My 84 RZ500 Suspension Upgrade

[RZ 500 N]

After coming across these posts last year RZ500 Steering Stem to R6 Triple & R6 Front End Conversion Questions Again! After researching my options, I started collecting parts for my suspension upgrade as the money allowed. I went with the 2011 R1 front end, even though others were going with the R6.

Now, I compared the weights of he R6 & R1 to the RZ. The R6 was 22 pds lighter than the RZ and the R1 was 16.2 pds heavier. I don't know if there would be any difference 20 pds would have either way, but I went with the heavier weight suspension, thinking I might get away from having to have the forks rework to work on my RZ ?

1984 RZ500 437.8 pds wet
2011 R6 415.8 pds wet
2011 R1 454 pds wet

Now, mounting the the R1 to my RZ. Now State Side, there isn't any one any longer who can modify these for the conversion. I am aware of NK Racing but there on the other side of the pond so they are an option, but decided to check into the bearing kit.

But in the post RZ500 Steering Stem to R6, there was mention of a bearing kit to mount an R6 to the RZ/RD/RZV, but no info about the kit. Now in R6 Front End Conversion Questions Again! post, there were some bearing dimensions provided, but not from where they came from. So I was able to determine the bearing kit came from All Balls Racing. There is a link that provides fork conversions, actually the bearings required to do the conversions. The bearings required, work on both the R1 & R6. The Kit info is provide below thru All Balls Racing. But anyone doing this should verify the kits themselves.

RZ Bearing Dimension
Upper: 25 X 47 X 15
Lower: 30 X 55 X 17

All Balls Racing
Upper: 30 X 47 X 12: # 99-3540-5 $43.31
Lower: 31 X 55 X 18: # 99-3538 $33.87

For a swingarm, I got a good price for a complete 2019 R6. I am looking for a good box to ship the swing arm in to go to NK Racing for the SWING ARM CONVERSION. I emailed NK and they let me know what I needed to send, and would be at about 5 to 6 weeks for the work turn around.

I'll get pictures up later.

[giron]

Its very simple. You take the lower tree from the RZ500 and you press out the steering stem from the RZ500 lower tree. Now you take the R1 or R6 lower tree and which you decide on and you press out the steering stem. Then you press the RZ500 steering stem to the lower tree of the R1 or R6. You end with the RZ500 bearings

[tacky1]

I used a bearing kit on Allballs that allows the R6 front end to fit straight in. No pressing etc.
I also had my Swingarm modded by NK. I bought my Swingarm on EBay.co.uk and the seller shipped the arm to Nick.
It was a lot cheaper than buying and shipping a Swingarm stateside and shipping it across the pond.

[RZ 500 N]

Its very simple. You take the lower tree from the RZ500 and you press out the steering stem from the RZ500 lower tree. Now you take the R1 or R6 lower tree and which you decide on and you press out the steering stem. Then you press the RZ500 steering stem to the lower tree of the R1 or R6. You end with the RZ500 bearings

Actually, it's not very simple at all. The problem, you can't press the RZ stem into the R6 lower tree, because there is no interference fit, you can pull the RZ stem into the lower tree by hand, because its smaller than the R6 stem. So, you would have to do like BigGuy did in RZ500 Steering Stem to R6 Triple, which was to weld the bottom of the RZ stem, then machine it to the R6 stem dia, so it then can be pressed in the R6 lower tree. Or do like Rufus did and make a whole new stem, which he did out of aluminum. Then there's the top Dia. of the RZ stem, which is 25mm, the OD of the upper R6 stem is 30mm, so now you have to machine a bushing to make up the difference between stem diameters, so the RZ stem sits tight in the R6 upper crown.

The All Balls Racing bearing kit, is the way to go. No pressing stems no welding, no machining stems or spacers. All I have to worry about is shimming 2mm.
So that's the way I am going. But thanks for trying to help.

[RZ 500 N]

I used a bearing kit on Allballs that allows the R6 front end to fit straight in. No pressing etc.
I also had my Swingarm modded by NK. I bought my Swingarm on EBay.co.uk and the seller shipped the arm to Nick.
It was a lot cheaper than buying and shipping a Swingarm stateside and shipping it across the pond.

I had thought the exact same thing, buy there and have it shipped to Nick. I found one, it was a 2017 R6 swingarm, the problem was it was 220 pds which was about $280 US, and on top of that it was bare, no hugger fender, no axel or adjusting blocks no dust covers, nothing except it had the paint removed with a brush aluminum finish, then I would have to source the fender, axel, adjusting block, and all the other little pieces costing another $100 - $150 so I passed.
I looked tonight out of curiosity , only one over 2017 for 88 pds but smashed on one side. Nothing else over 2017, I found one over there, a 2016 R6 arm for 450 pds, that's $580 US, eBay item number:134582085794. Here is NOS 2007 R6 for 611 pds, $788 Us eBay item number:133917307109. There's much more all before 2017 but cheaper and less quality.


I, was looking for 2017 - 2020 R6 swingarm, and that was the only one I found at the time over there. So I started looking here, I got lucky I found a 2019 R6 complete in really good shape for $91 shipped. So I am happy even with having to pay shipping there.

I am still working to get some pictures up.

[RZ 500 N]

Pictures 2011 R1 Front Suspension




Here's The 2019 R6 Swingarm

[tacky1]

Will the 19 Swingarm work I’m trying to remember why I went with the 18 and older arm. Maybe it was the width or the shape of the arm. Does the arm hit the frame when compressed.

[RZ 500 N]

Will the 19 Swingarm work I’m trying to remember why I went with the 18 and older arm. Maybe it was the width or the shape of the arm. Does the arm hit the frame when compressed.

The 17, 18, 19, & 20 arms have the same part number. 16-06 and earlier change and have their same part number, till it changes 2005 an before.
The thing is, the difference between the 17-20 arms and the 16-06 arms, are the newer arms are just an updated version of the older ones. The updates on the newer arms consisted of a 2nd point at the end of the arm for a swing arm slider, and they updated to a newer style chain adjuster, which the end of the swingarm was modified for the adjuster up date, by moving the adjuster from the inside and the outside of the end of the arm to just the outside of the end of arm. Other than that I don't see any other updates. Structurally their the same, and it showed in the part numbers, the prefix changed for the updates: 17-20- BN6-22110-00-00 16-06- 13S-22110-00-00 Supersedes: 2C0-22110-00-00

The swingarm pictured on NK Racings site is the 2016-06 arm, and from what I've seen of the updates, none of the newer arms weren't even available, since all of the updates were done 2017- and older.

[tacky1]

Ah. My mistake. I meant 08/2008. I went tat route as someone else on here tried the newer arm and it hit the subframe. I also wanted the 5.5 inch wheel.

[giron]

I was fortunate that I relied on a previous fabricator on this forum that has retired. Now I relied on a local builder and I value his opinion since I'm not a welder nor own a press

[RZ 500 N]

In my collecting parts for my suspension upgrade since last year, I picked up a 84 RZ500 lower tree with the stem, all the nuts and washers everything for the conversion, I wanted to keep all my original RZ front end complete. Well it seems I got a little ahead of myself, finding that out after emailing Nigel @ NK Racing.

Now, Nigel informs me he doesn't even want the RZ Stem, he will just machine the R1 stem to RZ dimensions then press it back in the lower crown, then machine a bushing to tighten up the R1 stem with RZ dimensions in the Upper R1 crown.

I am going to set up the All Balls bearings to see how that works, maybe by the end of the year

The Yamaha comparison part numbers are: 93332-00023, 93332-00008

Type Tapered roller bearings
Manufacturer Kojo
Upper: 25 ID x 47 OD x 15 H

Lower: 30 ID x 55 OD x 17 H

[giron]

I know is to late since you are dealing with Nigel and don't get me wrong. Nigel is very knowledgeable and qualified. I spoke with Brian yesterday and he said he has all the parts you need for your conversion. After all Brian is in California

[RZ 500 N]

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I know is to late since you are dealing with Nigel and don't get me wrong. Nigel is very knowledgeable and qualified. I spoke with Brian yesterday and he said he has all the parts you need for your conversion. After all Brian is in California

PM Sent

Also, I've done further research on the bearing conversion issue, and I did find the correct lower bearing for the conversion, to mount an R1 front end to an RZ500:
31 x 55 x 17
The R1 & R6, both use the same bearings for the 2008 - newer, and the same conversion bearings are used for the R1 & R6 suspension upgrade to the RZ500.
I am still looking for the correct top bearing for the conversion: 30 x 47 x 15 so no shimming would be required, this is being a little more problematic, but I might have found a solution to source the correct bearing. I should know in a few days.

Originally, I was thinking to machine 1mm off the bottom crown to make up for the extra 1mm height of the All Balls lower Bearing, but went outside All Balls Racing and did find the correct lower bearing. Now with the lower bearing issue resolved, even before that it was said there would be only a 2mm issue with the top bearing, which I don't think that was correct, even if the lower bearing was 1mm higher, it wouldn't offset the top bearing 1mm. Now it's a moot point, since the correct lower bearing was found. Without the correct top bearing, the incorrect one will have to be shimmed 3mm or .118", now to find the correct top bearing.

[RZ 500 N]

I was only contacted back by one company's so far, and they just tried to substitute another bearing, which won't work.

I started thinking about the top bearing seal with the available bearing for the conversion 30 x 47 x 12, now you can shim the missing 3mm with a spacer, but the problem with that, if you shim over the seal I don't think the seal will fit down in the frame head, and you can't put the seal over the 3mm spacer it won't seal the bearing.

Then it dawned on me, and I don't no why I didn't think of this before, I'll have a 3mm spacer machined to go under the available conversion bearing: 30 x 47 x 12
spacer: 42 x 47 x 3mm. That way the top of the bearing sits in the head of the frame where it suppose to. And I don't believe the 3mm shorter bearing at the top will make any difference, the top bearing more or less is just a locating bearing , all the load is on the bottom bearing.

[RZ 500 N]

I pm'ed rzmax about his RZ to R6 front end conversion and he explained the issues,

I dismantled my R1 front end to get to the lower triple tree and stem for a mock up with the RZ triple tree & stem.
As can be seen in the pics, the R1 stem is shorter by about 2", 1/2" on the bottom and about 1.5" up top. I don't know if the R1 stem is the same length as the R6, but not my concern, since I have an R1 Suspension.

The R1 stem is an Alloy Stem the RZ stem is made of steel, to make things simple, I am going to have an a Alloy R1 stem made to the RZ stem length plus about .5mm for the lower crown extra thickness, and machined to the R1 Bearings.


R1 Tree & RZ Tree: