Hey there fellow owners! I'm 23 and doing my DAS in July! Just got a gsx1400 for a first big bike! 57 reg done 7k miles and waiting for it to be delivered this week some time! Anyone got any helpful things to be aware of and to make sure I get the most out of the beast?! Would be much appreciated guys..
Thanks
Jed
Did exactly the same myself as what youre doing. Drove various 125s for years then did test straight on to a '14! Its a bit of a change from a 125!! Only hassle i had was the extra weight showed when at low speed manoeuvres. Just go steady and you ll be fine. Theyre a great bike.
Welcome to the forum :)
Welcome :smile2: don't think I could have ridden a 14 at aged 23 and still be here - go steady :smile2:
Hi GSXJed, welcome to the forum.
Tips? They are everywhere on this site, real helpful guys worldwide. My first tip for you would be the same as above, take it easy & treat your new bike with the respect it deserves, it's no superbike, but it can bite all the same. Just take it easy & get to know it (and your own ability on it) before you start cracking the throttle open.
Ride safe Jed. You'll be in for a long & happy relationship with it.
Welcome! Fully agree with the comments above! Like any big powerful bike, treat her with respect. She will definitely bite back and catch you out if you don't. Having said that, take your time and most important, enjoy 👍😎
Thanks a lot guys! Like to think I have my head screwed on somewhat so will definitely be taking it easy as I learn the bike and its characteristics! Been on the forum for a few hours doing a lot of researching and it's definitely a very helpful forum! Got a couple screenshots of things I like already! Like the suspension set up guide! That looks helpful as I plan on taking the misses out on it when I'm used to it also!
As you are just down the road from me in Grays (I'm in Billericay), always happy to help you out with any jobs you might want to do to your 14 or help "introduce" you to it with maintenance jobs etc.
Best advice I can give is to watch the torque - it can catch you unawares if you are not ready for it, so be gentle with pulling away until you get used to the bike. Also do remember that she's a heavy old girl, which can catch a few out at first.
As with any bike, just take it easy until you get used to her, and get the suspension etc set up for how you like to ride.
And enjoy.
Best advice is break yourself in gently and it's only as powerful or fast as you twist the grip. Having said that it is a very smooth and gentle power delivery so go easy enjoy and you will love it. You may have to have your grin surgically removed though :) :) if you were going straight to an MT-10 which is my other bike I would be more concerned!
Welcome along mate :onya:
As
@Notty said, don't think I would have been able to handle a 1400 at 23, but good onya for giving it a go.
Quote from: GSXJed on Thursday, 18 May 2017, 04:00 AM
Got a couple screenshots of things I like already! Like the suspension set up guide!
You may not need many screenshots as there is a lot in the dowload section of the forum. Four downloads regarding suspension can be found here: http://gsx1400owners.org/forum_test/index.php?action=downloads;cat=5;sortby=date;orderby=desc;start=20
Ride it like you stole it Jed!!! :lol: After 53 years of riding I've lost count of the times I've come off - mainly in the dirt - so do take it easy.
:hat:
Stan
:welcome: to the forum.
Skid carefully young man....but enjoy it !!
Welcome :onya:
As someone once told me: "There are smart riders, and there are dead riders. You just have to pick which one you wanna be."
Welcome to the forum Jed, that's a big first bike, but what a bike.
That is actually really helpful thanks gsxbarmy! Maybe take a cruise up towards you one day if I need a hand with anything!
Will especially want some advice on a tail tidy as that's one thing I definitely want to look at doing! Think it makes the bike look so much cleaner at the back! Don't wanna go cutting chunks off it until I'm certain I know what I'm doing lol!
Welcome Jed, take it easy and you'll be fine. :hat:
The weight is the probably what will catch you out first, engine bars are a good idea.
Next will be the instant arrival of the torque! that'll likely bite you in the ass when pulling away a bit quick.
Anyhoo, don't let any of that put you off, enjoy the 14, it's the best bike I've had in 30+ years of riding.
Yeah I'm definitely going to be weary of the weight and power! My dad had an 04 a while ago when I was only about 13-14 and I loved it! Was such a comfortable bike and still so powerful, then he went on to get a ZZR1400 and that was an absolute animal but he has a rocketIII now and I had a cheeky ride round the estate on it a couple of weeks ago and just had to get myself my own big bike!
One of the (many) things I love about the 14 is that you can meander very comfortable through the world or give super bikes a run for the money. Each one as you please and according to your abilities. Mostly I meander through the beautiful parts in my region. Chasing super bikes (if ever) will have to wait till I get my rear dampers overhauled, the oil in the front fork replaced, and the suspension dialed in by a suspension specialist. Also after that has happened I need to gather experience on the bike. It is over 10 years ago that I had my 1st 14, so I have to feel my way slowly to a more "aggressive" style. A riders safety course will be done as well. Maybe even more than one as there are those for beginners, advanced, as well as slant (banking) training.
Thats good advice Andre. Did a couple of riding courses myself.
I learned lots. Well worth it.
Welcome sir,
I'm sure at the tender age of 23 that you will still be able to handle it, but most of us are probably more curious as to why you were attracted to the '14?
Most of us here are on the wrong side of 50 and the style of the GSX is probably a reminder to us of those bikes we owned or lusted for in the early eighties. I would of thought your generation would have been attracted to sports or adventure bikes as they now seem "on trend".
Still, good to have some younger blood on here!
Take it steady.
Pete.
I have a lot of respect for this bike as my dad previously owned one when I was younger and I loved it! Don't get me wrong, Ducatis to me are on the bucket list! A diavel would be my ideal bike but so dear! The more I read up on 14s the more I love them! Also love the look of them! I definitely prefer meatier looking bikes anyways so the gsx is perfect in my eyes!
Plus these bikes don't seem to depreciate at all!? So that's another bonus!
Not trying to be nosey ,but how can you insure a bike of that size at your age,are you a lotto winner :confused1: :laugh: anyhow enjoy . :onya:
Pete, wrong side of 50......??
Surely you meant the best side of 50 :stir:
If anything, I find the 14 has made me a more sensible rider. I am quite happy now to cruise along with my engine revving around 2k and feeling just fine.
The CB600 Hornet I have though, that's a different story. The revvy, nimble nature of it just makes me want to hammer it everywhere.
I think you'll be fine having a 14 as your first big bike, I had a Ducati 900 at 22 and after the first ride which surprised me at just how big and heavy it was I handled it no problem until 6 months down the line when I got over confident and binned it!!! I will say though that if you give it beans it does have a helluva lot of pull so make sure you have a good grip on the bars first and watch out for the back end breaking away if you're not in a straight line. They are a bit top heavy too so be careful with low speed manouvring as they are easy to drop, I used to avoid touching the front brake at low speed as that seemed to unbalance it, just use the back brake.
If you're unsure about cutting the undertray on your own bike I have an uncut one stashed away in the cupboard which I want to sell, got a few other bits and pieces too as I've just sold my 14.
Quote from: GSXJed on Thursday, 18 May 2017, 04:41 PM
Will especially want some advice on a tail tidy as that's one thing I definitely want to look at doing! Think it makes the bike look so much cleaner at the back! Don't wanna go cutting chunks off it until I'm certain I know what I'm doing lol!
@GSXJed perhaps you should chat to
@saggy0000 He posted here: http://gsx1400owners.org/forum_test/index.php?topic=1199.msg13047#msg13047 about wanting to trade his already cut rear guard for an uncut one.
shame Saggy hasn't posted up any pictures of what he wants to trade as if it was me I'd want to see how his cut down one looks first
Yes, well that would certainly be the appropriate thing to do if he does a for sale post, and for Jed to ask for if he's considering a trade.
Definitely seems like the right way to go and Barmy definitely does have a point there! Let's hope it looks well!
I have to say that I cannot agree that a 14 would be a good first big bike. A good few miles on a machine like a 600/650 Bandit would be a far better bet.
My reasons -
Not the power. In bike terms the 14 is not that powerful. Torque is the problem in that it can overwhelm the rear tyre very easily. In the wet it is a delicate balancing act if you are not just going to totter along daring not to lean it over.
Weight - problem at low speed and just moving around engine off. Not being used to handling it is likely to result in droppages which can be expensive to repair. The weight plus the torque are a potential problem in the twisties.
Set up - I know guys who have been riding for years that still do not understand how to set up a bike suspension to change the way it handles. The 14 has adjustable spring rates, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable compression damping at front and rear. Many none sport style bikes don't have that amount of adjustability. On standard settings the 14 really does not handle very well at all and will try to drop into bend at low speed and run wide at higher speeds. This can be dialled out with the stock suspension by changing the settings IF you know how to do it.
Control - to ride a 14 well and safely you have to be able to use deliberate counter steering, understand trail braking into bends, know how to balance front and rear brake pressure, blip and down change while braking at the same time. These along with many other skills only come with experience and they are not taught on lessons or in the main even tested.
Ok I am old school and have been riding on the road for 40 years. I was taught by my Dad who was a very experienced rider. "In those days" economics meant that you had to progress slowly and I was typical in that I started on a 50 (unrestricted in "those days") then a 125cc and on to a 200cc which I took my test on. Next was a 400cc - up to this point those bikes were my everyday transport as well as fun and I clocked up 12000 miles a year for 4 years. After that there was a 600 then a 900 and then a mix around those sizes but usually then only for pleasure. For me the current UK restrictions on engine size are trying to recreate a bit of this but not quite going far enough because if they were the 14 would not be in your reach for a bit longer.
Really hope it all goes well for you and I love to hear about "youngsters" getting into bikes.
I was riding Goldwings at 23 and Harley's (daily) at 24. I'm now 33 and have two GSX1400's.
Age doesn't mean shit in my opinion. Mentality, skill, confidence and to a lesser extent, strength make the difference
Money kept me off big bikes when I was younger, not the size of the bike. Buying, running and insuring bikes is expensive when you are just starting out, unless you have access to the bank of mum and dad, I didn't.