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1150 back end cleanup

dorkburger

dorkburger

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
I think the 1150s are a cool looking design, but the back end, with its big goofy fender and humongous turn signals don't fit. i removed the license light, turn signal bracket, and after some reservations about cutting a perfectly good fender, i cut it. the license plate is attached with metal clips to holes drilled in the remaining part of the fender. i found a yamaha tailsection in a vacant warehouse i was working in, providing free and cool looking signals. some plastic was trimmed from the signal mounting points, and were hung from the yamaha reflector mounts. they were attached to the pinched
ends of the framerails. i'm pleased with the look. Acorn nuts with led lights satisfy the letter of the law regarding license plate lights. the best mod however, might be the historic plate. in NJ vehicles 25 years or older qualify. For a one time charge of 44 dollars i'm set as long as i own the bike. my bike turned 25 the same year NJ jacked up cycle registration to 65 dollars...

http://
 
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Totally hear what you're saying about the square back ends but I'm not totally sold on the tear drop signals. Is that an exhaust sensor in the picture though??
 
I paid for an uncut fender(they're rare - for a bunch of reasons) to replace the hack job the PO had done, then again it rains where I live and I don't hesitate to ride in it(big ugly bright signal are an asset in miserable grey) The 1150 is a pretty angular bike, I am not sold on the tear drop signals either; however they are considerably better than the ridiculously tacky lockhart blisters the PO had grafted on mine.
 
The bike is basically square from every angle, especially the rear. When you change the shape from a square/rectangle (your teardrops) they really stand out. Good or bad is up to you.
 
I originally replaced the stockers with later smaller retangular suzuki lights, but they intermittently failed due to poor grounding. Fender or not I ride in the rain. As long as its reasonably warm, I don't mind. As for the small tube by the exhaust, its the crankcase vent from the top cover. After installing the jet kit/pod filters, instead of putting a little breather on the vent hose, I ran it out like that and it draws a vacuum on the crankcase,which I tested with a magnehelic . This probably was the result of reading too many car mags, where race engines reportedly gain a bit by drawing a vacuum on the crankcase. It likely does nothing, and I get tired of non mechanical types asking if its for a flemethrower (really) .
 
dorkburger said:
Fender or not I ride in the rain. As long as its reasonably warm, I don't mind.
Click to expand...

Didn't mean to imply that you didn't. It rains A LOT on the coast and I was just sick of being covered in road slime and crud everywhere - that and I prefer the stock look.

Lots of the fenders get chopped because the fender frame cracks and everything gets saggy and weird looking.
I noticed you have a tall screen on yours on your ES. How do you like it?
 
I don't like the square tail light either, I sure do like the huge headlight though.

Sheldon
 
The windshield is from gustaffson plastics. it is a +2". i find it to be much nicer on the highway. Mounting it however, was a test of patience. it doesn't come drilled (the website clearly states this) and the standard screen cant be simply laid on top and have the holes carried over. The taller shape prevents it. The ride is nicer , but the screen seems a little flimsy when compared to more well known brands. There is however, a lot of unsupported plastic there, so who knows
 
I agree the back end is kinda boxy for the skinny little tire.

I mounted the stock turn signals through the grab rail.

DSCN0084_zpsc87fcd90.jpg
 
Cool, it looks like you did as i did to support the license plate and help prevent cracking. stack an old one underneath.
 
dorkburger said:
The windshield is from gustaffson plastics. it is a +2". i find it to be much nicer on the highway. Mounting it however, was a test of patience. it doesn't come drilled (the website clearly states this) and the standard screen cant be simply laid on top and have the holes carried over. The taller shape prevents it. The ride is nicer , but the screen seems a little flimsy when compared to more well known brands. There is however, a lot of unsupported plastic there, so who knows
Click to expand...

I had considered getting a +2" from Gustaffson but chickened out and bought the zero Gravity instead.. Its thinner and mor flexible than the original also. I think it may have reduced some of the vibration in the upper fairing ...
 
I got pulled over by a motorcycle cop, 1/4 mile from home in the rain, because my back tire was leaving (he claimed) a rooster tail on him.

Actually it was going over the fog line to turn right at busy intersection. He also told me my license plate was turned up too high. Whatever.

The license plate is attached to original fender, just cut way back, from the low hanger that used to be there.
 
Thankfully, ive never been bothered about my license plate since doing it 14 years ago. Admittedly, i dont get out nearly as much as id like. maybe 1000 miles or so a year...(BOOOO). i always wonder how the sportbike guys get away with stuffing the plate waaaay under the tail, and how cruiser guys get away with the sideways plate down low. Or maybe they dont.....Personally, i cant afford the price of being "cool".
 
still looks ugly
the back of those bikes (gsxr's of that era too) are big and blocky. not the most elegant a$$ end,
hacking away at it and chopping up the stock pieces doesn't really make it look any better.
removing the the fender accentuates the giant blocky arse.
 
One must admit gs1150s are no petite things. Especially the es models. I dont mind the big square rear end. It sort of matches the giant fairing and headlight. A plus size machine to be sure, but I dig it anyway. It reminds me of the bike version of driving an old full size big block musclecar.
 
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