Slabby front end swaps... forks fork length please help

[boilerdude]

I am doing a search to the best of my search phrase thinking up abilities.  Just trying to double check and make sure 750j/k forks will work ok on an 1100 slab. in regards to the fork length and ride height.  88(-89) gsxr750 forks going onto a slabby 1100. Thats what I have complete in front of me ATM. Would it be better suited with 89-90 1100 or 1100 wc units? 

also for spring and valving I figured even a slingshot 750 ought to be about as heavy as a slabby 1100 right? Or is it more likely I should expect the 88 forks to need completely refuckulated for weight also.

This is for me and anybody else wise enough to search the right words in the future. Please go easy on me

 

Edited February 23, 2017 by boilerdude

[Rene EFE]

They all pretty much fit and apart from a MotoGP pilot, you won't really feel a difference in damping. I have 1100K-forks in my oilcooled EFE which has a totally different weightdistribution from the bike they came off, yet work perfectly fine in the real world.

Single thing to take into account is; shorter forks and 17" wheel make for a very different rideheight. This can be overcome by swapping clipons from top of the yoke to the bottom, amongst other things.

Not sure how later forks compare to slabby 11 stock items, because I've only done 750's myself and never found myself short of clearance.

[Oilyspanner]

Slabby forks have damper rods (older style forks), the 750 J/K and 1100K onwards have the more advanced  cartridge forks, with proper rebound and compression adjusters - so would be a good upgrade BD. I tried to find a fork specs chart, but couldn't find it  ! sorry did try . . . !

 

[boilerdude]

I was worried that the 750 front end was already designed to run the clip ons under the triple. And STILL might be on the short side.

[Solcambs]

9 hours ago, Oilyspanner said:

Slabby forks have damper rods (older style forks), the 750 J/K and 1100K onwards have the more advanced  cartridge forks, with proper rebound and compression adjusters - so would be a good upgrade BD. I tried to find a fork specs chart, but couldn't find it  ! sorry did try . . . !

 

http://oldskoolsuzuki.info/archives/391

[boilerdude]

This is almost helpful. Except neither of the bikes in question are on it... 

[Solcambs]

1 minute ago, boilerdude said:

This is almost helpful. Except neither of the bikes in question are on it... 

LOL .. in fairness I didn't check - I just remembered the "fork chart" bit!

[boilerdude]

right on. Any input is helpful. Just pokin fun.

[Oilyspanner]

I've got that chart saved on the laptop Solcambs ! - really useful one it is too, but it starts with late 90's bikes - I did have one that had all of our bikes on it..

[Oilyspanner]

I found this from the old site, the second post has some of the info required - unfortunately the conventional forks seem to have been measured differently to the usd ones. If you measure the length of yours from centre of spindle to fork cap, you can compare with the other lengths etc

http://old-skool-suzuki.proboards.com/thread/612/fork-conversion-chart

[Nelson]

Yo Dude,

I've recently put usd forks & a 17 inch front rim in my Slabby, (also done it on a GSX 1100)

On both bykes it made a real difference. The biggest difference is that you get control of the compression damping.

When you brake, it stops the forks diving through the floor.

But as others say, you do have height differences.

I've just measured the distance from  the middle of the wheel spindle to the floor for both:

• Original Slabby wheel is . . . . . . . 305mm
• 750m wheel is . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  295mm

So you lose 10mm there.

When you measure the length of the forks from the middle of the wheel spindle to the top of the fork leg, excluding the adjusters:

• Original Slabby fork length . . . . . 765mm

I put GSXR 1100W forks in mine because they are the longest I could find & put the clip-ons under the yoke:

• GSXR1100W fork length . . . . . . . 770mm

I found that most of the others, like 1100 M, N & L forks were a lot shorter (740mm).

I have no experience fitting them to Slabbies, however when I put the 740mm forks on my GSX it really effected the ground clearance. 

The stance looked great but it really cramped my style in the corners.

I had to have them extended.

What I have noticed is the springing in the W forks is much heavier so they hold the bike up better than the original forks. This might be true of the 750 forks but I don't know myself.

You pays your money & you makes your choice.

Having some sort of compression damping makes a massive improvement & is well worth the hassle.

Hope that helps.

Anyway, it turns out: length really does matter !

Good luck, Dude.

 

[dupersunc]

I run the 750j/k forks in a couple of 750 slabbies'. Length wise they are fine, I run the bars under the yokes with 3- 5mm showing above the top yoke.  One bike is a race bike with an 1100 motor, which I run stiffer springs in, but other wise the forks are stock.

Ground clearance is fine, and I would think for road riding the stock springs will be ok. The 1100 frame is a little shorter than the 750 frame so has more weight on the front end so you will need to go stiffer on the springs if you start any track riding.

[Rossco(Iceman Josros)]

I run 1000K2 forks in my Slabby 7/11 which are 725mm from wheel Spindle centre the top of Stantion which are approx 15mm shorter than my previous j/k 750 forks and 50mm shorter that the originals these have both worked really well with little more than basic set up there biggest issue is my 17st

[Paulm]

18 minutes ago, Rossco(Iceman Josros) said:

I run 1000K2 forks in my Slabby 7/11 which are 725mm from wheel Spindle centre the top of Stantion which are approx 15mm shorter than my previous j/k 750 forks and 50mm shorter that the originals these have both worked really well with little more than basic set up there biggest issue is my 17st

Only 17st?