Clip on Bars on 2005 GS500F ?

[IISquintsII]

Anyone one here have clip on bars on a 2005 GS 500F? Is it even possible? I'm looking for something waaaaay more sportier than stock. To give you an idea I sometimes ride resting my left hand on the front fairing (where the warning stickers are).  If anyone does have them please post pics, and also your height! 

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

From the search string "clip on bars":

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=22812.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=11304.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=20795.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=6739.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24587.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24135.0

[JamesG]

Direct answer is; no. they won't fit on an "F" because the faring will get in the way.  Closest you can get is a "flat" bar  or cafe bar suggested in the links above.

[JetSwing]

don't mean to hijack but i've got a news flash for nicw guy: your avatar is out of date!

[Alphamazing]

Direct answer is; no. they won't fit on an "F" because the faring will get in the way.  Closest you can get is a "flat" bar  or cafe bar suggested in the links above.

Nah. Guy named Airbrush had them on his. It'll work.

[IISquintsII]

Looks like I'm going with the SM bars instead of clip ons...... anyone here have the type I 's  installed?  I could use the extra inch, I think I just have freakishly long arms compared to my body (I'm only 6ft tall.)

[solarpulse]

the fairing gets in the way when u want to lock it

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Looks like I'm going with the SM bars instead of clip ons...... anyone here have the type I 's  installed?  I could use the extra inch, I think I just have freakishly long arms compared to my body (I'm only 6ft tall.)

To quote AlphaFire X5 (who is almost always right), taken from the first reply to the first link I posted in the first reply to this thread:

You can't fit Suburban Machinery Type 1 bars on the GS. It doesn't work. You've got to go for Type 2. As for the differences: The Vortex bars are clip-ons, which means they have little tubes that clamp onto the forks. To put them on, you do have to drop the triple clamp down on the fork tubes in order to have a place to clamp the clip-ons. Dropping it an inch will really influence the handling characteristics of your bike. It changes the rake/trail numbers significantly. The SM2 bars are standard bars that clamp to where your normal bars are. You won't have to drop your fork tubes, but you'll still get a lower riding position. If you want to see how the bike handles differently with a lower front end, drop the triple a half centimeter and see how it changes; if you like it, drop it some more and see how that feels. Continue.

[JamesG]

But to reiterate; Suzuki put the forks where they were for a reason. Dropping the triples the 2 or so inches to clamp clipons above the top clamp is a very bad idea. You've compromised the suspension clearance and seriously steepend the suspension geometry. It might go down a straight road at poser speeds, but at elevated speeds and high speed corners you are asking for all kinds of problems from falling in to tank slappers.

On the 03+ and F you have the added complication of the fat tank limiting steering radius with clipons. I think the majority of people who have tried putting above the clamps clipons on newer GS have admited that they hit the tank.

They either have to go under the top clamp (and fouling on the fairing) or you have to go the GS550 "VFR like clipons" or with the suburban flat bars.

[Alphamazing]

You don't have to drop the forks 2 inches, only half an inch or so. If you take the top plate off and just mount them above the top triple then you don't have that issue. And again, Airbrush has them on his bike and I haven't heard any problems with them.

[airbrush]

Yes, it's possible to put them on. Its a tight squeeze but it will turn lock to lock without hitting the tank or fairings.
I would suggest doing it as I mentioned before, removing the stock handlebar mount, that way you dont have to move the forks very much. I just made an aluminum plate with carbon fibre to cover over the ugly triple...simply cosmetic, you dont have to do it if you don't want. Just put your clipons on, make a template and cut it out. The clips ons i have are off of ebay..have no idea what they were off of originally, any 37mm ones will work.

Here's a pic of it

[l3uddha]

so the guages... aren't they attached to the triple clamp cover? At first glance it looked to me like they are, & you'd have to remount them. am I correct? or do the guages bolt directly onto the triple clamp itself and there is no problem?

[Alphamazing]

I'd like to update a response I had in an earlier thread. I said that Suburban Machinery Type 1s wouldn't work on a GS. I was wrong. They will.

[ets_gs500f2004]

loocks good now i want a set like that... gave me a new idea..... now i guess i got to spend more money lol

[ets_gs500f2004]

http://www.eurospares.com/gsfaq.htm

if you look at the end of the page they talk about clip ons

[nick_villan]

yeah but they dont mention the f

[ets_gs500f2004]

Yes, it's possible to put them on. Its a tight squeeze but it will turn lock to lock without hitting the tank or fairings.
I would suggest doing it as I mentioned before, removing the stock handlebar mount, that way you dont have to move the forks very much. I just made an aluminum plate with carbon fibre to cover over the ugly triple...simpy cosmetic, you dont have to do it if you don't want. Just put your clipons on, make a template and cut it out. The clips ons i have are off of ebay..have no idea what they were off of originally, any 37mm ones will work.

Here's a pic of it

how thick is your aluminum plate cause i found some clip ons that will fit i just need to know how thick !!!!

[porsche4786]

I have SM1 bars.
I feel like I posted a thousand times with stupid questions when I was installing them.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=26662.0

[nick_villan]

hey how long did it take you to instal ur new handle bars, did u have to cut any wires or anything like that?

[porsche4786]

No, I didn't cut any wires. It took me a while because I had to eat, go to the store, post on here, and other things like that. The hardest part was getting the left grip off. I got a hair dryer and heated it up some and kept twisting it till it finally came off. I was mostly worried about the different wires and the break line when I turn lock to lock, they do hit the fairing and the frame. But I think the SM2 bars would have the same problem, if it's even a problem, I don't see how it would hurt anything. I really like the SM1 bars though, I find it less windy riding down the freeway now, and more fun to ride in the twisty's.