78 GS1000 suspension upgrades

[Guest]

Looking to do some updates. Thinking about swapping 1100e forks, swingarm and upgraded brakes. I would like to stick with vintage 18 inch wheel. Maybe a set of dynamag wheels. I want the bike to have the vintage look but have modern performance. Looking for some suggestions?

 

[Big T]

Well, 1100 E forks and brakes won't give you modern performance, they're over 35 years old.
What 18" front wheel? It's a 19" wheel
Old mag wheels need to be X-rayed (?) for cracks, they tend to fail with age.

I went with 90's Katana forks and brakes, front and rear wheel along with the 1100 aluminum swingarm. Still 25 years old, but much closer to modern

 

[Guest]

I guess I forgot to mention the internals for the forks would be Racetech. Had a buddy do the same swap and it looks killer.

 

[salty_monk]

You?re talking about the spec I have (with original wheels). I did get an 1150 wheel 3.5? to put on but never got around to it.

the 1100 fork with the racetech kit inside gives you full adjustability. Stock preload and rebound and then compression on the emulator.

my shocks are works performance trackers, swingarm is also 1100

 

[RichDesmond]

Looking to do some updates. Thinking about swapping 1100e forks, swingarm and upgraded brakes. I would like to stick with vintage 18 inch wheel. Maybe a set of dynamag wheels. I want the bike to have the vintage look but have modern performance. Looking for some suggestions?

Honestly, this makes no sense to me. Those pieces are barely any better than what you have.
Far better in my opinion to upgrade the existing components. Springs and emulators in the forks, stainless steel lines and good pads for brakes, good shocks in back. Just swapping the 1100E parts in there won’t do much.

 

[salty_monk]

Yep, all the 1100E parts give you is adjustability. I primarily went that route as a set came up at the right price with brands new stantions...

 

[kochic]

It sound really weird to put lot of money on Dymag and put stock 1100 fork and brakes.
I think only the swingarm will be an upgrade.
I rode my GS1000 in various from with 17'', 18'' wheels USD, RWU forks Mudholland, Marzocchi shocks.Right now i'm rebuilding it with 18'' gsxr 1100 wheels, cbr600f3 41mm forks, GS1100 swingarm, YSS rg362 shocks, AP calipers, ISR rotors, on a braced frame with the headstock moved back and with 2 degree less of rake.I have more than 3500$ invested in the rolling chassis and I still have work to dne thing I would really like is a set of adjustable triple clamps, maybe next year...
I'm building it with vintage racing in mind.This is why i'm using 41mm fork.
I have trouble finding really good 18'' tires now, they only seem to be available in Europe.

I really liked how the GS rode with a Bandit 1200 front end with matching rear wheel in a 1100e swingarm using YSS shocks.
Marc

 

[Guest]

I'm just going off what a buddy did and he was very happy. The bike is a street bike but I would love to be able to do a few track days a year with it. So I am definitely open to suggestions. Where did you find your AP calipers?

 

[slayer61]

Looking to do some updates. Thinking about swapping 1100e forks, swingarm and upgraded brakes. I would like to stick with vintage 18 inch wheel. Maybe a set of dynamag wheels. I want the bike to have the vintage look but have modern performance. Looking for some suggestions?

I hear you. I swapped out my 83 forks for some 89 forks. Went from "kid sister" skinny, no adjustment OEM forks, to fully adjustable 43mm RSU forks and kept my 18" wheels. Parts were easy, others more complicated.

I wanted to keep my wheels as they were already aftermarket & kinda "period correct" for the bike without looking like everybody else's bike with modern (17" wheels & USD forks)"legs" on their vintage bike. It took new spacers and fab'ing brackets by hand, but it was worth every drop of sweat.

The 1100e swingarm would also make a fine upgrade to your 1000. I am just in the process of putting one on my Mrs' GPz1100. The OEM swingarm worked great on my Suzuki, even with a 160 tire, but I wanted "just a little more" on mine. Metmachex was my answer. They are still in business, if you're interested.


Enough of my blithering... the end results are below...

 

[kochic]

I'm just going off what a buddy did and he was very happy. The bike is a street bike but I would love to be able to do a few track days a year with it. So I am definitely open to suggestions. Where did you find your AP calipers?

From Harris Performance in the UK.
Marc

 

[salty_monk]

I'm just going off what a buddy did and he was very happy. The bike is a street bike but I would love to be able to do a few track days a year with it. So I am definitely open to suggestions. Where did you find your AP calipers?

I'd have to say that the twinpot calipers would have at least as much power as the period AP's....

 

[Guest]

Progressive suspension used to make rear shocks for those bikes. Not sure if they are still available or not. I bought a pair about a decade ago. Its a decent upgrade that keeps the original look.

 

[limeex2]

I used a 1100E Front end with Race Tech internals, professionally done. 1100E swingarm, lighter, stronger and easy to find. Rebuilt my old Fox shocks. Salty Monk brakes. Bike is much better than when I raced it 30 years ago! The Race Tech front end on our lousy Mn roads is sweet. 1100 forks and 1000 forks are basically the same but 1000's look better w/o anti dive crap on them. Get 1100 caps if you want adjustable springs. Imo,as good as modern. Brake update with EBC HH pads and steel lines are phenomenal. You'll never find Fox Shocks but I will using Bi-Tubo rear shocks. Got them on a group buy on the ZRX forum, great price, rebuildable and the 40-50 guys who bought them, luv 'em. If your willing to spring for Dymags which you will never find, try spoked wheels. Be patient and find old 18" dirt bike rims and get 'em laced up. 18" front makes a huge differance and you will not hit the pipe of a 4/1. Very early 18" GSXR wheels are a fairly easy conversion and crazy light

Dont cheap out on the brakes or suspension. Other wise its a expensive old bike that handles and brakes like an...old bike.

 

[garyS-NJ]

I'm looking to upgrade suspension on my '79gs1K. On the highway at speed over rutts and bumps it is anything but on rails and a little scary. I can't get near the top end. I have sonic 1kg springs and racetech emulators up front. the springs are a little stiff for my 160lbs I should have gone .95 kg... So I cranked up the preload on stock rear shocks. a front end upgrade might be in the future but for now I'd like to get new shocks and swingarm. I believe the ZRX11 swingarm will fit and then I could use the stock ZRX KYB piggybacks but at 360mm they might be long. IDK what other shocks can be had for the ZRX swingarm but I bet YSS makes a good shock (for $700!). but then I'm wondering if the ZRX swingarm would command a wider tire and then force a front end swap (I have a 41mm front end from a '97 Katana and a CBR900 front end at 45mm with cartridges (but I think both of those are short for the GS Geometry and they both have 17" front wheels and I think I need an 18" min front wheel). This brings me back to the GS1100 swingarm (is there a steel one and an aluminum swinger?). Any recommendations for shocks with the GS1100 swingarm? and any comments on the ZRX swingarm and then shocks, front end, wheels? Is there a standard go too with swwingarm, shocks, frontend, wheels? I just missed a zephyr parts bike...

 

[garyS-NJ]

suspension upgrades

suspension upgrades

Your bike has an awesome look is that an '83 GSX1100S? And both your front and rear wheels are aftermarket 18"?? what width rims and tire sizes? and wouldn't the ZRX 1100 swingarm do about the same with that Metmachex?? (did you have to lose your centerstand?). what kind of rear shocks and how is it on the highway??

I hear you. I swapped out my 83 forks for some 89 forks. Went from "kid sister" skinny, no adjustment OEM forks, to fully adjustable 43mm RSU forks and kept my 18" wheels. Parts were easy, others more complicated.

I wanted to keep my wheels as they were already aftermarket & kinda "period correct" for the bike without looking like everybody else's bike with modern (17" wheels & USD forks)"legs" on their vintage bike. It took new spacers and fab'ing brackets by hand, but it was worth every drop of sweat.

The 1100e swingarm would also make a fine upgrade to your 1000. I am just in the process of putting one on my Mrs' GPz1100. The OEM swingarm worked great on my Suzuki, even with a 160 tire, but I wanted "just a little more" on mine. Metmachex was my answer. They are still in business, if you're interested.


Enough of my blithering... the end results are below...

 

[slayer61]

Your bike has an awesome look is that an '83 GSX1100S? And both your front and rear wheels are aftermarket 18"?? what width rims and tire sizes? and wouldn't the ZRX 1100 swingarm do about the same with that Metmachex?? (did you have to lose your centerstand?). what kind of rear shocks and how is it on the highway??

Thanks Gary. Suzuki made a 1 year model, the 1983 GS1100es in this country. The wheels are Astralites, and both front & rear are indeed 18" hoops. I bought them so long ago, I couldn't tell you how wide they are. I did recently buy tires, though... 110/80-18 on the front & 160/60-18 on the rear. I can't compare a ZRX swingarm to the Metmachex. I never had a ZRX swingarm on my Zook. I enjoy having things that you don't see every day, and the Metmachex fills that very nicely. Between the swingarm & pipe, I have no center stand, but I do have a couple of work stands in the garage.

Be safe & good luck with your project.

 

[RichDesmond]

I'm looking to upgrade suspension on my '79gs1K. On the highway at speed over rutts and bumps it is anything but on rails and a little scary. I can't get near the top end. I have sonic 1kg springs and racetech emulators up front. the springs are a little stiff for my 160lbs I should have gone .95 kg... So I cranked up the preload on stock rear shocks. a front end upgrade might be in the future but for now I'd like to get new shocks and swingarm. I believe the ZRX11 swingarm will fit and then I could use the stock ZRX KYB piggybacks but at 360mm they might be long. IDK what other shocks can be had for the ZRX swingarm but I bet YSS makes a good shock (for $700!). but then I'm wondering if the ZRX swingarm would command a wider tire and then force a front end swap (I have a 41mm front end from a '97 Katana and a CBR900 front end at 45mm with cartridges (but I think both of those are short for the GS Geometry and they both have 17" front wheels and I think I need an 18" min front wheel). This brings me back to the GS1100 swingarm (is there a steel one and an aluminum swinger?). Any recommendations for shocks with the GS1100 swingarm? and any comments on the ZRX swingarm and then shocks, front end, wheels? Is there a standard go too with swwingarm, shocks, frontend, wheels? I just missed a zephyr parts bike...

Just buy a good set of shocks and forget all that other stuff.