Shaft or Chain... that's the question...

[850 Combat]

This maintainance is precisely what I don't want to do on a trip. Nor do I want to do the hour of "waiting " (the most crucial step) when I should be putting miles behind me. I don't want to carry the chain rags, cleaners, lubes, etc. on a trip. There is enough to carry, and enough to do. I did have to change a spline this year on my GS1100g. The wheel was off anyway to replace a tire. I could not have described the chain hassle better, even though koolaid considers them advantages.

O.K., counterpoint.
Here's they key:
Understand it is an item that requires periodic maintenance.
Start with quality sprockets and a quality chain.
Clean the chain prior to lubing it. Don't use a penetrant such as WD40. They can get under the o-rings and wash away the internal lubricant. Clean the teeth on the sprocket at the same time, since the chain can pick that junk up too.
Use a quality lube, not some junk you get at Walmart.
Wipe it down afterward. I usually wait an hour or so to make sure it sets. This is the most crucial step, IMHO. Excess lubricant will pick up road dust and dirt, which will work its way into the orings and cause premature failure. Also, it prevents the tell-tale strip of lubricant up the back of your riding pants, a sure sign of a chain lube rookie.

[850 Combat]

gold Wing inferior? You bet! Goodness knows I hated my 1980. certainly the handling was bad. What a pig. so much less comfortable than my 1000G So much slower.

[QUOTE=noobie;1044111]

Inferior? You're calling the Goldwing INFERIOR!!!???

[Nessism]

Shaft drive bikes... bah! If I wanted a tractor, I'd buy a Farmall!

That's one sweet looking ride. I'd rather ride that thing than a Yamaha.

[salty_monk]

I'm no faster on either of my bikes..... The Skunk can go faster in a straight line (lighter & Gearing) & will corner at more extreme lean angles (no centre stand) but I generally don't end up using it.
When I'm scraping hard stuff on my 1000G anyone following me on my Skunk has always been pushing to keep up & vice versa.

[Dave8338]

I will bet you money that 1000G will flat dust your 750. It was all in the rider. I have BOTH, and yes, you can cog the 750 to be quicker out of the corners, but head to head, bone stock gearing, the 1000 will take the 750 every time. Its just got more torque. Really, if the same rider rode the two different bikes at the same time, you'd probably find you'd have to gear the 750 to the point of not being usefull anywhere else in order to completely surpass the 1000G. It has nothing to do with shaft vs chain there. Yes its a bit heavier, but its also putting more HP to the ground. So it evens it out at WORST...

Nah...it's the bike!

I will bet you money that 1000G will flat dust your 750. It was all in the rider. I have BOTH, and yes, you can cog the 750 to be quicker out of the corners, but head to head, bone stock gearing, the 1000 will take the 750 every time. Its just got more torque. Really, if the same rider rode the two different bikes at the same time, you'd probably find you'd have to gear the 750 to the point of not being usefull anywhere else in order to completely surpass the 1000G. It has nothing to do with shaft vs chain there. Yes its a bit heavier, but its also putting more HP to the ground. So it evens it out at WORST...

[jknappsax]

I had a real bug to buy a 1000G, then I rode with a guy who had one, tricked out as I would have (Dyna S and coils, Progressive fork springs, IKONs, K&N pods, V&H header), and he was riding in front of me on a spirited group ride. I was riding my 1978 GS 750, and I would constantly catch up to him in the curves, and have to carefully brake to avoid rear-ending him. I'd go into the twisties following at a reasonable distance, and catch up to him every time. He seemed like a good rider, so I'm attributing it to the shaft; I've never experienced this with any other GS 1000s. Now I have a 1979 GS 1000.

I just don't like the look of V-twins. I'm sure there are great ones out there, but appearance wise just can't stand them.

The suspension on the bike was "ok", if you weigh less than 160lbs. I upgraded the front to racetech 1.0kg and the rear has a bitubo racing shock now. I have the stock SS installed. Changed out the front brake lines to Galfer SS. If you take a look around www.tlzone.net you can form your own opinion. As far as frames cracking - never heard of it nor has anyone mentioned it on the forums.

Thanks for the answer! I loved the way the bike looks and heard many good things about the engine (which can btw. be built into an SV). Well, the cracking thing I read on a yahoo group, the Suzuki-VTwin-Sport I think.

As far as overall handling - the bike handles wonderfully

Did you have any problem with the bike running wide in corners before you upgraded the bike?

[awjonesii]

The suspension on the bike was "ok", if you weigh less than 160lbs. I upgraded the front to racetech 1.0kg and the rear has a bitubo racing shock now. I have the stock SS installed. Changed out the front brake lines to Galfer SS. If you take a look around www.tlzone.net you can form your own opinion. As far as frames cracking - never heard of it nor has anyone mentioned it on the forums.

As far as overall handling - the bike handles wonderfully, and the power range is ridiculous, lots and lots of torque. The bike is just a lot of fun to ride.

My GS850L Shaft is just as quiet if not quieter than my TL1000 chain driven bike. And I'm not sure what this "jacking" is all about or the strategy in the corners when riding hard. I use the same techniques on my 850L that I do on my TL and I would have to guess that a few people here would say that I move rather swiftly through the corners.

Just my observation. Don't get me wrong, they both ride different, but my technique in throttle control, gear management, and braking is the same. I don't feel that anyone interested in a GS would be disappointed in either a chain driven or shaft driven GS.

You own a "Widow maker"? How does it ride? Do you have the steering-stabilisator built in or are you without it? How does the rotary suspension perform? Or did you replace with regular? There was a good looking silver TLS in Austria before I bought the Virago and for a decent price too, but then when I did a little research on the net I read a lot about it's supposed dangerous handling, the frame cracking because it wasn't grown up to the vibrations of the V2, etc.. So I'd really like a report from an owner: how does it really handle and are all those reviews exaggerated?

[awjonesii]

There's a slight different feel, IMO, but not so noticeable it becomes off putting or scary by anymeans. I rarely hit the brakes anymore, so lift or squat doesnt really come into play for me. Al, at WV, i wanna pick your brain on that TL...I ALMOST bought one before i bought the ES, I just dunno if i can deal with a thumper...

I will likely be bringing the GS, but I still have made up my mind completely. If I do bring it down, you are more than welcome to take a jog on it if you would like.

My GS850L Shaft is just as quiet if not quieter than my TL1000 chain driven bike. And I'm not sure what this "jacking" is all about or the strategy in the corners when riding hard. I use the same techniques on my 850L that I do on my TL and I would have to guess that a few people here would say that I move rather swiftly through the corners.

Just my observation. Don't get me wrong, they both ride different, but my technique in throttle control, gear management, and braking is the same. I don't feel that anyone interested in a GS would be disappointed in either a chain driven or shaft driven GS.

There's a slight different feel, IMO, but not so noticeable it becomes off putting or scary by anymeans. I rarely hit the brakes anymore, so lift or squat doesnt really come into play for me. Al, at WV, i wanna pick your brain on that TL...I ALMOST bought one before i bought the ES, I just dunno if i can deal with a thumper...

[Jethro]

Shaft drive bikes... bah! If I wanted a tractor, I'd buy a Farmall!

[awjonesii]

My GS850L Shaft is just as quiet if not quieter than my TL1000 chain driven bike. And I'm not sure what this "jacking" is all about or the strategy in the corners when riding hard. I use the same techniques on my 850L that I do on my TL and I would have to guess that a few people here would say that I move rather swiftly through the corners.

Just my observation. Don't get me wrong, they both ride different, but my technique in throttle control, gear management, and braking is the same. I don't feel that anyone interested in a GS would be disappointed in either a chain driven or shaft driven GS.