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GS300 out of mothballs. Front swap?

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    #1

    GS300 out of mothballs. Front swap?

    Hey guys, I have an 82 GS300 I am going to revive soon to ride just for giggles and good gas mileage.. It's in really good shape physically for its age. However, I do not like the atrocious (and ugly) drum brakes on the front. I'd like to swap it out with a disc unit. Should I be able to swap in two front forks from a 400 or a 450? Or do I need the whole tree unit? The 450 looks like virtually the same bike. I do have an 82 650 tree unit lying about with a caliper still on it...I am certain that has larger forks, but could I swap that whole unit on? Course I know I need a wheel as well....what size would be ok? Thanks in advance!
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    #2
    Easiest thing to do is swap an entire front end (wheel, forks, tree, etc). IIRC the 450 has 33mm legs and the 650 would have 35mm legs.

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      #3
      That's good info. Would the 650 tree still fit though on that frame? Since I already have them that would keep my cost down. I don't want to pump a ton of money in this old bike since it is small displacement. Thank you!

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        #4
        I haven't looked, but check the steering stem bearings between the two models. Good chance they use the same bearings, so it would be a pretty direct swap (steering stops might be different on the lower trees though).

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          #5
          I'm going to look but not feeling confident on the 650. Parts fiche shows different part numbers for the bearings so maybe...maybe not. However, I did find this video which although it is just for showing a fork seal replacement, it does show a disc brake front on a GS 300. I'm guessing that is a 450 front.

          doing the fork seals in the suzuki gs 300
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c03wIKpF7gs
          well it was kind of a nightmare being that the bike is 30 years old now, but its done and shes not leaking any more so thats all that matters, an oil change ...

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            #6
            Originally posted by James750tz View Post
            I'm going to look but not feeling confident on the 650. Parts fiche shows different part numbers for the bearings so maybe...maybe not. However, I did find this video which although it is just for showing a fork seal replacement, it does show a disc brake front on a GS 300. I'm guessing that is a 450 front.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c03wIKpF7gs
            I just pulled out the old parts I have. Definitely larger 32mm forks. Overall length is slightly longer. I think the bearings are different. If the shaft is the same outside that the bearing rides on I might could use it...How does that lower bearing come off?

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              #7
              Here is what I got...Single disk unit. Any idea what I came from? I thought it was from a 82 GS650G but that is a dual disk unit.
              Attached Files

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                #8
                One more shot. Triple Tree
                Attached Files

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                  #9
                  Maybe from a 550L? I really don't know - that leading axle mount is from an L model though.

                  Allballs has a thing on their site to help with front end conversions. Might be worth a look.

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