Total suspension Change
 

Hi all, sorry this is another suspension question! *groan*

I am trying to get some good gen on makes, prices, fitting costs etc. of a complete front and rear suspension change...

I was thinking of the GSXR front USD forks swap to sort the front end out and possibly the ZX6R 636 rear shock change for the back.

JHS racing quoted me £1,000 for the front and £550 (without fitting) for the back and advised against the 636 shock.

I've set myself a budget of roughly £500 and am basically after advice on how to start the process, from parts suppliers to fitting companys, I would like to try and do all the work myself but if there's any bits that need machining (new yoke clamps for example) then any phone numbers or company names would me most appreciated.

There's plenty of advice on this forum regarding setups so really i am just after information regarding the hardware, forks, clamps, shock etc. etc.

Thanks for reading and again, thanks in advance for any help whatsoever!

Si

P.S 2001 black curvy, few mods, picture up soon!

Re: Total suspension Change
 

First thing i would do is:

Look for: Complete front end off a GSXR600K4-K5 / GSXR750K4-K5

You need: Forks, Yokes, Clip ons, Master cylinder, Calipers, Wheel, Spindle, Discs and brake lines.

For the road you wont need to change anything in the forks to start with. Unless your exceptionaly light or heavy.

Expect this to cost between £450-£700 to source the parts. You can then sell your complete front end to offset some or most of the cost.

To fit this front end you will need bearings that fit the headstock on your bike and the yoke from the GSXR.

So estimated cost - £300...

Rear end wise I would never recommend fitting a shock which has been built and intended for use on another bike. Why?. It isnt just spring rate. Internal valving is set for that particular bike to work with swingarm length and linkage rate etc. The ZX6 shock is notoriously wrong for the bike its intended for..let alone using it on an SV. 99% of the experts who deal with suspension day in day out will suggest the same.

Far better value is to fit something like a Nitron..£470 or an Ohlins £490. If your uprating the front end to the extent you are any skrimping on the rear will just be false economy. It will potentially be an awesome bike with that set up..plus when you come to sell it...sell it with the stock shock and you will see at least £350 back for the used Nitron or Ohlins.

Re: Total suspension Change
 

^
What he said.

I have a Nitron Racing shock on mine and it's superb. I'm going to do the front end as soon as fund permit and it looks like I'm going to go for the Matris fork internals (£300). Any experience of those/comments on them, SV650Racer?

Re: Total suspension Change
 

Changed your post slightly in my quote;)

RobW on here has had experience working with them and rates them highly. Personally I havent heard a bad word said about them.

Re: Total suspension Change
 

Whoops, sorry about that, I had your and Steve's accounts mixed up. #-o:)

Ta for the feedback on the Matris internals, they are looking more and more like the right choice.

Re: Total suspension Change
 

I've got the Matris internals in my Pointy, it felt really stiff at first, but it has since bedded in and has made a fantastic difference to the bike.
I've got a Ohlins rear shock, and am now thinking about getting the bike set up by someone who knows what they are doing.
It's amazing how much better the bike has become since changing the suspension!!!

Re: Total suspension Change
 

Where in the uk can you get matris internals and are they cartridge type kits?

Re: Total suspension Change
 

I got mine from PDQ. They're not cartrdige kit, but they replace virtually everything internally, and you get a nice new preload adjuster for each fork leg!
You get
2 Spacers
2 springs
2 Valve units (that push fit into the existing internal valve bit at the bottom.
2 preload adjusters
Oil
Instructions

Very easy to do (if all your bolts will come out, and you can do each leg individually), not too sure if they do one for the curvy but I'm sure someone will be able to tell us.
There is no compression or rebound adjustments on this conversion - something to bear in mind.

Re: Total suspension Change
 

Reading my PDQ catalogue, I thought these had a shim stack (and came with spare shims) to set compression/damping (although doing so would obviously require taking the forks apart again)?

Re: Total suspension Change
 

Well, mine didn't, but then I think the bike is just about right! I've hardly used any of the preload, and I love it!