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ShowBizWolf's 1998 GS500E

Started by ShowBizWolf, August 10, 2016, 09:06:25 PM

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ShowBizWolf

Hi everybody,

Figured after being on this board for a few years now and owning my GS since early 2012, I am overdue to make a thread about my bike. Haven't done hardcore cutting and welding and wiring and all that custom stuff... because truthfully I really like the bike as it is... but I'll share anyway.

Some of the replies throughout the thread don't make sense because I've had to go through and update picture links several times... and each time I did, I took some pictures out to make it easier on myself. :technical:

I had no experience whatsoever on two wheels except for bicycles when I bought my GS. It was winter of 2011/2012 and I got it in my mind that it was time to get a motorcycle. I had two cars and a van at that time so I sold one of my cars and bought the bike from a family friend for $1000. Pretty rough around the edges but I didn't mind:


Once I got more comfortable on the bike (and got a few falls outta the way lol) I started fixing things. One of the first repairs was to replace the housing for the gauges.




And then the sides.








The exhaust was rashed, faded and rusty. I ordered a complete stainless system from eBay.




My stock handlebars were bent, faded and rusty in spots so I got some Superbike bars to replace them.


The seat was a bit faded and also had a quarter-sized rip in it. I recovered it myself.


Took apart the headlight bucket and it was rusty inside... so I soaked it in evaporust... sanded it, primed it and painted the inside with truck bedliner.


Painted the outside of the bucket real nice and cleared it:


Also bought a new chrome ring for the headlight (stupidly expensive) and the rubber boot for the back.


Did the LED bulbs in the brake light, indicators and gauges. Did something different and picked red and blue. These are the bulbs I got for the indicators. One green, one blue and one red:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-1-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/197/856/
And these are the ones I got for the gauges. These are bright enough and throw the light in the right places to properly light up the odometer and trip counter:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-5-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/199/876/


The stock fender was smashed so I replaced it with one I cut down to make easier to remove/install. I have moved on twice from that fender though lol!


You can see my first fender in this picture. Also the '04 GSXR nose fairing I added along with matching signals, front and back.


I wired the signals in with quick disconnects so when removing the nose and/or the tail plastics, you can unplug the wires.


The fender needed some tidying up as well IMO.


Cut down the fender and swapped the tail light for a GS500F style one.


Here is the second fender design I made up. Same as the first one though, made out of two halves of a stock GS fender.


I've done so many other things too over the years that I don't have specific pictures of... replaced fuel lines and clamps (first with cheap stuff from an auto parts store and then switched to OEM stuff), both petcocks are new, I added that rubber trim piece that goes around the bottom of the tank because mine was MIA... new front and rear brakes and oil changes... that kind of normal stuff... replaced the stock mirrors that were broken/rashed with rounder ones... sanded, primed and painted the kickstand and center stand, new battery, at least a few new clutch levers lol, new brake lever, swapped out the forks because mine were bent, replaced the fork seals and switched to 20w fork oil, added one of Chuck81's aluminum fork braces... new chain and sprockets... that's all I can think of but there might even be more lol!
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

The fink

ShowBiz, it's about dang time you make a thread about your GS! It looks awesome, you've done a great job!  :thumb: :cheers:
Be who YOU are, and say what YOU feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
-Dr. Seuss

ShowBizWolf

LOL I know right?? Haha thanks so much for checking it out and leaving me kind words fink!!  :D
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

Mr. BIGGZ

Wow, great work! All the subtle upgrades really came together to make the bike look nice. Love your attention to detail! Great job!

Big Rich

It's about time! Haha....

Showbiz, is that a fiberglass fender from RocCity?

Don't know if I've said it, but the bike looks great!  :thumb:
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

ShowBizWolf

Thank you so much Mr. BIGGZ!! Details have always been something I pay attention to and I'm super glad it shows  :D

Rich I had to google RocCity to see what you meant LOL and wow I see what you mean! Haha that fender is one I fiberglassed together from two broken halves  :icon_mrgreen:

Thank you for the compliments  :cheers:
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

peteGS

Yay a ShowBiz thread at last! Love your work, lots of nice neat touches there. I like the subtle mods myself, I try not to go too crazy.

Like your helper there too  ;)
'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

ShowBizWolf

#7
Ahhh I'm glad you approve pete!!

I didn't get much done today before work... one last cleaning of the rotor, then I masked both sides and sprayed it with some primer. I've been having really good results on my car with self-etching primer so I went with that for this small project. Only thing I don't like about it is the cure time of 72 hours but whatever... we're getting a bit of rain here so no biggie.


Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

Big Rich

Biz, have you ever had problems with the buttons sticking on the rotors? Sometimes they get corrosion in them, and then the rotors feel like they are warped. Just want to mention it since paint can also gum them up too.....
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

ShowBizWolf

#9
Thank you Rich!! I will most certainly pay attention to how the brakes/rotor feels once I put this all back together.

I was wondering about that before I painted this thing tbh... But just kept thinking to myself how much paint I put on those buttons 3 years ago and how I never noticed anything different...

If I did eff them up, it will be the push I need to try one of these perhaps:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262315503425?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Or something like it. I don't mind having new parts, that's for sure.
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

Big Rich

No problem. I had to get similar rotors for my GR because the buttons were junk on the stock ones. I dig them.
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

ShowBizWolf

Awesome!! If I didn't have a list of things I want/need for my car (since I'm getting farther along with it finally yay) I would have just purchased that new rotor. Lighter, aluminum and stainless I think they are? Heck yeah that sounds good to me. But my wallet was like nooooo not right now  :nono:
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

gregjet

If you are OK with wiring you may want to look at an electronic tacho/speedo . I am going Acewell as it is way smaller and lighter and has all the lights I need. You may like the look of the std gauges. Many do.
I went with a alloy cage SS rotor. much lighter and looks superb.

peteGS

I'll give a +1 to Acewell. Put one with a custom dash on the 450 to integrate the stock gear position indicator and love it. I'll be putting one on the Kat as well. Just the stock standard 2853 is all I used, has everything I need.
'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

ShowBizWolf

Maybe someday in the future I'll mess with my tach/speedo!! I do enjoy the looks of some fancier gauges, that's for sure  :cool:

Man... after looking back at Rich's GR thread and seeing that (those) rotors on his bike and now with the pic you added gregjet, it's soooo making me want to buy that one. Glad to see I had my eye on a cool rotor in the link I posted!! $90 might not seem like a lot but that same $90 could buy me quite a few things I have on my ebay watch list for my car that I've been dying to drive again after 3 years.... hey the holidays are coming soon too!! I can't forget that  :D  :wink:
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

peteGS

I hear ya' loud and clear there!!! So easy to spend $$$ on all these toys and then realise now you can't afford what you actually should've spent it on... been there done that!

If you ever change your dash, here's some inspiration... maybe... this is what I call the Buck Rogers dash on the 450. The orange LED is a charging indicator...

'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

the_63

You've inspired me to pull the trigger on my own little project ShowBiz.  :thumb:

My Sookie has been laid up for quite a while now so I've been pulling bits away from the frame. I've been sticky taping the tail mocking up new looks. Plans are the standard fender-ectomy, fliping the tail light uppside down so the lines follow the cut of the plastics, and flushing the rear indicators into the tail fairings.

Sookie is purple too but the paint looks quite shabby, so I have plans to have it resprayed with a metallic flake and the silvers, like the frame, top yolk, swing arm etc painted gold.

So first my financial focus will be on getting her running smoothly again, but cosmetics will hopefully fit in along the way.

I like the front end on your GS though, great look  O0
'99 GS500ex (sookie)

Torstein

Cool thread, gave me some ideas on a few detail things I should work on cleaning up sometime. Cheers!

ShowBizWolf

Nice dash, pete!! I like it  :star:

63, thanks for checking out my thread! I'm glad you're now inspired. Flushing the rear signals to the tail plastics sounds awesome... I've never regretted moving the signals up to that area. Really cleans up that area IMO.

If flipping that taillight doesn't work for you (I am trying to remember if I tried that myself in the beginning and I think I did) because it's white/clear on the bottom of the lens (for the license plate light) and I don't think it will mount properly upside down but I could be totally wrong!! But yeah... where was I going... oh yeah if that doesn't work for you, don't forget about getting the GSF style lens like I have... picked one up off ebay for cheap and it's so much sportier than the older brick-looking one :-D

Your plans for Sookie sound awesome, and yes, running great is first and then paint and appearance! My GS has always ran great for me, I'm super blessed  :kiss3:  I can't remember, did you already start a project thread? If you haven't (I'm sure I'll go scroll through and look later today) but if you haven't, you absolutely should.

Torstein thank you!!  :cheers:
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

ShowBizWolf

Finished painting the rotor with the gold... I like how it came out so that's good. Turned each of the rotor buttons and they still move so we'll see how the front brake feels when it's all back together. Seriously thinking about putting that fancy rotor on my Christmas list....

Also decided to take out the battery box, sand and paint it. Been wanting to do that for a while now... also gathered up a bunch of rusty/fugly bolts off the bike (like under the battery and the ones that hold the grab bar on) and took them to a local truck supply place... ordered all stainless.

Still waiting for the Yoshi polishing stuff and titanium bolts for the rotor... and I have to get some pictures but I figured I'd wait until I got something done on the battery box too. Hopefully when I get outta work later I'll start working on that  :)
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

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