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Greetings, I am a new member to this joint, but have been in a love affair with the GS-1000's, and 1100's, for the past 26 years. I tend to pick the E models.
I believe the big GS bikes are, in fact, the ultimate appearance mod for a human (if you are sitting on it).
Since I hung around several other cats who owned these bikes, I noticed a similar bunch of choices, when changing the stock thing into a street racer. These are both appearance and performance mods at the same time.
I just purchased a 1980 GS-1100-ET, in May of 2008. It has 20,000 miles on it, and runs like a champ. Some of the normal changes were already done to this one, and some were left for me to play with.
1. Ditch the handlebars, and replace with superbike bars. Already done.
2. Ditch the stock double exhaust, and get a Yoshi. 4 into 1 pipe. Well,this one came with a MAC pipe. It runs quite well with it, and sounds much meaner than the stock double pipes, but it looks kinda dull in the way it wraps around the bike. Back in the 80's we all chose this big chrome Yoshi pipe that went from the collector,under the center of the engine, to the to the right side passenger foot-peg, in one beautiful sweeping S-curve. This pipe didn't taper either. We also had to torch off a piece of the passenger foot-peg frame-tube, to tuck the pipe up just right. From what I can find in modern times, I think this pipe is made of Unobtainium. Sad. I covered over a wear spot in the chrome, on the megaphone of my MAC pipe. I curved a piece of brushed stainless long enough to hide the spot, and the half-melted MAC "Racers Choice" sticker. I wonder If I choose to go Vance and Hines, will I have to mess with the jets? I don't like messing with jets.
3.Remove the stock airbox, and put on the K&N pod filters(the tapered ones). I havn't done this to this one, because it runs really well with the airbox, and I live in Seattle where it rains all the time, and rain messes with the mixture with K&N's. This airbox is beautifully chromed too.
4.Put on a fork-brace, which really helps stops the speed wobbles at Ludicrous speeds. This one came with a sweet ATK unit.
5.Replace the stock rear shocks, with S&W Street Strokers(the blue and yellow ones). This bike came with those exact shocks on it. After riding a few months, one froze up, and would not open after being compressed. I replaced them with Progressive series 12's, and black chrome springs. I think these are an improvement over the S&W's.
6.Replace the stock tires with Metzlers (Me99 and lazer). I went with a Dunlop D-205 on the back. Feels real solid. Front is a Pirelli still usable.
7.Paint it. I always paint them gloss black. Looks best with chrome and aluminum. This one came stock burgundy with orange pin-striping, and 5 dents in the tank. Took a little while,but it's gloss black now.
8. Put a little fairing on it. This one came with a sweet little rifle fairing.
Once these things are accomplished, these bikes are able to change the very fabric of time. You do not have to be rich, to get into it either, just dedicated to getting your hands dirty, and going fast afterwards. It is Super theraputic, and never has to end. You could tweek one of these forever. With no money spent, I recently devised a cane-holder, for my collapsable cane. I need the cane to walk any real distance, but I don't need it to ride. It lays along the side of the seat, and ends by the tail-
light. I made it from a piece of aluminum pipe, a black rubber tube sleeve off an old pool ladder, and a black plastic plumbing elbow. It works wonderfully. Blends in well.
I needed an emblem on the ignition cover, but didn't want to spend 35 dollars. So I searched my shop for something made of thin aluminum. I settled on the faceplate of an old RCA TV repair device. It was a colorbar/ dot/ crosshatch generator. I picked a section of black silkscreen painted bars with color names and numbers written on them. The image is alternating black bars and raw shiny aluminum bars. I cut out a 3.5 inch circle centered on these bars. I cupped it into the convex shape using a trick and a swage block, and silicone glued it onto the cover. It looks great. I lined up the rake of the lines,with the rake of the fins above. It looks just like a finned ignition cover, but cooler, (no pun intended).
I have to get my daughter to take pictures of my bike today, so I can post them for people to see. ESW
-----------------------------------------------------------------------'78 GS-1000-C, '79 GS-1000-E, '80 GS-1000-E, '82-GS-1100-EZ, '80 GS-1100-ET
I believe the big GS bikes are, in fact, the ultimate appearance mod for a human (if you are sitting on it).
Since I hung around several other cats who owned these bikes, I noticed a similar bunch of choices, when changing the stock thing into a street racer. These are both appearance and performance mods at the same time.
I just purchased a 1980 GS-1100-ET, in May of 2008. It has 20,000 miles on it, and runs like a champ. Some of the normal changes were already done to this one, and some were left for me to play with.
1. Ditch the handlebars, and replace with superbike bars. Already done.
2. Ditch the stock double exhaust, and get a Yoshi. 4 into 1 pipe. Well,this one came with a MAC pipe. It runs quite well with it, and sounds much meaner than the stock double pipes, but it looks kinda dull in the way it wraps around the bike. Back in the 80's we all chose this big chrome Yoshi pipe that went from the collector,under the center of the engine, to the to the right side passenger foot-peg, in one beautiful sweeping S-curve. This pipe didn't taper either. We also had to torch off a piece of the passenger foot-peg frame-tube, to tuck the pipe up just right. From what I can find in modern times, I think this pipe is made of Unobtainium. Sad. I covered over a wear spot in the chrome, on the megaphone of my MAC pipe. I curved a piece of brushed stainless long enough to hide the spot, and the half-melted MAC "Racers Choice" sticker. I wonder If I choose to go Vance and Hines, will I have to mess with the jets? I don't like messing with jets.
3.Remove the stock airbox, and put on the K&N pod filters(the tapered ones). I havn't done this to this one, because it runs really well with the airbox, and I live in Seattle where it rains all the time, and rain messes with the mixture with K&N's. This airbox is beautifully chromed too.
4.Put on a fork-brace, which really helps stops the speed wobbles at Ludicrous speeds. This one came with a sweet ATK unit.
5.Replace the stock rear shocks, with S&W Street Strokers(the blue and yellow ones). This bike came with those exact shocks on it. After riding a few months, one froze up, and would not open after being compressed. I replaced them with Progressive series 12's, and black chrome springs. I think these are an improvement over the S&W's.
6.Replace the stock tires with Metzlers (Me99 and lazer). I went with a Dunlop D-205 on the back. Feels real solid. Front is a Pirelli still usable.
7.Paint it. I always paint them gloss black. Looks best with chrome and aluminum. This one came stock burgundy with orange pin-striping, and 5 dents in the tank. Took a little while,but it's gloss black now.
8. Put a little fairing on it. This one came with a sweet little rifle fairing.
Once these things are accomplished, these bikes are able to change the very fabric of time. You do not have to be rich, to get into it either, just dedicated to getting your hands dirty, and going fast afterwards. It is Super theraputic, and never has to end. You could tweek one of these forever. With no money spent, I recently devised a cane-holder, for my collapsable cane. I need the cane to walk any real distance, but I don't need it to ride. It lays along the side of the seat, and ends by the tail-
light. I made it from a piece of aluminum pipe, a black rubber tube sleeve off an old pool ladder, and a black plastic plumbing elbow. It works wonderfully. Blends in well.
I needed an emblem on the ignition cover, but didn't want to spend 35 dollars. So I searched my shop for something made of thin aluminum. I settled on the faceplate of an old RCA TV repair device. It was a colorbar/ dot/ crosshatch generator. I picked a section of black silkscreen painted bars with color names and numbers written on them. The image is alternating black bars and raw shiny aluminum bars. I cut out a 3.5 inch circle centered on these bars. I cupped it into the convex shape using a trick and a swage block, and silicone glued it onto the cover. It looks great. I lined up the rake of the lines,with the rake of the fins above. It looks just like a finned ignition cover, but cooler, (no pun intended).
I have to get my daughter to take pictures of my bike today, so I can post them for people to see. ESW
-----------------------------------------------------------------------'78 GS-1000-C, '79 GS-1000-E, '80 GS-1000-E, '82-GS-1100-EZ, '80 GS-1100-ET
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