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GS1150ES Rear Fender Skirt Eliminator (How to Remove the Rear Fender) GS1150E

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    GS1150ES Rear Fender Skirt Eliminator (How to Remove the Rear Fender) GS1150E

    I should have done a step by step in progress photo montage; however, I didn't so here is a work-up after I was done. The goal was to get rid of the rear fender skirt on my GS1150ES along with the outrigger style turn signals and still retain the ability to replace them. I also wanted no modifications to the outward appearance if the original set-up were ever reinstalled. So here is what I came up with:

    First after looking around for what would work I used the plastic rear fender off a 1985 Yamaha XT600 Enduro. I just happened to have a bunch of spare parts after buying my son the Enduro and when I saw the fender I knew it could work. I had to cut and shave it to fit properly yet it was the perfect width and arc to fit snugly under the rear seat and tuck in under the taillight assembly. In the picture you can see on the sides that the new inner fender actually had flush portions with a mount hole that lined right up to the original inner fender mounts. With slight trimming the rear of the fender was made to follow the bottom of the taillight assembly line for line.



    Once it was cut and trimmed I installed it with the hardware you see. I then made a license plate mount out of a T-strap from the hardware store and secured it to the new inner fender with hardware and fender washers for a wide surface grip. Next I cut and shaped two turn signal mounts out of some steel strapping from the hardware store and after painting them I mounted them between the grab rail and the frame utilizing the grab rail allen bolts that were already in place. I had to grind the rear frame rails along the bottom so they would remain out of view after the conversion was done. I didn't have to take off much, just a little and it won't affect the strength of the rails at all.





    After some further tweaking and testing I got it all to where I liked it. Now the bike looks a lot different. I thought about picking up a front fender from a YZ490 and reworking this to make a little fender protrude from under the taillight; however, I like how this came out. It looks cool to me.

    Last edited by Guest; 01-29-2009, 05:04 PM.

    #2
    More Pics

    Here is how the bike looks now with the matching turn signals mounted up front. I also bought some Suzuki turn signal mounts, which are essentially black plastic backing plates, because the original turn signals required two holes, one for the threaded post and another for a locking pin that stopped it from rotating. The signal mounts cover the extra holes nicely and look pretty factory to me. What do you guys, and gals, think? Not bad for not knowing WTF I was doing.







    Comment


      #3
      well, ....i think the 1150 looks better with the fender.
      GSX1300R NT650 XV535

      Comment


        #4
        Sorry, I'm just sort of sitting here staring at the lack of snow and the blue sky and the palm trees...

        Where does all that light come from out there? Do you have a really big burglar light on your garage? Seems alien somehow.


        Got any "before" photos? It's hard to tell if it's an improvement, but I like the nice clean work and reversibility.

        The rear fender on my VX800 is bobbed much the same way, and I get a stripe up my back in the rain or on muddy gravel roads. Something to be aware of, but I'm guessing that you don't really ride that bike much when it's sloppy out.
        1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
        2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
        2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
        Eat more venison.

        Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

        Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

        SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

        Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

        Comment


          #5
          Before and After

          BEFORE



          AFTER



          Here's a pic from when I got the bike. You can see how huge the rear fender/skirt is and how long the signals were.



          Last edited by Guest; 01-29-2009, 11:32 PM.

          Comment


            #6
            Other Before Shots



            Comment


              #7
              You're right -- MUCH better!

              I wonder what that weird "snoot" was for?


              Glad you scared up some new tires, too.




              I'm sitting here amidst the dark and a foot of snow on my lawn, choking back a tear, and trying to console myself with the thought that at least my house probably cost about a tenth of what yours did.

              It's not helping...
              1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
              2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
              2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
              Eat more venison.

              Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

              Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

              SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

              Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

              Comment


                #8
                I know it is before

                and I know it is blue

                But Blue color in that first picture is just awsome.

                very nice

                Pos

                Comment


                  #9
                  the weird snoot is a license lamp.
                  the back of those bikes always looked too heavy. its that darn big block of a seat, glad i can't see it when I'm riding.
                  i got the shorter front signals on the rear of mine, and honda hard bags. Doesn't make it look any better though.
                  GSX1300R NT650 XV535

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Rear of 1150 Suzuki

                    You can shorten your stock signal lights and cut your stock fender.I did them on my 1150.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Posplyr

                      Thanks for the compliment, I love the blue color of the bike as well and I love your two bikes. I used to have an '82 1100E with the faster silver motor. Here she is...sniff, sniff:

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Bwringer

                        Well here in Sunny Southern California it was in the low seventies today...brrrrr! Despite the frigid temp I still took the bike out for a run. It turns heads with the way the bike sounds. I like the new look a lot better as well. I just thought that rear fender/skirt was awful and made the bikes already kinda blocky aesthetics even worse. I really like it now and as far as the size of the seat goes, I'll take some of that heft under me any day in comparison to the wafer thin rears on the new bikes. That stuff looks like either it will sag and break or your will fly off.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Guyver View Post
                          Is that for real!! Did they really release something as ugly as that!!

                          You've done well to get rid of it my friend. A *big* improvement IMO.

                          cheers
                          ian

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Guyver View Post
                            Well here in Sunny Southern California it was in the low seventies today...brrrrr!
                            That does it, no more help for you on the GSR
                            20 degrees today, ice on the driveway, wind shills in single digits.
                            Too bad your state is bankrupt, sounds like a great place to live.
                            1981 GS650G , all the bike you need
                            1980 GS1000G Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely

                            Comment


                              #15
                              California

                              Although the weather is wonderful this state had fallen from glory due to the massive influx of illegals from Mexico, an exponential growth in government and government spending and some of the highest taxes in the country. The state has become ungovernable and at this point we might as well hand it back to Mexico with the population now being over 50% Hispanic. This is not the California I grew up in. Housing is still ridiculously expensive and if it weren't for my kids needing to see their mother every other weekend I would move the heck outta here.
                              Last edited by Guest; 01-30-2009, 12:15 PM.

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