Lowering A GS1000L

[natesGS1000]

So guys, I just bought the bike, had a couple problems that you wonderful people have helped me fix. so now its time to go look at ways to make it mine. First of all, is there ways to make the bike any lighter? i was suggested by a buddy to get rid of stuff that i dont need. i want to get a new seat and get rid of the rear fender, but it that possible on this bike? also, instead of the cruiser handle bar style, can i get a regular, almost streetbike looking handle bar? New to riding and this is my first bike so i dont know alot of the technicle terms on stuff. Any help or pointers or even suggestions are welcomed as for i dont relly know where im going with this. so if youve got something that you have always wanted to see someone do to their bike, i might just do it to mess around or something. Thanks!

 

[cowboyup3371]

Have you looked at the Superbike or Daytona handlebars?

 

[Steve]

SEVERAL red flags going up here. :-k

This is your first bike? Why did you get a 1000?

You want a lighter bike? Why did you get a 1000?

You also need a new "buddy". Since this is your first bike, how do you know what you don't "need"? Eliminating the rear fender on your bike will put a lovely stripe of water and other road crud up the back your your riding gear. (You do have some gear, right?) It will also remove your tail/brake light. It will reduce the weight of your (almost) 600 pound bike by a whopping 4 or 5 pounds.

Sorry to sound a bit harsh, but the best way to reduce the weight of your bike is for you to not get on it. It sounds like you are not ready for the bike.

.

 

[eil]

Definitely get new handlebars. That alone will turn it into much better bike with very little investment. Any 7/8" handlebars will do, lots of people here like BikeMaster superbike or daytona bars. You will probably have to reroute the throttle cable a bit and buy a shorter clutch cable.

A 1000GL is right around one of the heaviest GSes made. So like Steve said, almost anything you do is going to be a drop in the bucket in the overall scheme. And especially not without compromising functionality in some way. A 4-into-1 exhaust is just about all I can think of. Lots of people junk the air box and throw on some pod-style air filters and then pretend to be all confused as to why the bike runs like crap now, so I don't recommend going that route. There has been some discussion on lithium iron phosphate batteries which are much lighter than standard lead acid batteries, but they cost a bit and won't save that much weight.

If you're really interested in shedding weight (and if it's not too personal a question), how much do you weigh? When I started riding, I was up around 205 lbs and then over the course of about nine months dropped to 160 and was shocked at how much peppier my bike seemed to be.

My 850GL was my first bike and I found it to be a decent beginner's bike. But I started motorcycling later in life and took up learning to ride safely and competently as a journey in itself. So it depends a lot on personality and attitude. If you daydream about pegging the speedo, drag-racing sports cars, and whipping through interstate traffic, then a 1000GL (or perhaps any muscle bike) it not for you.

Since it is your first bike my recommendation would be to get it running, then get it running well, then learn to ride it. Only then will you actually know which direction you want to go, either with the 1000GL or with another bike entirely.