Help sorting GSXR front end search

[JuicyGuzzi]

Hello All,

Gotten to the point where I need better suspension. My GSXR shock and Sonic springs were good for a time...

Did a search, but still need help focusing.

Got a naked 2000 SV650. Looking at GSXR front-ends. That's my Road-Knife, but it's strickly a track-bike now.

Yesterday, at the track, another fellow told me that if I do this upgrade, I would need to press the original spindle out of the SV clamp, add some material to the bottom, lathe it and press it back in to the new clamp. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

My search revealed some good theads with lots of choices. Looks like almost any year 600 or 750 will do it. Is that true?

I see mention of K1-K3, K1-K4 and SRAD. I don't know what this all means yet.

Also I see mention of yokes - is that a reference to the triple-clamps?

Should I worry about the inverted / non-inverted issue (I am a novice racer, but plan to put some time in and try to move up fast).

Thanx for helping me sort this out. I want to have this done in two weeks and get back on the track.
BTW - this is what my bike does now every time I move my fat ass.:smt026

[BILLY]

Have a look here http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=76659&highlight=SRAD+front

[JuicyGuzzi]

Thanks for the help Billy. Found a gold and black inverted front end complete with wheel, rotors, radial calipers and triples for $700. Conversion bearing kit add $50. Upgrading with correct springs and Racetek kit with valve extenders to get back some length.

Whole deal is under $1200. delivered with new pads.

Spending that $ I don't have - again.

Thanx,
Denis

[BILLY]

But don't forget when you sell the SV front end bits you will recoope some if not all what you have spent!

[JuicyGuzzi]

But don't forget when you sell the SV front end bits you will recoope some if not all what you have spent!

Umm - I didn't think of that...

Here's some pics of my SV at a Louden, NHIS trackday. As you see I'm not a Kneedrager yet, but I'm on my way. Good photographer there.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/8494/11111bf7.th.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/my.php?image=11111bf7.jpg) http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/1677/louden81507001jb0.th.jpg (http://img139.imageshack.us/my.php?image=louden81507001jb0.jpg) http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4989/11122pn2.th.jpg (http://img264.imageshack.us/my.php?image=11122pn2.jpg)

[northwind]

Thanks for the help Billy. Found a gold and black inverted front end complete with wheel, rotors, radial calipers and triples for $700. Conversion bearing kit add $50. Upgrading with correct springs and Racetek kit with valve extenders to get back some length.


That'll probably be the most recent GSXR 600 or 750 front? You'll need to figure out something for hte lockstops there, plus the parking lock won't work I think. But not neccesarily a big deal for you.

Very good forks, though, for a large volume production bike. I'd probably suggest you try it as stock first before fitting the extenders though, with a 120/70 front tyre you end up with about a 12mm drop in front height, and a slight reduction in both rake and trail, which personally I've found beneficial- I'd dropped the front with the SV forks anyway. But I do like my bikes to be fast steering, more so than most folks.

[kcowgergmm]

this should help a little svrider has a lot of info to help out too http://gregmli.blogspot.com/search/label/motorcycle

[JuicyGuzzi]

this should help a little svrider has a lot of info to help out too http://gregmli.blogspot.com/search/label/motorcycle

Wow! 'Atsa some document for me right now. It would make a good sticky.

Thanks to all who helped. Will report back here when job is done so as to add to data for future searches. Cheers! :drink:

[pilot]

So much for my quest for a GSXR front-end. I just got off the phone with the "Thermosman"--a suspension wizard. He said not to put a GSXR front end on an SV650 as it is too stiff (upside down forks even stiffer) and this is not what the bike was designed to have. He suggested a new spring if needed to correspond to the riders weight and fork emulators; his cost for parts and labor is about $450.00. I think Racetech charges for parts alone about $280.00 + shipping. His recommendation for a shock replacement was an Ohlin (new: $1100.00). He indicated that racers that have tried installing fork internals from a Honda F4i did not report seeing a significant change.

[northwind]

So much for my quest for a GSXR front-end. I just got off the phone with the "Thermosman"--a suspension wizard. He said not to put a GSXR front end on an SV650 as it is too stiff (upside down forks even stiffer) and this is not what the bike was designed to have. He suggested a new spring if needed to correspond to the riders weight and fork emulators; his cost for parts and labor is about $450.00. I think Racetech charges for parts alone about $280.00 + shipping. His recommendation for a shock replacement was an Ohlin (new: $1100.00). He indicated that racers that have tried installing fork internals from a Honda F4i did not report seeing a significant change.

Lot of s**t frankly, cartridge emulators underperform compared to a stone stock GSXR front end, even the KYB ones. They're not bad, though. He's on the right track in theory with the stiffness- if the SV was designed to make use of the flex in the stock forks it'd be a bad idea to lose it.. But, it's really not- the SV forks are flexible as a result of design limitation not as an end in itself. In practice, the SV has way more flex than it needs, and stiffening things up is a bonus not a disadvantage.

The GSXR forks are ideal for an SV swap, for the simple reason that the applications are so similiar. The bikes weigh similiar amounts, and have comparable frame flex. Once you steepen the head angle you also have quite comparable geometry.

I can totally understand how he's arrived at this opinion... A lot of fork swaps, especially on older bikes, don't work out well. But for the SV it's tried and tested.

Also, odd that he recommends Ohlins over Penske- the Penske twin is just plain beter than the Ohlins for the SV, it's more durable and has better base settings. The triple is better still than the basic Penske.

[pilot]

Does getting GSXR forks require swapping the whole front end ? Is installing a GSXR shock a worthwhile improvement over the stock SV shock?

[BILLY]

Does getting GSXR forks require swapping the whole front end ? Is installing a GSXR shock a worthwhile improvement over the stock SV shock?
Yes and yes:cool:

[BILLY]

Lot of s**t frankly, cartridge emulators underperform compared to a stone stock GSXR front end, even the KYB ones. They're not bad, though. He's on the right track in theory with the stiffness- if the SV was designed to make use of the flex in the stock forks it'd be a bad idea to lose it.. But, it's really not- the SV forks are flexible as a result of design limitation not as an end in itself. In practice, the SV has way more flex than it needs, and stiffening things up is a bonus not a disadvantage.

The GSXR forks are ideal for an SV swap, for the simple reason that the applications are so similiar. The bikes weigh similiar amounts, and have comparable frame flex. Once you steepen the head angle you also have quite comparable geometry.

I can totally understand how he's arrived at this opinion... A lot of fork swaps, especially on older bikes, don't work out well. But for the SV it's tried and tested.

Also, odd that he recommends Ohlins over Penske- the Penske twin is just plain beter than the Ohlins for the SV, it's more durable and has better base settings. The triple is better still than the basic Penske.

I'll second that!! Also ask plowsie on his first impressions of my bike when he road it apart from it breaking down on his way home:(

[pilot]

See message below.

[BILLY]

Before I did the front end conversion I fitted progresive springs and 15w oil that made a difference!

[pilot]

Not that it would be as good as a new GSXR front end, but has anybody tried swapping out the fork internals with Honda F3 internals or... ?

For the shock, it is hard to beat a Penske I am told, but for those looking for the next best thing without having to get a second mortgage, how about a (2003-2006) Kawasaki ZX6 shock which fits, is fully adjustable, and has better capabilities than a GSXR shock?