Simple old school + new school, call it pre skool

[Zweihammer]

Here is the new upper race from the adapter bearing (great find, guys!). I ground a relief in both sides in the unlikely event I have to drive this out. Then I put it in with a brass drift, as you can see the upper shoulder is very thin. Now I am ordering a new GS lower bearing because I naively thought I could remove the original without destroying it. Not so much.

On to part three!
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[Zweihammer]

Part three!

Here the Gixxer forks have been slipped in for a mock up (no lower bearing, need to add stops and damper mount). The front wheel is an ?02, but the discs are tweaked from shipping. I scored a set of ?09 before realizing they are 6 bolt rather than 5, then a set of ?05 to match the forks thinking they would fit the ?02 rim, of course not. One of the times I didn?t research the cross reference myself, trusting the e*ay seller description. So I need to score either another rim or a third set of discs. This goes back to the buy the front end complete and save the headaches advice I ignored. By the way, I know the forks will need to be rebuilt as the left is wet and they will need to carry the extra weight of the GS and my copious mass. Is this something one can handle themselves or does that require special tools? I wanted to pull them apart and have the fork tubes re anodized as well at the same time.













Fab will begin soon, I am starting to get excited! As always comments are welcomed.


I am looking for an image of the lower linkage on the '08 GSXR monoshock. It is a bit different than the earlier years it seems. I can see how it is supposed to function, I was hoping for an image of the relative position of the connecting link when it is at rest so I have a reference. Anybody have one?


Cheers, Erick

 

[Zweihammer]

Good Morning Everybody!


Well, I went out into the shop last night to try to fabricate the frame connection for my lower link to put my K8 swinger into my GS. As near as I can tell the K1 through K6 is what most everyone who has attempted this so far has used.

Leave it up to me to make it difficult, as the K7 and K8 have the connecting links going forward from the lever to the frame in a horse shoe shape, instead of going from the lever back to the swinger. Backwards to seemingly all the set ups for the last 25 years, As is shown in this pic from Bike Bandit;






Similar, apparently to a H*nda. The only clear pics I have located online of this style of set up are H*nda, the GSXR pics never show an unobstructed view. The first pic here is an ad for GSXR Sato rearsets, but you can make out a bit of the linkage, the other pics seem to be H*nda, but show the principle;

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Does anyone on the board here have pics or access to an ?07 or ?08 GSXR and can snap a couple of pics from down low so I can try to maintain the relationship Suzuki set up from the factory?

Thanks in advance! Erick

 

[posplayr]

Here is the new upper race from the adapter bearing (great find, guys!). I ground a relief in both sides in the unlikely event I have to drive this out. Then I put it in with a brass drift, as you can see the upper shoulder is very thin. Now I am ordering a new GS lower bearing because I naively thought I could remove the original without destroying it. Not so much.

On to part three!

Not sure I like the idea of a relief ; What if the race dents into the relief(s)?

If you are worried about getting races out there have been various techniques descibed here.

 

[Zweihammer]

I appreciate your concern, the relief is only a 16th or so less than the ID of the race, just enough to give purchase to a punch. It is what the maker of the adapter bearing recommends and is apparently what is factory on the SV headstock, which is the larger market for these GSXR swap bearings.

I have removed races with heat and cold before as well. To tell the truth, I don't think I am going to put the kind of miles on this that will ever require changing this, who knows?

Cheers, Erick

 

[Zweihammer]

Hello Everyone!

Here is a pic from under my GS with the K8 swinger. I think the links on this swinger are lowering links as they are about 30mm longer than the stock linkage on second swinger.




This is a pic of the second swinger with the linkage in roughly the orientation I believe it should be ( I still need to confirm this), a little less than parallel to the swinger. I think I will need to shorten the link even more to fit it in off the former center stand cross member. Can anyone think of a problem with that? I know that will change the ratios slightly, but the lowering links are anywhere up to 100 mm longer than stock. Any input would be appreciated.









Let the mockery continue! Here is my stunter bars with the levers and switchgear slipped on to check fit. Obviously, all the cables and lines are too short, I will be replacing all of these. The brake master and calipers are ?08 R6. The rest is K8. I will be retaining the big ass GS headlamp, I love that thing.


I hope I can find time this weekend to move this along a bit further.

Cheers, Erick

 

[80GS1000]

fNot sure you'll want to mess with shortening the linkages as that'll effect the way your rear suspension will behave. You want the shock. swingarm and linkage angles to be as close as possible to the way they're set up on the GSXR they came from so that everything works as designed. Try going to your local Suzuki dealer with a digital camera and a notepad and takes a bunch of pics and notes on how the rear shock and linkage for a 07+ GSXR 1000 is set up, and then mock up and duplicate those angles that as closely as possible with your hardware. This'll tell you where the shock mounts need to be welded to the frame.

As far as rebuilding your front end, plenty of people do it themselves but if there's a Racetech dealer near you it may be easier for them to do it for you. I had Jason at Corporate Suspension (local roadracing suspension guru) do mine.

 

[Zweihammer]

Well, 80GS1000, it seems from my searches that raising links and lowering links seem to be a common mod, some for looks, some for retrofits (seems GSXR shocks into SV650s seem popular and usually requires a set of 1/2 to 1 inch shorter raising links to raise the rear to accommodate the shorter shock) and some to vary the steering angle to suite their riding style. I am definitly trying to keep the geometry as close to as Suzuki intended.

Speaking of steering head angle, I seem to remember in your build you determined a value. What made you choose that particular value, and now that you have put some miles on it, do you still feel you made the right choice? I don't really see track days in my future, but I do go out of my way to find the twisty routes. I would like to end up with something quick, but not so twitchy I fear releasing a grip to raise my visor.

How does one account for sag without loading a comparable set of weights on the seat area? Is it just trial and error, tack it it up and then sit on it?

Cheers, Erick

 

[Turtleface]

Rear Combo Lamp

Rear Combo Lamp

Erick, did you buy the bike with that rear light on it? Or did you install it? Either way, could you tell me if it's a straight bolt-on, or was there a repositioning of mounting tabs involved? I'm really liking the stance of the bike, and I think that tail's helping. I'm probably going to have to mount one on my bike.

 

[Billy Ricks]

Greetings All!

Thanks for the encouraging words! 80GS1000, your build was one of my biggest inspirations, I got my adapter bearing for the headstock from the source you listed, as well as my offset 520 sprocket,

I used to have the source bookmarked but can't find it anymore. Do you have a link?

 

[posplayr]

I appreciate your concern, the relief is only a 16th or so less than the ID of the race, just enough to give purchase to a punch. It is what the maker of the adapter bearing recommends and is apparently what is factory on the SV headstock, which is the larger market for these GSXR swap bearings.

I have removed races with heat and cold before as well. To tell the truth, I don't think I am going to put the kind of miles on this that will ever require changing this, who knows?

Cheers, Erick

Oh i see; it is just a short groove, not completely under the race. I guess that works.

 

[posplayr]

I used to have the source bookmarked but can't find it anymore. Do you have a link?

Billy,

It's in his Siggy

Erick ,
Hope you get that swinger sorted. I'm clueless but it does look awesome.
Jim

 

[80GS1000]

Well, 80GS1000, it seems from my searches that raising links and lowering links seem to be a common mod, some for looks, some for retrofits (seems GSXR shocks into SV650s seem popular and usually requires a set of 1/2 to 1 inch shorter raising links to raise the rear to accommodate the shorter shock) and some to vary the steering angle to suite their riding style. I am definitly trying to keep the geometry as close to as Suzuki intended.

Speaking of steering head angle, I seem to remember in your build you determined a value. What made you choose that particular value, and now that you have put some miles on it, do you still feel you made the right choice? I don't really see track days in my future, but I do go out of my way to find the twisty routes. I would like to end up with something quick, but not so twitchy I fear releasing a grip to raise my visor.

How does one account for sag without loading a comparable set of weights on the seat area? Is it just trial and error, tack it it up and then sit on it?

Cheers, Erick

Ah, gotcha, you're planning on using aftermarket linkages to make it work. A 2005/2006 swingarm/linkage may be cheaper/easier - they seem to go for $40-60 on eBay all the time. The fabrication required seems a bit simpler.

I found that 24.5 degrees rake at the headstock gave me a quick steering bike that rails through corners without being nervous. This also allowed for a good trail number of ~4" while allowing the linkage and shock angles to be at the stock angles.

Are you planning on bracing your frame?

I used to have the source bookmarked but can't find it anymore. Do you have a link?

http://www.twfracing.com/zparts.html

 

[salty_monk]

There's a good free digital angle measuring app on I phone if you have one...

Dan

 

[TheCafeKid]

There's a good free digital angle measuring app on I phone if you have one...

Dan

No kidding? Off to find that one.... Thanks! You're a fount of info tonight Dan! Lol

 

[Zweihammer]

80GS1000, I am trying to find K7 or K8 GSXRs to photo, but to tell you the truth, I need to study them more to tell them apart, they all look the same to me. The few I have walked up to have been older and of no help.

I am probably going to end up using the stock linkage, it is quite a bit shorter than the links on the arm I have slotted in there right now. I made a quick template to check my options ad it looks like it will work with the link positioned on the top of the former center stand spreader. My quandry is wither it is going to be easier to mod the existing spreader (removing the center stand bits and adding my tabs) or replace it with something I fabricate. I am glad the link is in tension, but my planned mounting tabs position will put that tube in torsion and I am uncertain of it's wall thickness as well as I am generally unimpressed with the weld quality of this frame.

The K7/K8 swinger set has been done by at least one other member on the board here, and through a snafu with the company I got them from I ended up with two for the price of one and they told me to keep it. I think it won't be too bad over the K5/K6, just a different approach. I will definitely document the fabrication for anyone who may be interested. One other difference with this swinger, it appears the shock will be much more vertical than the others, away from the center down tubes. This will be a more challenging mount than the earlier swingers that place the clevis closer to the frame, I plan to trellis a heavy wall tube vertically to the existing frame to utilize the stock upper shock clevis mount.

I will definitely be bracing the frame, especially in the area under the rear of the tank as that is where I predict a majority of the new forces will be directed. Those of you who have braced your frame, did you ride your bike before to see if you notice a tangible difference?

Thanks for the feedback everybody. This week doesn't look like I will have much opportunity to get into the shop. I will try to make time.

Cheers, Erick

 

[Zweihammer]

Hello Everyone!

I was able to make a couple hours to get into the shop tonight. I had been waiting on a machinist friend of mine to make up my top hat spacers for my GSXR swinger with the GS pivot shaft. I have an old 10x24 Jet lathe, but it is very worn and I don?t use it if I need anything accurate. My friend hadn?t even gotten the dimensions from me yet, so I wasn?t sure how long I would have to wait.

Last weekend I was looking at the stock GSXR pivot shaft and noticed it was hollow as well as had an ID close to the dimension of the GS pivot. I thought, what did I have to loose? I wasn?t planning on using either the top hat bearing races or swing arm pivot. So I decided to try to make them up with what I had on hand.

First, I cut up the GSXR swinger pivot shaft on the bandsaw. I made them about 30mm longer than the top hats so they would center the inner spacer as well.




After cutting them up, I measured the ID at 15.65 mm and I just needed to take it out to slip over the 16.01 mm GS swinger pivot.




I had a 21/32? drill bit, a wee bit larger than I was looking for, but once this is bolted up tight, a few extra thousandths radial won?t be much of a factor. So I put them in my lathe to drill them out, I suppose you could drill them out freehand if you had to. Hell, a brake hone would take them out (after an hour or so).




After I opened them up, I chamfered them for weld penetration and tried to sand off most of the plating on both parts.



On to Part Two! (due to the 4 image limit)

 

[Zweihammer]

Now, I TIG welded the top hats to the spacers on the flange side so that the stack up with the inner spacer and the roller bearings would not be changed from stock GSXR dimensions.



Put them back into the lathe to face off the weld, as well run the drill through again to open up the end shrunk by the weld heat.




Here is how they look, bushed down to 16mm next to an original 22mm. Actually pretty simple if you have the tools. I would expect anyone attempting to mono a GS would have, or have access to a welder. So here is another way to do it. I would have preferred to make to some out of 400 series stainless not to have to worry about corrosion, but I think greasing the crap out of everything at assembly will be fine.




I don?t know if I will get another night in the shop before this weekend, but my next project will be the lower link.

Cheers, Erick

 

[Zweihammer]

Hi All!

Made some more progress this past weekend. I received a new GS lower steering stem bearing and seal for GSXR triples. Tried to get the old ball bearing race off with heat, no luck. Ended up grinding it down on one side, then flipped it over to help drive on the new bearing.

Then I put in my newly bushed swing arm bearing races. Spent a couple more hours grinding down more bits and I am still not done! Some are going to have to wait till I tear it all down for paint. The swing arm bosses in the frame needed to be ground down equal to the flange of the top hat bearing races. Took a bit off and checked fit a few times until it slid in snug. As you can see it is close to the cases, probably would fit without any changes but I sanded off the bosses at the case split anyway.







I put the original seat back on and using only the finest in hardwood strut technology coupled with a zip tie shock mount, I determined a comfortable seat height. I haven?t checked the steering angle yet, but it seems comparable to what others have done. It also allowed me to see that with a stock lower link I will be able to mount it to the top of the old center stand spreader, I will only have about a mm clearance, but it looks about perfect from what I can tell.




I now have a roller again, so I pushed her outside to sweep out the shop and snap a few. I wish I had mad photochop skillz like everyone under 20 seems to, so I can shop in a seat and side rails, but I am old. My plan still is for a blue, white and black scheme as of now, but the red tank and rear wheel are starting to grow on me. The stock seat even without a tail looks like a diving board to me.




on to part 2..

 

[Zweihammer]

Continued..





I have raised the tail on my mock up to place the lower edge even with and parallel to the frame. It might end up easier for me to make a new tail section incorporating the seat base, battery and electrics tray and side rails up to the tank out of aluminum. I will still keep the tail light and profile as it is now. I really like it.










I will begin bracing the frame and building the connecting link and shock mounts next.

Perhaps this is too amateur compared to some of the nicer high end builds, but it seems achievable for most. I hope this will be of use to someone, as others were for me.

Cheers, Erick