1983 GS750ESD

[coombehouse]

Cheapest, easiest would probably be from a gsf600 or gs600/750 teapot. You would get a better, conventional fork, bigger wheel & better brakes. The rear would probably fit your existing arm too. 

The front end would almost plug right in with very little hassle involved & wouldn't fundamentally change the look of the bike. 

Any gsxr front end will fit too but with a myriad of styles & length variations over the years, you would have to do a little research 

[Suzukian]

A quick question.  This front has been indicated by (hopefully not reading it wrong) posts by Renee that suggest they may fit my 1983 GSX750ESD.  The price includes the Tokico calipers, everything in the picture for US $450.36 (USD).  Does that seem like a fair price?  They say one of the fork seals leaks, I would imagine you change both, but the unit looks pretty complete.  I would only need to find a front wheel, discs, and tire.  This is a 2001 to 2004 front end. 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Suzukian

[TonyGee]

not sure of the price ? whats that in ££££  but the more modern USD are pretty short compared to your forks so the bike will do a nose dive !!!!  the forks off the GSXR1100 1990-93ish are the longest but getting harder to find in good nick.  

[slayer61]

Ian,

   you're gonna have to keep in mind the overall length of the forks as well. When I did my swap, I wanted to keep RWU forks and 89 GSXR11 forks were the longest available without making extensions to the forks.

 

 

 

[Dezza]

I use those forks on my Harris Magnum 2 and they're pretty good, although they could do with heavier rate springs. In the US it seems the norm for breakers to flog the whole front end minus the wheel and discs, which seems sensible to me. I'd like to know where they get the odd 36c from in the price . $450 is 375 quid.

[Suzukian]

Seems like a lot for me, and if the length is a problem, it's a no go.  Having asked the question, and finding out that the "89 GSXR11" would work was the kind of answer that helps a lot.

 

Thank You!! 

[Suzukian]

Is their a range of years for the '89 "GSXR11" that will work?  The biggest problem I have (besides not knowing what I'm doing) is the chart with offsets and data does not list my bike.  I'll have to try and find that chart again, and compare the offsets.  Part of me wonders if I could just find a 17" wheel that would fit the front end on my GSX750ESD and machine new brake brackets.  Is that a possibility that anyone has concrete knowledge of?

Edited March 1, 2023 by Suzukian

[Suzukian]

'89 "GSXR11"  forks are definitely becoming unobtanium.  On Egay anyways.  If anyone has a link to that chart that is a size the is legible, I would sure appreciate it.  I will continue to look for it in the "vault. 

Thank You all for responding to this Yank.  In 1974, when I was 16, I spent 2 and 1/2 months in Salford, outside of Manchester.  I traveled, mostly by myself, all over England, and I have to say that I have since felt a special love for you all.  Lots of Americans do. 

When I left, I was in a very somber mood, and wasn't paying attention to anything.  I boarded the ferry, in a really thick fog, as we got into the channel, I saw the white edge of the continent, and I asked, "what port was that?", a man replied "Dover".  I had, I was in the midst of fulling a life long dream.  I was seeing the "White Cliffs of Dover".    It is forever etched in my mind. I play that song on my Violin, and as a duet with my son.   Everyone here has been so very kind.  I sincerely Thank You for that. 

[Suzukian]

Found these off of a Katana, 98-06 model years.  Price is $329  (273 GBP) complete  with brakes. Pic below.  Any opinions extremely appreciated.

 

 

[Gixer1460]

You may be an old man but you are likely to get some flak for that post!

[Dezza]

What's a 98-06 katana? If it's a later model 750f teapot then the price is steep to say the least. You'd be looking at less than half that here and prices in US tend to be cheaper than UK. 1100k forks here are valuable because they're eligible for classic racing and have adjustable damping (although this is pretty rudimentary). Dunno why they'd be expensive and difficult to get in US though.

[DAZ]

If your not adverse to mixing brands what about zzr 1100 forks,I believe ( though stand to be corrected)they are 43mm ,thinking bandit yokes, and reasonably long,or rwu zx9r ....should be multi adjustable 

Edited March 1, 2023 by DAZ
Added text

[davecara]

Wouldnt a 1200 bandit be more stright forward? Theyre plentiful and cheap and can be made to work reasonably well for next to no money. You.ll need to swap the steering stem but thats not a monumentally difficult task

[DAZ]

2 minutes ago, davecara said:

Wouldnt a 1200 bandit be more stright forward? Theyre plentiful and cheap and can be made to work reasonably well for next to no money. You.ll need to swap the steering stem but thats not a monumentally difficult task

Yes I would say so too, but i thought OP wanted adjustability but I may have misunderstood that bit ,talking about gsxr forks etc..

[Dezza]

ZZR 1100 forks aren't adjustable beyond preload. I think ZRX1200 ones also have adjustable damping but my guess is they're desirable to Kawasaki fans building modded bikes such as those based on GPZ900s. GSXR600 RWU forks are multi adjustable and are often available cheap. Dunno about the length though.

[Suzukian]

There aren't a lot of Katanas in the U.S., not that people sell anyways, and when they do, they always cost a lot.

I'm looking to get rid of that 16" front wheel so I have more tires available.  I have a tiny machine shop, so I am not adverse to doing some "adjusting".  I will consider any option, but there are so many Bandits, I need to know what model years I need to search for.  I don't mind buying the parts piece meal, it's just that if I buy parts that don't work, the wife of 37 years starts to feel like a ball and chain (justifiably so) and asks why I didn't research it better.

 

The only adjustment is the air pressure on my present forks.  If I could indulge you guys to put years to look for, it would make life much easier (which by the numbers, and my present state of health, I don't have much left).  I'm not adverse to mixing brands, as I will keep the stock stuff, to give my son options when he gets my shop, tools, machines, etc..  I have 3 different brand bikes.  I have a spare ZZR1200 (2003) front end, if that would go on their, I'd use that!!   Thanks again.

 

Incidentally, in the U.S., we become a dumping ground for a lot of shit company by products they  wouldn't get away dumping in other countries.  Below is the picture of the Fugly bike the last front end pic I posted.  It's hideous.  It's called a Katana too.  It's obviously not.  IMHO.

Any help is well appreciated.  It's funny being called old, because I don't feel it.  There are advantages.  I've saved 4 lives, and been in the news for it (I didn't like that pat), stuck down in a small ravine, holding a girl's head for 45 minutes, alone, in the middle of the night, till someone finally noticed my car in the middle of the road idling (she wasn't breathing when I got to her, her neck had 3 shattered vertebrae, which I could see were shattered, so I applied a little traction, she started gasping for air, her legs were broken backwards underneath the dash.  It took them 6 hours to cut her out of the car, and I was their the whole time.  They said I saved her life.  It wasn't me.  I offered my hands for use. 

Most people told me they would have been scared of an explosion, or the car blowing up.  Two years later, when this young cute 26 year old blonde girl walks up behind me, and thanks me for saving her life, I was flabbergasted.  Her eyes were back in her skull.  There was no glass in her face.  Many young people are not experienced enough, just plain chicken or wouldn't know what to do.  I had to chase two guys off who wanted to pull her out of the car by threatening to kill them.  They later reported me to the police, and they almost got arrested.  She was happy this old guy was around.

 

"You may be an old man but you are likely to get some flak for that post! "..... I'll have the proper response. That one is free.  I Administer a forum of 52K people. I know what it takes to run a forum.

 

So next time someone wants to make a remark about my age, go ahead, if it's something I did, like a Brain fart, go at it, that shit is true, no problem.  Listing the seller's bike model has nothing to do with being an "old man".  I'm pretty thick skinned, but shove it up your ass, see how the comment smells, then decide if you want to post it.  You can chase people out of forums too.  I wrote the breakers descriptor of the bike, I've never seen one of these before, and hope to never see one again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Suzukian]

6 minutes ago, Dezza said:

ZZR 1100 forks aren't adjustable beyond preload. I think ZRX1200 ones also have adjustable damping but my guess is they're desirable to Kawasaki fans building modded bikes such as those based on GPZ900s. GSXR600 RWU forks are multi adjustable and are often available cheap. Dunno about the length though.

Well, the one I have even has Tokico 6 piston calipers, as I put NISSIN's on my ZZR1200, just have to get another front wheel.  That front end cost me $150 bucks, and has adjustable rebound, upper and lowers stems.  I'll be damned if I have the parts already.  This should be interesting.  Just have to check the bearings, and I can make sleeves and the like to make any bearing fit anything.  Thanks, a lot.  

[DAZ]

20 minutes ago, Dezza said:

 GSXR600 RWU forks are multi adjustable and are often available cheap. Dunno about the length though.

The 600 srad forks are also 43mm and shorter than the b12 forks does anyone know if it's practical to build the srad forks with b12 stanchions, if so it would be a good adj fork, decent length for air cooled Suzuki's 

[coombehouse]

6 minutes ago, Suzukian said:

Well, the one I have even has Tokico 6 piston calipers, as I put NISSIN's on my ZZR1200, just have to get another front wheel.  That front end cost me $150 bucks, and has adjustable rebound, upper and lowers stems.  I'll be damned if I have the parts already.  This should be interesting.  Just have to check the bearings, and I can make sleeves and the like to make any bearing fit anything.  Thanks, a lot.  

You may need to use the stem from your 750 in the zzr yokes but it shouldn't present too many issues. Maybe a little machining, modify the lockstops & work out a method of mounting the clocks & ignition.

Regarding the other guys comment about getting some flak, don't take it to heart. Using katana to describe something that isn't, is always picked up on.

You have to bear in mind that the forum is predominantly EU & UK based & so humour & sensibilities are slightly different. The admins can be quite ruthless too when the subject matter is not strictly Suzuki oriented. It's all in the rules. 

[coombehouse]

1 minute ago, DAZ said:

The 600 srad forks are also 43mm and shorter than the b12 forks does anyone know if it's practical to build the srad forks with b12 stanchions, if so it would be a good adj fork, decent length for air cooled Suzuki's 

Srad forks are 45mm. Very short too. I'm using some but they will need a substantial extension 

[DAZ]

2 minutes ago, coombehouse said:

Srad forks are 45mm. Very short too. I'm using some but they will need a substantial extension 

Thanks for the clarification I looked at the fork data sheet in the vault and they're listed at 43, knew it would be too good to be true if they were 43 and could be extended with b12 tubes

[coombehouse]

1 minute ago, DAZ said:

Thanks for the clarification I looked at the fork data sheet in the vault and they're listed at 43, knew it would be too good to be true if they were 43 and could be extended with b12 tubes

An option I looked at was getting some over length tubes made by all bike engineering in London. I was quoted about £250 a while back but it still leave the problem of how to extend the damper rod & adjuster & the fact I don't know how long I need them. I will probably just make some extensions for now.  

[DAZ]

It's a problem getting a decent length fork,most stuff less than 30 years old tends to be too short unless you want the slammed drag bike look,maybe it's time to wander round a friendly dealers with a tape measure looking at the adventure bikes....

[Dezza]

1 hour ago, Suzukian said:

There aren't a lot of Katanas in the U.S., not that people sell anyways, and when they do, they always cost a lot.

I'm looking to get rid of that 16" front wheel so I have more tires available.  I have a tiny machine shop, so I am not adverse to doing some "adjusting".  I will consider any option, but there are so many Bandits, I need to know what model years I need to search for.  I don't mind buying the parts piece meal, it's just that if I buy parts that don't work, the wife of 37 years starts to feel like a ball and chain (justifiably so) and asks why I didn't research it better.

 

The only adjustment is the air pressure on my present forks.  If I could indulge you guys to put years to look for, it would make life much easier (which by the numbers, and my present state of health, I don't have much left).  I'm not adverse to mixing brands, as I will keep the stock stuff, to give my son options when he gets my shop, tools, machines, etc..  I have 3 different brand bikes.  I have a spare ZZR1200 (2003) front end, if that would go on their, I'd use that!!   Thanks again.

 

Incidentally, in the U.S., we become a dumping ground for a lot of shit company by products they  wouldn't get away dumping in other countries.  Below is the picture of the Fugly bike the last front end pic I posted.  It's hideous.  It's called a Katana too.  It's obviously not.  IMHO.

Any help is well appreciated.  It's funny being called old, because I don't feel it.  There are advantages.  I've saved 4 lives, and been in the news for it (I didn't like that pat), stuck down in a small ravine, holding a girl's head for 45 minutes, alone, in the middle of the night, till someone finally noticed my car in the middle of the road idling (she wasn't breathing when I got to her, her neck had 3 shattered vertebrae, which I could see were shattered, so I applied a little traction, she started gasping for air, her legs were broken backwards underneath the dash.  It took them 6 hours to cut her out of the car, and I was their the whole time.  They said I saved her life.  It wasn't me.  I offered my hands for use. 

Most people told me they would have been scared of an explosion, or the car blowing up.  Two years later, when this young cute 26 year old blonde girl walks up behind me, and thanks me for saving her life, I was flabbergasted.  Her eyes were back in her skull.  There was no glass in her face.  Many young people are not experienced enough, just plain chicken or wouldn't know what to do.  I had to chase two guys off who wanted to pull her out of the car by threatening to kill them.  They later reported me to the police, and they almost got arrested.  She was happy this old guy was around.

 

"You may be an old man but you are likely to get some flak for that post! "..... I'll have the proper response. That one is free.  I Administer a forum of 52K people. I know what it takes to run a forum.

 

So next time someone wants to make a remark about my age, go ahead, if it's something I did, like a Brain fart, go at it, that shit is true, no problem.  Listing the seller's bike model has nothing to do with being an "old man".  I'm pretty thick skinned, but shove it up your ass, see how the comment smells, then decide if you want to post it.  You can chase people out of forums too.  I wrote the breakers descriptor of the bike, I've never seen one of these before, and hope to never see one again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commonly referred to as a 'Baboon's Arse:' if you squint and use your imagination, it looks like the result of a backcross between the hybrid offspring of a 600 teapot and a hyabuser, and a SRAD.

Do GSX1400 forks have adjustable damping? They're likely to be relatively long for modern forks and to cope with the wieght of a big aircooled lump, seeing as the donor bike is also a bit of a heffer.

Edited March 1, 2023 by Dezza

[Suzukian]

I don't even need to squint to see that "Baboon's Arse" in that bike.  I've never seen one other than that picture.

1 hour ago, coombehouse said:

You may need to use the stem from your 750 in the zzr yokes but it shouldn't present too many issues. Maybe a little machining, modify the lockstops & work out a method of mounting the clocks & ignition.

Regarding the other guys comment about getting some flak, don't take it to heart. Using katana to describe something that isn't, is always picked up on.

You have to bear in mind that the forum is predominantly EU & UK based & so humour & sensibilities are slightly different. The admins can be quite ruthless too when the subject matter is not strictly Suzuki oriented. It's all in the rules. 

I'm sure I could buy a bottom Yoke off of ebag from a GS750 or GS700, as they are the same, and nobody here saves the GS700's.  Lots of very specific information you guys just gave me.  Thank You for that.  I can do threads on my lathe, I could actually make a stem, I know where to buy the proper steel, (at least these guys will tell me what to use), usually it's cheaper to buy something, as time is a knocking.  I have read the rules, and don't think I have broken any.  As far as the picture I posted, I don't know what they should of called that.  It looks like someone took a huge lump of chewing gum and stopped when it got hard.