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fork leg swap

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

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I have an 1981 GS1000G. It has a bent right inner fork tube. The bike has been sitting for a couple of years and both forks are bottomed out. I have recently started to try and refurbish it. I bought a pair off forks on e-bay recently and found that (I believe) hey came off of an "L" model. The axle is on the front of the fork leg rather than the end. The inner fork tubes are the same diameter. Question: what is the best course to take? 1. do a direct swap using the existing triple tree. 2. Swap the inner tubes 3. Try and sell them on E-BAY and shop for another set. 4. try to get the old tube straightened and seal redone. I look forward to your input.
thanks
Greg :? :x
 
Re: fork leg swap

I believe the bolt spacing for mounting the calipers is different between the two sets of forks. It would be easy enough to measure and check that though. If they are the same, then probably a complete swap would be the easiest way to go. If they are not the same, you will only be able to swap the complete unit if you also have the calipers for it. (the rotors are the same) However, you may find you still need to tear down the replacement forks and fit new seals and internal slider/anti-friction rings. It would be the most work, but my choice would be to swap the inner tubes onto the original fork lowers and while you have everything apart, replace seals and sliders also. That way, you would have new forks and could forget about them for a long time. (other than changing fork oil now and then) :-)

Earl


Greg said:
I have an 1981 GS1000G. It has a bent right inner fork tube. The bike has been sitting for a couple of years and both forks are bottomed out. I have recently started to try and refurbish it. I bought a pair off forks on e-bay recently and found that (I believe) hey came off of an "L" model. The axle is on the front of the fork leg rather than the end. The inner fork tubes are the same diameter. Question: what is the best course to take? 1. do a direct swap using the existing triple tree. 2. Swap the inner tubes 3. Try and sell them on E-BAY and shop for another set. 4. try to get the old tube straightened and seal redone. I look forward to your input.
thanks
Greg :? :x
Click to expand...
 
Earl wrote:

It would be the most work, but my choice would be to swap the inner tubes onto the original fork lowers and while you have everything apart, replace seals and sliders also. That way, you would have new forks and could forget about them for a long time. (other than changing fork oil now and then)
Click to expand...
I agree totally with Earl. I just did this a few weeks ago with 2 sets of forks (1 pair had bad, rusted upper fork tubes, the other replacement pair had lowers which were for 1 front brake model only).

Not only do you know that your original lowers fit correctly and have the correct brake caliper mounts, but since you have the forks apart anyway, you can also change out the fork seals while you're at it. In fact, if done carefully, you might not even need the special Suzuki fork tool. I've done 3 sets of forks now, and have been able to disassemble each one with just an Allen bit in my reversible Craftsman drill.
 
fork tube swap

fork tube swap

Earl, Ron,
It seems to me the voices of reason have spoken. I was hoping to get away with a little less effort ........but thats the way it goes. I would rather do the right swap the first time and not create even more work.
This ought to be interesting I have never torn forks down before.
Thanks ever so much......
Greg :idea:
 
So let me get this stright the leading axel forks will not work if your axel is at the bottom but you can swap any top tube into the bottom tube. Are they all the same length? I have a 1978 gs 750E and need forks but the only forks on ebay are leading axel
 
As long as the inner fork tubes are the same diameter, you can swap them.
The leading axle forks (as used on 1100's) are 38mm diameter. The 750 uses 36mm fork tubes, so the only way you could swap 1100 forks to a 750 would be to change the fork trees and replace the brake calipers with the 1100 calipers because the mount spacing is different.. 750 forks are aprox 31" overall and the 1100 forks are about 34 inches, but the axle is located 3 inches from the lower fork bottom, so ride height would be the same.
I believe all the 750's use the same diameter fork tubes, so you would be able to swap tubes with any year 750.

Earl


kxed said:
So let me get this stright the leading axel forks will not work if your axel is at the bottom but you can swap any top tube into the bottom tube. Are they all the same length? I have a 1978 gs 750E and need forks but the only forks on ebay are leading axel
Click to expand...
 
forks swapped

forks swapped

:roll: Well I swapped the forks. The new ones were in great shape. There is one small problem.....The new inner tubes a 3inches longer and I now have a chopper LOL and my calipers don't reach any more. Looks like something right out of the 60's. Wonder where I can find longer brake lines. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Re: forks swapped

Re: forks swapped

Greg said:
The new inner tubes a 3inches longer
Click to expand...

I was wondering about this... I was toying with the idea of swapping my leading-axle lowers for the other kind, but was thinking the inner tubes were probably longer on the leading-axle to account for the fact that the outer tube ends further down the wheel... Is this the problem you encountered? Is it possible to cut the inner tubes to the correct size?

Michael
 
Modified Forks

Modified Forks

Well I swapped the forks. The new ones were in great shape. There is one small problem.....The new inner tubes a 3inches longer and I now have a chopper LOL and my calipers don't reach any more. Looks like something right out of the 60's. Wonder where I can find longer brake lines.
Click to expand...


Have you thought about pushing the fork tubes up 3 inches in the clamps?? so long as they don't hit the handle bars, this should be a viable solution. I did this with a honda once(one inch drop), just to take out that built in Chopper appearance, and created a more usable steering angle. :wink:
 
fork swap

fork swap

no room in the clamps to slide tubes up. They hit the handlebars within an inch. And I don't think cutting them is the answer either. shortening the sping inside would effectivly lower the front end though. But I will loose travel.

Greg
 
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