GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

Hey thought I'd post a thread about installing my bar-end mirrors.  I know there are several but I saw some with problems of the sold-bar things that the old GS's use.  Mine are like that so here's how I dealt with it.

First off I am loving the bike so far.  It's a 95 GSe and barring the purple color, there's not a whole lot I want to change on it.  Maybe it's the memory of my old Samari and the familiar reliable sputter of the Suzuki motor.  Nostalgia combined with the love affair you have with your first bike means I won't be getting of the GS any time soon. 

I want to bring in the signals and get rid of the 40 pounds of plastic on the rear fender.  Another thing that I didn't like was the wind sails known as the stock mirrors.   I like the stripped down fairingless look and to me the mirrors draw the eye up, rather than keeping the profile lower overall.

I looked at all the options and I wasn't about to pay the money for the CRG mirrors.  I've heard that most new bike owners suffer a drop in their first year (usually doing something silly like forgetting the stand isn't down).  Imagine the embarrassment of doing that and it costing you $50 a mirror on top of it.  So, I decided to go the cheaper route.  I looked at the bicycle mirrors but I was worried about vibration and the plastic scratching.

I found some on Ebay from a seller-company named "hottiemoto".  I'm sorry that I can't confirm whether the seller is indeed a hottie, as they didn't include any pics with my order.

The mirrors were shipped in a blister pack labeled "moto-delux.com" and a search of their website turned up a cost of $55 plus shipping for the mirrors I bought.  My ebay "buy it now" price was $33 plus $8 for shipping so I'm happy.  The seller communicated via email quickly, sent UPS tracking info, and I had my mirrors in about 5 workdays.







The mirrors themselves seem of good quality, aluminum and glass mirrors.  The hardware that attaches the mirror to the bike consists of a plastic bracket and a metal adapter that expands in the hollow bars to hold it in place.  These will not fold in as the CRG mirrors do, but in SC lane splitting will end with a quick cruxifiction by local PD. 

Unfortunately I could not use the hollow bar option as my bars are from 95.  I've read several ways around this including drilling and welding and several other manly endeavors that are best left to those not riding a purple bike.  I wanted something quick to try it out and see if I even like having them.  Here's what I did:








I removed the entire assembly for expanding into the hollow bars, and left all the other parts (see pics).  I removed the bar-end screws and took the bolts to Lowe's.






I found metric bolts that matched the diameter of the OEM screws but were longer.  This would allow for the mirrors to sit on the outside of the bar end while still using the weights.  Note:  I bought Hex Cap screws because they had no Allen bolts or regular Philips head screws that were metric and long enough.  If things work out I will probably replace them with some black Allen head bolts for a cleaner look.  I also bought a washer to fill in the recessed end of the mirror bracket.  After looking at it, I think now I could have left out the washer and still had enough of the profile of the hex bolt to tighten it.





I made it pretty snug and it seems secure.  Since the bracket is plastic I was worried about cracking it if I really tightened down on it.





Anyway put it all back together and adjust the mirrors.





I tried to take similar pics sitting on the bike to give you an idea of the rearview looks.  I know they are not the best because of the angle of the camera but you get the idea.  I'm paranoid and check my blind spots 100 times before I change lanes.  I mainly use the mirrors to keep tabs on the traffic behind me as I ride.  You individual riding style may make bar end mirrors a poor choice.  I do like the fact that 50% of my rearview no longer includes my shoulder.






And finally a shot of the mirrors on the bike.  Not the best pic but it looks like rain so I'll get around to some better shots later on.






Materials used, costs, time:

Moto-delux bar end mirrors, black: $33 shipping $8

Hex Cap screws size M6-1.00 X 75:   $3.24
Washers:    $.68

Time to install:  10 minutes, allowing for 3 mins to flirt with hot German neighbor

Tools needed:  Phillips Head screwdriver to remove stock screws, whatever type of bolt you buy you will need that tool to screw in, and an Allen Head set to loosen/tighten the adjustment bracket to position the mirror



I will report back in a week on the vibration on the highway and how they hold up overall. 

That looks great and I plan on doing the same, but I have new Bikemaster superbike bars and aftermarket bar ends coming so my install will be somewhat different.   But it does look smokin'.   But, could you at some point sneak a pic of your German neighbor on here?  I mean, c'mon.

Those are the same mirrors I have. I was worried about them being so inexpensive, I thought they would vibrate like crazy, but they don't at all. I love 'em. Nice write up.

+1 just looking at your bike again, it looks extremely clean.   How many miles on that jewel?  Makes mine look like some kinda next morning bar whore, but hey, I don't look that great myself.

Hey medevac! Nice write-up! Thanks for the info, and I appreciate the sense of humor as well.  :kiss3:

I'm still here waiting to get you a rack for that lovely purple ride. Thanks for being patient!  :thumb:

P.s. Does your girlfriend know about you flirting with the hot German neighbor?  :laugh: :laugh:

Quote from: commuterdude on July 25, 2008, 04:00:19 PM
+1 just looking at your bike again, it looks extremely clean.   How many miles on that jewel?  Makes mine look like some kinda next morning bar whore, but hey, I don't look that great myself.

You never really know the true history of the bike, but this is what I was told from the woman selling it:

A friend of hers bought the bike to learn how to ride.  She had a brush with a mailbox and ended up in a field losing control but not dumping it.  There are small scratches on the left front fender, and on the lower left side that most people don't notice and I don't really care about.  Anyway she was put off of riding due to the close call and barely rode it for a year or so, and finally sold it to her friend (the lady that sold it to me).  She kept it for a while but hardly rode it as she had two other bikes and her husband two himself.  So it mainly sat and was driven once in a blue moon.

So she finally decided to sell it on Craigslist and I picked it up for about $1,100 with right at 5,000 miles on it.  I sent it to a mechanic that a guy I work with trusts (he's been riding for years) and made sure it was mechanically sound and did some routine maintenance on it.  I also had him put new tires on it...the tires looked okay but she wasn't sure how old they were so I did it just for peace of mind and safety.

Long story short I was on the road for right at 1,500 plus gear and have been having a blast ever since.

Compare that to my 20-something year old friend that bought a brand new off the lot Gixxer as his first bike, dropped it going 10 miles an hour and now it sits in the garage awaiting the repairs. 

;)

PURPLE 500 AND OLD AGE CAUTION FTW

Quote from: pronator on July 25, 2008, 04:34:04 PM
Hey medevac! Nice write-up! Thanks for the info, and I appreciate the sense of humor as well.  :kiss3:

I'm still here waiting to get you a rack for that lovely purple ride. Thanks for being patient!  :thumb:

P.s. Does your girlfriend know about you flirting with the hot German neighbor?  :laugh: :laugh:

No worries, I showed the "fitment" pics you sent to my friend at work and we both agreed it looked better and more sturdy than the Givi one I saw online.  My tankbag just came in today so that will help with riding...now my cooler is on the back and the bag in the front, I can sit back in a more natural position.

lol I found a digital camera on the ground a month ago and searched the pics and recognized her.  So I knocked on her door and gave it back and now I'm some American hero to her.  I'm just doing my part to improve our poor international relations.

Nice write up! They look sharp. I may have to get a pair of those for mine.

Yeah, I'm really excited about it too!  :cheers:

I was soooo bummed when it all fit except for that angle on the grab bar mount.  :cry:  The welder's been having a hell of a month - totally busy the entire week and weekends! He said that he'll be working on it tomorrow but I've heard too many "tomorrow"s to hold my breath. The man has to make a living and I respect that. I just don't want to get my - or anyone else's - hopes up before I have the rack in hand, ready to send.  :thumb:

The great thing is knowing that it's worth waiting for.  O0

Thanks for contributing this photo-writeup!  :thumb:

I nominate for the Wiki.   :thumb:  Good writeup.  I will b doing this mod shortly.  I think my bar ends are smaller and that the mirrors might just slip right over them!!   8)

Quote from: laserred97gt on July 26, 2008, 11:04:36 AM
I nominate for the Wiki.   :thumb:  Good writeup.  I will b doing this mod shortly.  I think my bar ends are smaller and that the mirrors might just slip right over them!!   8)

Yes they should...they don't give measurements but the Ebay ad states that "they can be mounted to 7/8 bars using the internal clamping system and can also be mounted directly to most bar ends"....so the should be a direct mount if you remove the little internal plastic grommet I identified in the pic.

However if you look at the bracket you will see the two allen-head screws on it, one holds he far side of the grommet and the other holds the ball-socket that adjusts the mirror itself.  If you open the bracket too wide to accommodate a large diameter bar, the ball socket for the mirror will not hold the mirror tight.  Also IMO I think the larger the bar the more the danger of cracking the bracket.

But if you have a narrow enough bar it should direct clamp like you're saying.

I measured the OD of my bar ends and they are 7/8" OD.

Should be good to go!

Thanks!

I've been wanting to get rid of those rudders.   :icon_razz:

Give us a status report! How are the mirrors on the road?  :icon_mrgreen:

Sorry I was at the beach working on getting fat and tan.  That and getting stung by jellyfish.  Oh and watching knights joust for my amusement at MEDIEVAL TIMES. 

Anyway, on the road:

Okay I am not lying here.  Take it for what it's worth because I've not been riding for years and years but they vibrate LESS than my stock mirrors did.  Maybe the stock ones were loose although they didn't feel like it...so who knows.

But the mirrors don't move at all...not in the wind at around 60-70 mph on the highway.  I don't know if the construction will show it's age sooner or later and start to give me the view of watching a home movie shot by Michael J. Fox.  But for now, it's fine.

My only 2 issues:


1.  You can't quite make out the cars behind you...meaning you can tell if it's a semi or SUV or sedan, but maybe not the make.  I could care less because whether it's large or small it's still bigger than me so I just want to know it's there.  But you will not be able to tell if it's a cop until he's really close.


2.  When covering the bike, the mirrors will get pulled in a bit.  So you have to reset them every time.  Can get to be a pain if you forget and don't recheck them.


Other than that these things are pretty sweet and I think change the whole look of the front end.   That reminds me that I forgot to leave ebay feedback, which makes me twice the dork because I took all the time to write this up and didn't bother easily to click on the positive feedback on a product I've been raving about.

Oh well I'm off to pee on my jellyfish wounds...I heard that helps only immediately being stung, but now I just can't stop myself.  I think I've created my own new fetish:  water jelly wound sport.   Need to google that.....

Oh well I'm off to pee on my jellyfish wounds...I heard that helps only immediately being stung, but now I just can't stop myself

Thats actually a myth, but if thats how you get your kicks when youre not on a bike...pee on my friend. :thumb:

As for the mirros, they look great. Would I need to buy new bar ends for them to work? :dunno_white:

Vinegar for Jellyfish stings :cookoo:.  Nice Mirrors by the way.

Quote from: SecondsFromTheFall on August 11, 2008, 09:36:55 PM
Oh well I'm off to pee on my jellyfish wounds...I heard that helps only immediately being stung, but now I just can't stop myself

Thats actually a myth, but if thats how you get your kicks when youre not on a bike...pee on my friend. :thumb:

As for the mirros, they look great. Would I need to buy new bar ends for them to work? :dunno_white:

Actually there was no jellyfish...I just peed myself and needed a cover story  :cry:

About your bar ends...not sure what year you have.  If it's older with solid bar ends you can do what I did.  If it's newer then you can use the end-bar adapter thing that I got rid of into the hollow ends.

I have the same mirrors. I really like them, they definitely clean up the front end a lot. However, they do make things seem way further away. Once you get used to that they are great, nice wide view, no vibration, good looks. I recommend them.

As a side note, I tried mounting them upside down but they are pretty unuseable like that, in case anyone was wondering.

Quote from: pjm204 on August 12, 2008, 06:29:29 AM
...However, they do make things seem way further away. Once you get used to that they are great, nice wide view, no vibration, good looks. I recommend them.

Okay, I thought maybe I was just crazy when looking at the comparison photos in the OP because those two cars definitely look MUCH farther back in the new mirrors. Whew. Not crazy after all.