ShowBizWolf's 1998 GS500E

[ShowBizWolf]

oooo that's one I haven't heard of before... I will have to remember that!

And LOL! Perfectly timed pic of Hastey jumping down from the seat. The forum gets kinda dead from time to time... this past month or two has been one of those times 

I am online a lot because I work evenings and just keep the forum open on the computer... check it cuz it's a good boredom killer for me. I often look at "who's online" and wish all the guests that are browsing threads or even registered users that are reading up on something would post more often... even if it's just in the odds and ends section or the picture games etc. Oh well 

Thanks for checking out my thread!

[Suzi Q]

Yeah no worries, it's a good looking bike. It's fun to watch it go from post #1 when you were talking about how little you'd done to page 6 with wheels off, rotors hanging, hacksaws out....haha keep it up!

Also it's that time of the year when bikes are tucked in the garage and people forget. I'm only active because this is also the best time to buy! 

[ShowBizWolf]

Had some time over the weekend to mess around with the fender some more. Scored the plastic with the Dremel's cutting wheel to make sure the resin has a good surface to knit to, then repaired two spots.


Then fiberglassed the two halves together after sanding the repaired spots so they would knit too.

[ShowBizWolf]

I ran so many different ways through my head to attach this fender... still figuring on the p-clamps though.

[ShowBizWolf]

I purchased 4 of the same style clamps that mount the gixxer nose to my bike. They will need to be made a bit smaller to hold snug on the for legs but that's no biggie.

[Suzi Q]

Your front fender is drastically different than mine...The F fender is more in line with the busa fender. Anyway, sharp looking work!

[ShowBizWolf]

The silver one ya see in my main pictures is a custom one I made. I trimmed the edges down so it was super skinny and easier to install. The one that came with my bike was a stock fender (pretty sure it's the same as the F style) but it was busted up pretty bad.

One of the main reasons I'm messing around with this one is because I wanted to eliminate the need to mount it using the fork brace... and I also really enjoy projects like this

Thanks very much for checking it out!!

[Suzi Q]

Gotcha. I just got to remove mine for the first time last night. Definitely a PITA to have to yank the wheel to get the fender/brace off there.

[cbrfxr67]

good stuff here,...really enjoying your progress pics

[ShowBizWolf]

Wow thank you cbr! I'm glad you are enjoying them! There are many more on the way, that's for sure.

[ShowBizWolf]

This post was showing my progress with making my own seat cowl. I abandoned it because I have too many other projects going on right now but I do still have the fiberglass shell I made. Maybe some day like in the year 2020 I'll get back to it if I feel like it LOL!!

[the_63]

Looks great. I hate the seat on the GS, and saw that some company does a tail fairing that cover the pilion seat. But what you're building there looks wicked. Really great curve and flow.

Chris

[ShowBizWolf]

Thanks 63!!! I'm glad you approve    I've seen a handful of different options over the years... but none are as cheap as making my own since I already have most of the stuff I'll need. Only thing I believe I'll have to purchase is some paint!

A few of my friends like to go for rides with me so I for sure wanted something that can easily be removed.

[Big Rich]

I like it! My skin itches just thinking about all that fiberglass though.....

[Suzi Q]

I like it! My skin itches just thinking about all that fiberglass though.....

If you use woven mat it's much better...doesn't get everywhere.

You could always use carbon fibre. Or just pour resin over the ham containers and go au naturale.

[ShowBizWolf]

I have both mat and cloth... and I've read that the woven stuff is stronger than the fiber-y stuff. Maybe I will use the woven instead... give it a try!

I'm usually doing messy projects like this down at my dad's auto garage... but it doesn't get very warm down there this time of year, even with the heat cranked up. And since I still want to be working on something, I'm working at home.

It has been easy so far to just keep the shop vac out and vacuum up when I'm done with something... but I'm really nervous about all the sanding I'll be doing soon... and I've gotta make sure to keep Hastey outta the garage when that's going on because it's not healthy at all for her little lungs to be breathing that shaZam! in. Gonna get out my air filter purifier thing I use when I've got company over and they are smoking at the bar in my basement too.

[Suzi Q]

It's not healthy for YOUR lungs either, so make sure you're using a good respirator. Fiberglass work is fun, albeit messy. Sanding won't be too intense if you're just putting a top layer on and then strengthening it from below. You're going to need a good filler compound. Bondo is the most accessible, but there are other choices as well. Have fun!

[ShowBizWolf]

Idk if it is the best choice but I've always used duraglas for filler on all my projects. The body kit I made for my car, the work I did on the Turtle Van, my first custom fender (the silver one) etc.... It certainly is a pain to sand cuz it's so tough but idk I've just always used it. I do actually have some lighter weight filler that was given to me by a friend... maybe I'll give it a try too.

[Suzi Q]

There's nothing wrong with Duraglas, but I wouldn't really consider it a finish filler. In my experience, the glass in the filler makes it hard to get a showcar smooth finish. I think of it more as a rough filler for quick and dirty jobs to then be coated with something finer. Maybe you're just more patient than I. 

[ShowBizWolf]

I'm not always a fountain of patience, believe me!!