Hello everyone!
Now that I've done the rear (R6 rear shock), it's time to upgrade the front.
So I've bought this:
(http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7557/fourchek.th.jpg) (http://img155.imageshack.us/i/fourchek.jpg/)
It was mounted on a GS500 so the bearing issues ect are cleared already.
It's ok too for the key thing, and the system that locks the steering when you remove the key. I don't know how it's called in english...french is "Neiman".
The problem I have is for the speedometer / rev counter / little DELs like for the oil, lights...
What universal speedo can I install? I know the big Koso one, very complete, but I'd like to have a more vintage look. Ah, and the speedo has to be "electric" I mean I don't have the thing on the stock wheel that "make the speedo working". So it has to be a system with magnets like the Koso. If you have some suggestions, tips, or if you know where I can find that, please help!
Also, there is a tire issue. At the front it's know a 120 Michelin Pilot Road II so RADIAL, but at the rear it's a 130 BT45 so NOT RADIAL (bias). Is that a problem? Should I change tire to Front Pilot road - Rear BT003 or even Front-Rear BT-003? Dimensions would be 120 front, 140 rear then. I don't know what to do. Use will be 90% twisty roads, 10% track, no commuting, very few rain.
Last thing, about the headlight, I think I'm going to keep the stock one but with adaptive brackets.
Thanks for your help. Ah, and, please, excuse my english I'm from France, it's quite difficult to speak english!
:)
Check out my build. I don't remember pages numbers of where I did what, but you will find what I did.
Oh, forgot to add, click on the link in my sig it is the build thread.
If it's mainly a track/twisty bike, why even bother with a headlight? I know it's kind of 'illegal' to not have one, but it doesn't stop a lot of people.
Quote from: FrenchGS on February 07, 2011, 04:35:51 AM
Also, there is a tire issue. At the front it's know a 120 Michelin Pilot Road II so RADIAL, but at the rear it's a 130 BT45 so NOT RADIAL (bias). Is that a problem? Should I change tire to Front Pilot road - Rear BT003 or even Front-Rear BT-003? Dimensions would be 120 front, 140 rear then. I don't know what to do. Use will be 90% twisty roads, 10% track, no commuting, very few rain.
A radial front with a bias rear is a bad mix and actually illegal some places. Can cause serious oversteer when pushed to the limit. A bias front with a radial rear can be OK. The BT003 racing street tires are just that, racing tires that are street legal Good grip but need to be warmed up to get really sticky and won't wear very long for general street use. Lots of good sport/supersport tires between your PR2 front and a possible change to the 003 tires.
You probably have a 3.5" front rim with the GSXR front end which is wider than the stock 3.0" GS500 wheel and it's the right size for a 120 performance front tire but if you still have a stock 3.5" GS500 rear wheel it's a bit narrow for the sport/supersport tires which really need a 4.0 or 4.5" wheel. I've run 150/70 sport touring rear bias or radial tires on the 3.5 wheel but wouldn't personally go to a 150/60 sport/supersport tire on the stock 3.5 GS wheel.
Given a choice I always take the twisty road to wherever I'm going and use to go to the mountains to play in the twisties and I've found a good sport touring radial has always met my needs on the GS00.
O.C.D Nice looking bike!! I'll check your post tonight!
Redhenracing2 The use is 90% road, 10% track! So I need the light! But I always choose the little mountain roads, motorways are so boring!
Gsjack Ok, mixing radials and bias is illegal in france. But I'd like to keep the stock rear wheel for the moment...do you know an other radial tire witch is avaible in 140/70?
Check out Acewell speedometers as well. They are similar to Koso units. And remember, you can mount the magnets on the rear wheel as well. That will help keep the front end looking clean
Not much available here in 140/70 radials, this is the land of big bikes. :icon_lol: Only ones I can think of are the BT003 and the BT090 that came before them. There is a 140/60 Shinko Podium available here that is a sport tire that a few are using over at the EX-500 forum, don't recall if anyone here is using them.
If I wanted to use that PR2 front and the stock 3.5" GS rear wheel I would just put a 150/70 Pilot Road 2 on the rear. The newer PR2 are dual compound tires and sportier than the original single compound Pilot Roads were.
(http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/img/pilotchartlger.jpg)
GSJack: In my experience, so long as the pavement is warm, the BT003RS stick pretty damn well on the first lap around the track. On a warm day, I can get my knee down a few turns in.
Very cold and rainy weather though... Expect to slide. A lot.
But, a 150 tire on the stock rim...it modifies the shape of the tire? :icon_confused:
For the wet weather...my bike is in the south of france, very few rain...
Hard choice!!
It gets kind of complicated but it seems the rim widths that a tire is approved to fit depends upon what country you live in. Checking the 140/70-17 BT-003 on the B'stone JP site it's recommended rim size is 4.0" and 3.5-4.5" rims are approved fitments.
http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/battlax/bt003rs.html
Here on the B'stone US site that same 140/70-17 BT-003 tire is approved for fitment on a 4.0" rim size only. Could be we just have more lawyers than Japan has. :icon_lol:
http://www.motorcycle-karttires.com/glamourindex.aspx?productID=199&LookupID=9
Here in the US the 150/70-17 sport touring radials are approved for fitment on 3.5-4.5" rims by some of the tire makers and for fitment on 4.0-4.5" rims only by other makers. I wouldn't hesitate myself to use any of them on my 3.5" GS rear rim. None of the 150/60-17 sport/supersport radials are approved for fitment on 3.5" rims in this country and I would not use them. Here are the tires I've used on my GSs so far, all have been fitments approved by the tires maker:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500tirelogs.jpg
I've been running the bias Avon Roadriders the last couple years and am thinking of putting on a radial rear again this spring and am considering a Storm, BT-023, or the PR2 in the 150/70 size or another Azaro in the 140/80 size which has a 3.5" preferred rim width and is the only sport touring radial available in that size as far as I know.
Ok...so the 150/70 PR2 should be a good choice then? Will I have to make space for the chain and the rear brake thing with this tire?
I think I have a 150/70 on my bike and It doesn't rub anything.. Ill check the size for sure when I get home.
No problem on the chain side, the 150/70 tire will clear both the chain and guard. On the brake side the 150/70 comes close to or just touches the brake torque link depending on which tire is used, the different tires vary a little bit in size.
The 150/70 Lasertec I used first just cleared and never touched the link and then the next tire a RoadAttack which was the same size on the spec sheets touched the link lightly and I ran it 1000 miles before I pulled it and bent it a bit so it would clear any of the 150/70 tires. Quick and easy to do, I just laid it across a 2x4 wood piece and hit it right on the mark where the tire rubbed it with a heavy hammer. The link only was dented in a little bit but also bent the right way at the same time to give clearance.
Ok, finally I think I'm going to swap the rear wheell and put a 160 tire :)
Some news. I've found a bandit wheel already modified for the GS500 :icon_mrgreen:
Hello! I come back again with some questions!!
So, I bought the bandit wheel, I'm waiting for it now.
I have to put a tire on it, il will easily fit 150 and 160 tires. I also decide to change the front, a 120 michelin Pr2.
I want something more sporty. On fact, I need the most grip, but I want the tire to be ok on wet road. No need of going fast when it rains, I just want the tires not to be dangerous :icon_mrgreen:
I don't really care about mileage, if it lasts 2000/3000km it's ok.
So, what tire should I buy?
-Michelin Pilot Power (A friend of mine who rides a 98' Fazer 600 and a 675 Daytona said they're good but too long to heat up)
-Metzeler M3 (The same friend loves theses, when I got a ride with his daytona, it had fantastic grip)
-Metzeler M5 They are the replacement for the M3.
Pirellis, bridgestones? I don't know, never tested, and there are so many different tires... :cookoo:
Please, help your french friend :icon_mrgreen:
Do you want to drag knee, or do you want to drag elbow?
burning1, I don't understand what you mean...
Drag the elbow? You mean falling off the bike?
Quote from: FrenchGS on February 24, 2011, 01:11:50 AM
burning1, I don't understand what you mean...
Drag the elbow? You mean falling off the bike?
drag elbow...
(http://www.amra.ca/Pictures/Beets%20elbow2.jpg)
Wow! Haha I can't do that...or if I do it, i'll drag knee, elbow, then helmet, back, bike and end in a wall^^ Better not to try then... :icon_mrgreen:
On the french forum, they advised me to take Pilot Powers or BT-014.
The reason I ask is that modern sport touring tires are more than capable of getting a knee down. If that's the kind of riding you want to do, they might be a good pick because they heat up quickly, last a while, and tend to work well in wet weather. (Pirelli Angels below)
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii63/ctbarbour/Z2%20K1300GT/NM1U9794.jpg)
If you want to lean a lot further than that, a good sport tire is a better bet (BT003RS below)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4743358710_f2cf886905_z.jpg)
(Both tires are run at pressures suitable for the track, not the street.)
Ok thanks for the advice, it's difficult to choose because there is so much tires :cookoo:
Here is one of my favourite roads: La route des thermes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv8BV4XyuSQ). 90% of use is this type of road, south of France, lots of bends, sunny weather. I'd like the tire also to be ok on the rain, not for fast driving but only to be not dangerous. And it will be used sometimes on the track, maybe 4-5 times a year, maybe more.
So what type do you recommend then? Sport touring, sport, racing?
Well, the difficulty here is that you're riding your bike in all conditions. If I were you, I'd probably start by looking for a cheap set of spare wheels... You could swap rubber when you go to the track.
On the track I'd run a BT003 120/70/17 front, with a BT003RS 140/70/17 rear
On the street, I'd probably go for an Avon Storm 2 Ultra front with a Azaro 140/80/17 rear
The BT003RS is a great track tire, but it has very little rain grooving. I can attest from my last track day that your rear end is going to slide all over the place in the wet.
The Storm 2 Ultra is a great tire for street use. I used to ride very aggressively on it, and would highly recommend them to anyone that doesn't spend a lot of time with their knee down on the street. While it should be good enough for track use, In all conscience I really can't recommend trying
I make these recommendations because it will permit you to run the correct size rear tire on your bike. Unfortunately, there are very few radial tires that will fit our 3.5 inch wide rear.
Installing a 3.5 inch rim at the front and a 4.5 inch rim at the rear really opens up a lot of tire options.
Dude doesn't appear to be wearing gloves in that video. :icon_eek:
Last time I crashed, gloves were the difference between dusting myself off; and loosing a knuckle and a good part of my palm.
Well, since I bought the Gsxr front end and the bandit rear wheel...I have a 3.5" front and 4.5" rear. So there is plenty of choice for the tires! And that's the problem :)
I didn't noticed the missing gloves on the video!! That guy probably never had fallen off badly...when he will, he will understand why gloves are important!
Whoops! I didn't realize you had a 4.5 rear. Yeah, that does make it more interesting. :)
The short version, is that you can't really go wrong with modern tires. I generally try to buy a different brand each time I swap, and while I've had my preferences, there have been very few tires that really disappointed me.
BT16s are a fine place to start. They should be okay in the wet, and will work well on the track. If you didn't plan to ride in the rain, I'd recommend the BT003RS instead. However, my experience is that they tend to slide a lot when the ground gets wet.
BTW: The Dunlop Q2s seem to be the hot ticket in sport tires right now. I've heard some very good feedback on their performance at the track, and the price seems to be quite low. Here in the US, they are going for ~$200, where a set of tires normally costs $300 or so.
I would be a little concerned about their wet-weather performance, however. You should be okay for a mellow rain ride, but I suspect that there are better choices out there. Perhaps you can find a good review?
I've read some reviews, it seems that the sport tires of the big brands are quite equal in performance, only the feeling is different. Too long to translate the whole review, but they tried the tires on Street Triples, Z1000s, GSXRs and R1s. They compared Q2s, BT-016, Diablo Rosso, on the track an road.
On the french forum, they advised me to take Pilot Power or BT014 because they're not too wide for a 160 tire. It appears that some 160 tires are actually near 170mm wide and there are problems with chain clearance.
I think i'm going to try one of those, but before I'll send a mail to Dunlop and Metzeler too see if they can tell me the real width of the Q2 and the M5. My friend who rides the 675 daytona really loves metzelers, I'd like to try them if they're not too wide, a Sportec M3 or M5.
When I got some more news I'll post here.
Ok due to the chain clearance problem I'll use a 150/60 tire. It will be a Michelin Pilot Power or Metzeler M5, Bridgestone BT-016.
Dunlop Q2 are not aivable in that size and in 160 size they could be too wide.
So thanks again for your help. :cheers:
Last question, front tire is now a 120/70. With a 150/60 rear, what size/ratio should I take at the front?
120/60, 120/70, 110/70 ?
I have sent an email to Metzeler too see what they think about it.
Edit: I sended emails to Brigestone and Michelin too.
Ok, I ordered a 160/60 Pilot Power Rear and soon a 120/70 front.
Some news of the project, I've got the wheels, tires, speedo, ect.
I'll work on the bike at the end of the month. Now the wheels are being painted.
I'll post pictures :)
Quote from: FrenchGS on February 27, 2011, 05:01:52 AM
Ok, I ordered a 160/60 Pilot Power Rear and soon a 120/70 front.
120/70/17 was the right call.
haha best part is his knee isn't even touching the ground
Quote from: burning1 on March 29, 2011, 11:51:04 AM
Quote from: FrenchGS on February 27, 2011, 05:01:52 AM
Ok, I ordered a 160/60 Pilot Power Rear and soon a 120/70 front.
120/70/17 was the right call.
Can you explain what is the difference between a 120/70 and a 120/60? I mean the feeling of the bike.
For tires in general from Avon's "tires 101" tutorial:
Low aspect ratio - better grip
At max adhesion slides with less warning
High aspect ratio - lower grip
Tire slips on more gradual basis
I'll leave the details up to the racers like burning 1, the 80 and 90 profile tires work good enough for this old man now. :icon_lol:
120/70/17 has a slightly taller profile, meaning that it will put a little more rubber on the road at extreme lean angles, and you won't reach the side of the tire so quickly. It provides better protection against rim damage in the event that you hit a deep pothole.
The 120/60/17 is a noticeably shorter profile than the 120/70/17. It's going to provide slightly more feel for the road, and a little less flex. The cost is that it doesn't absorb big hits as well as a 120/70/17, so you're more likely to dent your rim if you hit a big pothole. The shorter profile will tend to put a little more rubber on the road at shallow lean angles (typical street riding) but it won't feel quite as nimble side to side (generally, the taller the profile and the more V shaped the tire, the easier it is to lean.)
The 120/70/17 will be similar in profile and feel to the stock GS500 tire.
If you install the 120/60/17, it will slightly lower your front end. So while the profile of the tire is flatter, the slight nose down profile this tire induces will somewhat offset the heavier steering of the 120/60/17. The end result is a fairly neutral feel from the front end. You can lower the forks in your triple clamp (raise up the front end) to compensate for the smaller profile front tire, but our GS500 is so conservative in it's geometry that the change probably isn't necessary.
Generally, I'd advise everyone to run 120/70/17 by default, unless they know what they are doing.
BTW: I have run 120/70/17s and 120/60/17s on the same bike, back to back. I'd strongly advise against it on a big touring bike. On a lighter sport bike, it can work out fine.
If I recall correctly, Keith Code runs the 60 profile fronts on the Superbike School bikes. I believe I heard that it's a little more predictable when it slides.
Thanks for your reply :)
I'll start with a 120/70, and when it will be used I'll try the other so we will be able to compare the tires.
Here are the wheels painted White EWP (Peugeot)!
(http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/271/08042011672.th.jpg) (http://img651.imageshack.us/i/08042011672.jpg/)
Tomorrow I'll go to the garage to install front disks and tires.
Hey huys! It's done!
(http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/6220/23042011691.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/852/23042011691.jpg/)
(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8618/25042011701.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/25042011701.jpg/)
(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8924/28042011710.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/28042011710.jpg/)
I've got more photos, and some videos on the french forum, I can put them here if you want.
Thank you all for the help making this bike!!!
Anything more from work process?
Btw nice gs :thumb:
keep the chin spoiler on!
Hey guys, sorry I'm a bit late (lots of work...)
So, here are the other photos and videos:
:star: Stock front end disassembly, lots of rust, broken little parts (thanks, previous owners... :icon_rolleyes: )
(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2609/23042011683.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/5/23042011683.jpg/) (http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/9149/23042011684.th.jpg) (http://img42.imageshack.us/i/23042011684.jpg/) (http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/7945/23042011685.th.jpg) (http://img845.imageshack.us/i/23042011685.jpg/) (http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/526/23042011686.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/23042011686.jpg/)
New cut for the neiman lock here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwVPjuxywRo&NR=1). (youtube)
:star: Now, time to put the new fork...not very difficult with a friend!
(http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7006/23042011687.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/153/23042011687.jpg/) (http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1649/23042011688.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/197/23042011688.jpg/) (http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9485/23042011689.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/23042011689.jpg/) (http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/1691/25042011699.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/714/25042011699.jpg/) (http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/7272/25042011700.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/710/25042011700.jpg/)
:star: Here it is! I'm happy :D
(http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3595/23042011690k.th.jpg) (http://img221.imageshack.us/i/23042011690k.jpg/) (http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6220/23042011691.th.jpg) (http://img535.imageshack.us/i/23042011691.jpg/)
Time to have a little go with it, to see if all work fine : here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPNGM4HnSZY) (youtube)
I love the driving position now! But it hurts quite a bit when riding for a long time in town.
As we're going to change the rear wheel...let's finish the rear tire! Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jUGEGGknvM). (youtube)
:star: Now, time to install the speedo...gone mad with this thing, can't make it work fine...
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1979/24042011694.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/16/24042011694.jpg/) (http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/8172/25042011698.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21/25042011698.jpg/)
I love it pink because I'm a rebel tattooed biker. :laugh:
:star: Now the rear wheel...it was difficult because we haven't got lots of machining tools, we had to modify the parts by hand.
(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8618/25042011701.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/25042011701.jpg/) (http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1138/25042011703.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/25042011703.jpg/) (http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/7311/25042011704.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/25042011704.jpg/) (http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6862/27042011706.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/27042011706.jpg/)
:star: :rstar: :star:
Look! It's beautiful! It shines!! :D
(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8924/28042011710.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/28042011710.jpg/)
On the road:
(http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/4417/29042011711.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/862/29042011711.jpg/)
Unfortunately, I'm moving far, far away from Marseille (where my bike is) in august...so maybe I'll have to sell it... :sad:
Maybe the next will be a 600XT, or if I get enough money...Monster 900!