Dezza

Only bike I klnow that had caliper spacers as OEM was the Ducati 1098 (I had one) but there may be more. The 1098 had whopping 330mm discs as stock so I assume the forks were initially designed for 320mm discs and then they changed their minds. But it made things easier to fit aftermarket 320 discs by simply removing the spacers.

Ok, thanks. Disc diameter doesn't usually make much of a difference except when going smaller. Going bigger is fine as spacers can be made but using forks from a bike designed to have either 310 or 320 mm discs would mean machining the caliper mounts on the forks (unless OEM spacers are used) , calipers or both and I don't want to do that. I want to use some 300mm Beringer discs I have as, well, they're Beringer and rarely seen on bikes built in the UK.

Anyone used zx-10r forks and yokes on an 1100 slingshot? If so, are there any pitfalls? I am guessing they may be too short. I need a set of forks for next year's project and to fit a fancy wheel and discs I need Kawasaki fitment for 300mm discs spaced 140mm apart. A possible alternative is z1000sx 10-15, but I need to get to a bike dealers with a measuring tape to make sure. Later models have larger discs so won't work with my wheel/disc combo. Thanks for any constructive input

I think Nick Pepper at SPS supplies 'EFE-style' filter plates for non-efe gsx1100s.

They're v expensive too as well as being tight and fiddly. On my Spondon it uses on each side two seperate bearings: a needle roller thrust bearing and a cage needle roller pressed into the swingarm. This seems a better thought out design than that used by Harris.

Dunno. It's possible I suppose. I am puzzled as to how they go in fully without the use of force, which will obviously potentially risk buggering up the thrust part of the bearing. https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p556652/NKX25Z-Budget-Needle-/-Ball-Thrust-Bearing-with-Closure-Ring/Cover-25x37x30mm/product_info.html

Thanks, that's a big help. How did you fit the new bearings? I am guessing they have to be very carefully pressed in after cooling the bearings first in a freezer. I think that's how I did my last lot but I can't remember exactly. Obviously, the swingarm can't be heated as that will bugger up the paint.

Update: Mark from 'Harris' (Royal Oilfield) was helpful in the end and got back to me with some numbers. He must have spent some time and effort searching through old records so well done him . Apparently the bearing code is: NKX25Z, with an inner race also needed: IR20-25-30. A basic interweb search brings up bearings that look correct. Toecutter, does this concur with the parts you recently obtained?

Number would be most useful

That's very helpful. Thanks. What is the o/d of the bit that goes into the swingarm? Also, what is left of Harris have come up with zilch, even though they offer to help 'repair' genuine Harris frame kits (who will do this I wonder?). They now can't even supply the bearing code for their most popular frame

They are a strange sort of bearing, a needle roller combination of a thrust bearing and normal cage rolller in the same unit. I think they can only be measured accurately after removal. I need to fit a new front and back end before having the frame and swingarm recoated so I can't remove the old bearings first as if I did I'd have a 10mm gap between the swingarm pivot and the frame. This type of bearing seems to be available from specialist suppliers but they aren't cheap. i think they were aboiut 45 quid each 20 years ago and they pose a considerable challenge in fitting: you can't wack them in as such as otherwise this will destroy the thrust part of the bearing.

Thanks, that may be useful. I now have a standard arm that needs refurbishing but the bearing codes aren't on the outer faces . Yours may be different though.

Smashing. Many thanks

Does anyone know the code for the bearings in a stock Magnum 2 swingarm, the ones that combine 2 different needle rollers together? The last lot I bought were from Harris about 20 years ago but I didn't write the code down

Do they want £432 all-in now (the fuckin' Turpins) or was that the price you had to pay before and they want even more now (Turpins +++)? Who the hell are they employing doing their boring? A premier league footballer doing some moonlighting at his usual rates?