GSXS Day 2

Not much to blog about.  Photos taken and a 49Km ride on a loop to Napier.

This is the bike at home.

Took delivery today

I collected the new GSX S1000FA today at 9.45am.  It was raining so on my first ride the bike got wet and dirty.

The ride home was a via rural roads so I could work the engine.  The bike had 11Km on it at delivery and I added another 14Km and was home at 10.05.  Track log taken.

The rain cleared by 2.50pm when I went for the second ride and put another 55Km on the odometer.

Initial impression:  a wonderful machine that I should enjoy riding.  It is very different to the Hayabusa and reminds me a bit of the Speed Triple;  except the GSX is much better.   The seat is comfy, handling light and precise, and the sound is superb.  This will be great once run in.

Sold

The Hayabusa has gone to a new owner in Wellington.  My days as Hayabusa Rider on a busa are over.

New bike on order for delivery next month.

Ride: GSX-S1000FA

Yes - today I took the faired model of the 2016 GSX-S1000(F) for a test ride.

I have been thinking about a different bike to the Hayabusa for a couple of years.  That was prompted by the building of a future home in Hawkes Bay and then a weekly commute to Wellington for work.  No, not on the Hayabusa, it stayed in the bay and annual kms dropped dramatically.  Different rides indicated a different type of motorcycle to fit my emerging new pattern of use.

Hawkes Bay offers excellent choices for short and longer day rides.  Whereas in Wellington I had 30kms of boring highway to get to sport/touring riding territory I have that just a few Kms from the new home.   Age is also a factor and I am finding the Hayabusa a little heavy and while a beautiful long distance machine a lighter more nimble machine will be easier for me to manhandle.  I don't want to lose the Hayabusa but there is only room for one bike in the garage!

Research has been ongoing and I considered going back to another Speed Triple or a Street Triple, to stay in the Triumph club - still have lots of Triumph tee shirts.  Other bikes considered; sport - Ducati 800 naked,  MV Agusta,  BMW RNineT, Kawaka,   and; adventure - especially Triumph Tiger 800.   So my head has been all over the place.   Then Suzuki came into the scene with an upright riding sports bike that could tour.   Now considering I toured a bit on the Speed Triple - the touring label doesn't influence me that much.  Most bikes can be used to tour on in New Zealand.

So I reevaluated what type of bike I should have, given that I could only own one bike - at a time. In Hawkes Bay my rides will be almost always day rides in good weather, on nicely sealed roads and with plenty of corners. Near to me are the playgrounds of Middle Road, Kahuranaki Road, Puketapu, Taihape Road and a day excursion could include Wairoa, Gisborne, Taupo, Taihape and the fringes of southern Hawkes Bay.  An upright sports or sports tourer is the best fit for my assessed need-to-ride.  I had thought my next bike could be a more exotic brand than Suzuki and lets face it, other than the Hayabusa and GSXR the zook is a bit ordinary.

I think the GSX S1000 is a winner for Suzuki and apparently all on shipment have been sold or pre-ordered. Yesterday I stopped to view the bikes in the Hastings Suzuki dealership and they had a demo GSX-S1000FA.  Today I took it for a short ride up Taihape and a few kms of Ohiti Road.  The professional reviews rate this bike and I have little to add other than my agreement on the issue of the throttle sensitivity.  I was surprised with the gear ratios, which I liked and very different to the Hayabusa;  the GSX-S is a joy to work up and down the gears (like my old Speed Triple) whereas having that gear changing fun on the Hayabusa requires warp speeds.  The GSX-S ticks so many boxes and I will learn how to manage the throttle.

BTW:  just read Geoff James blog - he replaced his Street Triple with the naked model.  And, in Hastings a 2013 Speed Triple was traded on a GSX-S1000; is that not an endorsement of how good the GSX-S1000 is?

I will probably choose the faired model rather than the naked.   The demo model felt a bit like a naked with a small screen but maybe that is because I ride the ultimate wind tunnel bike in the Hayabusa?

Next year?

Check Point Ride

A little  ride of 83Km to collect photos of 2 check points for the 1000k upcoming ride.  It has been a while since I rode the Hayabusa and that ride tested my clutch hand;  I need to get ride fit.

Another country road.

Cool morning ride

A good Hawke Bay frost this morning.  The bird bath still had ice in it at 11.00am.  My ride was to the sea; there was very little swell and no wind.  The road between Hastings and Napier had many sections with 50 and 30kph temporary limits.

Ulysses HB Easter Ride

A short Sunday ride.  We gathered at BP Stortford Lodge and left for the ride at 1040am.    The ride included SH50, Fernhill and the back road to Bayview.  At stop at Bayview to collect the stragglers and then to Deanos cafe in Taradale via Church Road.   I had a glass of coke and then headed home via Meeanee and Napier.

Total ride of a little over 100km.

Tuki loop - sigh

Another shortish ride and the best parts of the ride had been recently resealed.   Very poorly resealed - may I add - and fine loose metal all over the place.  So that was a slow ride but with added wheel spin on limited acceleration to add to the event.   However it was  a nice day, with a typical Hawkes Bay day of warm temps and not a cloud in the sky.

Ride stats:  44Km,  47mins, Ave 55km/hr