GS 400-450 frames

[asletten]

Good morning,

I have been having a hard time finding information regarding frames for the older GS models. I am looking for a possible gas tank replacement for my GS400X and as they are fairly uncommon I am wondering if the GS400-450 (or later) frames are identical so if I am in need of parts outside the engine itself I can look at the other models as well.

Any info would be great!

Thanks!

[michaelj_444]

Try this link and it will help you find out what bike have compatible gas tanks. And welcome to the asylum. Basscliff should be along shortly with your official welcome.

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/parts_cross-reference.pdf

[asletten]

Thanks for the link! This will definitely help! Unfortunately it seems like it only lists identical parts used on the similar models not whether or not one part may fit another bike. I was told at the local shop in my small town by a guy who works on bikes and builds/races Cafe Racers that all the GS400-450 bikes use the same frame. Can anyone confirm this?

I will be honest with you, this is my first bike and I am just trying to gather any information I can on it. I bought it when my wife was pregnant and haven't had much time to do anything with it until recently. Over that year and a half of time I have grown somewhat attached to it and would like to see what I can do to it without ruining any stock parts or reducing control or taking any comfort away from it.

I've seen some nice custom GS450 bikes that were very close to stock with the club-man handle bars put on and a different seat and different exhaust and I would like to try something similar with my bike in time.

I first tried looking for this type of info on a different forum and my first response wasn't exactly helpful or kind. I just want to be clear that I am not trying to ruin my bike or cut it up in any way. Any changes I would make in the future would be done by buying X part and replacing current stock part and keeping stock part if I ever want to reverse the change. However, in that same post someone suggested I come here.

To be honest this was a great find and I greatly appreciated the link to this website provided. I look forward to learning more about my GS400X through this community and will definitely be posting more as I am able to get some time to work on my bike.

Any advice or suggestions to make the bike more comfortable or run better would be much appreciated.

[PPPPPP42]

Look up part numbers I used this site: http://www.motosport.com/motorcycle/...KI/1981/GS450L to determine that I can't put a T model seat on my L model bike even though they look very similar because the frame is a different part number due to totally different seat brackets welded onto it among other things.

I think there were only two major types of gas tanks for each size bike though, the big one or the little one which don't swap with each other but should swap with the same type between all the models and years that share them (I think).

[asletten]

Thanks for the reply! I feel that my topic title is a bit wide for some people to look now and I have more questions so I'll be making a new one with those questions.

[Big Rich]

Where are you from, and what year is your bike?

There are enough smaller GS's around here that I'm sure we could get some measurements if need be.

[jfman]

If the tanks look the same they are the same. SHow us a pic of you bike and well let you know.

[asletten]

I have a GS 400X. It is a 1978 model without the electric ignition, kickstart only. Below is a pick of my bike.

[jfman]

tanks of the same vitage gs400 gs450 will fit right on