Topic: Custom Triple Tree?

[bmwright]

Hey guys. Sorry if this is a stupid question.

When building your own triple tree, you pretty much have the option to make whatever fork that you want to work, work. Right (with some exceptions, I'm sure)? I've seen some guys talking about making the gsxr forks fit, and from what I can tell, a lot of the headache would be done away with if the triple's were custom, correct?

I have a Solid Works friend at my disposal, as well as all the machining that I could I want. So I figured that if I could make a custom triple for my 550, then I'll have a whole slew of options open up. Like I said, sorry if it's a dumb question. I'm new to bikes. Always been a car guy.

Thanks!

[Nikkisixx]

Hey guys. Sorry if this is a stupid question.

When building your own triple tree, you pretty much have the option to make whatever fork that you want to work, work. Right (with some exceptions, I'm sure)?

Sure you can.  There is a bit of geomtrey to be obeyed, and making it "wrong" can create an unlovable uncontrollable bike

I've seen some guys talking about making the gsxr forks fit, and from what I can tell, a lot of the headache would be done away with if the triple's were custom, correct?

It would be a lot easier to use the entire front end (trees, forks, hell - brakes, wheels and gauges too!).  Check out industrial cafe's thread to see the juice:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=63784.0

[Retro Rocket]

I am using a 1989 GSXR1100 front end and the Honda steering stem pressed straight into the GSXR triple clamps. You can't get much cheaper and easier than that...

Mick

[754]

 Ideally you end up between the 2 designs..
 stuff like fork stops, guage mounts, tank clearance really matter..

 You may want to build a thick top tree, with height offset as lengths of styles vary..

[Retro Rocket]

Ideally you end up between the 2 designs..
 stuff like fork stops, guage mounts, tank clearance really matter..

 You may want to build a thick top tree, with height offset as lengths of styles vary..

Minor detail for anyone with half a clue Frank....

Mick

[bmwright]

Thanks for the input guys! It doesn't look like finding a full front end will be hard at all.

Any advantages to making the custom triples? Or is sticking the with the gsxr triples totally fine?

Not sure if they are included in this deal, but looks pretty good:

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/1727997091.html

[camelman]

That looks like a good deal.  If you take your stock wheel into any machine shop and ask them to make a new axle with spacers, then you could just bolt it up and go.  You'll probably have to figure out the steering head bearings too, which could be done with either pressing in a stock steering tube or having one made and pressed in.  Just make sure you match the stock geometry at the bearings and between the bearings.

Camelman

[754]

Advantages to  making trees;

 Can be lighter

 Polish easier

 Stronger/stiffer than stock

 Have something unique to your bike.

 Cleaner looking

 Things like that.

 I am just cautioning you (despite what some say) that mounting a fork off a different style of frame, usually will need a bit of fiddling.. better to find this out now and deall with it, than looking for a silution after you have dinged your tank and ruined your paint.

[Tretnine]

I am using a 1989 GSXR1100 front end and the Honda steering stem pressed straight into the GSXR triple clamps. You can't get much cheaper and easier than that...

Mick

Got pics? I'm looking into fork options for my build and want to see what this looks like.

[Ricky_Racer]

Isn't there a problem with the stock gixxer offset limiting the turning radius with the CB750 frame/tank? Seems like I heard that...  RR

[754]

Ummm yeah.. usually means you got to bash your tank for clearance or buy one built with clipons in mind..

[Retro Rocket]

You have to alter your steering stops anyway or alter the Suzuki clamps slightly so there's no bashing of the tank and there is a slightly reduced turning circle but it is no problem,i have seen these conversions done on many bikes without much drama.

Mick

[754]

Well now we are clear that additional work is involved..

[Retro Rocket]

Well now we are clear that additional work is involved..

 It doesn't take much skill and really surprised me how easy and cheap it was, cheaper than the standard front end and mine has progressive springs in it...

Mick

[bmwright]

Yeah, totally would love a modern front end but in the beginning I thought, "Yeah.. sure.. one day." When I started seeing what parts are necessary and started realizing the cost (well machining is free for me), I started wondering why I would even bother finding a clean stock set of forks when I can put something modern on now for maybe less.

[KB02]

1989 Suzuki Kanata (GSX600F) front end on a 78 CB750k:



Here are the problems I ran into:
Steering stems on the two model bikes are different enough that you can just press out the stem from one and use it on the other. I HAD to use the Suzi triple trees and the Suzi stem. The problem with the stem was that it was too short for the CB neck and it needed to be lengthened. My dad is a machinist and has a good friend at work who is a super skilled welder.


SO, I've got the longer stem, using the Suzi trees, then I had to worry about bearings. The guys at All Balls are great and helped me find different bearings that I could mix and match to make work since the Suzi stem is different sizes than the Honda stem (the Honda neck has a funny size to it: 48.5mm).

The end result is great and the bike is super steady at speed and handles great.

I guess my point here is that while it turned out to work fine in the end, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER JUST TO MAKE CUSTOM TRIPLES TREES THAT WOULD FIT THE HONDA STEM AND SUZUKI FORKS. Kind of a long way of saying it, but there you go.  

[CBcafeJunkie]

I am using a 1989 GSXR1100 front end and the Honda steering stem pressed straight into the GSXR triple clamps. You can't get much cheaper and easier than that...

Mick

Hows the handeling? I was talking with Carpi and he was saying that it caused a lot of geometry problems. Do you find handeling better or worse?

[754]

 Its sorta cool to have a set of trees no one else has..

 on that Katana fork, you could have just removed stem and made a new one..

[bmwright]

Yeah, no doubt. I've seen some rad trees and would be awesome to have my own set. Especially knowing I designed and built them =)

So basically, if I do the customs after I buy the forks, I can just build them to match all the dimensions and everything should drop right in (well.. it always works in theory, of course)?

[motocyconomad]

i like the joker machine triple tree

[Retro Rocket]

I am using a 1989 GSXR1100 front end and the Honda steering stem pressed straight into the GSXR triple clamps. You can't get much cheaper and easier than that...

Mick

Hows the handeling? I was talking with Carpi and he was saying that it caused a lot of geometry problems. Do you find handeling better or worse?

Mine isn't on the road yet but not slagging Carpy here but i have been around race bikes all my life and i have a mate that is a bike suspension whizz {not just speculating} and from what i can gather the bike my front end came off has a similar rake the only difference is the trail which is a little longer which would actually slow the steering a little. For an old bike the Honda has fairly nervous steering in the first place, i have had 18 of these bikes over the years and all have been set up well and i have fitted steering dampers to all of them to help the steering {lots of tank slappers when pushed hard}. So with the GSXR having 43mm stanchions, a sturdy fork brace, better spring rates, multi adjustable and the ability to use modern rubber on it, i think there are many reasons to go this route. Terry has just bought a Honda with 41mm FZR yamaha front end and wider more modern tyres and his frame isn't even braced, {mine is} and he says it is the best handling Honda he has ever ridden and he has owned over 20 of these bikes and plenty of others from different makers,new and old. The only thing i see that may not be that desirable is that the triple clamp offset is less than the Honda's reducing the turning circle slightly.
I would just like to add that i will ride this bike a lot harder than most guys would ride a 35+ year old bike on this forum {Excluding the racers, talking street here} and i can foresee no problems at all. Forum member Industrial cafe has just done an upside down GSXR fork conversion, drop him a line and see what he says. While researching this conversion i found a lot of old bikes with this type of conversion, all makes and models.

Mick

[CBcafeJunkie]

I am using a 1989 GSXR1100 front end and the Honda steering stem pressed straight into the GSXR triple clamps. You can't get much cheaper and easier than that...

Mick

Hows the handeling? I was talking with Carpi and he was saying that it caused a lot of geometry problems. Do you find handeling better or worse?

Mine isn't on the road yet but not slagging Carpy here but i have been around race bikes all my life and i have a mate that is a bike suspension whizz {not just speculating} and from what i can gather the bike my front end came off has a similar rake the only difference is the trail which is a little longer which would actually slow the steering a little. For an old bike the Honda has fairly nervous steering in the first place, i have had 18 of these bikes over the years and all have been set up well and i have fitted steering dampers to all of them to help the steering {lots of tank slappers when pushed hard}. So with the GSXR having 43mm stanchions, a sturdy fork brace, better spring rates, multi adjustable and the ability to use modern rubber on it, i think there are many reasons to go this route. Terry has just bought a Honda with 41mm FZR yamaha front end and wider more modern tyres and his frame isn't even braced, {mine is} and he says it is the best handling Honda he has ever ridden and he has owned over 20 of these bikes and plenty of others from different makers,new and old. The only thing i see that may not be that desirable is that the triple clamp offset is less than the Honda's reducing the turning circle slightly.
I would just like to add that i will ride this bike a lot harder than most guys would ride a 35+ year old bike on this forum {Excluding the racers, talking street here} and i can foresee no problems at all. Forum member Industrial cafe has just done an upside down GSXR fork conversion, drop him a line and see what he says. While researching this conversion i found a lot of old bikes with this type of conversion, all makes and models.

Mick

Hummm maybe he was just saying that cause i was talking about an R6. I will definately look into this if you have any suggestions pm me. im preatty much a newb and have only been riding about a year but really enjoy rebuilding. So any help greatly apprechiated

[bmwright]

Mine isn't on the road yet but not slagging Carpy here but i have been around race bikes all my life and i have a mate that is a bike suspension whizz {not just speculating} and from what i can gather the bike my front end came off has a similar rake the only difference is the trail which is a little longer which would actually slow the steering a little. For an old bike the Honda has fairly nervous steering in the first place, i have had 18 of these bikes over the years and all have been set up well and i have fitted steering dampers to all of them to help the steering {lots of tank slappers when pushed hard}. So with the GSXR having 43mm stanchions, a sturdy fork brace, better spring rates, multi adjustable and the ability to use modern rubber on it, i think there are many reasons to go this route. Terry has just bought a Honda with 41mm FZR yamaha front end and wider more modern tyres and his frame isn't even braced, {mine is} and he says it is the best handling Honda he has ever ridden and he has owned over 20 of these bikes and plenty of others from different makers,new and old. The only thing i see that may not be that desirable is that the triple clamp offset is less than the Honda's reducing the turning circle slightly.
I would just like to add that i will ride this bike a lot harder than most guys would ride a 35+ year old bike on this forum {Excluding the racers, talking street here} and i can foresee no problems at all. Forum member Industrial cafe has just done an upside down GSXR fork conversion, drop him a line and see what he says. While researching this conversion i found a lot of old bikes with this type of conversion, all makes and models.

Mick
[/quote]


Well that about seals the deal...

Guess I know what I'm doing!

[scottly]

Just my 2 cents: I'm currently removing a Kawi front-end on my bike, due to the reduced turning radius, which has been, um, unsettling at times. Today I put a protractor on it, and measured a lock-to-lock of 48 degrees. Not telling anyone what to do, just passing on what I've found to be an unacceptable steering radius...

[Retro Rocket]

Just my 2 cents: I'm currently removing a Kawi front-end on my bike, due to the reduced turning radius, which has been, um, unsettling at times. Today I put a protractor on it, and measured a lock-to-lock of 48 degrees. Not telling anyone what to do, just passing on what I've found to be an unacceptable steering radius...

Did you change the steering stops to give you a maximus turning radius with that front end Scottly? You do get a reduced turning circle but its not as bad as my old Gsxr1100.

Mick