Hi all,
OK, I was lucky enough to finally find an OEM chin fairing from someone here on the board, but he had no OEM mounting brackets, not a one.
Does anyone have a set they can use to take photos of so I can see what I need? Clear photos of the parts and how they mount would be great!
Anyone come up with a clever replacement for these?
I asked a while ago, but didn't get much of a response.
Trying again.
Thanks!
Yours,
Trwhouse

Well, it isn't very clear, but here's a picture I took not too long after getting my GS500. I haven't ever really used the fairing so I can't remember exactly how it works, but I think it uses the long nuts sticking out each side of the headlight and the black bracket around the forks. Hope it helps.

Hi George,
Well thanks for at least trying... but I said the chin fairing...
That's the OEM add-on fairing that goes under the engine and that was offered as an option from 1995 to 1998 or so.
Not a fork-mounted fairing.
But thanks for the speed reply.
Best wishes,
Trwhouse

Doh! Sorry about that. Wasn't paying close enough attention. I forgot that they even offered that one.

Hey man, I found some information at MRCycles.com which might help you find or even fabricate some suitable brackets:


http://www.mrcycles.com


Use this drawing for reference:


http://images.powersportsnetwork.com/fiche/images/SUZUKI/1989/Motorcycles/2103_41A.gif


The prices, according to MRCycles, though if you look around online, you might find some lower ones:


#14     .BRACKET, OUTER


94580-01D50   QTY 4    $29.50 EA



#15     .BRACKET, INNER


94582-01D50   QTY 4    $17.26 EA



#16-1     .SCREW


02142-06457   QTY 4    $1.48 EA



#16-2     .SCREW


02112-36457   QTY 4    $2.02 EA



#17     .LOCK WASHER


08321-01067   QTY 4    $1.24 EA



#18-1     WASHER (6.5X18X1.6)


09160-06084  (replaces 09160-06006)   QTY 4   $1.16 EA



#18-2     WASHER (6.5X18X1.6)


09160-06084   QTY 4    $1.16 EA




As you can see from the drawing, the half-bracket parts (outer bracket half is #14, and inner bracket half is #15) are meant to fit around the lower frame tubing (which is why they form a SQUARE opening when bolted together), then joined with screw #16 and the two washers, #17 and #18. Bracket #15 is slotted, while bracket #14 has a tab to go through the slot in #15 to attach them at the top. and the screw and washers hold everything together at the bottom. Obviously, that means that bracket #15 has to have a captive nut on the side not shown in the drawing.

The outer half-bracket (#14) has a hollow, shouldered fitting (looks like it functions mostly as a stand-off to help the fairing maintain the proper shape and position) which the screw (#16) passes through before it threads into the captive nut on the inner half-bracket (#15).

Judging from the prices listed, it would cost you more than TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS! to buy all four brackets and the other parts from Suzuki, which seems to be profiteering in the EXTREME! Hopefully, you can find these parts from a boneyard for less, though they'd probably still want a LOT of money for them, regardless of the condition... unless you got REALLY lucky. Still, with the two most important part numbers (#14 and #15), you just might find what you're looking for at a reasonable price.

Logically, I think your best option is to fab something yourself, working with good old beer can aluminum (in the spirit of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"), or even cardboard, until you get the right shapes worked out. You could also buy ONE set of the original half-brackets from Suzuki, if you know someone good at backyard-engineering who could fab the rest of them for you. Of course, if you DID develop your own facsimile of those brackets at home, you could get a real machinist to duplicate them in metal, or ask a GSTwinner known to dabble in the black arts (Buddha, dgyver, or starwalt, for example) if they could help you. Other members even further from your zip code come to mind, but those three guys are closest to your ZIP... Still, if you can't get help close to home, cast a wider net... HINT: look to the new dad in Texas (Mak), or even the roadracer in California (Bob B), if the other guys can't help you. There are still other members who do similar work, but you'll have to chase them down on your own if you strike out with the guys I've already mentioned. Lastly, Jim Knopf (or one of his circle of mod-mad friends) is probably crazy enough to fab those brackets for you out of some exotic titanium-based alloy, if price is no object, and you can't find any help within this hemisphere.

OK, so I've beaten this subject to death, but I'm trying to make the point that you DO have some options WITHOUT paying Suzuki a king's ransom for those damn brackets. Make some cardboard prototypes in the approximate size you need, then get some THIN aluminum bar stock and start drilling and bending it until you've got brackets that will do the job for you. You can bolt it together top AND bottom to avoid dealing with inserting Tab A into Slot B; why bother cutting the tabs and slots AT ALL? Suzuki seems to have done it simply so that each bracket attaches with only one screw through the plastic at all four "corners", but you don't have to make EXACT duplicates of those brackets to get good results.

Good luck with this; hope this information helps you...

noober

trwhouse

I just found something that may be helpful

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=47917.0

I'm in the same boat...chin fairing with no clamps.  I just cannot believe that those brackets cost that much..it's crazy!

I'll keep and eye on this thread and maybe ask Buddha. 

This is part where I'd post a Cheezburger cat with a "relevant to my interests" tag if I wasn't so lazy.

Muahahahahahahaah .... hahahahahahahah ... hahahahahah ...
Buddha hates fairings.
I gave this crap away a few years ago.
Cool.
Buddha.