(Please Delete) Write Up: Light Relocation on F Model

[TragicImage]

Relocation of Tail Lights on a GS500F


To start off, you should gather all tools you'll need, and have them readily available to make your work quicker.  You'll need:

Small Tupperware Dish or Coffee Can
17mm Wrench
8mm Wrench
#2 Phillips Screwdriver
Pliers
Scissors or Dykes
Zip Ties
An assortment of drill bits
A Drill (Pneumatic or Electrical, Cordless not recommended)
A Dremel, or Dye Grinder.
Masking Tape  (the wider the better, I believe I had a 5 inch wide roll)
A Vise, a clamp, or other clamping device.
A suitable work area/bench
Utility Knife

Start off by removing the original rear/side reflectors.  You'll need the 8mm wrench, and the screw driver.  There are two bolts per side, holding the reflectors to a portion of the fender.  You'll want to place these screw and bolts in the Tupperware dish, as not to lose them.  All procedures are identical for left and right.



Once you've removed both reflector brackets, you can remove the reflector itself from the bracket using the 8mm wrench.  There should be a single nut holding it to the bracket.  Now you should have two brackets, off the bike, with no reflectors.  These nuts aren't going to be used again, however if you need to remount your reflectors at a later date, you'll be thankful you have them, or if one of the nuts shakes loose off of the screw during normal operation.

The next step is to disconnect and remove your turn indicators. 

To begin, Remove your seat, as you would do to access your battery.  You will find near the tail piece, zip tied to your frame a wire bundle.  Use your dykes to cut the zip ties off, you will replace these later.  At the end of this wire bundle, you will see two bullet type connectors.  GENTLY disconnect here.  Damaging these wires can cause you extra work that is easily avoided.  The procedure is identical for both sides.

Now that the wires are disconnected AND you've snipped the zip ties holding them, you can use the 17mm wrench and undo the nut on the back of the turn signal stalks.  If you pull the wires through one at a time you can easily get them through both the nut, and washer.  Again, the procedure is identical for both sides.


Okay, now you should have a hole in the side of your fender that matches up with a washer/spacer with the same design on it.  A Sort of a parallelogram shape.  See Picture.



Place a wide strip of masking tape over the hole formerly filled by the turn signal stalk.  Cut out the center, and now, when you peel off the masking tape, you have a perfect outline of the shape you need to remove from your reflector bracket.

Carefully place this template on the portion of your bracket that was holding the reflector.  You can put this template on either side of this bracket, however, I preferred to have the inside curve facing up when I was working on this.  You'll need roughly 1/3 to a 1/4 of edge distance, from the bottom of the bracket.

Now that you have your template attached.  Clamp your work to the table, using either a vise, or a c-clamp.



Get a drill, and a suitable drill bit.  I prefer a smaller drill bit personally, because it is more controllable.  However, don't go to small, as you'll be likely to snap your drill bit.  I should also mention at this point that Eye Protection is invaluable.

What you're going to want to do, is drill multiple holes, within your template.  Creating a "swiss cheese" effect.  The principle idea is to remove a majority of the material with the drill.  Be careful not to allow the drill to 'walk' when drilling near the edge, as it can make your template move.  Also take note that when drilling, your drill bit can unexpectedly "Bite" into the edge of another hole and yank the drill out of your hand, or your work from the vise.  Be Careful! And properly support the drill.

Now get out your dye grinder.  You can take your pick of bits that you'd like to use, however I used two different ones.  A cone shaped one, and a regular grind cylinder.  Clean out the inside of the template.  Regularly pausing to check fitment of the spacer/washer can give you a good idea of where you need to trip.  This isn't an 'exact' science.  A key here is slow on, and slowly increase the RPM, if it starts to chatter, back off, or speed up.... And moderate pressure.



Now you have your brackets cleaned up.  If you feel any sharp edges, grab a rasp file and clean up the edges, I didn't have any problems with this though.  If you are particularly handy, just use the Grinder to clean up the edges.
Remove the masking tape.  Grab your spacer/washer with the parallelogram shape to it.  You may need to shave down one side of this to get it to fit into the bracket (I did on both).  The Grinder worked out just fine on this.


Well, now you've got all the fabrication knocked out, all that's left is re-attaching the lights to the bike.

You will want to reverse the brackets from how they were when the reflectors were mounted.  This brings them in closer to the bike.

Slide the stalk of the turn signal into the spacer/washer, running all appropriate wire through both the bracket, and spacer/washer.  On the backside of the bracket, re-install the washer and nut, and using the 17mm wrench to tighten it up.  Be Sure not to over tighten, as you don't want to damage your turn signal.

Now to attach the bracket back on the bike.  Use the short screw and nut combination that you removed earlier.  I found that the nut on the outside, screw head on the inside combination worked best for tightening up your bracket.



Re-Route your wires and connect them.  Zip tie them to the Bracket, and to the frame under the seat once you have them connected.  The wires are color coded, and should be easily identified as "matching" sets.


As a side note, you should be able to have a slight adjustment on the angle of turn signals, just from the play in the two nut/screw combinations on the bracket.


Final Result:

[Cannon Fodder]

Not meaning to thread jack, but what are the pins for on the bottom of that support?  Net, luggage etc?

Thanks.

[3imo]

Not meaning to thread jack, but what are the pins for on the bottom of that support?  Net, luggage etc?
Thanks.

YUP!

---
great writeup TragicImage 

[Turd Ferguson]

Not meaning to thread jack, but what are the pins for on the bottom of that support?  Net, luggage etc?

Thanks.

Those are the factory grab rails and the "pins" are for a cargo net.  It's all the factory stuff on the 01+ I think.

-Turd.

[3imo]

Not meaning to thread jack, but what are the pins for on the bottom of that support?  Net, luggage etc?

Thanks.

Those are the factory grab rails and the "pins" are for a cargo net.  It's all the factory stuff on the 01+ I think.

-Turd.

my 99', 95' and 01' GS500's have these exact same "pins".  I use them to strap bags to my seat with bungie cords.
This thread has been jacked.

[TragicImage]

I totally have some sweet bungie cords.

[surlybruce]

Dude you need a FENDERECTOMY ! Good signal mod though.

[TragicImage]

Dude you need a FENDERECTOMY ! Good signal mod though.

should have one done by tomorrow, with a corresponding write up.

[TragicImage]

this just in after playing in the canyons....


the stock reflector bracket does not hold up to the consistent jarring of regular riding, and your lights will bend down into your rear wheel.


VERY Ugly scene.  I'll be making a trip to the dealership to order new turn signals.



DO NOT DO THIS MODIFICATION

[starwalt]

No need to delete.

Just consider it a learning experience. It was a good idea, just the wrong material.

[TragicImage]

well, I understand, and I"m glad to learn.


but other people don't need to damage their new rides just because I made an engineering mistake.

[Alphamazing]

You could craft a bracket out of some 6061 aluminum sheet metal. It'd work then.

[TragicImage]

You could craft a bracket out of some 6061 aluminum sheet metal. It'd work then.

well... I'm gonna swing by the sheetmetal shop tomorrow and I know there's some spare 7075 laying around.... plus I get to use some cool tools........

[scratch]

This thread is a keeper, just in case someone else thinks to do it.  To hopefully warn them...


...that they might pull a "TragicImage".  Or, should we call it a "T.I."...

[TragicImage]

you can call it whatever you'd like....

you could just refer to it as "A Tragic"

[Mk1inCali]

Or maybe this thread would be appropriate to help teach new guys about the many benefits of going to Buells or otherwise aftermarket turn signals.


I seem to remember weighing all 4 Buell signals and the weight being somewhere around 2 of the stockers.  Don't quote me, but it was a dramatic difference, especially considering the extra brightness of the Buells.

[TragicImage]

I don't count ounces.

[Mk1inCali]

But if a few ounces per signal were enough to allow you to mount it as you did, versus having to find a machine shop that would build you the mounts out of 6061 or something similar, isn't that a little bit better than having to pay for the chunk of alum, AND the machine time vs 8 bucks per signal?


Just raising a point.

[Alphamazing]

But if a few ounces per signal were enough to allow you to mount it as you did, versus having to find a machine shop that would build you the mounts out of 6061 or something similar, isn't that a little bit better than having to pay for the chunk of alum, AND the machine time vs 8 bucks per signal?


Just raising a point.

Aluminum is easy to cut. You can use a hacksaw or a jigsaw to cut it out. It's easy to fab up little aluminum brackets for things like that.

[Mk1inCali]

So it is...as is trying Buells.



If you dig stock signals, more power to you.