Meet Beest, my 2007 GS500F. He is so named because he looks ugly but has a good heart...though his looks will improve.





Previous owner dropped the bike a couple times, so I got him for a good price. Only around 6000 miles on the clock when I bought him, which I unfortunately didn't add much to last summer. Didn't help that I was a complete novice when I bought him, so I no sooner got him in the driveway than I dropped while moving in the garage. Damaged upper fairing (missing chunk on left side, right side signal punched through), left lower fairing cracked hard right at one of the screws, bent fairing bracket, curled brake lever.

Since it appears that the weather still refuses to cooperate here in MI for more than a day at a time, I figured I might as well start on some of the projects I've been meaning to do.

Projects ready-to-go

• Plastic repair - Plastex FTW! -- Done
• LED dash lights -- Done
• Install Zero Gravity Sport Touring (Dk Smoke) windscreen (brand new 1st quality, bought for $30 on eBay!) -- Done
• Install aluminum stator cover & fork brace - Thanks chuck81! -- Done
• Install R&G frame sliders -- Done
• Install .90 kg/mm Sonic Springs -- Done
• Install stainless chain guard - Thanks Adidasguy!
• Swap Clutch perch, cable and both levers
• Mount new Pirelli Sport Demons front 110/70-17 & rear 140/70-17
• Install rear hugger - Thanks airbrush!
• Install RiderScan

Projects pending part purchases

• Replace front fork springs & fork oil - probably going to go with Sonics - Purchased
• Frame sliders - haven't decided T-Rex or R&G - Purchased
• New tires - front & rear - Purchased
• Replace brake lines with stainless

Pics as of today


Sorry guys, all plastics will be reinstalled after repairs are performed.

Progress has been made, even though my free time over the last week has been almost nonexistent. Pics to come...

Indicator and gauge bulbs have been swapped out for LEDs. Still need to get out the soldering iron to install the diode fix, though. I also have plans to install secondary indicators in the fairing surround so I can have directional indicators for my turn signals. Have to pick up some hookup wire and molex connectors to complete this part, though.

Plastic repair is nearing completion. Almost ready to prep for paint touch-ups and a new sticker or two. Paint should be here tomorrow from Color Rite.

Received R&G frame sliders in the mail over the weekend. Those will be installed when the fairings go back on.

The nice weather in MI over the past few days has me wishing I didn't have my bike in pieces...

Paint from Color Rite arrived yesterday. Couple spots to touch up with more spot plastic repair, then paint prep can start.

Broke out the soldering iron and completed the diode fix (turn signals) and initial prep work for secondary indicators. Temporarily reconnected to bike to test. Working as intended. Holy crap are the LEDs bright in an otherwise dark garage!

Pics will be posted tonight.

For all those who like pics....

Sorry for the glare on some of them...the halogen lights in my garage are really bright.

Questions & comments are welcome, despite what you may have heard. 

You don't like the naked bike look I take it?

It's not that I don't like the naked look, because I do.

But I'm not so good at fabricating bits to make them fit where they weren't initially designed to fit...which is what I'd want to do if I took Beest naked.

show pics how you mounted those led indicators into the plastic trim

What you see in the panel is actually an led panel mount lens. It slides into the hole, then the led is clipped into it from the rear.

I don't have the exact part number handy, but I got them from mouser.com...pretty sure the brand is VCC. They are only about $0.50 or so each, so I bought a bunch of them just in case some broke or something. Mouser Electronics actually sells component parts in bulk, so you could conceivably get thousands of them if you want. The per unit price gets better the more you buy, as with most bulk purchases. 

I'll try to find the actual part number, but if I were to order again, I think I would get similar ones but that have a silicon ring to seal out water. (New part...i bought mine at the end of last season. I will need to squeeze a little silicon caulk around them to make sure water can't follow the wires back to any place that might cause a short circuit. I also have an led battery charging indicator that will be placed there too. I just need to get a stepped bit or hole cutting bit for my drill of the appropriate size.

I will also take some close up pics and post them so you can see them better.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Bivar/PM3AD/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuoiZ4qluBmlXTkNmYtdjVy5eNeS%2f%252bav%2fQ%3d

those in the link like the ones your talking about? I need to do this to mine since i cant see my indicators mid day at all unless i cover with one hand. I'm pretty sure i want to notice the oil warning light right as it lights up, so that's mainly what i want to mount forward like yours.

Those would serve the same purpose, just would be a slightly different look.

I just bought these lenses from mouser. I had a bunch of LEDs laying around already that I bought from Oznium for a different project, so I really only needed lenses. Like I said, I'll likely be using some silicon caulk to make more waterproof + clips/washers to keep the LEDs from vibrating loose.

Pics from reverse:






Closeup from front:

Reinstalled the gauge cluster & modified indicator light harness + LEDs. Continued wiring work on secondary LED indicators in fairing surround. Still more plastic repair and paint prep.

Gauge cluster reinstalled


Close up of modified harness with connectors for secondary LEDs


LEDs

Ok, got the bike back together.

The R&G sliders are installed, as is the ZG Touring windscreen. Speaking of the R&G sliders, the nut on the engine mount was a Buddha Loves You to loosen. However, dousing thoroughly with WD40 and banging on my socket wrench with a rubber mallet eventually broke it loose.

The extra dash LEDs turned out to have incorrect polarity on a couple LEDs , so I had to pull that out to correct it. (I formed all LEDs into a harness that mimics the harness connecting the indicator bulbs to the main wiring harness.) Now I have to pull all the fairings back off to put them back in as my fingers can't maneuver the tight space behind the dash panel without removing it. Not hard to do, obviously, but just time consuming. Good job for a rainy day. 

Forgot to take fresh pics, but I'll get some tonight or tomorrow.

looks good keep the status updates coming

Got some work done yesterday, and some fresh pics from work I had already completed. Also found that both tires are starting to crack inside the tread...time for new, considering these are the original Bridgestones on my 2007.

Replaced the fork springs with .90 Sonics & 15wt Fork Oil. I'm sure the fork oil wasn't changed by the original owner based on how foul it looked/smelled.

New pics from last night:

Stainless Steel stator cover & R&G sliders installed





ZG Sport Touring Dk. Smoke shield and R&G sliders, can almost see the stainless steel fork brace



Stainless Steel fork brace installed
 


Secondary LED indicators installed







Next up: rear hugger, stainless steel chain guard and riderscan installation

Very nice work

yeah the riderscan is cool for sure somehow I missed the fact that the existed.

Like how you blacked out the S on the stator cover.

Looking good!