can anyone tell me what year of gsxr swing arm is easiestly modified to install on my gs500?
im rebuilding a wrecked mainly in the front forks 2009 gs500
i have already purchased the following for soon to be upgrades.
2001 gsx rear wheel and tire
1999 gsxr front end and wheel already installed.
k&N lunchbox filter installed
13 tooth front sprocket. want more low end dont know if this is to extreme. running stcok rear sproket.
i really have no desire to go a 100 plus mph

this is my first time on the site and im very excited about this build. this is my first sport oriented bike.
i love to tinker so mods will be ongoing. maybe someday it will go to my wife and i will get smoething different
but i sure like what i read on this forum about the bikes overall "fun to ride" abilities.

previous bikes

1978 750 bonneville Triumph
1989 883 sportster

Welcome! to start with I'd recommend splitting the gear change between front and rear. The smaller you go in front, the tighter the angle the chain has to wrap around, and the more wear you'll put on the chain and cog. Maybe go down 2 in front and up 2 or 3 in the back, or down one in the front and up 5-6 in the back.

As far as the swingarm, it'll be great if someone can help you out, but unfortunately I don't see a whole lot of swingarms being swapped around here. it's more common to see someone put a bandit rear wheel in their GS swingarm so they can use a bigger tire, but if you're looking for a braced swingarm then you'll have to do some research. I'd pull your GS swingarm, take all the measurement, then head over to customfighters.com and do some digging around for swingarm measurements. The guys on that forum are swapping swingarms all the time and definitely should be able to set you on the right track. From what I've seen they always love a good GS500 project. You'll have to indulge them with some pictures though.

Talked to a few shops in the area when I was out to get some ideas and apparently the easiest thing to do unless you have a bolt in swap is to cut the stock swing-arm off after the tube through which the pivot bolt goes through and weld on the larger arms that you want.

Quote from: tb0lt on March 01, 2011, 07:01:03 AM
Talked to a few shops in the area when I was out to get some ideas and apparently the easiest thing to do unless you have a bolt in swap is to cut the stock swing-arm off after the tube through which the pivot bolt goes through and weld on the larger arms that you want.

OK this is near impossible to do.
The GSXR sa is aluminum, so that isn't near impossible, it is impossible.

Now cutting it past the pivot and welding on a beefier and I presume wider SA is so bloody hard to do cos its got all sorts of braces and little formed plates that have been welded up together to give it the strength and stiffness that getting it all made would be near about impossible. The more important thing is, it will never line up and it will never look right, and at this point I'd say it also will be very heavy.

BTW I dont know of too many bikes that have steel SA's that are much better than a GS. Old school fzr600 and f2/f3 come to mind as the only options.

Cool.
Buddha.

Well... I wasn't saying he could weld steel and aluminium. I just assumed whoever reads it would know that much.....but i know I know... inet forums.. you should never assume common sense is common   

As for the particular method, i saw proof that it is VERY much real because the guy showed me two bikes with the modification done... one has a stretched swing-arm too and too much bling to blind onlookers.. They were both done with TIG welded aluminium pieces though.

I think Czoko put a new swingarm on his bike, but he just cut the frame, and rewelded it wider to fit around the new swingarm.

I've seen a ton of swingarm swaps come out looking perfectly clean, but I usually see them on 600-1000cc bikes. The issue you'll run into with a 600-1000cc bike's swingarm on a GS is that the GS is so skinny. On bigger bikes you might only need to grind a little bit off or make some spacers. To get one to fit into the GS frame you would need to cut/grind off a lot. You'll also have to do some work to get the chain line to work on a 170 or 180 rear tire. You'll have to find a way to space out the front cog so the chain can run straight.

Ooh, also search for the thread with the title something like 'Thread that won't die about the nicest GS ever", I think the guys name is Jim Knopf but I can't remember for sure. He's put a couple different swingarms on GSs, and even though I think he has some pretty nice tools at his disposal, he's a nice guy and I'm sure could offer some advice.


EDIT: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=9730.260

Modified bandit swingarm:



and I loooved this bike, unfortunately we didn't see much of it...

thanks everyone. some very valuable information!
I will try and figure out how to post pics soon!

On both of these bikes that jim knopf built, he's done a ton of machine work.
Anyway I've seen a bike with a 89-92 GSXR 750 SA in it. Cedric smith did that, as did Lee/Jody Matsler in sacramento which was the bike I saw in person.
Tb0lt - I was only saying its not as easy as that. The gs SA is made out of a bunch of bent plates welded up in a box etc etc. Need it for the strength and rigidity. That's all.

Cool.
Buddha.

The easiest swap to put a 180 is through a bandit 12 swingarm (don't know what year exatly). This has been discussed on the forum already. GSXR wheel may clap with the B12 swingarm.

Quote from: gsf500RR on March 01, 2011, 02:59:09 PM
The easiest swap to put a 180 is through a bandit 12 swingarm (don't know what year exatly) just a little bit of work need to be done. This has been discussed on the forum already. GSXR wheel may clap with the B12 swingarm.

Why would you want to install a 180 on the back of the GS500? It's possible to drag elbow on tires that fit the stock GS rims. A GSX-R front end / Katana rear swap will fit plenty of modern racing tires. *shrug*

If you want serious bling; see if you can bolt on the single sided swing-arm from a VFR400.

Edit: I don't know that the VFR400 swingarm bolts right up, but I suspect it's workable.

Quote from: burning1 on March 01, 2011, 05:07:34 PMIf you want serious bling; see if you can bolt on the single sided swing-arm from a VFR400.

Where did I just see one of those?

Quote from: burning1 on March 01, 2011, 05:07:34 PM

If you want serious bling; see if you can bolt on the single sided swing-arm from a VFR400.

I think if it's just the brace you want, you could buy some steel box tubing, cut it up, and have it welded on the GS swingarm for the same price, if not well under what you'd pay for a gsxr swingarm, new bearings, spacers, and all that hassle. You could cut up all the metal on 1 Saturday and be set.

i have already purchased a 2001 gsx rear wheel with 150 tire. i think i will be content fro now just putting that on the stock swing arm. iam going to install an 05 R6 shock as well. i got my gsxr front wheel today mocked it up still waiting on rotors. found out the stock brake line from the handle bars down is too short so i guess i will buy a longer stainless line. anyone have a preference for decent priced stainless lines?
thanks
love this site great people with a lot of knowledge thanks everyone!

RGV250 braced AL swinger....I have one in my basement

not to many in the us though

Quote from: werase643 on March 02, 2011, 09:03:27 PM
RGV250 braced AL swinger....I have one in my basement

not to many in the us though

OK now that I'd like to see.

No seriously, do you have pictures?

Quote from: werase643 on March 02, 2011, 09:03:27 PM
RGV250 braced AL swinger....I have one in my basement

not to many in the us though

Hang on to it for me, man. I bought a RGV250 wheel, and I'm just waiting for my next paycheck.

RGV swinger and frame......50 notes....here.....

http://www.m1salvageandbreakers.co.uk/suzuki%20frame.htm

Well ok they had some 4 years ago 

is the RGV swaingarm longer than the GS?