Converting a ´00 43mm Showa USD to radial calipers

[zigzag]

Hi all,

I´ll try to explain what I want to do:

If everything turns out ok, I will be in posession of a 929 Fireblade front end soon.

As you all may know the forks come with a bracket for "standard" mounted 4-pot Nissin calipers.

That bracket is integral part of the lower part of the fork and the wheelspindle runs through it, too.

The 2004 Fireblade comes with a similar fork but this time it can hold radially mounted calipers.

If I can snatch up a pair of bent (and therefore reasonably cheap) ´04 forks where these "shoes" or "sleeves" are still intact, could they be swapped? IIRC they are screwed on the fork lowers.

This swap would give me a wider choice of brake discs since the ´00 fireblade discs are 330mm...

Any knowledge around here regarding this problem?

Thanks in advance.

Bernd

[tootall]

Two things.

1, the 929 blade had some of the best brakes ever to grace a production bike, why do you want to change?

2, would it not be easier/cheaper to get a set of 1000RR forks complete, and sell on your 929 ones after to recoup some of the outlay? SHould be able to get a decent set of forks for less than £200

[heds954]

Two things.

1, the 929 blade had some of the best brakes ever to grace a production bike, why do you want to change?

2, would it not be easier/cheaper to get a set of 1000RR forks complete, and sell on your 929 ones after to recoup some of the outlay? SHould be able to get a decent set of forks for less than £200

this ^ in a nutshell

Yes it's a nice pose having radials, but on a 929, not necessary. For the time and money involved you'd be better off getting those forks tuned for your weight and riding style, if you get 1000rr forks chances are they'll still be standard and will still need fettling.

[zigzag]

this ^ in a nutshell

Yes it's a nice pose having radials, but on a 929, not necessary. For the time and money involved you'd be better off getting those forks tuned for your weight and riding style, if you get 1000rr forks chances are they'll still be standard and will still need fettling.

Thanks for your quick replies.

The front end will go into my ´91 VFR. It comes for a very fair price. The forks will get a complete overhaul and revalve. I know that the brakes are very good. But with 330mm discs the choice for aftermarket discs is limited (motomaster for example do them only wavey style) and so "less" maybe can be more.....

After all this all is only in my head right now since the deal on the 929 frontend has to be confirmed yet.

[zigzag]

SHould be able to get a decent set of forks for less than £200

Ahem.....

[thefatman]

You should be able to do the swap easily enough, you might need to make some spacers to move the position of the discs, it might just fit together nicely like some things do though.

The vfr/cbr fork swap goes straight on, the standard fireblade brakes are still amazing though...

[heds954]

Thanks for your quick replies.

The front end will go into my ´91 VFR. It comes for a very fair price. The forks will get a complete overhaul and revalve. I know that the brakes are very good. But with 330mm discs the choice for aftermarket discs is limited (motomaster for example do them only wavey style) and so "less" maybe can be more.....

After all this all is only in my head right now since the deal on the 929 frontend has to be confirmed yet.

Well, if it's discs that's the problem I've a pair of 330mm EBC ProLites in my garage that'll go straight in. Admittedly, they're a bit rusty (they're not pretty stainless types they're iron jobbies) and the bobbins could do with being looked at, but still it's an option.

[zigzag]

Thanks again for all your input, it´s really welcome.

And thanks heds for your kind offer but rusty discs with bobbins which may need looking after

Again, "it´s all in me head" and maybe them forkchicken they don´t plot after all

Cheers, Bernd (the one on the right)

[eddie]

To remove the fork lowers, after stripping the forks, you will probably need to heat the ally to "release" the loctite (or whatever they use in Japan), and then unscrew the stantion from the fork lower. If I understand what your'e trying to do, you'll need to do this to both sets of forks, and then re assemble them as you require. It would be best to measure the diameter of the stantions before you start, because if they are different diameters, one will be very loose in the fork lower, and the other won't fit!! (unles you have a large hammer)

I found, that when I dis assembled a pair of zxr forks, I needed a tap to clean out the ally fork bottoms, as the japs had poured about 2 1/2 bottles of threadlock into each one!

[zigzag]

As above, and you furthermore need a special "spacer" to fit in the top of the forktubes that holds small metal bars which you fit to it using the holes in the fork tube´s walls. This gives you some leverage without deforming the tubes while srewing them off the bottoms. Or so I was told.

[username]

The 929 RRY forks have quite a poor action. The reason for this is the seal groove isn't deep enough and the seal binds on the stanchion causing a lot of stiction. While you have the forks apart it's worth getting the seal groove machined to sort this out

[zigzag]

The 929 RRY forks have quite a poor action. The reason for this is the seal groove isn't deep enough and the seal binds on the stanchion causing a lot of stiction. While you have the forks apart it's worth getting the seal groove machined to sort this out

Definately, I´ll see to this right after the tubes (all 4) are back from the metal workshop where they will be straightened (as far as possible that is).