GS550ES GSRX rear shock conversion ?

[Calvin Blackmore]

What kind of exhaust?

Here's my 550 after those mods:



Definately some good upgrades.

What header is this? or where did you get it was it application specific and is it still in production or availble?

the airbox is modded apparently? how so

[LeeGS550E]

On my rear shock replacement I threw out all the linkages and just went straight "eye to eye"... though it looks very similar to P_S's setup...

SWEET! I finally find someone that's done it! I was wondering how that would work. The issue I'm finding with GSXR shocks is that the linkage from our older 550's compresses the shock with less force (but more compression distance) than the GSXR linkage, thereby the shock is too stiff. How does it feel direct eye to eye? Is it too 'bouncy'?

[LeeGS550E]

Lee
that is great. I am looking for a pipe. Now I have a stock system that is in great shape. I would love a Kerker or Yosh. They seem pretty hard to locate.
i see you have regular handlebars. how did you modify the top clamp? that also looks like a stock 550 front fender. Is it? Did it mount roght up to the Kat forks?
have you ridden it much? Is it really that much better?

Doug,
This is a Kerker header and can, but I made the midpipe so I could route it around the gixxer shock and get the can up at a steeper angle.

The top clamp is a set of risers from what I believe is a Virago. Several models of cruisers have risers that are a single bolt that threads into the top of the tripple tree. I just had to run the threads the rest of the way up the riser's bolt, so that the riser would thread all the way down into the bolt holes in the top tripple that are intended for the stock katana clip-ons. I can get you a picture of the risers if you need it. I ended up going to a cycle salvage yard that had a huge box of risers, and I just picked through until I found two with the right size bolt for the katana tripple tree.

It is the gsx550 fender, just bolted under the stock steel plate 'fork brace' that comes on the katana front end. I used some small (probably 4 mm) bolts to hold it on.

I put about 500 miles on this setup with the 550 engine. It really was better, but I never got the GSXR shock figured out. It always seemed too stiff (but I only weigh about 150). Then I pulled the whole thing off the road and wedged in a gsx700 engine because the 550 would pop out of gear in 2nd.

If you can get the damping on the katana forks dialed in with the GSXR shock on the rear, you will be very happy with it. I would suggest, if you are leaving the katana front end stock, that you leave the stock rear shock on until you get the front end how you like it, and then you try the GSXR shock out back. Changing more than one or two variables at once makes it tough to get it dialed.

Take it from me - I've changed so damn much on my 550, I can't even remember what it was like when I first got it. (Now its a 550 with a 700 engine, katana front end, GSXR shock, Katana wheels, ninja rearsets, superbike bars....I think that makes it a GSX550700 Kataninja?)

[LeeGS550E]

What header is this? or where did you get it was it application specific and is it still in production or availble?

the airbox is modded apparently? how so

I modified the airbox by splitting it appart at the halves that are glued together, then epoxied on a flat plastic plate (to eliminate the second half of the box) and used a bent aluminum strap to hold on a K&N oval/flat air filter. I wanted to be able to remove the airbox from the frame. It worked just fine for me - I didn't want to lose all of the effect of the airbox, and the correct K&N cone filters are expensive for those goofy BSW-32 carbs.

[doug g]

Can you please post pics of the top clamp. I like the idea of running superbike bars.
How difficult was the 700 engine swap? that sounds like a blast.

Doug,
This is a Kerker header and can, but I made the midpipe so I could route it around the gixxer shock and get the can up at a steeper angle.

The top clamp is a set of risers from what I believe is a Virago. Several models of cruisers have risers that are a single bolt that threads into the top of the tripple tree. I just had to run the threads the rest of the way up the riser's bolt, so that the riser would thread all the way down into the bolt holes in the top tripple that are intended for the stock katana clip-ons. I can get you a picture of the risers if you need it. I ended up going to a cycle salvage yard that had a huge box of risers, and I just picked through until I found two with the right size bolt for the katana tripple tree.

It is the gsx550 fender, just bolted under the stock steel plate 'fork brace' that comes on the katana front end. I used some small (probably 4 mm) bolts to hold it on.

I put about 500 miles on this setup with the 550 engine. It really was better, but I never got the GSXR shock figured out. It always seemed too stiff (but I only weigh about 150). Then I pulled the whole thing off the road and wedged in a gsx700 engine because the 550 would pop out of gear in 2nd.

If you can get the damping on the katana forks dialed in with the GSXR shock on the rear, you will be very happy with it. I would suggest, if you are leaving the katana front end stock, that you leave the stock rear shock on until you get the front end how you like it, and then you try the GSXR shock out back. Changing more than one or two variables at once makes it tough to get it dialed.

Take it from me - I've changed so damn much on my 550, I can't even remember what it was like when I first got it. (Now its a 550 with a 700 engine, katana front end, GSXR shock, Katana wheels, ninja rearsets, superbike bars....I think that makes it a GSX550700 Kataninja?)

[LeeGS550E]

Here you go:

Clamps



Fender Mounting



And I thought I'd show you a picture of the socket head screws that I used for bump stops. One of the things that you run into is that the stock Katana bump stops are a little bit too far out, so you need to add something in there. This is how I did it:



The whole shooting match:

[doug g]

Here you go:

Clamps



Fender Mounting



And I thought I'd show you a picture of the socket head screws that I used for bump stops. One of the things that you run into is that the stock Katana bump stops are a little bit too far out, so you need to add something in there. This is how I did it:



The whole shooting match:

thanks so much. The stops should be no problem at all.
what kind of bike was the top clamp from?
Also how difficult ws the 700 motor swap?

[Nerobro]

GSXR shocks do vary in legth from year to year. There's a resource on the SVrider forums that has that listed. Doing skreemer's bike netted no real change in static height, but a definite rise in ride height, due to a non blown ride height adjuster.

[LeeGS550E]

thanks so much. The stops should be no problem at all.
what kind of bike was the top clamp from?
Also how difficult ws the 700 motor swap?

Ya know, I always just thought it came off of some katana, but I have noticed that it does not match the top clamp from my '91 750 katana. It might be from a RF600. Not quite sure, though. Maybe I can find a part number.

The 700 swap was relatively serious surgery. I had to cut and rebuild several parts of the frame. The engine is too tall to fit in the frame as-is, so the top tube of the frame had to be modified. In retrospect, I maybe should have considered finding a 600 kat/bandit engine, or re-work the 550's tranny so that it did not pop out of 2nd. I really liked the 550 engine. Not to say that the 700 isn't cool. But 700 engines should probably stay in 700 frames for the most part.

[doug g]

I haven't ridden the 550 yet. I am curious as to the power it has compared to my 80 750E. According to some articles I've seen the 550 clips faster 1/4 mile times. Any insight on this?

[LeeGS550E]

I haven't ridden the 550 yet. I am curious as to the power it has compared to my 80 750E. According to some articles I've seen the 550 clips faster 1/4 mile times. Any insight on this?

Pipe it, jet it right, lighten it up a bit, and maybe go up a couple teeth on the rear, and I bet you could at least come close. I rode with distraction628 on his GS700, and though we never dragraced, I felt myself keeping up just fine. The 550 is a very quick bike.

[doug g]

What kind of exhaust?

Here's my 550 after those mods:



Definately some good upgrades.

Lee,

what brackets did you use for the headlight?