how to remove upper fairing on 04 GS500F

[rritterson]

I need to take off my plastics and replace them. I figured out how to get the lower side pieces off without difficulty. It's the more complex headlight fairing that has me stumped.

It connects to the side pieces via the 3 bolts on either side near the seam. It also connects to the side pieces and frame via the bolts on either side on top near the tank. Finally, it also connects to the side pieces via 2 of those plastic clips on the underside near the edge.

I removed all of the above and the upper piece won't budge a bit, so I started looking for more pieces.

The windshield has 5 obvious screws. I removed those, but I couldn't get the windshield out. It looks like a metal piece goes through the hole in the shield near each corner, so I couldn't get it off. I also noticed 4 plastic clips that attatch the black back of the cowling to the blue front. The clips look like 2 concentric circles, but they didn't have an obvious way to get them off. I didn't want to just start prying, so I thought I'd ask: how do you get those off safely?

So, 3 bolts on either side near the seam, 2 on top by the tank, and 6 plastic clips. What else do I need to take out to get that piece off? Does the blue part come off seperately from the black part, or do they come off together?

[cobalt135]

To remove the little clips just push that inner circle in with something small...it will pop in about 1/8 of an inch and then the whole clip can be removed.  To re-install these you need to pop the inner circle out (comes out about 1/4 inch, put the clip into the hole it goes in and then push that inner circle back flush. With all the visible screws and clips removed the "dashboard" black piece will come out seperate from the rest of the fairing.  It is a pain to shimmy out around the speedo and tach but it will come out.  The plastic screws around the winshield come out and you have to remove the rubber grommets on the left and right.  They just pull out.  Now, the windshield will come out, you need to move it towards the handlebars to dislodge it from the pieces you talked about that are near the mirror mounts.  If everything is loose enough you should be able to pull the black dash back near the mirrors and see what I'm talking about.  It works kinda like where the dash area meets the lower fairing at the bolt you removed by the tank.  How the lower fairing bolt hole by the tank slips over the raised plastic piece.  You do not have to remove the mirrors to get this far, but the bolts on mine are allen head bolts with a little plug in the wrench end...just pop it out.  This is as far as I have gone, I was trying to fix a rub between the windshield and fairing.  I THINK that the front fairing bolts to the headlight housing with some phillips head screws.  As in the frame that attaches to the steering head bolts to the headlight housing and then the fairing mounts to the headlight.

Tried to be as specific as I can remember when I had mine apart.  Anything else just yell.

[daneilah]

On a related note....

I was eyeballing the oil filter cover and trying to imagine how to get it off with all that plastic in the way.

Do folks generally remove the lower fairings when replacing the oil filter?   :dunno:

[cobalt135]

On a related note....

I was eyeballing the oil filter cover and trying to imagine how to get it off with all that plastic in the way.

Do folks generally remove the lower fairings when replacing the oil filter?   :dunno:

I do not.  I use a ratchet with extension.

[Turkina]

Make your GS into a naked bike!  The way it should be!  :mrgreen:  

[sys49152]

I do not. I use a ratchet with extension.

Ditto.  Remove the bottom of the three first, then remove the top two, and have your oil catch pan positioned appropriately below.

[srbphoto]

My 2004 GS500 just got whacked in a parking spot by a hit and run driver.  It did $2600.00 worth of damage to fairing, clutch handle and left side mirror. The insurance company may "total" the bike which is too bad as everything but fairing is in good shape.  I figure if I could strip off the fairing, the clutch handle repair, new headlight and a small fairing would run a couple of hundred bucks....and I could finally put handgrips over the clutch and brake to complement heated handgrips.


Has anyone removed the fairing completely and converted the bike into a "naked" gs or do you have any advice.  It seems a shame to total this bike over the fairing.

Best

Stephen R. brown
srb@srbphoto.com

[Alphamazing]

My 2004 GS500 just got whacked in a parking spot by a hit and run driver.  It did $2600.00 worth of damage to fairing, clutch handle and left side mirror. The insurance company may "total" the bike which is too bad as everything but fairing is in good shape.  I figure if I could strip off the fairing, the clutch handle repair, new headlight and a small fairing would run a couple of hundred bucks....and I could finally put handgrips over the clutch and brake to complement heated handgrips.


Has anyone removed the fairing completely and converted the bike into a "naked" gs or do you have any advice.  It seems a shame to total this bike over the fairing.

Best

Stephen R. brown
srb@srbphoto.com

That'd be me.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=21212.0