GSXR Fork Swap Onto My SV650 - pic Heavy

I'm just going to copy & paste this over from a thread my photographer friend posted up on a non-bike site detailing my swap. I'm just too lazy to go through & re caption the pics, Enjoy.


Stjjames (Josh) sent Scott and I a message and asked if we wanted to have some fun and help him with his fork swap.
Ended up doing the swap at H8's (scotts) house and it was a good time! We even had to fab up some brackets to hold the gauge cluster and they worked perfectly! :woot

Starting point








The replacement forks. :smokin:

 

removing the top clamp, head light, gauge cluster, controls, etc.






Hopper (Ryan) and Josh started working on the new front end. It needed to be pulled apart, checked and have new fluid put in.


Vince and I got the front end apart and off.


NOTE: remember this bracket, we'll use it later.




Josh is reusing the controls, put on the new clip ons.

 

Out with the old, and in the trash!


No he's not really throwing it away, just stuck it out there, out of the way.

More work on the front end. One of the bolts holding on the calipers wouldnt come off, it was stripped out pretty good.
Vince tried a bunch of things, while Josh and I ran to the store to get a couple of bolts and safety/security torx bit.


One off and apart. Everything looks good.


Then came the grinding off of the bolt holding on the caliper.

 

What now??

Funny thing about the stock top clamp...the ignition had the security torx bolts and we couldnt find the correct bit size.
So while they were screwing around with the folks and drinking beers, I spent a bit of time drilling out the "center pin" on the torx bolts so we could get the ignition out and into the new top clamp.



The new top clamp had the ignition drilled out of it as well, but it looked like a couple of hacks did it. :thumbsdown: :bang:
After some work on the one hole that had some decent threads in it, I got it on and secured. It's not going anywhere.

 

After the new forks were filled and ready to roll, we got the lower on and tightened down, of course after we checked the new bearings and greased them. :thumbsup:


Then slide in the forks. **** these things make the stocker look like toothpicks! :rock:


Then the brackets for the head light, turn signals, and the clip new clip ons went on.


top clamp on


getting the controls in the right place.




NOTE: look at the clamp laying on the floor next to the needle nose pliers. We'll be using that in a bit for some cool stuff.

 

Then we decided it was a good time to eat.
Scott, like the great host he always is, cooked us up some goooooood chicken on the bbq :thumbsup:


Some beers and SS's were on hand as well, and some desert! :rock:

 

Back out in the garage.



We needed the clutch lever 'massaged' a bit to fit over the clip on bar. So I got to work on it...and then 'painted' it with a sharpie. It looked pro!

 

OK, here's the bracket I said to remember.


It was originally under the headlight bracket, not even sure it was being used. Probably a stock part that was just left on when Josh did some other mods to it.


So I'm looking for something to hold the gauge cluster on, and make it look good, until Josh can get the new gauge unit he wants.
I remember seeing that little bracket, but couldnt remember where. So we pulled the other one off the other side for the old front forks, and a piece of aluminum.
As Im trying to figure out how to use just one of those brackets, cause I couldnt find the other one, Vince sees the match laying on the ground under the front tire. :woot

Vince checking out the gauge, holding it about where it should be sitting.


Vince and I deciding how it should mount up with the brackets.


A little cutting


..and painting, and the look they look like they should be there! :rock: :thumbsup:

 

All together.


Sits perfectly over the headlight. Although we did have to raise the light about an inch or so to get it to sit right on top. Josh wanted it all the way down, but agreed it looks much better like this.

 

Time to fill the front brakes with fluid.




Getting ready to take it for a test ride. :thumbsup:








Josh said the forks were WAY better! They'll need to be set up, along with the rear, to really get out of them what he can.
The front brakes still need to be bled a bit, but it was late and time to get home and get some sleep.

 

Thanks Brutha . . . So - When are we doing yours ? :mrgreen:

Forks, Brakes, wheels, clip-on's - 04/05 GSXR 600
Triple - 04/05 750
Its the same stuff & is interchangeable, to my knowledge.
I've heard of guys swapping GSXR brakes on their stock set ups, but I'm not sure of the intricacies. Though, I believe, in the wheel alone - you lose 5lbs-ish. I'm planning on a rear swap as well, as you can save 5lbs to 8lbs, depending on the year - the newer the lighter. That and I get a fatter rear tire, which - I like better, the pro's & con's of performance of a 160 vs 180 is debatable. We only had to grind, as one of my bolt heads was stripped out. IIRC, I have about $500 into the swap & gathered all of the parts from eBay. I did end up buying new brake pads - but that was recently. I'm told others need/use a 'swap bearing' ? I used my stock / GSXR bearings, in their respective places & haven't had any issues. I know guys use newer forks, both 600/750 & 1000 alike. My research said the 04/05 600/750 was the most straight forward swap & that's what I shot for :mrgreen:
I sold the stock forks pretty promptly, sorry mang !
Major parts . . .
Forks
Brakes
Wheel
Master Cylinder / lever / lines
clip-ons
triple tree's / bearings /stem
I think that's it . . .:tard:
You'll have to remount your light & Gauges.
Good luck & lemme know if ya need anything else 8)
Cheers.

 

This thread is a year old, I sold the whole thing for $100 long ago 8)