actually, the problem was not just the swing arm but knuckle. the design of the
welded knuckle didnt fit with the mounting tap of the shock even after drilling the hole.

the old cast knuckle is slightly longer and gave enough clearance.

To clarfiy, even after drilling the hole, the bike is now about 2 inches higher. I did not
cut off the excess either as it doesn't interfer with anything on the old style knuckle

The bike I'm working on is a 93, I didnt do this on my 2001 nor 2004 so I can't comment
what the situation is on newer bikes. It all came down to about 3/8 of an inch

Cheers

Ah yes, I can see that is confusing - Drill and cut is still about 2 two inches higher than stock. 



- Bboy

Quote from: illenium on March 31, 2014, 01:27:08 PM
actually, the problem was not just the swing arm but knuckle. the design of the
welded knuckle didnt fit with the mounting tap of the shock even after drilling the hole.

the old cast knuckle is slightly longer and gave enough clearance.

To clarfiy, even after drilling the hole, the bike is now about 2 inches higher. I did not
cut off the excess either as it doesn't interfer with anything on the old style knuckle

The bike I'm working on is a 93, I didnt do this on my 2001 nor 2004 so I can't comment
what the situation is on newer bikes. It all came down to about 3/8 of an inch

Cheers

The plot thickens!   I'm a bit confused: does he Sv650 fit with just the drill and cut or is it like you say and "@W" above states that there id clearance issues with all year GS's?  I'm beginning to think that maybe there is a subtle difference in the Rear suspension of the GS within this year model parameter. Maybe the later models won't have this clearance issue (I Hope Not) I have the o5.

I have the sv shock already, but I have attempted the mod yet because I want to do the front at the same time and I'm waiting on the bushing fabrication job that a friend and I are going to attempt; necessary to get the 750 Katana front to mate to the GS goose-neck. Haven't used that word in a while   since my bicycle destruction days...

What front setup are you running?

the 93 i'm working on has the same ' knuckle' as the 2004 in my garage. The dog bones are the
exact same length. I would presume that will have the same clearance issue that I had on the 93. People
have done it before, maybe they didnt have stock dog bones though?

I just rebuilt the forks and used progressive springs, i weigh 200-215 depending on the month, i always
bottom'd out on the stock springs, quite annoying. Still modding the GS, will be able to comment on how
the new setup rides in about 2 weeks 

Quote from: illenium on April 01, 2014, 06:28:39 PM
the 93 i'm working on has the same ' knuckle' as the 2004 in my garage. The dog bones are the
exact same length. I would presume that will have the same clearance issue that I had on the 93. People
have done it before, maybe they didnt have stock dog bones though?

I just rebuilt the forks and used progressive springs, i weigh 200-215 depending on the month, i always
bottom'd out on the stock springs, quite annoying. Still modding the GS, will be able to comment on how
the new setup rides in about 2 weeks 

Man that bottoming-out must have been a biachi!  I'm 170 and it is driving me crazy!  I normally ride a Busa or my ZZR1200 Kaw, so this bike is a big leap in the other direction of speed and suspension build design. The progressive spring mod was on my list for a while but I redirected to the Katana front to get the ground clearance and to balance the bike to the rear shock mod.

Those stupid bushings have slowed the train!!!!

I'm still fighting to get use to the GS rpm on the highway. 60mph for 5k rpm is hard to get used to, especially when you are coming from a machine that at 70mph is pulling around 3500rpm.

I'm still riding the GS right now, getting to know it, so I'm reluctant to pull it apart. I know that it will be down for a bit afterwards. The weather here in South Florida is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!  Full sunny days every day, and around 79 - 82 topping out the day, so I want to ride as much as I can now.

I'm torn between pulling it apart now or waiting because around the end of May, the skies open up down here and it rains almost every day. On top of that the mosquitos are out for blood then, literally!

When I get started, I guess I'll just lean into the rear shock mod with what I have and see what I come up with. I'll post my discoveries and adventures when I'm done.

tell me about it I usually ride a supermoto with tons of travel way 

the gs bikes aren't the most powerful, they are heavy as hunk of lead, lack suspension
travel and sure as heck can drive you crazy, but you know what... I love these bikes 

So if the progressive spring makes the front end issue go away, I'm a happy camper. the rear
was really only for the extra 2 inches of height and because it was cheap 

I'd love to live in Florida about 5 months of the year 

Quote from: illenium on April 02, 2014, 08:45:07 PM
tell me about it I usually ride a supermoto with tons of travel way 

the gs bikes aren't the most powerful, they are heavy as hunk of lead, lack suspension
travel and sure as heck can drive you crazy, but you know what... I love these bikes 

So if the progressive spring makes the front end issue go away, I'm a happy camper. the rear
was really only for the extra 2 inches of height and because it was cheap 

I'd love to live in Florida about 5 months of the year 

You'd actually love to live in South Floirda, most of the years, for about 7 months   Topping out here in April at about 83

I can see where you are going with the suspension height on your gs coming from supermoto.  Let me know how your springs work out.

I'm beginning to get used to this little GS.  The gas mileage is crazy good.  I've been using it to do quick errands.

I'll keep working at it and see what I come up with in the end. 

BTW, I just picked up a cool set of Military Surplus saddle bags, canvas outer and leather lined...awesome! Now I have to work on a mounting location; it shouldn't be too hard because the bags were designed to be bicycle mail delivery bags so they come with hooks and strap loops to secure them.

1200: sorry not to post back for so long, I spent all last week putting my real dirtbike back together.

As far as specs for the dogbones, I only drilled the "tall" hole (the one you see used in the pictures) about .03" longer than the stock hole spacing. A little change in the length makes a dramatic effect at the swingarm. I really didnt understand how the linkage affected the bike until I got into this little project, but if you put your bike on center, unbolt just the bottom dog bone mounts, and lift the swingarm, you can see just how far the swingarm can move before any big change is seen at the bones.
The second hole I drilled is about .50 on center from the first hole, just enough to give me .25" of steel between the holes. I say about on all these dimensions because the stock bones are stamped steel, and mine were pretty worn on the inside from rubbing the bushings. I mostly measured with calipers and ballparked the numbers to be nice and even.
I used a 31/64 drill, which is a little larger than what I believe the stock hole was; measuring the stock bolt I think was 12mm, but the holes were most certainly stamped with some clearance.
I didnt mount it up using the lower holes yet, I only mocked it up to see how low it would be. I would say about 2.5" lower than than the tall holes. So, I cant say for certain that there wouldnt be clearance issues with the wheel and the fender. I wanted to keep it extremely high for offroad ability, but give myself a second option (or give the next owner an option). However, the SV shock is extremely stiff, and I doubt any issues would arise.
If you have done any real riding with the stock shock, you will be amazed at how stiff the SV spring is. I am about 250lbs on a good day, and the rear hardly moves when I sit down. Its stiff without being pogo-sticky. That being said, you would be safe to use a center-to-center additional distance of .125" without worry of hitting anything, you just wont have the maximum available lift.
If you notice how I cut them, I didnt relieve the upper portion of the dogbones, because there is no need other than weight savings, which is negligible. The bottom however, must be cut back to the stock shape atleast by the swingarm. Look at the stock ones near where they mount to the swingarm and you will understand. For this, after I drilled the holes, I simply lined up the stock bones on the holes in my new bones, and traced the profile.
Hopefully that is enough info to get you started. I used 1018 mild steel, because it is fairly easy to work with and cheap as dirt. I dont know what stock was, but as it was .25" thick and stamped, it couldnt have been too hard of steel.

And in response to your question of front end, I am running stock forks with Sonic Springs 1kg/mm I believe. I put these in not long after I got the bike due to constant bottoming. For the current offroad setup, I just dropped the forks down as far as they can (safely) go into the top triple clamps. It bought about .80" or so lift at the front. It does feel a little low yet in the front, so I may consider a different front end, depending on if I decide to sell the bike or not. I am curious to see how your front end works out, it might help me decide what to do with mine.

Quote from: W201028 on April 07, 2014, 09:57:20 PM
1200: sorry not to post back for so long, I spent all last week putting my real dirtbike back together.

As far as specs for the dogbones, I only drilled the "tall" hole (the one you see used in the pictures) about .03" longer than the stock hole spacing. A little change in the length makes a dramatic effect at the swingarm. I really didnt understand how the linkage affected the bike until I got into this little project, but if you put your bike on center, unbolt just the bottom dog bone mounts, and lift the swingarm, you can see just how far the swingarm can move before any big change is seen at the bones.
The second hole I drilled is about .50 on center from the first hole, just enough to give me .25" of steel between the holes. I say about on all these dimensions because the stock bones are stamped steel, and mine were pretty worn on the inside from rubbing the bushings. I mostly measured with calipers and ballparked the numbers to be nice and even.
I used a 31/64 drill, which is a little larger than what I believe the stock hole was; measuring the stock bolt I think was 12mm, but the holes were most certainly stamped with some clearance.
I didnt mount it up using the lower holes yet, I only mocked it up to see how low it would be. I would say about 2.5" lower than than the tall holes. So, I cant say for certain that there wouldnt be clearance issues with the wheel and the fender. I wanted to keep it extremely high for offroad ability, but give myself a second option (or give the next owner an option). However, the SV shock is extremely stiff, and I doubt any issues would arise.
If you have done any real riding with the stock shock, you will be amazed at how stiff the SV spring is. I am about 250lbs on a good day, and the rear hardly moves when I sit down. Its stiff without being pogo-sticky. That being said, you would be safe to use a center-to-center additional distance of .125" without worry of hitting anything, you just wont have the maximum available lift.
If you notice how I cut them, I didnt relieve the upper portion of the dogbones, because there is no need other than weight savings, which is negligible. The bottom however, must be cut back to the stock shape atleast by the swingarm. Look at the stock ones near where they mount to the swingarm and you will understand. For this, after I drilled the holes, I simply lined up the stock bones on the holes in my new bones, and traced the profile.
Hopefully that is enough info to get you started. I used 1018 mild steel, because it is fairly easy to work with and cheap as dirt. I dont know what stock was, but as it was .25" thick and stamped, it couldnt have been too hard of steel.

And in response to your question of front end, I am running stock forks with Sonic Springs 1kg/mm I believe. I put these in not long after I got the bike due to constant bottoming. For the current offroad setup, I just dropped the forks down as far as they can (safely) go into the top triple clamps. It bought about .80" or so lift at the front. It does feel a little low yet in the front, so I may consider a different front end, depending on if I decide to sell the bike or not. I am curious to see how your front end works out, it might help me decide what to do with mine.

Hey, I know how working on two or three project can make posting on progress a J O B.  My friend that is helping me with the steering bushings has been tied up with work too, so that is taking a bit longer than I expected.  going riding this weekend on the big bikes so that will push me further off. I haven't been out on them in a while working on everything and I have an itch to ride.

I'll keep you posted on how the frontend works out. If you look at the pics of the guys who have accomplished it, it seems to be well worth it. We'll see....

Thanks friend.

Dwayne

What kind of big bikes are we talking about? Big adventures or big sportbikes?

Quote from: W201028 on April 11, 2014, 10:25:38 PM
What kind of big bikes are we talking about? Big adventures or big sportbikes?

Big Sportbikes.... ZZR1200 and a 40th Anniversary Busa...  I just picked up an 05 GSXR 750 as a project bike as well.  I went for a long ride this weekend on the Kaw and I'll be Darned if I didn't find myself missing the little GS!  I've been knocking about on the little thing and have grown quite fond of it....

Yea its funny how that works isnt it? I bought a Speed Triple 1050 last year, parked my gs for most of the season and enjoyed the power of the triple. Then this year the first thing I get out is the gs, and this little adventure project really invigorated my love for the bike again. The only thing I really like more about the triumph is the highway roll on power, and the looks ofcourse. But darting around on the gs is just as fun as any sportbike.

Kinda tough doing these Build Threads when you have a full plate of other jobs...

Anyway, here's a little update on the build. I have the crash bars on now and I must say, they look pretty cool.  I would get these even if I weren't doing dual sport.  They fit well and are a very easy mod - just need a floor jack and your torque wrench.

Still working my way to getting the bushings made so I can go all out....uG!

Where did you get those crash bars?  I think I need some!

Quote from: neatus on April 23, 2014, 01:26:03 PM
Where did you get those crash bars?  I think I need some!

Al Mitchell

Accessories International
13343 SW 131 ST
Miami, FL 33186 US
Phone: 888-725-3679
International: 786-242-5400
E-Mail: info@accessoryinternational.com
Se Habla Español


Code

Product

Quantity

Total

TTLSBL-05-339-100 Sw-Motech Crashbars / Engine Guards for GS500 E/F 1 $174.99

Oh hell yeah, those are the best looking crash bars Ive ever seen for the GS. Hows the fit with the fairings on, or did you already toss them? I would punch holes in mine and fit the bars, if I dont sell the bike soon!

Quote from: W201028 on May 01, 2014, 09:00:06 PM
Oh hell yeah, those are the best looking crash bars Ive ever seen for the GS. Hows the fit with the fairings on, or did you already toss them? I would punch holes in mine and fit the bars, if I dont sell the bike soon!

Why sell the bike?  I think I'll keep mine around like having a bicycle in the corner, you just jump on it whenever you need to make a short excursion.  Like I mentioned, I am not so happy on the highway with this gs but I can say: It has saved me a lot of money on gas!   I would have to un-wrap the big bikes, get one all set up, and then worry about where I parked once I reached my destination, less someone steels it.  With the gs, who cares! I park anywhere.... I'll keep mine for a long time.

The Crash bars are cool. I think they make the bike look a bit on the rough-neck side... a start.  I'm not sure about working them into the fairing fit, but give it a try - you won't have to worry about scratching them....unless you do it while punching holes to put them in....wait, is that an oxymoron statement  ?  Have fun with it and lnk how it goes.

Yes I am with you on the no worries GS, I think I paid around 5k dollars for it brand new, although it is surprising how many non-bikers call it a GSXR. I guess people who dont ride them, dont steal them either!

As far as selling it, I total around 10 machines between street bikes and dirtbikes and atv/atcs, and I am out of space. Aside from my previously mentioned Triumph S3, I also have a KTM 300 that is street legal, and is fully race ready. The GS fills a gap between the two that almost isnt desirable anymore. Its a slow sport bike, or a heavy dirtbike, and since I have machines at either end of the gap that are better, I hardly ride it. I thought lifting it up would make it better offroad, but in even light mud, it pushes bad in the corners. Ive almost dropped it a few times riding very slow through my trails.

So at the end of the day, it didnt turn out to be the long distance dirtbike that I had hoped for. I dont ride my KTM very far to offroad, I usually trailer it. If youve ever ridden a 2-stroke on the road, you know why. I was hoping I could ride the GS say around 60 miles, go offroad, and then come home with fuel to spare and not vibrated to death. But its just not good enough offroad to satisfy me.

I am planning on putting it on craigslist in the next week or so, its the best time of the year to sell in PA.

Quote from: W201028 on May 03, 2014, 06:05:08 PM
Yes I am with you on the no worries GS, I think I paid around 5k dollars for it brand new, although it is surprising how many non-bikers call it a GSXR. I guess people who dont ride them, dont steal them either!

As far as selling it, I total around 10 machines between street bikes and dirtbikes and atv/atcs, and I am out of space. Aside from my previously mentioned Triumph S3, I also have a KTM 300 that is street legal, and is fully race ready. The GS fills a gap between the two that almost isnt desirable anymore. Its a slow sport bike, or a heavy dirtbike, and since I have machines at either end of the gap that are better, I hardly ride it. I thought lifting it up would make it better offroad, but in even light mud, it pushes bad in the corners. Ive almost dropped it a few times riding very slow through my trails.

So at the end of the day, it didnt turn out to be the long distance dirtbike that I had hoped for. I dont ride my KTM very far to off-road, I usually trailer it. If you've ever ridden a 2-stroke on the road, you know why. I was hoping I could ride the GS say around 60 miles, go off-road, and then come home with fuel to spare and not vibrated to death. But its just not good enough off-road to satisfy me.

I am planning on putting it on craigslist in the next week or so, its the best time of the year to sell in PA.

I truly understand what you mean. With a stable like yours, it would be difficult to hold on to the gs.  I just happened to get my in pretty near perfect condition for $1300.  I couldn't pass up what has turned out to be a deal. Now in the dual sport capacity, the verdict is still out.  I think it will still suit the bill for my off-road expectations - a bit of gravel riding and light mud crossings. Once I get it up of the ground a bit I will see. Hey, good luck with the sell of your gs. You're right, this is the best time of the year to sell, up there that is, we are opposite seasons here in SoFla.

Hope to be in contact in the future.

A little suggestion, relocate the horn. I relocated mine to the oil cooler mount, keeps it from getting snagged on things in the garage or in your case the woods