Pre-SRAD front end on a Curvy

Hi, my son has a Curvy SV650 and is currently looking through the tuning options as he really loves the bike and wishes to stay with it. As everybody keeps mentioning the handling is the SV's weakest aspect, he is looking into fitting a GSXR front end and we have the option to buy a pre-SRAD USD front end. I was going to be asking Dangerous Dave when he was due to come around the other day, however, events happened which changed the plan. Any news on that by the way?

I am under the impression the pre-SRAD front ends bolts straight on and you can retain the standard speedo set up, does this mean keeping the SV front wheel or using the GSXR wheel?

I know everybody says the SRAD is the best to go for, but what about the speedo and how do you overcome this?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Geoff

[dirtydog]

I had a GSXR1100m on 1 of my SVs and AFAIK it had different top bearings like you have to do with the SRAD front end, neither was I able to use the standard speedo. It also had the GSXR wheel on it. TBH it was such an old front end that it needed servicing as well which is something that you'll need to consider when choosing the front end

[northwind]

The speedo is really, really easy to fix... There's various methods used now but for the curvy you can either fit the standard drive onto the rear axle- pretty straightforward- or you can rig up a magnet-and-sensor pickup system to either wheel, which is what I've done now (using parts from a Veypor datalogger, but that's just one option).

I don't know an awful lot about the older forks, other than that they're not as good as the SRAD ones. TBH once I found out how easy the SRAD options are I stopped looking at anything older.

Originally Posted by northwind

There's various methods used now but for the curvy you can either fit the standard drive onto the rear axle

I clocked that on Dangerous Dave's beast a few weeks back, it looked very good, just like a standard fitment from the factory.

So a SRAD front end is the way to go it seems? Can you go any later, or is it down to the SRAD clamps (yokes) matching up?

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by northwind

I don't know an awful lot about the older forks, other than that they're not as good as the SRAD ones.

That's about all you need to know about them as well as the ones I had didn't fit as well as the SRAD front end does and as said at the age they'll be now they will be well over due a service

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by Geoffrey

So a SRAD front end is the way to go it seems? Can you go any later, or is it down to the SRAD clamps (yokes) matching up?

Getting a complete SRAD front is definitely the easiest way to go. Northy has a weird and wonderfull mix of GSXR bits for his front end.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Geoffrey

I clocked that on Dangerous Dave's beast a few weeks back, it looked very good, just like a standard fitment from the factory.

So a SRAD front end is the way to go it seems? Can you go any later, or is it down to the SRAD clamps (yokes) matching up?

I shall blow my own trumpet- I invented that method, or at least, was the first to actually make it work It works really well, very OEMish. It confused a suzuki tech into thinking it was OEM . But, I have to say it's an outdated way to do it, I wouldn't have gone to the hassle if the magnet-and-sensor kits had been available, they're just simpler and don't complicate wheel changes. If you want, I have a word doc showing the fitment and machining needed for the rear-wheel-drive method. Actually I have the parts somewhere, but I'm not sure where.

SRAD yokes are the way to go. Like DD said mine has bits from about 5 different bikes in it, because 50mm top, 54mm bottom was the standard GSXR size for nearly a decade, but the SRAD forks are good in their own right. And that makes it cheap and simple. If you really want radial calipers etc, it's doable though, K4-K5 750 forks fit with a bit of persuasion.

Oh aye, and TL1000S clipons, the GSXR ones are very low so you'll likely have problems with teh throttle cables dragging on the plastic.

Originally Posted by northwind

If you really want radial calipers etc, it's doable though, K4-K5 750 forks fit with a bit of persuasion.

Thank you both for your replies, Northwind what exactly do you call a bit of persuasion?

[dirtydog]

Knowing Northya bit of persuasion will mean machining down some bits/fabricating spacers/shimming things so they line up right or all of the above

[northwind]

<clears throat>

From the top down, I used
SRAD yokes
K4-K5 GSXR750 forks
Er, K3 mudguard which doesn't quite fit, K5 would be fine but I've never bothered to change it as I'd need to paint it. This is narrower than the forks will be but stretches over without risk
SRAD spindle (this is important as it needs to match the yokes for width)
SRAD wheel and discs
GSXR calipers (mine were thou, for the 320mm discs)

It was very, very tight. You might find too tight- I thought I might have to machine the calipers slightly or space out the discs, but I didn't. This isn't a problem, as you can easily space the discs out by a mm or so to fit. I think brand new pads might have cause fouling too! No margin for error at all unless you space the discs, so even a small variation on calipers could mean you need spacers.

And clipons, I use LSL Sport Match high offset as they're comfy and give good clearance.

Obviously it's not like that any more, that's far too simple. TBH the radial calipers are all about bling, though. Also, the gold looks a bit wrong. Here's a fairly current photo, see what you think, this isn't quite the spec I lised above but it's not really a realistic one to try yourself because of the wheel choice



Slightly out of date though now.