Stripping my GS, day 1.

[TinaMarieF]

After an unexpected bit of off-roading back in October, my fairings had ceased to be in serviceable condition.  The left side was definitely broken. I never did decide if the front was actually broken or if I just had a bent bracket, and the right side had scratches from previous drops. 

The plan was to strip the fairings, put on the headlight, upgrade the springs, and replace the bent handlebars.  Today was my first day when I had all the parts in the garage, and was healed enough to use my wrist without serious pain.

I started by opening all the parts boxes that had been piling up in the garage.  The first problem was finding out that I really should have read the email they sent me when the parts were shipped - that would have been the email that said "One of your headlight brackets is on backorder and we'll ship it when we get it". So I started out knowing I was missing one part.

The side fairings were already off and all the wires were disconnected.  I pulled the last two bolts out of the nose fairing and put it in the pile of fairings (anyone near Houston want these fairings?  They can probably be fixed up as spares.  If you pick them up out of my garage, they're yours free).  I figured the handlebars were next.

After some puzzling about just how to get them off, I pulled up the parts manual to discover those were caps covering bolts holding down the handlebars, not carriage bolts as I'd assumed (no wonder I couldn't find the nuts on the back!).  #5 here:  http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/300_0366/handlebar_model_k4/handlebar_model_k4.cfm?man=su&groupid=3210&parent=3200.  One of them self-destructed before coming off, and the other three all got dinged.  Those were my first unexpected parts.  While I was at it, the bolts below them were corroded (#4 in that diagram), so they get replaced too.

Taking off the handlebars turned out to be a mistake, because when I then went to remove all the things that were connected to the handlebars, it would have been nice if they'd still been attached to something.  As I was, I had to grab a helper to hold them occasionally.  I should have taken everything off them first, then removed them.   

The left side came apart with a minimum of drama.  My shining moment of the day was when I was trying to get the grip off the left side, and it wouldn't budge, even after I'd wiggled a screwdriver under it.  I lifted it up a bit with the screwdriver, stuck the red tube of a can of WD-40 in the gap, and squirted.  15 seconds later, it was off.  In retrospect, since I was replacing the grips anyway, I probably could have just cut it off.

The right side wasn't so easy.  The throttle came off without problems, but I discovered that the plastic under the grip was broken.  #1 here: http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/300_0366/handle_lever/handle_lever.cfm?man=su&groupid=3210&parent=3200.  I see how that part disconnects (there are tiny set screws), but didn't actually take it off.  I imagine it's important to get it back in the exact same position on the cable, but other then that, anything I need to watch out for?

I got the old grip off the throttle-plastic-piece, but it seemed to be glued down in a few spots.  When I put the new grip on the new throttle, is something like Grip Glue (http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=WES_25-1050&tier2=160) the right stuff to use?  Should I also use it under the left grip? 

Next, the master cylinder.  This was the worst so far.  This was what the bolts looked like when we finally got them out:
. 
Yes, they're stripped in the middle and badly corroded on the ends.  Worse, the threads in the master cylinder are bunged up too, so that has to be replaced.  The brake line is also not looking its best - I was going to leave it to avoid needing to bleed the brakes, but since I have to replace the cylinder, I see stainless steel lines in my very near future.

I'm confused by the corrosion.  The bike's only a few years old, and it's only ever parked in covered parking at work and garaged at home.  And it's not just the GS - my boyfriend's FZ6 also has puzzling corrosion in places I wouldn't have expected it.  Yes, this is Houston, but we're nearly 80 miles from the coast!

Anyway, finally the bars were off.  Next I pulled #7 from this diagram:  http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/300_0366/handlebar_model_k4/handlebar_model_k4.cfm?man=su&groupid=3210&parent=3200.  In retrospect, I think that was a mistake.  I think I could have pulled the entire triple clamp off as one piece, and those are going to be terrible to put back in.  Besides the torque that was on them to compress the rubber bushings, they had some sort of obviously one-time-use locknuts.  Yep, more parts to order.  I pulled them initially because I couldn't get a socket to sit down on the main bolt, and I thought it was because the top section was interfering with the socket, and I thought I could get a better shot at it with the handlebar-holding assembly out of the way.  That turned out not to be the problem - the problem was that I was trying to fit a 21mm socket on a 22mm bolt.

The caps off the springs were next.  They came off without a problem, we got the washer and springs out with a magnet.  I was going to do the really-really lazy version and leave the fork oil alone, but it looks awful.  I didn't have any fork oil, and Cycle Gear was closed, so I just plugged them for now.

Next step was the rest of the triple clamp, which came off like a breeze once I sent the boyfriend to the store for a 22mm socket (and truffles.  Yes, we have a local hardware store that stocks tools and incredible truffles.  You walk in, and you're instantly surrounded by the smell of hardware, lumber, coffee, and chocolate.  It's heaven.)

And then I called it a night, since I'm now blocked on a lot of parts. 

One last question:  turn signals.  Mine aren't usable (they're in a half-dozen pieces, and frankly they were in bad shape before the accident).  I meandered through Cycle Gear today, but I didn't see anything that would fit the holes on the headlight bracket.  Am I stuck with the Suzuki ones?

(And, yes, my Hayes manual is, you guessed it, also on backorder.  Yes, I understand the importance of torque settings, and I'm not going to put stuff back together until I get the manual so I can torque things correctly).

[l3uddha]

what are you using for headlight brackets?

these are nice:
http://www.aztec8.com/catalog/c5_p1.html

when in doubt, drill it out... or something...

[TinaMarieF]

what are you using for headlight brackets?

The standard Suzuki ones.  That's an interesting idea, though - I could drill a hole in the brackets and mount a standard set there. 

[ohgood]

Aquanet (harispray) is great for grips. Spray a little in the grip, and it will slide right on. Once it dries, it's stuck. If you want some extra slip-proof, wire your grips with thin gauge stainless. All it takes is a couple of rounds and a twist at the end. Don't twist so much your cut through your grips though !

The corrosion could be from temperature swings and humidity. You likely already know about how condensation can gunk up your tank and carburetors from just sitting.

Check out the buell signals at your local dealer. They look really good to me.

If you mirrors are trashed, SV mirrors are a nice solid addition to a naked gs also.

Hope you heal quickly

[TinaMarieF]

Many days later, it's done. 

Other notes:

I had to buy used headlight brackets, since Suzuki no longer makes the right (left?) side one. 
Somewhere in the accident, my turn signal flasher got shorted and had to be replaced.
I upgraded the headlight significantly, and it's amazingly bright.
I debated LED signals, but at this point I just wanted it done, and went with a used set of Suzuki ones off Ebay.
I can't live without the windshield, and I ordered a National Cycle F16 touring windshield, which should be here on Tuesday.
Despite 6 months of sitting, once I charged the battery, it started right up and ran.
I ended up with cheap mirrors from CycleGear, which rattle alarmingly at 45mph.  I'm going to keep looking for a better set.
The combination of stainless steel brake lines (I only did the front) and the new springs makes a huge difference in braking performance.

The mostly-finished version:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywhisperer/2356581510/


Thanks for all the help, gang!

[GSnoober]

Nice to see another conversion; if nothing else, you should be cooler in the summer...

Looks like a good repair; which headlight and bulb did you install?

[ohgood]

man, the gs sure is a nice looking ride. congrats on getting yours all sorted out. i'm also wondering what bulb and globe combination you went with.

enjoy the ride

[scottpA_GS]

looks good 

I wondered when you ordered two right side head light brackets. I hope that you had a good experience with www.cernics.com

I dont understand why only one side was discontinued and not the other

[TinaMarieF]

I went with PIAA bulbs, but I threw away the package (and took the trash out).  They're very slightly purple, but within legal limits.  I think it's these, but I'm not 100% posititve: http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/piaa/xtremewhite.jsp

The headlight housing is the stock Suzuki one, just painted flat black to match the black bars.

[GSnoober]

The more often I see the '04+ machines naked, the more I like them. The black frame and swingarm, the black wheels, those black rock shields on the forks, the way the tank and side panels flow from front to back... even more fluid than the original tank and panels, which are more angular... If that was mine, I'd probably black out the oil cooler and the fork lowers, to tie the whole thing together visually, but I have to admit, it looks pretty damn good just the way it is now. I still think it was a mistake when Suzuki started painting the engine silver, because it looks better black. I fully understand the appeal of a fairing, especially when riding in cooler weather or rain, but the stock Suzuki fairing just hides everything from view, and worst of all, the fairing has that ass-ugly headlight. Removing the fairing takes the GS from bulbous to sleek, which ain't a bad thing, and using a traditional 7" round headlight just reinforces the visual impact.

Though you probably already know this, the (round) SV650 mirrors are a popular choice as replacements for the GS. In the meantime, depending on where the mirror rattle is coming from, you might be able to shoehorn some RTV behind the glass. It will act as a cushion and shock absorber, and that should eliminate the noise you're hearing, unless the problem lies elsewhere. You could also use drywall adhesive, or any other rubbery substance you have that will dry and remain flexible lying around the house or garage. Hell, if nothing else is handy, pull the erasers out of a couple of pencils and jam one behind each mirror; just about anything that stabilizes the glass should do the trick.

Upgrading the front end while the GS was off the road was a wise move, so I guess you're only going to focus on any cosmetic issues you can't live with, but I'd like to suggest that you buy the cheapest carb cleaner you can find, and add some (4 to 6 ounces) to the gas every time you park the GS for a while. The idea is to add it to the gas, then ride the motorcycle until the engine is warm, then park the thing overnight, or longer. The carb cleaner will mix with the gas and soak the carb jets clean gradually, which should eliminate any problems you might be developing from the long period of non-use.

A lot of people add carb cleaner before a long ride, then empty the gas tank and refill it WITHOUT adding more carb cleaner, but that is NOT correct. The carb cleaner works by SOAKING the crud off, so you have to get it into the float bowls and then give the chemicals enough time to work. Using only a few ounces at a time is the best way; if you use too much carb cleaner, you can make it much more difficult to start the engine. Moderation in all things... Use a few ounces each time until the can is empty, and you shouldn't have any problems with gummy jets... You can also do the same thing if you have to park the GS for an extended period; just keep fresh gas and some carb cleaner in the tank (and float bowls), and at least the carbs (and valves) will be clean if you have to work on them.

Keep us posted on this; some motorcycles just look better without all the damn Tupperware on them, and yours is one of them. Please remember to post another pic once you get the new windscreen installed, so we can bombard you with compliments about your handiwork all over again...