Hello all!

This is my very first post, so I just wanted to say whats up,
I'm a new rider from Toronto and my '05 GS5 is just 3.5 months old to me.

This is where things get tricky. I got into an accident a couple weeks ago, and messed up the front end a bit, things weren't too bad with one exception.
The fork stop got chipped about 3mm on the right and the handlebars swing too far back to the left now.

the worse news was that when i took it to the shop i was told the ministry forbids that part from being wielded and i have to purchase an entire new frame. I'm pretty crushed.
the new one is gonna run me $1780 from Suzi. but i MAY have an alternative! i can get a first month '89 frame for only $400, but will it fit?

I really could use help on this, cause i don't want someone else to swipe that frame before i get it, but i don't want to get it if its not going to fit
Thanks so much in advance,

Pictory

Just get it welded and screw the "ministry'.   Try a different welder or take some classes and do it yourself.

Build up the damaged lock stop with some JB Weld, and give the finger to The M!nistry !!!

Not a problem to weld it. Any decent welder can fix it fairly cheap. I have cut and welded them many times.

Amazing what some will say to make a buck. 

Uhm, do you have to pass inspections? If they aren't going to say "its not road worthy" because of the weld well +3 to the guys up here. But, I'm about 99% sure the 89 frame will fit yours too!

Mary

The 89 frame will work with no problem only if his 05 isnt an F. If so, than you will run into problems trying to replace the fairings. There won't be any mounts for them on the 89 framel...

Ah yes, how could i leave that out, it is the naked version in fact.

is that it? i feel like i'm overly worried about nothing now, cause i felt like the answer would be more complicated. lol.

so no fairings, and the components will fit... and if i do decide to alter the forkstop, is that cold bonding stuff preferrable to actually welding?
someone told me that there could be issues with the heating of that part because of... bearings in the steering head. a competent welder (a.k.a. not me) would be aware of this and could work around it, yeah?

thats the most exciting option for me now because i could actually afford something like that, and i'll be back riding much sooner if so! even quicker than the frame swap.

thank you all for the help regardless!

The bearings have a plastic retainer for the rollers. Too much heat could cause damage. Doubt it would though. Not like you are welding it back onto the frame. If you wanted to be safe... it could be welded with a steering stem removed, so the bearing would be out.

hey toronto! i could weld your frame for you, or at least take a look. i'm at ryerson every day during the week (dundas and young area) and my welding stuff is in brampton. im a competent amatuer welder, grad student engineer and a bad speller. everything you'ld want in a motorcycle mechanic. if its just the fork stop thats knacked id say ride anyways.

i think buddha uses old truck tire to repair forkstops..

I also have a k&n drop in filter for your bike if you're interested )

Yes truck tar zip ties to the back side of the lower triple will nicely hit the down tubes and stop the forks perfectly into a soft landing.
You want a hard feeling stop ... cut a flat piece of steel ~1/2 inch wide 1/8-3/16 thick and ~3-4 inch long strip and chuck 1/2 in a vice and hammer the other 1/2 into a nice L shape.

Oh wait a sec, drill a 1/2th inch hole in one end first. So the bottom of the L has the hole. Use a sligltly longer lower triple pinch bolt and cinch in in there. The top of the L should point toward the bike, not outward ...  no, I have seen that ...
Same concept as the truck tire, but more official.

Sheared off fork stops in our world are not a problem, they are a feature ...

If you wanna weld it, be careful not to burn the bearing or its seals, and if you  boil the grease, split it and re grease it or drill the neck and put a zerk fitting into it and grease the mofo till the price of oil hits 300 a barrel.

Cool.
Buddha.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Suzuki-GS500-GS-500-FRAME_W0QQitemZ370073507366QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotorcycles_Parts_Accessories?hash=item562a199626&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Saw this on ebay!  Good luch getting back on the road!

A frame swap is a lot of work ... no damn joke, its hard work and many many potential spots to go wrong and many many ways to hurt yourself.

OH yes, please sell me your old frame wiht title now that its been deemed worthless ... 

Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: The Buddha on July 20, 2009, 11:11:01 AM
A frame swap is a lot of work ... no damn joke, its hard work and many many potential spots to go wrong and many many ways to hurt yourself.

OH yes, please sell me your old frame wiht title now that its been deemed worthless ... 

Cool.
Buddha.

Yeah, you should get it for scrap steel price.

Yea, 30 cents a lb shipped to Charlotte NC.

Much like the Sales Buddha Loves You @ ridenow threatened to scrap out a dented exhaust can they wanted 100 bucks for. She thought I was some foreign yuppie office monkey who has no clue what a scrap dealer pays. They are very nice though, they come over and pick it up from your back loading dock etc etc, its effortless to scrap it out.

One thing about mom and pop (ride now bought Excel motorsports which was truly mom and pop - AKA steve and june ) ... they never spew BS about scrapping out their dented parts.

Cool.
Buddha.