Where do you guys find your GSXR front ends?!

[twist-throttle]

long_av8r or anybody else for that matter,

I am curious about the RSU/Conventional/non-USD forks off of a 88-90 GSXR750. How does their length compare to the USD forks from the 91-95 GSXR750?

Would the front-end from a 88-90 GSXR750 make a good swap... I mean as in fitment & ground clearance?

Thanks in advance!

[justin caise]

http://www.oldskoolsuzuki.info/

[Cassius086]

87/88 gsxr 750, I believe, is the shortest front end they made, IF my memory serves me, and would give poor ground clearance.

[GER144]

I've got an '89 gsxr 750 front end on my '83 katana, and yes they are shorter than the early USD front ends, but unless you're road racing your GS, or all you do is corner carving, ground clearance is not a problem for every day riding.
My Kat does corner well with the '89 gsxr front end, no clearance issues EXCEPT that I am running a V&H sidewinder exhaust, and the exhaust will touch early if you push it at all on right turns. It doesn't bother me as I built the bike as my weekend bracket racer and daily driver. Not a corner shredder.

[GER144]

The last pic is a little dark and hard to see, and the front end in that pic is actually 'strapped down' as well. The pic below is 'unstrapped'. I have also upgraded the front with progressive springs, Metzeler M3 rubber, Galfer steel-braided lines, and EBC pads.
It works just fine.
But if you want a taller front end that is not USD, maybe try the early gsxr1100 fronts (1986 to 1988). They are tall, but they have 18" wheels as well. There are better tire selections for the 17" wheels, but there are still good choices available in 18".

[GER144]

Not sure why a 'smilie' keeps popping up when I type in '88 or 1988 ?? It should read NINETEEN-EIGHTY-EIGHT.

[t3rmin]

It's when you put an "eight" and a end-paren together.

[Billy Ricks]

The '88 750 front ends were the shortest of the bunch. I had one on my 700 for years and under hard riding conditions the header would bang against the pavement. I've since switched to a '95 GSXR750 fork in CBR954 triples. The 954 triple will give you an about 3/4" of ride heighth back. You do have to remove a little material from the inside of the upper bearing to fit the 954 triple, not a big deal with a dremel and a barrel sanding attachment.

My bike with the '88 fork.


And now.

[rosco15]

I was just looking at a friends bike that put a gsxr1000 front end on it. He said there was some machining involved, but it looks pretty sweet.

[GER144]

Nice looking 700 there Billy! What size rear wheel/tire are you running?

Rosco, I agree them new gsxr1000 (and newer 600/750) front ends do look sweet! Especially the ones with the radial-brakes.

I have also put a '98 gsxr (srad) front end on my '81 GS, it looks longer than the '89 front end, but not as long as the old desirable (for our old GS's) gsxr1100 USD front ends. Again with me, it didn't matter on length as my '81 will be mostly a track bike. The forks have been shortened internally, but before they were shortened they appeared like they would have worked fine clearance wise at normal length.

[twist-throttle]

Hmmm... that does sound right, or jogs my memory now. Yes, I've heard that the 88-90 GSXR750 forks are the shortest that they had. My thought with them was that I might find a set cheaper then the newer inverted forks, easier to do maintenance then USD & that they weigh less then the USD.

From what I gather, that the front-end off of a 91-95 GSXR750 would be my best bet (my plan is to run clip-ons below the top triple-clamp, unlike the 1100).

But I have to admit, I think that Billy Ricks first pic, with the 88 forks on his 700... that looks way sweeter then I would have ever expected!! I say that since I have always thought that inverted forks look way better then conventional forks.

Also, you guys bring up the good point about what kind of riding would we really be doing on our bikes... on how far would we really be leaning over the bike & how much clearance we really need. Yes, my bike will be basically a daily commuter, but I hope to do a little bit of "sport riding" with it... but I assume my "sport riding" will be relative to the age of the bike... so I can't honestly say if it would be an issue or not.

[Billy Ricks]

Nice looking 700 there Billy! What size rear wheel/tire are you running?

It's a 160 on a 4.5" wheel. The bike needs painting now. It'll probably end up the Gixxer blue on the fender.

[posplayr]

Complete Barbequed 1991 GSXR-750 $350

http://ventura.craigslist.org/mcy/591539583.html

91 GSXR750 suzuki parts bike due to fire, call (805)646-3918

Santa Paula CA

[jknappsax]

Man, I think I got #$@&%ed

I bought a complete 1992 GSXR 1100 USD front end, discs and mounts, with only one caliper, and both 17" wheels and both master cylinders from a member here, drove 350 miles each way to pick it up, and paid $850! I had looked for a long time, and figured that considering how long I looked, this was probably the best deal I was going to find. DOH!! I feel like a complete idiot! These items are going on a 1979 GS 1000. Only lose about 1.5" in ride height, quicken up the steering a little, get to run RADIALS! 17"x3.5" front, 17"x 4.5" rear. The madness that this stuff drives us to is an ADDICTION! However, I don't think it's illegal, or at least punishable by jail time.

[Billy Ricks]

Only lose about 1.5" in ride height, quicken up the steering a little, get to run RADIALS! 17"x3.5" front, 17"x 4.5" rear. The madness that this stuff drives us to is an ADDICTION! However, I don't think it's illegal, or at least punishable by jail time.

Don't sweat the ride height too much. The newer forks are stiffer and don't have near as much travel as the old stuff. They rely on the radials to soak up much of the initial jolt. I've found 30 lbs of air at each end works pretty good for me. You know you have the air right when the difference in air pressure is about 3 lbs cold vs a hot tire.