Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

I wanted to say “Hi” to everyone as I am new. New to riding, new to the forums and I just got a “new” (to me) ’08 gsx650f with ~2500 miles on it. She has a few scratches but I don’t see them.

I took the 3 day safety course last summer and passed, getting my endorsement and feeling like I knew just enough to know I had a lot more to learn. A very good friend, and 20+ year bike rider, told me “your first bike should inspire you to just go into the garage and LOOK at it”. With that in mind, I started LOOKing at bikes.

The gsx650f had this look from the front that said “I am just as happy going over you as around you” that appealed to me. It looked good on paper too as I have a 30” inseam. The reviews had nothing bad to say. The only complaints are about the weight difference, but that seemed to be from a bunch of people who wanted the bike to be a GSX-R. I wanted a long haul bike with some attitude, and this was PERFECT!

One finally came up in my price range, 470 miles from where I live. The wife and I drive down from Seattle almost to the California border, slept in a hotel, and got the bike on Friday the 1st. Now the fun part: I have not ridden a bike since I got my endorsement, and I have never been above 30 mph. I was a tad nervous (a nice way of saying scared *#%&Less), but if I wanted the bike I had to get it home.

30 min of practice on a not too busy side street later, she told me “The only reason you are still on is I think you have potential” and “Don’t ever do that again”. Needless to say the throttle was a touch more responsive than the 250 I got my endorsement on. If I touched it, it responded.

I needed gas and the time had come to start heading home. Filling up went well, and that helped the confidence a lot. I put in hearing protection and to the freeway we went, my wife behind me in the car. On the onramp I started counting gears, my smile getting bigger each up-shift. By the time I was merged into traffic my cheekbones hurt from grinning.

I kicked up into 6th and the world was just….right. I realized that I finally owned a motorcycle, and she owned me. This was our road that we allowed the pesky non-two wheeled vehicles to use. I was glad to have my wife along as she pointed out things to me that never even entered my mind, like eating. Who needs food when you have been mainlining adrenaline! I had been riding for 5 hours when she said “I’m hungry” and I had no idea. By the time we stopped at Vancouver, WA for the night, I had ridden 300 miles. We did the last 170 the next morning with a quick stop after 30 miles so I could put on a thermal shirt. Trying to ride when involuntarily shaking from cold is harder than it looks. I don’t recommend it.

Once I got home I called a friend and we went riding! Now, riding a bike is fun, riding with a friend is 4x as fun! We had a great time and will be doing it a lot more over the summer. Maybe 600 miles in the 1st 24 hours of getting a bike is a bit much, but it is what I needed to do to get one, and I am glad I did.

Thanks for reading and Keep it sticky side down!!

congratulations and welcome, i hope you enjoy this bike like all do!!!!! i enjoy reading your post, i feel exactly the same things when i pick up my bike!!!! greetings

WELCOME! Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

Thank you all,

The first bike I saw was this Harley rider with a cat carrier on the back. My first thought was "That cat has more miles on a bike than I do." He grinned at me (the Harley rider, not the cat). He was wearing this skull cap and goggles so as not to mess up the grey beard down to his belt. He gave me the wave, but down low
like Harley guys do. I waved back as he pulled off the freeway and I realized then that two wheels is two wheels, regardless of the make.

Indeed it is. I've been reading everyone's thoughts on the forum about that. I have to admit 2 things:

I sometimes accidentally wave to bikers while I'm driving my car.

I don't wave to anyone on a scooter or moped. {Get real BIKE!}

Congrats on the purchase. What a way to break yourself in to the world of motorcycling! Welcome to the madhouse!

don't wave to scooters. wave to mopeds.

young young kids on mopeds, have the right idea. they look at a 650F with want and ear to ear grins, wave to mopeds, and give em some throttle love.

I wave to all PTWs as even moped and scooter riders are bikers.

JAYSUS HAROLD!
Will you lot SHUT UP about waving and nodding already?!!

Thanks for sharing your adventure, since you live nearby, probably see you on the road sometime. It is one of the sweetest bikes I have ever owned.