This might be a intresting question, I have a 2004 Gs500F and I was wondering how hard would it be to make it into the Gs500 without the fairing? Keep in mind I can't weld.
No welding needed. All the fairing mounts are bolted onto the frame, so they are easy to remove. The only difficulty you'll have is finding a headlight.
I'm doing the same thing, and almost have all the parts I need. It's a really easy thing to do, though.
I was going use parts from a 2002 suzuki Gs500k2 from BikeBandit.com, they have alot of OEM part and iv'e use them befor.
Where are you getting your parts from? I have aother question, How the headlight attach to the bike? What the part that attach the headlight to the bike call?
:? why?
to each his own i guess, i couldnt stand mine without the fairing... :dunno:
I'm getting my headlight parts from EVERYONE! I'm using some parts off my old '92 GS, and scrounging around to get the rest. The headlight itself is mounted inside a metal bucket, which attatches to some "rabbit-ear" brackets, which connect in turn to two brackets that slide onto the fork tubes. They are shaped like two circles perpindicular to the fork tubes connected by a piece of metal parallel to the fork tube.
So wait what am I going have to do to convert my 2004 Gs500F into a 2004 Gs500? It kind of sound like Im going to have to take the front fork tubes off? to put those brackets that slide onto the fork tubes. I already found the The headlight housing which is everything butthe brackets that slide onto the frok tubes.
Remember that, as I recall, the new bike (with oil cooler) uses an electronic tach so won't be compatiable with the older cable driven one that plugged into a worm gear in the head.
Will the F's instrument cluster fit into the older bracket and bucket?
With the above caution, the rest of the mod is straight forward.
Put bike on centerstand.
Remove bodywork and bracketry.
Hoist the front end up or weight the rear seat so front wheel is off the ground.
Remove front wheel.
Loosen the pinch bolts on the fork clamps.
Let forks slip down so that you can get the headlight brackets over the fork tubes.
Push the forks back up into the top clamp, flush with the top clamp cover.
Retighten just the bottom clamp pinch bolts.
Reinstall front wheel.
Bounce bike a bit and then tighten top pinch bolts.
Loosen and then retighten lower pinch bolts.
Install instrument bracket under top clamp cover (might have to remove it and the handlebars, can't remember).
Install instruments into holder and hook up lights.
Install head light bucket and turn signals, feeding the extra wiring harness into it.
Hook up and instal headlight.
And there you go. :cheers:
One of the main reasons I bought mine was having the fairing and sporty looks.
If I would have bought an older one then I would have bought a chin spoiler and an aftermarket fairing and did away with the round stlye headlight. Thats just me though.....
To each there own.
Well I like my Gs500F when I look at it from the sides and from the rear but I Hate the front head light, I think it look too long and big for the front end.
I really need to look at a older Gs500 because I don't get how it attach from the headlight to the bike.
Hows it attach onto the fork tubes? Do I have to take apart the front supention?
You've got to take the top clamp off the forks, but you don't have to take the forks out of the triple clamps. All that needs to be done is to remove the handlebars, take off the top clamp that holds them, slide the fork mounting tubes over the forks, and replace everything you removed.
QuoteWell I like my Gs500F when I look at it from the sides and from the rear but I Hate the front head light
How often are you looking at it from the front? I think perhaps you're not riding it correctly... :P
I am with Blazin and jakkyl. The Faring rocks, thats just sacreligious. :guns: I get so many comments with it, many thinking it is a gixxer.
As I walk about 10 feet away from it when I am dismounting to go to work, I sometimes look back and I say to her, "Work it girl, you know your sexy"
Personally, I don't like the fairing. It's wide, heavy, and I don't LIKE looking like a Gixxer. Then if someone asks me, I have to explain that it's not. If it isn't on there people will just leave me alone :lol:. Taking it off should shave at least 15 lbs or more, as well as get better airflow to my body. It's HOT here in Texas, and I need the air.
Quote from: Budrick320
As I walk about 10 feet away from it when I am dismounting to go to work, I sometimes look back and I say to her, "Work it girl, you know your sexy"
:lol: :lol: :lol: I htink we all do no matter if our bikes are shinny and new looking or beaters.
Quote from: JamesGPut bike on centerstand.
Remove bodywork and bracketry....
...Hook up and install headlight.
Send fairing to RGal.
:thumb:
Your clowning Budrick320, lol.
I don't know AlphaFire X5, I like to think Im handy but really Im not. trust me. How do you take the triple clamps off? I see there two sliver bolts and Im guessing you take them out but what do you do after that?
I don't know really, I just feel that the front light is to long and need to be broken up alilttle. Iv'e been thinking about painting two little triangules on each side in the middle of the headlight, to give it the new gixxer front headlight look. I was also thinkg about paintting the top of the headlight where the headlight has the line in it to give it a more round look on top. I don't know Im a pretty big fan of the naked look or the Gs500E look.
Yeah, I'm a naked bike type of guy myself, too.
To remove the triple clamps, you need to take the handlebars off and unscrew the bolts that are underneath those. After that, I'm fairly certain you just pull off. I'll get my Clymer manual tomorrow and post again.
Alright, that dose sound easy. Yes, please keep me posted.
I like to be naked too..........my GS that is :)
If I remember well, you might not even need to remove handlebars, the top clamp has allen bolts on the sides, so removing the handlebar is optional to make more room.
Regardless the GS looks better with or without a fairing, it performs better with one above 80 MPH...
Better is subjective, really. Here in Texas it's still hitting above 100 degrees, and if you don't have wind, you're roasting. Hell, even WITH wind you're roasting, just not as much. If I was somewhere colder, I'd probably keep it... then again... it looks so much better without it.
Quote from: AlphaFire X5then again... it looks so much better without it.
I agree... :thumb:
PLUS! Then you can sell it and make back a little money for something you didn't want in the first place.
I don't know why they put a fairing on it... Or at least offer it without, like the SV.
Well, I'm keeping all the stock parts with mine so when I do sell it, the person who buys it has the option of having (slightly) rashed fairings or naked. Naked in the summer, bundled up in the winter.
Hey wait TR
explane to me in more detail about how you can remove the bars with just those two allen bolts on the sides? What about the slive bolt in the middle of the triple clamps??