Topic: Mix Match 750 build - next stage cheap 836 kit

[Shtonecb500]

Well, grafting a conventional R6 front forks on your bike, a la FunJimmy style from his Cafe Interceptor will set you back the cost of a good set of R6 of FZ06 front forks, a set of calipers from an FZ06 or R6 (The FZ06 forks went to the old R6 conventional forks after the R6 went to Upside Down Forks. The nice thing is all of them used the same form mounting. The FZ06 had handlebars so you can drop a FZ06 top triple with handlebars on the R6 forks and then you get the ability to run bars rather than clipons and have a more upright riding position. The hub has to be modified and the axle adapter spacers to run bearings for the R6/FZ06 axle and then you need a dust shield for the all balls tapered steering  neck bearing. throw a CBR600 F4 front rotor to get the spacing for the rotor in the right ballpark. If you stay with 19" front rim you won't have to trim as much off the caliper. You can get superb brakes that way just from running one caliper.
The machine work to core the center out of the stock 550/500 hub is time consuming and hours of work slowly cutting that center back. Then rotor/axle bearing spacers, few spacers for each side for the axle and center tube to keep the forks from compressing too much inward and binding or creating stiction and your dust shield are the machine work which is a major expense. Then ya gotta figure out what to do for a fender to adapt or mold one yourself...
All that will run you about $2k unless you find a smoking deal on a full front end that is not tweaked/bent. The old conventional forks should be less and have modern front brakes and better adjustments possible for tuning the setup.
David

im assuming this is in response to the cost of the beringer products for upgrade, if thats the case then ya you are right, its going to cost me about the same for a nicely functioning fork, appropriate triple trees to maintain geometry, triple for risers, and everything else.

[Shtonecb500]

Don't forget - it is advisable to get a set of new triple trees to restore the front end offset to your stock CB750 - otherwise the front can feel twitchy.

for sure. $$$

[Shtonecb500]

just ordered new rubbers for shifter and kick start, new straight banjo bolts, one just very short one and one long one, im gong to replace the curved banjos at my MC and run the lines through the opening in front of the gauges for all the other lines to run through, then down under the lamp, and straight back into the calipers.

Still planning on picking up a set of used 750 forks built up with race tech internals so i can eliminate my forks and the preload adjusters - seeing fork fluid seep from the top of my adjusters while im riding annoys the living #$%* out of me, i'm constantly thinking about how unbalanced my fork fluids are.


edit: everything on my front end took a turn with the wrench, bike felt much better.

[Shtonecb500]

https://bikescreen.com/products/shoei-fm-2-3

these guys sell windscreens for my fairing, they have 10" and 14" cuts, I think I have the 7.5 inch model currently installed on it, its a stock shoei windscreen. Im going for the 10 or 14" probably the 10" and still have it pushing wind over my helmet....right now all the wind hits me directly on my helmet.
here is a picture of what i think is the 14" model installed on a motorcycle.

[Shtonecb500]

im an idiot and mixed brake fluids, my wheel was locking up near the end of my ride.

edit:

i bought some brake cleaner and some dot 4, flushed the system with dot 4 three times, then took everything apart, I installed the correct banjo bolts and now the lines run off to the right down the center in front of the gauges and under the headlight. So clean now. I pulled the pucks out, cleaned everything no drag in the wheel.

[Shtonecb500]

my pull/lower throttle cable snapped on my a mile from my house, I parked at a coffee shop and walked home, found a spare cable in my bin, managed to strip one of the screws on the switch housing.  I ended up leaving my bike there all day and rolling it back home after midnight on the sidewalk the whole way. The cable I had was no good actually, it was too long and part was splitting so i ordered new motion pro cables that comes with a clutch cable from 4into1. My original cables measured 34" and 37", because of the adjustable handle bars I put on those cables felt kinda tight. Originally was going to get new cables measuring 36" and 39" but the motion pro cables measure almost 40" each which are for stock bars. I got these because I wanted to try changing the orientation of my bars and would need a few more inches to achieve that...so im hoping these cables work out and give me the range to accomplish any set up. Visited a local hardware shop and found new allen bolts for a vintage style fork clamp and placed it right under the lower triple..that will have to change when im ready to install my fork lock.

[Shtonecb500]

forks are so, so bad. They have prolly an inch at least of sag and no rebound. NOW, my #$%*ing preload adjusters have been leaking everyday for two weeks so i went ahead to change the fluid thinking they had lost enough finally to not function properly. I attempted fluid change with the forks on with no center stand. the left nut is too hard to get back on currently so when i get a car jack ill try it again. IF the forks are just that bad at this point then I need to figure out new springs.


edit: replaced fluid, caps back on, rebound is back, forks are good again. #$%* these pre-load adjusters.

edit2: never mind, i got some sag back and its dropping a little bit...i went and bought 20wegiht fork oil and im gonna try that.


the fork oil helps dampening, but what about rebound?

[Shtonecb500]

i put ATF in my forks yesterday and today i purchased 20 weight fork oil, I still have about an inch sag with the 20 weight so i'm gonna get new springs.


I figured the 20 weight would be better since I have a heavy ass truck lite headlight unit and the shoei fairing all up there. When i go into turns i get a lot of bounce back and im feeling too much at my handle bars.

has anyone mixed atf and fork oil together? i drained it but didnt flush it so the two have been mixed in there.

Recommendations on fork springs? whatever i get i want heavy duty.

edit: ordered 486mm straight rate springs from randakks. I think they are based out of florida, hoping that will reach me faster than the west coast shops.

[Alan F.]

No worries about mixing oils & ATF after draining & refilling. Heavier springs, I dunno, stock forks? Maybe look at Sportster springs for 35mm forks?
There must be plenty around cheap.

[Shtonecb500]

I have 486mm springs coming in the mail. I pulled the springs out of my front forks and i pulled the springs out of the 75'750F...

Im lost as to what forks are on my bike and how to get the appropriate length springs for them.

the fork legs on my bike from the axle to the top of the fork tube measured 30 1/4" while the internal springs measured 19 3/4"
the 75' 750f forks measured 26 3/4" from axle to top of the fork and the internal spring measured 18 7/8"

If I have 19 3/4" springs in there now and they are sagging an inch, where the #$%* do I find 20 plus inch springs?

Whats up with using spacers, is that so they dont overshoot the spring so you wont have to cut it, its easier to add pic than cut a spring?

what forks do i actually have?

[seanbarney41]

Shtone, first step to id your forks...which caliper bracket does it use?...where the pivot mounts to the fork leg is it a "C" or a "T".  Are you trying to buy from Racetech?

[Shtonecb500]

Shtone, first step to id your forks...which caliper bracket does it use?...where the pivot mounts to the fork leg is it a "C" or a "T".  Are you trying to buy from Racetech?

i have the t brackets on my forks, i see a stamping in the face of the tube by axle clamp says "8"

i decided to run the stock springs i ordered for now from randakks and will spring for race tech stuff  later. This bike has been throwing small stuff at me all season....glad i didnt have more plans for serious riding. In the other post where you mention thats not how it works. The spring rate for the longer spring is the same as the spring the website says is correct for my bike, Wouldn't I just be replacing it with exactly whats already in my fork if thats the case?

LONGER SPRING SPECS (COMES WITH NO SPACER)
Color/Finish: Raw
Material: Progressive Spring Steel
Dimensions:
Free Length: 20.75 in /527mm
O.D.: 0.99 in /25mm
Rate (lbs/in): 35/50
Rate (kg/mm): 0.63/0.89
Fits: CX500, GS750, KZ900, KZ1000

SHORTER SPRING SPECS (WHAT I PURCHASED)
Color/Finish: Raw
Material: Progressive Spring Steel
Dimensions:
Free Length: 19.12 in /486mm
OD: 0.99 in/ 25mm
Rate (lbs/in): 35/50
Rate (kg/mm): 0.63/0.89
Spacer: 1.30 in
Fits: Honda CB750, Kawasaki KZ750R

750F FORK SPRINGS
Color/Finish: Raw
Material: Progressive Spring Steel
Dimensions:
Free Length: 20.50in /521mm
O.D.: 1.08 in / 27mm
Rate (lbs/in): 30/40
Rate (kg/mm): 0.54/0.71
Spacer: 10.00 in
Fits: CB750F, GS750, KZ1000, XS1100


I read that the forks should be fully extended and the springs should be at the top fo the fork tube, if they are shorter, then the spacer and washer should be flush with the top of the fork tube before installing the top fork nut?

[seanbarney41]

sounds like you got things figured out then.  If and when you get around to ordering Race Tech, be sure and talk to their vintage tech specialist.  I can get you his email address.  He loves to help and knows cb750 stuff like the back of his hand.  You can call him and/or email with questions.  I think his name is Matt Wiley.  But you have to provide him with correct, accurate information.  If you have the T bracket those are 73/K3 and later and springs and dampers are all the same I think.  Race Tech does offer cartridge emulators for those.  You want those.

[newday777]

If and when you get around to ordering Race Tech, be sure and talk to their vintage tech specialist.  I can get you his email address.  He loves to help and knows cb750 stuff like the back of his hand.  You can call him and/or email with questions.  I think his name is Matt Wiley.  But you have to provide him with correct, accurate information.  If you have the T bracket those are 73/K3 and later and springs and dampers are all the same I think.  Race Tech does offer cartridge emulators for those.  You want those.

Cartridge emulators? As in their gold valves? Or a full Cartridge?
I need his email address.

[Shtonecb500]

i ordered progressive springs, i thought i ordered straight rate springs...I installed the the tightly wound end up at the top, then a washer, then spacer. The spacer was cut less than half, it sat just higher than flush of the tubes fully extended.

after all the searching on how to stop the squealing  in the front brakes the only thing I found that wasnt tried by just about everything was oem pads. The oem pads has polished sides, so i took off the paint on my vesrah pads and polished them up....every. single. trick ive tried to quiet the brakes only lasts for about 1-2 days of riding before the squealing is back again...so lets see how long i can get with this method.

[Shtonecb500]

all the wobble ive been experiencing on the freeway when riding in those grooves is now gone, every single bit of it, I didnt even realize i was going 85 on the freeway today, riding in the grooves. It was amazing....finally have good handling back on my bike.

Took off my old license plate mount and installed one that was gifted to me that has a built in light..it looks sexy having more refined finishes on the bike.

if anyone is going to the Wauseon National Motorcycle Show this friday Ill be heading up there at 9am.


edit: never went this morning, i swapped out the pvc spacers and opted for the longer length of the pvc, those and 1-2 mm from my preload adjusters have me closer to where I want to be. Im still bottoming out something's because of that raised fender im running, Im going to finish the proper front fender mod and finish the supports on my top box rack.

[Shtonecb500]

replaced the two cheap flat stock supports that i had secured to the fender mounts, I cut up another grab bar, and used the tubes and flange for a finished look. I had two racks of 750 carbs in the top box today so it was a good weigh test for the welds, nothing broke. I set the rack up higher than before because trying to take out my seat was  pain and it was ripping my seat cover, i was waiting to make this mod before i bought a new cover.

edit: polishing the side of the pucks didnt work, they were squeaking the next day.

edit: I flushed my forks of the 20wt fork oil and i put in 10wt full synthetic, my forks feel much, much better. now. I have zero additional preload from the adjusters.

[Shtonecb500]

#$%* my life my fork suck.

if i roll the bike a foot and hit the brake, they dive an inch and completely stop, no rebound If i  continue to squeeze the brake and push down it dives further, bottoms out, then rebounds...I have to pull back on it for it to come all the way back. So, its sinking 1 inch and staying down there while riding and i feel every single bump through the handle bar, under heavy braking it dives then comes out of it, then the same thing all over.


 I have to imagine my brakes are getting over worked because the forks arent abosorbing the weight shifting forward at all anymore.

gonna pull apart tonight.

the seals have to be shot.

[RAFster122s]

Stiction, you hit something bending things(?) or it is assembled wrong causing the binding...

[Shtonecb500]

Stiction, you hit something bending things(?) or it is assembled wrong causing the binding...

could be all of the above. Im running that torozzi on there and had a fork clamp right under my lower triple. I probably bent all kinds of stuff.

[grcamna2]

Stiction, you hit something bending things(?) or it is assembled wrong causing the binding...

could be all of the above. Im running that torozzi on there and had a fork clamp right under my lower triple. I probably bent all kinds of stuff.

You may need to loosen and re-tighten your fork brace and front fender.Loosen all the bolts a little until they turn by hand:press down on the front end compressing the forks,then very lightly tighten all the bolts(just a bit more than hand tight)and press down on the front forks and compress the forks quite a bit,then tighten them all up to spec.
The process may need to be repeated.
I hope the fork brace and front fender aren't bent.

[seanbarney41]

Shtone, I am having the same trouble installing a fork brace on a K1 fork.  I suspect the tubes are slightly bent causing the bind...gonna have to tear back down until the culprit is found.  I hope my fear that the K1 forks are just too primitive to produce decent suspension is false.

[Shtonecb500]

hey all, just went out there and removed the torozzi, forks worked perfectly, rebounded well, so I took the advice and did the slow hand tight, worked the forks up and down, tightened some more, worked them up and down, and then final tighten...the crossmember with the fender frenched in didnt fit perfectly so I put the stock cross member back on, forks felt great on the test ride so Ill close this chapter.

So a combination of my springs going bad and figuring out I could use that fork brace all overlapping led to me trying to figure out what has been goin on with these forks for about 2 months. Cant believe my forks were binding so much.

thank you for all the advice and comments, greatly appreciated.

edit:

my handling was suffering all this time as well, since my front end was already compressed my turns were hard, wobbly, my brakes were having hard time.

Edit: my rack is so ugly now, I have a better idea and get rid of the #$%* i added.

[Shtonecb500]

Shtone, I am having the same trouble installing a fork brace on a K1 fork.  I suspect the tubes are slightly bent causing the bind...gonna have to tear back down until the culprit is found.  I hope my fear that the K1 forks are just too primitive to produce decent suspension is false.

I think you'll get it.

[grcamna2]

Excellent