Foreword:
Please note that this thread is only to offer some guidance for anyone who might wish to entertain a retrofit to their Sprint front suspension - this in no way constitutes any offer or solicitation to provide any parts.
The main focus is to provide some information on how to do this yourself. It also assumes anyone undertaking such a project has some mechanical engineering aptitude and decent knowledge of motorcycle mechanics with ability that goes beyond basic maintenance.
Do this modification entirely at your own risk & consequence.
Yet hopefully, there is at least one configuration that is quite readily available - and at reasonable cost - for execution by anyone with rudimentary skills and the appropriate toolset. I also caution that you validate any dimensional information for yourself and I make no specific guarantees on anything that follows! There are many different permutations and differences between model years - so all information does not necessarily translate universally!
Recognize that there will be geometry changes predominantly associated with the shorter offset of the triple clamps, resulting in longer trail.
See the tutorial later in thread on rake/trail dynamics.
I'd like to particularly acknowledge our very own OldnDumb who gave tremendous input to one of these projects (the first validation of the TLS conversion) and has provided many of the images you will see below.
Hopefully you'll read on!!!
After helping a few people through some USD fork conversions, I thought I might put some notes together for anyone who might want to consider this option.
Conversions I have personally been engaged in, include:
2004 Sprint RS with 06 GSXR1000 forks
2000 Sprint RS with 06 GSXR750 forks
2000 Sprint RS with Hayabusa forks
2006 ST Sprint ST with TLS forks
2005 ST Sprint ST with 06 GSXR1000 forks.
Note that most of the work in completing these bikes was done by their owners - I essentially provided the guidance & dimensional information & in some instances some special parts.
So we have a smorgasbord of Models across generations as well as both conventional & Radial Suzuki Front ends
Here are a few pictures from those listed above to give you an idea of how they at least look when completed, never mind perform: I think you'll agree that you would be hard-pressed to consider any of these looking any less 'finished' than original showroom configuration.
06 ST with TLS
00 RS with 06 GSXR 750
04 RS with 06 GSXR 1000
05 ST with 06 GSXR1000
00 Sprint RS (naked) with 05 Hayabusa
Please note that this thread is only to offer some guidance for anyone who might wish to entertain a retrofit to their Sprint front suspension - this in no way constitutes any offer or solicitation to provide any parts.
The main focus is to provide some information on how to do this yourself. It also assumes anyone undertaking such a project has some mechanical engineering aptitude and decent knowledge of motorcycle mechanics with ability that goes beyond basic maintenance.
Do this modification entirely at your own risk & consequence.
Yet hopefully, there is at least one configuration that is quite readily available - and at reasonable cost - for execution by anyone with rudimentary skills and the appropriate toolset. I also caution that you validate any dimensional information for yourself and I make no specific guarantees on anything that follows! There are many different permutations and differences between model years - so all information does not necessarily translate universally!
Recognize that there will be geometry changes predominantly associated with the shorter offset of the triple clamps, resulting in longer trail.
See the tutorial later in thread on rake/trail dynamics.
I'd like to particularly acknowledge our very own OldnDumb who gave tremendous input to one of these projects (the first validation of the TLS conversion) and has provided many of the images you will see below.
Hopefully you'll read on!!!
After helping a few people through some USD fork conversions, I thought I might put some notes together for anyone who might want to consider this option.
Conversions I have personally been engaged in, include:
2004 Sprint RS with 06 GSXR1000 forks
2000 Sprint RS with 06 GSXR750 forks
2000 Sprint RS with Hayabusa forks
2006 ST Sprint ST with TLS forks
2005 ST Sprint ST with 06 GSXR1000 forks.
Note that most of the work in completing these bikes was done by their owners - I essentially provided the guidance & dimensional information & in some instances some special parts.
So we have a smorgasbord of Models across generations as well as both conventional & Radial Suzuki Front ends
Here are a few pictures from those listed above to give you an idea of how they at least look when completed, never mind perform: I think you'll agree that you would be hard-pressed to consider any of these looking any less 'finished' than original showroom configuration.
06 ST with TLS
00 RS with 06 GSXR 750
04 RS with 06 GSXR 1000
05 ST with 06 GSXR1000
00 Sprint RS (naked) with 05 Hayabusa