Well after taking MSF and getting my M class 2 weeks ago, my dad and I set off to Hagerstown, MD to look at a bike for sale on the for sale forum.  2 test drives and some paperwork later i am the newest member of the club.  Rode it the whole 130 miles home and actually averaged 60 mpg    I was quite impressed.

Here's the bike:


Im thinking about taking the striping and targa fairing off.  Has anyone else taken the decals off? Is it just a peel off and wash deal or is there more involved?  It looks like it'd take a little persuasion to get those suckers off.

Thanks to everyone for having such an active community, it helped make the decision to gs500 very easy and provided me with one to buy.  

Welcome to the club!  

Good job taking the MSF! Practice, ride safely, and enjoy!!!!  

pandy  :mrgreen:

Wilkommen!!! I'm a new GS500 owner myself actually, just bought it yesterday but its currently uninsured and unregistered so I have to wait till tomorrow to really get a feel for her.

Quote from: NarcissusWilkommen!!! I'm a new GS500 owner myself actually, just bought it yesterday but its currently uninsured and unregistered so I have to wait till tomorrow to really get a feel for her.

Mine is unregistered too.  Took the tag off of my dad's Yamaha FZ1 to get it home.  Needs to be inspected and such.

Quote from: bryanwescoe...Im thinking about taking the striping and targa fairing off.  Has anyone else taken the decals off? Is it just a peel off and wash deal or is there more involved?

Congrats on a fine looking GS and your MSF class!  If the flyscreen is a Targa brand or OEM, you can sell it quickly if at a reasonable price. Good condition OEM screens are rare because Suzuki quit making them years ago.

I don't recommend messing up a super fine example of the old school graphics. If you really can't stand them, buy some scratched up side panels off ebay or one of us and paint them the way you want. You can practice removing the decals, with a hot air gun.

Pristine, fine originals are rare and it would be a crime to paint over them IMHO. (Can you tell I am more of a restoration type?) Enjoy the ride, and the knowledge that you don't look like the rest of the crowd.  

It looks like someone painted over the rim section of the wheels. Neat look and may hide road dirt. It is a 90 or 91?

Quote from: starwalt

Quote from: bryanwescoe...Im thinking about taking the striping and targa fairing off.  Has anyone else taken the decals off? Is it just a peel off and wash deal or is there more involved?

Congrats on a fine looking GS and your MSF class!  If the flyscreen is a Targa brand or OEM, you can sell it quickly if at a reasonable price. Good condition OEM screens are rare because Suzuki quit making them years ago.

I don't recommend messing up a super fine example of the old school graphics. If you really can't stand them, buy some scratched up side panels off ebay or one of us and paint them the way you want. You can practice removing the decals, with a hot air gun.

Pristine, fine originals are rare and it would be a crime to paint over them IMHO. (Can you tell I am more of a restoration type?) Enjoy the ride, and the knowledge that you don't look like the rest of the crowd.  

It looks like someone painted over the rim section of the wheels. Neat look and may hide road dirt. It is a 90 or 91?

The fairing is a Targa brand fairing and i just got done taking it off.  Personally I like the new look much better.  The rims appear to have been painted black on the outer rim and the white spokes were retained.  The bike itself was produced in december of 1990 so it would have been sold as a 1991 model.

I am undecided about the graphics.  I like the blue paint but the hot pink is a bit over the top for me i think.  The good thing is they ARE decals so i can remove them rather easily if i do decide i dont like them.  I'll keep your comment about standing out in a crowd in mind though because the decals dont totally turn me off. They may just grow on me.  

take electrical tape in red or black and cover just the pink stripe. I agree about keeping it oema and pristine if you can.

congrats and welcome.

Looks a nice bike, I'm with the leave it alone brigade on this one but it's your bike. Welcome, have fun be safe be seen and I would be careful about putting it on the sidestand on unpaved ground it I were you, like in your picture, it might be rock hard in the evening but a drop of rain overnight and she's on her side in the morning.

Beautiful looking bike I've gotta say, I think the decals look nice on it, well except for the pink streak, red might be more desirable  

Quote from: Cal PriceLooks a nice bike, I'm with the leave it alone brigade on this one but it's your bike. Welcome, have fun be safe be seen and I would be careful about putting it on the sidestand on unpaved ground it I were you, like in your picture, it might be rock hard in the evening but a drop of rain overnight and she's on her side in the morning.

The previous owener took that picture, i havent taken my own pics yet.  It's currently sitting in my paved driveway with a crushed sodacan under the side stand.  

wow, that thing is a gem   .  good work pickin that one out.

...
don't drop it!  

Quote from: EDubwow, that thing is a gem   .  good work pickin that one out.

Thanks for the compliments everyone.  I actually had my eye on a cherry colored '96 but something about this one caught my eye.  I'm still not sure what it is.  I really want to do the dual headlight conversion and clean up the tail and i think it would look absolutely amazing then.

cleaning up the rear end is the first thing I have in mind for myself, the dual headlights do give it a really nice look though, but its alrady got looks goin for it.

I think it was the hot pink that drew you....see how fast it's growing on you?

pandy  :mrgreen:

Quote from: pandyI think it was the hot pink that drew you....see how fast it's growing on you?

pandy  :mrgreen:

I think it was the pink

Quote from: bryanwescoeI think it was the pink

Well...I REALLY think what you should do is paint the whole bike purple.....

pandy  :mrgreen:
come over to the purple darkside...muahahaha

P.S. BTW, 130-mile ride home is quite impressive. Heck, when I was just starting out, I was completely and totally wiped out after a HUGE 5-mile jaunt into the world.  

Quote from: pandy

Quote from: bryanwescoeI think it was the pink

Well...I REALLY think what you should do is paint the whole bike purple.....

pandy  :mrgreen:
come over to the purple darkside...muahahaha

P.S. BTW, 130-mile ride home is quite impressive. Heck, when I was just starting out, I was completely and totally wiped out after a HUGE 5-mile jaunt into the world.  

Well it wasnt my first ride.  I've been out with my dad on his Yamaha FZ1 and he rode his BMW K1200LT.  I rode that for about 200 miles.  That thing is just too much for me though.  Its too big and too powerful to feel comfortable on.  He bought it to take it to the track though, which I'm sure is where it really likes to be.  I am pretty tired though, the last 15 miles were pretty tough.

Quote from: bryanwescoeI am pretty tired though, the last 15 miles were pretty tough.

Ya' did GOOD!!  

Now about that purple....

pandy

OK welcome ... The bike is cool ... Now ...
I am the protector of the 91 Blues ... you paint it purple - I'll kill ya ... decals make it look 1/2 decent BTW ... the glue under them is on there for good, and the fact that under the decals its a different color ... Yea Do not even ask how I know ... the color ages ... but not the part under the decal ...  :x  ... Yea so you touch it ... Pandy or no pandy ... her being a girl or not ... no make no diff ... you ass is mine ...  :lol:  ... Yea you not that far from NC ...
On a lighter note ... I'll trade you 1 arm and 2 legs for that whole body set ...
I have one ... 89 with that body ... OK sold the 89 without that, but have a 95 that that is going on ... love it ... will kill for it ... probably starting with pandy ... Purple ... Watch this while I burn the purple ... Purple is the color pandy turns when you tell her purple is crap ...  :lol:  ever the name sounds sick ... no wonder even god paints the crappiest things purple ... eggplant ... OK exceptions to every rule ...
Cool.
Srinath.