Hi folks!

[Guest]

Hello all. I'm Tom, from Cape Town, South Africa. I recently inherited an '82 GS450S from my late father in law. Bike was in boxes, beyond my ability to put back together. So far I've probably spent more than I would have had to to buy one in vaguely running condition to put this one right. But for obvious reasons, this girl had to go again. Noel was a gentle, capable man, who was kind enough to offer me one of his bikes before his passing. I'd never ridden a motorcycle in my life. Fetched her from the (second) mechanic this past weekend. My third ever ride, although I have a UK licence and am therefore legal on the road for the moment. Having spent only a couple of days learning (trying not to stall and the like).

It was an interesting experience to say the least, but I managed to get us home in one piece.

Due in equal amounts to her provenance and something indefinably special about this machine I am completely in love. There's still a lot to do and I'm scouring the forums for mechanical advice as I will learn to service her myself.

I'm very pleased to find this resource of knowledge and appreciation for these bikes.

Sure I'll be asking dumb questions very soon .

Here she is, pretty much completely stock. I have no intention of chopping any bits off her just yet,

IMG_20161218_130653[1].jpg

Cheers,

Tom/Journeyman

[trlsrider]

riding is fun...always good to have more tom bikers

[steve murdoch]

Welcome to the site, Tom.
Good on ya for resurrecting the bike.
No doubt they have some sort of riding schools in your area. You will want to ride safe so you can enjoy your new found passion for a long time.

[Redman]

[Redman]

Tom JM,

Welcome to GSR.

Probably best to take a rider class somewhere.
Are a couple other GSR members in SA, perhaps one of them can point you in the right direction.
First thing to work on is the clutch and throttle control, which you seemed to already determine is what need to work on.
Repeat this a lot:
Keep feet on ground, dont give any extra throttle, let clutch out to where it just starts to engage, just enough to start to load down the engine, then pull clutch back in before start to move much. Do that many many times so get real familiar with where that point is. Do it many more times.
Then do it some more, but let clutch out just a little more, to where bike does start to move just a little, do that many many many times, without giving throttle and bike not really moving. Do that some more.
Then do it more, but do give just a little throttle just as clutch is to the that point (not before), pull in clutch and let off throttle, before bikes moves much... do that many many times. All this time maybe you have moved a few feet.
Then do it more, but give a little more throttle and let out clutch a little more, just to where bike starts to move, pull in clutch and let off throttle, maybe bike did move a foot or two. Do this many times.
Then do it more, but give a little more thrpottle and let clutch out a little more, to were bike moves a couple feet, let off throttle and pull in clutch, maybe bike did move a few feet, and use brakes to stop.
What are tryiing to do is give throttle at same time as letting out more clutch with engine rpms not really inceresing much.
What are trying to avoid is raising rpms to 2 or 3 k, then letting out clutch, and you are going with a jerk right away.
Then do it some more, letting clutch and giving throttle untill clutch out all the way, then and let off throttle and pull in clutch, and use brakes to stop. Do this many times, maybe going 20-30 feet each time.
Really what you want to learn first is to use the brakes to stop.... but, suppose to have to be going to use the brakes to stop.
Then do it some more, this time shiofting to 2nd for a while, then let off clutch, slow down, pull in cluthch, using brakes to stop and downshifting back into 1st before comming to a stop.

Then another thing that want to start learning is slow speed sharp turns.
Which is a basic skill needed at times, like, ah, pulling out of a driveway and turning onto the street.
Work on that in empty parking lot somewhere.
Basically need to go slow, and essentailly make it fall over, but then "catch it" just in time with clutch and/or throttle.
Then work on both, starting from a stop, and then making sharp turn... which, is what need to do to pull out onto to street and turn into traffic lane.

These are what need to learn, ... going straight down the road at speed is the easy part.

And, another thing:
Let me ask, if going down the road at some speed, and there is a curve in the road, say, to the right: how does one make the bike curve to the right ?
But that can be a long discussion. More on that later.

.

[trlsrider]

i think you should learn wheelies first,
after you master one wheel move to next
...learn nose wheelies!!!
then you ready for rest of 2 wheel skills

[Journeyman]

Will start practising wheelies immediately.

[trlsrider]

That's the spirit

Ride on

but seriously
...listen to redmans advice
...street crash is no good
... i would rather see peeps learn to ride in dirt first
... before you go fast you need to learn at slow speeds
...i like to balance at stops with feet up, that is safe showoff trick to learn