

[Hoomgar]

ok how about i emptied the floats

Once you learn how to flick to reserve while riding that wont happen anymore either

 

[Billyboy]

I do that all the time.

 

[earlfor]

Run out of gas?

E.

I do that all the time.

 

[earlfor]

Oddly, when I took the MSF course some years ago, the only thing I could never master was remembering for more than 10 seconds what-n-ell FINEC was. eheheheh

E.

So the F I N E C part of the MSF class.........Leo were you awake?
Or dreaming of..........ridng off into the sunset?

 

[beby99]

..
What a great bike...Thanks to the community that has helped me keep it that way.

--L
.

Cool man....good for you. 8) \\/