Planecrazy said:
As the owner of a "full dress" 1983 GS1100G "shaftie," who rides "enthusiastically" (ask anyone at the recent Brown County Rally), let me simply say that unless you are a total hard core racer you will not be disappointed by anything a shaftie does in the twisties...
Mine is a BLAST!!!
I rode with "the fast group" with a Vetter fairing, Vetter hard bags, and a KG trunk (unbalanced, because the left bag had all my tools in it), and had no trouble at all mixing it up with my cohorts in crime!!
Hope this helps,
Steve 8)
As the leader (the guy who knew where to turn next, anyway) of the "maniac" group on that ride, I can personally attest to the fact that GS shafties handle great. The G models have a bit more ground clearance and steer a bit quicker than the GL models, but they are all WAY more nimble than you might imagine, with the right rider.
Having just returned from the E/SE GS Rally in North Carolina (countless twisties, including two Deals Gap runs), I can definitely say that the shaft drive effects are very minimal.
If you hop on a shaftie GS just after riding a chain drive bike, you can feel a very, very slight amount of torque reaction when you roll on the throttle in tight curves. It's very slight, and as stated, you get used to it quickly. The pronounced chassis jacking found in other shafties (esp. Kawasakis of the era) is simply not there.
Naturally, the sheer mass of the bike and the greater unsprung weight have their unavoidable effects (it ain't a GSXR), but a skilled rider can go a lot faster than you might imagine.
I might add that, as with any bike old enough to drink, you absolutely MUST pay attention to the suspension before entering attack mode. Progressive fork springs and rear shocks and some experimentation with fork preload and fork oil don't cost much in relation to the way they transform handling.
The rear swingarm bearings are very robust, but they're worth checking when you pull the rear wheel.
As far as tires, it's a bit controversial, but I have used and enjoyed several sets of cheapo ($130/set mounted and balanced) Cheng Shin HiMax tires clear to their edges, and been very pleased with the levels of traction and durability. (stay away from Cheng Shin's crappy tire lines, the "Barracuda" and "Marquis").
For only a little more money ($165/set locally mounted and balanced), I recently mounted a set of Dunlop D404s, Dunlop's less expensive tire line made by Sumitomo.
I've put over well over 3,000 miles on the Dunlop D404s in the last few weeks, and I've been very pleased -- excellent traction through the twisties in nasty wet conditions and excellent traction and wear clear out to their edges in the dry.
Some will insist that you have to spend $300 on Metzelers, Dunlop 491s, or Pirelli Sport Demons, but I think there's really no point. Less expensive tires can still dish out far more traction than anything available in 1983. You will reach the limits of frame flex and ground clearance long before you reach the tire's limits.
However, some folks would lack confidence unless they spent the extra money, so for them, it's worth it.
