Author Topic: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?  (Read 17102 times)

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Offline Geeto67

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Re: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?
« Reply #25 on: December 21, 2005, 11:13:20 AM »
I was just asking about boring out the stock trees, glad I asked 1st  ;D

CD811---->
What year GSXR front end did you use for the swap ?
So all you did was take the stock CB stearing stem and press it into the
new GSXR trees ?

I was thinking, if people are doing this swap with sportbike front ends, would it be possibile to say , swap a front
end from a late model Honda shadw to a CB ? Would it just be the same press out old , press in new procedure ?
I ask because then I could retain the spoke wheel. Maybe even do a VTX front end  ???

The point in upgrading front ends is to improve the front end, why would you want to go with a honda shadow when it is only marginally better than the stock cb. I have put an fzr600 front end on a kawasaki h1 and a cbr front end on a cb750. The stem swap is the way to go but I have a machinist do it each time to make sure it is straight. with the fzr600 front end the entire front end cost me $125 and the stem swap cost me $50. The Cbr was more expensive because a lot of stunters use the cbr600 f2 and f3s and therefore are in dire need of parts all the time (it is a really easy bike to wheelie and also easy to crash). So long as you get it close in length you can basically put any front end to any neck. IF you really want to keep the spoke rim go Low Rider Tommy at the hondachopper.com board sells custom trees to mount either a stock front end or a harley front end to a honda neck. Shoot him an E-mail.

To swap necks on the fzr the old setm weld needed to be ground down, the stm pressed out and for the kawasaki stem a shim inserted and then the kawasaki stem pressed in and the whole thing welded, the top clamp needed to be bored out a little also. For the cbr front end the old cbr stem weld was ground down and the old stem pressed out, the new stem was inserted (taken off an old set of cb750 trees I had) but I don't know if It needed a shim or not as I wasn't there when the machinist did it this time. 

For keeping the spoke wheel I'd say forget all this and just get a 75-77 GL1000 gold wing front end and be done with it, dual discs and no welding. The high buck route is to get a yamaha Fazer front end (similar to an FZR) and adapt it. Disco Volante sells a spoke wheel conversion for the fazer but the wheels are pretty pricey. YOu could get a yamaha parts fiche and see what parts the fazer shares with other bikes and that will tell you what other front ends you can use the fazer wire wheel conversion on.
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Offline dusterdude

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Re: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?
« Reply #26 on: December 21, 2005, 11:32:47 AM »
anyone interested in doing the gw swap,i may have a set of 75-76 trees i can get rid of.i need to buy the bearing kit and see if they are indeed 75-76,the measure real close so im not exactly sure yet.
mark
1972 k1 750
1949 fl panhead
1 1/2 gl1100 goldwings
1998 cbr600 f3

Offline CB750R

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Re: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?
« Reply #27 on: December 21, 2005, 01:16:17 PM »
I have a FZR front end on my bike, I did no stem swapping, all I did was knock the lower bearing race off the CB's (already converted tapered set, and swap it on to the FZR's stem, I then used the CBs, upper bearing, and had to add a washer to fill the stack height out a bit, but other than having to remove the stem lock tabs on the top of the neck, and shortening the tabs on the lower neck to allow a decent turning radius, it was a bolt on affair. Test ridden a total of 50km before my engine poo'd itself

As for the Rear, I have a FZR on as well, I have spacer's made to copy the exact spacing of the Comstar that came off

If you type FZR wheels in search its currently the third thread on the list titled
Just swapped wheels on my 77 CB750F

Oh ya and the front wheel isn't staying purple dont worry!!!

Ok back to work for me!!

Offline ProTeal55

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Re: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?
« Reply #28 on: December 21, 2005, 02:42:28 PM »
The only reason I mentioned a Shadow was the spoke wheel idea..

I will most likely go with a GL front end, to keep the overall oldschool
look of the bike.

Joe a.k.a ProTeal55 a.k.a JoeyCocks a.k.a Maker of Friends

Offline Geeto67

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Re: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?
« Reply #29 on: December 21, 2005, 03:19:08 PM »
I have a FZR front end on my bike, I did no stem swapping, all I did was knock the lower bearing race off the CB's (already converted tapered set, and swap it on to the FZR's stem, I then used the CBs, upper bearing, and had to add a washer to fill the stack height out a bit, but other than having to remove the stem lock tabs on the top of the neck, and shortening the tabs on the lower neck to allow a decent turning radius, it was a bolt on affair. Test ridden a total of 50km before my engine poo'd itself

As for the Rear, I have a FZR on as well, I have spacer's made to copy the exact spacing of the Comstar that came off

If you type FZR wheels in search its currently the third thread on the list titled
Just swapped wheels on my 77 CB750F

Oh ya and the front wheel isn't staying purple dont worry!!!

Ok back to work for me!!


One thing that is important to note about the fzr swap to cb750 is that the 77-78 bikes have a wider chain line and a 630 chain from the factory than the 69-76 bikes. Wile the 630 chain is not a real issue, one of the reasons the fzr rear wheel may work better with the 77-78 bikes is that the chain line is spaced out more and there may be additional modification necessary for a 69-76 bike.
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Greenbush

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Re: How to tackle converting front end forks, rear wheel swap?
« Reply #30 on: January 31, 2006, 03:09:52 PM »
I am embarking on this job.  I have purchased a 03 CBR front to put on my 76 CB750K.  I will then attempt to mount a 97 CBR swing arm and possibly the single shock suspension. I can use all the info I can get. Here is what I want my bike to look like, more or less. I do not like the three spoke modern wheels.  I prefer the 5 spoke F2 F3s.  What do I need to do this?
P.S. This bike was done by a guy named Tim Shutters.  Google him.