SS front end swaps, any better than the rest?

[subxero]

Over the past few weeks I have been reading up on several things I am interested in one of them being a SS front end swap. Most of which don't have much detail with what had to happen to make it happen, Just (oh here is my R1 fronted/zx6r/gsxr ect...)

I'm not looking for a complete DIY but just for the people who have done this and put some time into it, perhaps you can chime in as to why you did what you did and some of the pros and cons you might have read about/ come across with various swaps? If someone wants something bad enough and has either the skills or money just about anything is possible, I am neither of those people. Simply capable of basic mechanical skills, turning wrenches, fabing up basic bits, that's about it.

Maybe which one is widely accepted to be the most bang for your buck?
Maybe not the best, but the easiest?

and so on.

I'm all ears

[JonW]

I will be documenting my GSXR/RGV USD forks fully on my site, but its a factor of modern brakes, bigger (easier to get) rubber and easy fit - its a simple 5mm spacer.

[subxero]

ill definitely tune in

[ricar]

I did the 2002 GSXR600 to keep the right side up old school look. Very easy swap All balls bearings I believe I used 15mm on the bottom and 12 on the top (my build is here somewhere) I also had the top clamp milled out a bit deeper as the Suz fork is much shorter. I found the swap made the bike turn much quicker and it's definitely stiffer. I'm not the only one to do this, someone on here did it with a real nice grey/black (if memory serves) track bike. I also kept the stock Yam master cylinder because I don't really like the plastic bottles.

[subxero]

will most 2000's Supersport triples swap on with just some spacers and bearings?

[uncledirty]

will most 2000's Supersport triples swap on with just some spacers and bearings?

No! Some are easier than others. However, just because it's an easy swap doesn't mean it's good for the bike. Anything can be made to fit, but I have seen a lot of different swaps that really don't help the bike handle any better. Rake & trail numbers are the #1 thing to take into consideration when doing these swaps. There are online rake & trail calculators that you should play around with before choosing a front end. Rake, triple offset, fork length, tire circumference, and rear ride height all play into it.

Most bikes handle best within a 3.6" - 4" trail number with the majority ending up in the middle of that. Modern bikes run steeper steering head angles with less triple clamp offset to end up with those numbers. Stock RZ has 26 degree rake and 3.8" of trail using a 38mm triple offset. Now being that most of the later Y2k triples have a 30 - 32mm offset, that's going to push the trail numbers well over the 4" mark.

A few of the early Y2K bikes (`98-`02 R1, GSXR750 are the two off the top of my head) have a 35mm triple offset which are the closest on the trail numbers and easiest to fit.

It pays to play with the calculator first before doing these swaps before you spend your $$$.

[subxero]

^ good info Thanks!

[giron]

I would speak with RGVSteve. He has done the steering stem swaps on my bikes. I finally reach a point with my 1990 Canadian RZ350 where I'm happy with it.

I use a 1991 VJ22 SP front end and GSXR750 calipers on it. What braking power. I did the swingarm swap to a VJ23, but I wanted fatter pipes. The VJ23 swingarm conversion had to go for the fatter pipes. Come Brian Turfrey into the equation. He did the pipes for my RZ350 GP styles with big massive cones. The way he did it was by using a TZR250 3XV SP swingarm. He used the caliper and hanger from the TZR250, but he got the VJ22 rear wheel and rotor to work on the TZR250 swingarm.

[subxero]

^ Interesting thanks for the input


Here is a question for people doing front end conversions. Are most of you welding a tab on the steering head tube to make the turn stops of the new lower triple make contact or are you just saying screw it?

At least for the 01 R1 conversion they will not make contact with the OEM tab on the steering head tube

[JonW]

you would be mad to say 'screw it', make stops to work with the OEM tab or weld on a new one.

[giron]

A quick and easy way if you can't weld. Mark it where you want the stop. Tap a hole and use an allen head bolt

[subxero]

^ i had thought of that as a possibility

[giron]

RGVSteve has done it for me. He likes to swap out the stem and not using spacers to shorten the lower tree. He likes to use the stem from the frame. PM him and see what he says.