Page last modified: 02/13/06

The purpose of this FAQ is to answer the questions that us editors see frequently, especially from new site visitors.

If you have a question that you think should be here, feel free to contact one of the editors via email.
Go to http://www.thegsresources.com/_scripts/gs_contactlist.php for their email addresses.

1. "Why doesn't the website cover my 1991 GSX750?" A decision was made early in the history of the website that it would be dedicated to what we consider the "classic" 4-stroke GS's. That is, GS bikes from its start in 1976 until 1986 when Suzuki started making fundamental changes to the engine. Yes, it was a somewhat arbitrary decision on our part but we're sticking to it.

2. "My name is in the Owners Registry but I can't log into the forum." The databases for the Forum, the Owners Registry and the Gallery are independent and are not linked together. That is why each section has it's own mechanism for registering. If you need to register or make changes you must go to the appropriate section and do it there.

3. "I can no longer log into the forum." The forum database purges usernames of people who don't visit, don't post or login within a specific period of time. These purges are done automatically to keep the database down to a respectable size. If you find that your name is purged from the forum database simply register again.

Note - site contributors are not handled differently when it comes to database purges. If you set up a re-register and want to be once again recognized as a site contributor, send Frank a forum private message or an email and he'll take care of it for you.

4. "I can't seem to get my pictures submitted successfully for the Gallery. Why?" The Gallery requires .JPG images and it has both image size and file size restrictions for any picture that is to be submitted. The file size can be no greater than 75kb and the image itself can be no bigger than 550 pixels wide. If your image exceeds these limits then you must modify the picture using a image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop, Jasc's Paint Shop Pro or Linux' "The Gimp". If you don't have the tools to do this on your own then drop a note in the General Discussion forum and someone should be able to help you there.

5. "I want to post some photos in the forum. Why can't I find a way to do that?" We've not turned on that feature in the forum software. Text takes up very little room on our server, but a lot of images posted in the Forum would tend to eat up more of our space. We'd like to have you post messages more and converse with your fellow GS riders. If you want to share your photos, there are other web-based alternatives out there where you can create photo albums on-line. Once created, you can post that web address. If you need help, others in the Forum will be happy to lend you a hand. We are also saving space for the Gallery postings which help many others with possible project ideas or restoration images of stock GS bikes.

6. "Why don't you have repair manuals on your site? Can I copy pages from my manual and add them to the site?" Even though most GS repair manuals are out of print, they are all still protected by US and foreign copywrite laws. Go to http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html for a good explanation about how copyrights work.

In order to do this legally, The GSResources would have to pay money in order to place these items on our site. Prior investigation into this matter showed that the price was prohibitive. So we won't be placing any copyrighted works on our site. What 2 individuals do between themselves is their own business however.

7. Can we have a separate parts number section or microfiche? Fiche as well as any other original work is covered by copyright law. We have seen requests in the forum from others asking to post part numbers on the site. Our current  interpretation of the law is that this would be OK because the numbers are a fact not open to interpretation. However, you could not accompany those numbers with any pictures obtained from a fiche or repair manual.

So the bottom line is putting a copy of a fiche on this site would be illegal, listing the part numbers would not be.

8. Can I send zipped images of my bike for the "Photo of the Month" submittal? Yes, but we would prefer not to have then sent this way. If you can, keep them in their native JPG format.

9. Is it OK if I send more than two (2) images at a time for the "Photo of the Month" ? No. Chose one or two of your best images, and submit them. This causes problems for us when several users submit images at the same time. It can cause excessively-long download times. If your images are unacceptable, you will be contacted.

10. What is the best background to use for my "Photo of the Month" and "Gallery" submittal? A forest setting, grass, trees, shrubs, they all look great. A white, snow covered background, also looks good. Pay close attention to what is in the background. Having a car, or a set of rusty patio furniture in the background, looks bad. The motorcycle should be the main focal-point of the image.

11. What is the best angle to shoot an image of my bike from for a "Photo of the Month" and "Gallery" submittal? Unless you have something unique to show on the top of the motorcycle, don't shoot from an elevated position. Drop to knee-level and shoot at the elevation of the motorcycle. Photos taken from a slight quartered-angle seem to look the best...... unless of course, the motorcycle has something unique to show that looks best when taken from a straight-on side shot.