Oh very fancy!!! It definitely makes you feel great when you get some progress done and start seeing the bits and pieces coming together finally 

It really does. I can't explain how happy I am to have gotten all these things done finally on the bike. 

I'm taking the fender down to my dad's garage this week (I took a couple days off) and he's gonna be my help since Jamie is MIA.

Then I can get back to the Spirit and the van. Gonna work on cutting away the last rusty piece of sh*t panel I paid someone to do years ago on my van and repair it MY way. That's this week too.

And last evening I got the seats from the Spirit out (I have them in my basement) and took measurements, drew up some rough patterns and will be working on making the seat covers. I'll have to resurrect that thread I started a long time ago about other projects and pics!

Nice! That should get you along the way nicely to being done 

Fender did get worked on! But it's still not done. My dad didn't have much time to help me unfortunately but it IS taking shape. Maybe will work on it more this weekend.

Also got the side of my van patched up like I wanted to. I took a few pictures, not many because I was so focused on trying to get it done, and I'll upload them to photobucket when I get home from work later. Those pictures seem to not lead to broken links nearly as much as facebook ones do. I'll add 'em to the project thread I started a while back.

I'm also in the process of gathering information about the R6 shock swap. Thinking I might want to do that at the same time as the upgraded springs /new fork parts.

Haha I know I know

Only thing I did recently that I haven't included a pic of is put on this mirrory purple-blue-shiny windscreen that I bought like 4 or 5 years ago. The look is kinda growin' on me

Fender still needs finished once someone will help me.

Fork parts need bought, maybe after this next paycheck.

Deciding between the R6 shock with the yellow spring or the black spring.

Need to replace two gaskets (oil pan and left side cover I believe it is).

And that's all that's left! (That I know of for now lol!)

Hey Showbiz, it may not be a big deal at all but I think the red and yellow springs were more common for the R6 shock.  Also make sure it's for '06-07 and has the reservoir horizontal and not vertical. 

Look for something like this 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Yamaha-Yzf-R6-Rear-Back-Shock-Absorber-Suspension-/252912379433?epid=696541688&hash=item3ae2c0a629:g:NLkAAOSwX61ZB2gF&vxp=mtr

I just know that this is what worked for my install.  Not sure which model R6 had the black springs.  Also weird that the black one has the high and low speed rebound in one place, instead of two separate dials (the gold and blue ones on top).

Let us know if the black spring variant works, if you choose that route.  Good luck!

Thanks Endo!!! I'll be sure to update when I get this thing bought and installed... I can't wait!!

I have been researching these things like crazy over the past week. I've turned up some really good threads with lots of information, pics, and different installs... added those threads to the wiki.

Also, I learned that there is this difference (made this pic myself) which might help with ease of installation where one person said it will slide in through the side if you remove the chain guard and heel plate (thread below):


In addition to the difference you talked about with the dials:




But I was able to dig up threads that showed people who installed both kinds... the '06-'07 and the '08+. Here's a thread about the '08+ one (with pics!): http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=58640.0

Also I read that someone asked a Yamaha dealer what the difference is in regards to the spring colors... they said they were told that it's just cosmetic... not performance-related. That information can be found in the threads I added to the wiki as well
http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.RearShock

"colors are cosmetic" no. red gives you +5 HP but also +attraction to trees [SVforumsjokes]

lolololololol   

That's RIGHT!! I forgot

Fingers crossed for fender work this Sunday!!!

Also, I recently purchased the Bilt spine/back protector from Cycle Gear (large size). Fits perfectly in my Joe Rocket textile jacket (men's large jacket) and only cost $25

Next I'm looking into some overpants with knee and hip armor. Probably gonna go with these, in black:
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/joe-rocket-phoenix-ion-pants

What to buy, what to buy?? Haha... hard to pick! Ordered the fork seals, dust wipers, a couple new gaskets, motor oil and fork oil at the beginning of the month. Still on the list is the sonic springs, new fork tubes, R6 shock and now those pants. I'm thinking the pants first cuz gear is really important....

Gear's always a good choice 

But the rest is good also... if only our pockets were unlimited!!!! 

could always mount a dual tone horn ( like from a lincoln town car) people would NOT expect a sound like that to come out of a little bike.
Aaron

I'm not done uploading my pictures to imgur so I can fix all the broken links but I can at least post a progress picture of the fender. Very very very close to primer step finally!

woo hoo progress

Nice work ShowBiz! Feels good getting close to that point where you can see it finished don't it? 

YES

I spent the better part of my afternoon before work updating the pictures for the first 7 pages of my thread here. What a time-eater!!! Bummed I didn't get it all done but what can ya do

imgur is a LOT friendlier to use than PB was... I very much enjoy it so far.

What spurred my recent thread about the Suzuki oil is that last Sunday, when I flipped to reserve, I went a bit too far... and my bike sat for over 24 hours with the valve half way between reserve and prime

Soooooo time to change the oil and filter and do those two gaskets that just came in the mail the other day. Also I did notice that the airbox drain hose is rubbed through and has a big hole in it. Almost 20 bux??? Ugh well whatever, I need it

Showbiz, IIRC you're doing the oil pan gasket? If so, check the oil pump pickup screen. Sometimes there's liquid gasket chunks stuck in there or worse (I've found leaf bits and a couple twigs in one of my used engines).

Good work on the fender so far!

Thank you so much for the tip Rich! Yes I'll be doing the oil pan gasket at the same time.

I'm nervous about cleaning the old gasket material off, after reading about so many people having issues... plus I don't know the history of the gaskets I'm going to change... I have no idea if they've ever been messed with or not

I don't have time to Google it and reply, but look into the spray on "gasket remover". I think it uses the same chemicals as Aircraft Stripper. If so, a very thin brush could be used to apply Aircraft Stripper to the gasket stuck to the engine, and would be easy to scrape off.