GSXR Front end Specifics

I'm sorry for the same old questions but i have searched and cant find the answers to my questions. I have a curvey (cant remember if I put this in my sig.)

1)Im looking at getting SRAD 750 yokes then fitting newer forks into them. Do I need the stem as well as both yokes and if the stem comes separarate does this mean I will have to get it pressed in (or am I barking up the wrong tree?)

2) Whats the diff between radial and non-radial brakes?

3) I know I need to get new bearings (people have said from the US), exactly where do I get them from and what size etc do I need to order?

4) Again I think this comes from the US, what about a speedo-healer kind of tingy?

5) What callipers are best, I know it depends on if I go radial or not but I think I'm going to go non-radial as I have read that radial are harder to fit? I'm probably looking at K1/K2 ish forks.

Thats all for now but trust me there will be more!!!

Thanks,
Andy

[northwind]

If you get used SRAD yokes, they should have the stem fitted.

The bearing is from Twin Works Factory, but probably the best bet is to join SVRider and PM TWF, he's your man. Just say you want the GSXR swap bearing, tell him it's fopr a carbed bike and SRAD yokes. You use a standard sized bottom bearing, it's the same for SRAD and SV

The difference in radial and non radial is really how they fit. Also, fashion But, GSXR forks with radial brakes are always more recent than the non-radial equivalents, and tend to be better forks. If you get Y-K3 forks, they take non-radial calipers. Still not bad forks, but a bit less good than the K6 ones. Less shiny too

The other difference is that with conventionals, you can use spacers to move the calipers inwards. SRAD yokes are wider than the more recent yokes, so the calipers sit too far out compared to the discs. With the Y-K3 forks I can space the calipers in by a couple of mm to centre them. With the radials, you can't, so if there's alignment issues you need to space the discs out.

It's all on a sliding scale of easy to hard Easy is all SRAD. Quite easy is SRAD yokes, wheel and axle with Y-K3 forks and brakes. Probably less easy (not tried it yet) is SRAD yokes, wheel and axle with radial forks. I'll let you know how that works out if I ever get the bits together Or you could use more recent yokes and wheel, but then you'll need to work out steering stops, ignition lock if you want it, and the wheel won't match your rear.

Shouldn't need a speedo healer- you can either get a magnet pickup kit for the front (or build your own, but I don't know how myself, not so good with electronics) which I know you can get from known scumbags SV Race Shop in teh states, but hopefully from other places. A wee ask in SV Rider would be a good idea there.

Or, you can modify the standard parts to run off the rear wheel- there's an elegance to that which I like but it's a fair bit of work to be fair. I did it that way, if I can blow my own trumpet for a moment I think I was the first person to actually make it work, Zook 5-0 came up with the idea though But, i'd not have if the new way had been available at the time. If you want,I can send you the walkthrough I wrote. The new way's better though, if you can find the bits.

[northwind]

Oh aye, there's a SRAD white wheel on Ebay just now... Looks pretty clean.

Cheers Northy, I will go and have a poke about on SVRider and see what I come up with. I think I'll go for the middle ground and fit SRAD yokes with non-radial callipers etc so shouldnt be too hard(hopefully!)

[northwind]

Yep, not too hard that. But don't tell anyone else or they'll all do it

If you get the Y-K3 forks, get the 4 pot calipers, they're lighter and they work better to boot. Better actuation, easier servicing, less power but since they already have more power than you need, who cares?

Give this guy an Email climb.high@verizon.net I got my speedo pick up from him for my SRAD conversion. Just let him know what parts you are using ie wheel discs forks and callipers. It cost me about £48 and consists of 4 earth magnets and the sensor.

If you need a list of parts I used give me a PM

Cheers BILLY

OK, I have got some SRAD 750yokes sorted and have seem some GSXR 750 K1/2 forks on ebay for £150 Buy it now, I'm really tmepted as they have had new seals & oil recently.....so the question is, good buy???


Any advice appreciated and NO-ONE jump in there before me!

Andy



Ebay Link to forks

[northwind]

Well, can't tell from pics, but they're very clean- these forks are a wee bit prone to corrosion on the fork bottoms, and these ones have none of that. The top adjusters look in good shape too. I'd say they're from a well kept bike. They could be crash damaged, but you're never going to know that till you buy with Ebay.

This is more tenuous, but the seller gives a generally good impression... He's not overcharging on postage, feedback's good, and the pics show what looks like a garage not a breaker's.

Seem a better price/item than most, anyway.

Another quick question that's probably answered elsewhere if I looked hard enough - is it true the gsxr front end drops the front of the bike a lot due to the forks being shorter, or is it possible to compensage for this somehow?

[northwind]

Bout 25mm if memory serves- 21Quest is more reliable on stuff like this That's a lot, for an SV, but if you fit a 120/70 front tyre instead of the 120/60, it adds around 12mm of ride height so you're only down 10-15mm. I had my forks 12mm through the yokes anyway with the stock forks, so it worked out perfect.

Also, the increased rolling circumference means your speedo becomes more accurate