80 GS450 have the same frame as 85 GS450?

[Pac-Man]

but the crash bar is on the outside of the frame not the inside where your saying to put the identical mounts? Imma lil' confused, my apologies.

[Mekanix]

I just edited that, might be a little better now


But what I mean is: Now that you have a set of mounts on the inside that are facing forward,( bolt them in place or weld them) You could use spacers that would go in between the new mounts and the crash bar on each side. Then use a long bolt that would go through one side to the other and through all the spacers.


Do you have a picture of the side of the bike ? I have another simpler idea.

Take the front engine mount bolt out. Line up the crash bar mounts with the hole for the engine mount. Find a long bolt that goes through one side and out the other side.

That would hold the crash bar in place.

To take up the space between the crash bar and the engine you could make some spacers to fill in the space.

[pete]

I just edited that, might be a little better now


But what I mean is: Now that you have a set of mounts on the inside that are facing forward,( bolt them in place or weld them) You could use spacers that would go in between the new mounts and the crash bar on each side. Then use a long bolt that would go through one side to the other and through all the spacers.


Do you have a picture of the side of the bike ? I have another simpler idea.

Take the front engine mount bolt out. Line up the crash bar mounts with the hole for the engine mount. Find a long bolt that goes through one side and out the other side.

That would hold the crash bar in place.

To take up the space between the crash bar and the engine you could make some spacers to fill in the space.

If there's clearance for the exhausts, then that's the way to go for sure, longer front engine mount bolt.

They certainly changed that front mount setup big time from the 80 - 82! Bugger, and here we were thinking it should be a no brainer...

[Pac-Man]

Do you have a picture of the side of the bike ? I have another simpler idea.

Take the front engine mount bolt out. Line up the crash bar mounts with the hole for the engine mount. Find a long bolt that goes through one side and out the other side.

That would hold the crash bar in place.

To take up the space between the crash bar and the engine you could make some spacers to fill in the space.

Ok I understand & would love for this to happen but are you wanting to drill extra holes in the frame to do this? Because you CANT line up the bars to the engine mount bolts, their on the inside and the bars are on the outside bro. Scroll up to photo, unless im being stupid again and not following you which is highly possible,lol.

will it not hinder the frame if I drill into it to make the bolts go thru?

[Pac-Man]

Here are some side photos as you asked sire!

Ok so I just went outside all excited thinkin YAY!! My friends helped me find a way to make this work & then I crouch down, I lay the crash bar in place & NOPE, wont work, The bottom legs of the bar dont slide up or deep enough to reach the engine bolt there that we discussed, however if you sit the crash bar in place, put the U-bolts on, the holes for the bottom legs are an exact match where the bottom bolt goes into the inside of the frame, so back to square one and asking, will it effect the bike in a dangerous manner if I make it so the holes are completely thru the frame & get longer bolts to fit into the crash bar as well? Follow me?



So I got it, I'm such an ass sometimes,lol. So your referring to the long bolt goin thru the engine here at the point of the triangle bracket at the engine. Now I understand, so get a longer bolt there and slide in place to both sides of the crash bar as well and done yes?
riangle

[Mekanix]

So I got it, I'm such an ass sometimes,lol. So your referring to the long bolt goin thru the engine here at the point of the triangle bracket at the engine. Now I understand, so get a longer bolt there and slide in place to both sides of the crash bar as well and done yes?

That was the easiest thing I could think of. Its just a matter of putting it in place and seeing if it can fit and not foul on anything.



If you drill through the frame I think over a long time it would start to crack because that spot is under stress from the engine vibrating.

But If you really wanted to drill, just make the hole a little bigger and put a small tube inside and weld that to the frame.

[Pac-Man]

all this for a god forsaken crash bar, why cant i just find one at a store that is made for my bike? If i could i would avoid all this non-sense.

[pete]

all this for a god forsaken crash bar, why cant i just find one at a store that is made for my bike? If i could i would avoid all this non-sense.

You're tellin' me! At least you could get one for a 450 of any type, over here they seem to not exist except when they're occasionally attached to a running one...

I wanted to get the optional sport carry rack that replaces the rear grab bar too, but that's probably just as non-existent...

[Pac-Man]

anyone want this crash bar? lol I'm fed up and have no way of customizing it myself im not that handy, $40 plus shipping and its yours.

Made for a 1980-82ish gs450, photos of it and what not are in this post. Message me or reply if ya want it. Done F'in w/ it!

[pete]

Hmmmm... I'd look at shipping prices if it was the two piece variety...

Sorry to hear it didn't work out though, that's really frustrating!

If you're keen on persevering, you should be able to make a bracket for the bottom mounts though to come inside the frame and bolt up to the engine mount bolts like the do on the earlier ones...

[Pac-Man]

Well only other thought I had was relocating the bottom legs, I have a guy at work that has and knows how to do all kinds of welding so he could relocate the legs toward the middle of the crash bar rather than so spread out that way they would or could fit into the existing mounts on the inside of the frame. follow me? Thats the best thing I can think of aside from having to unweld the existing legs which will take away some chrome and some grinding and cosmetic fixin will need to be done to make it LOOK worth a damn ya feel me..? But there again this isnt a 2011 model or anything, im not trying to go show room, I just wanna ride comfortably ya know.....

[pete]

That'd be even better than making up a bracket, especially if you've got someone experienced who can do it for you!

I say go for it

[Mekanix]

So sorry it wasn't a direct fit, I didn't realize that the 85 frame was so different. I never meant to mislead.

Is this what your thinking of doing ?
This way you only have a little bit of cosmetic work to do.

[pete]

Now that looks like it would work to me! Nicely drawn up

[Pac-Man]

ahh no worries, but no What im referring to is moving the legs inward on the crash bar toward the center to match up to my bolts on the inside of the frame. See how in that drawing you made the crash bar legs on the outside perimeter of the frame? Well imagine unwelding those from the crash bar and moving them in and matching them EXACTLY with the inside bolts of the frame and rewelding the legs to the crash bar. That way all i have is a lil' grinding and cleaning on the crash bar.