Fork upgrade

7002 Views 39 Replies 17 Participants Last post by TrialsRider, Nov 18, 2019

Pete82

Discussion Starter · Jul 3, 2018

Hi, I have a 1982 GS850gl. I'd like to upgrade my fork suspension to something more modern like the inverted ones. anyone know what would fit my GS?

1 - 20 of 40 Posts

XB33BSA

· #2 · Jul 3, 2018 (Edited)

if you have to ask...;.
there is nothing wrong with your forks ,besides sportbike forks are too short and they look stupid because they are completely out of placeon a fine example of a 1980's sport touring machine
oh wait you have the ll model
suzuki's answer to a cruiser
that is some of the most hideous styling the japs ever foisted on us
no way in hell will invertted forks work unless you
lots of idiots do it because they are morons to boot
diont tell us you are going to build a cafe racer from that bike
impossoible to do
you need a twin or single no newer than 1970 to have a cafe racer
GIVE UP ride the bike

Pete82

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 3, 2018

Thanks for your insight. no one said there was anything wrong with my forks; just looking to upgrade the look of the bike. clearly you wouldn't know anything about what I'm referring to because you probably ride some contraction you built yourself with plumbing supply equipment and a leaf blower engine. I didn't come to this forum to be insulted; just looking for someone who perhaps shares an interest in old café racers and their mods. Whether you agree with the look or not is your business. As far as I'm concerned, only an "idiot" or "moron" would respond as you did. Don't blow any fingers off tomorrow! you'll need them for your moss covered three handled family gradunza! View attachment 94041

XB33BSA

· #4 · Jul 3, 2018

lol you want to upgrade the look but are not concerned about downgrading performance ?
because thats what you get putting on forks that are 5-6'' too short
you get engine cases grinding on the floor in curves and you get a machine with unsafe steering geometry and upset balance with underspung forks to boot
you cannot make am l model be anything at all like a vintage cafe racer
please find an example poicture of an L model modified to your tastes for me to ridicule

Jruff5585

· #5 · Jul 3, 2018

Look XB has some valid points, but along with a modern front end you need to use the 17" rim then you'll put on good sticky tires that the frame most likely cannot handle, along with changing the steering geometry. If you want to upgrade and not just for looks, here's how to save time money and headaches. Get a set of Race Tech springs and emulators. There I just saved you a boat load of cash. There's a reason you don't see a lot of USD forks on GS850s, they are too short

3364

· #6 · Jul 4, 2018

I have a vfr1200f triples/legs/axle I would love to kick out of the shed.

Pete82

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 5, 2018

Thanks all for your advice. believe it or not, ive learned a lot from your comments and suggestions and it's why I came here in the first place. thx again!

Pete82

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 5, 2018

Hey XB! you're right. there are no GS850's with USD forks! lol

hail to the king!

johnnod

· #9 · Jul 19, 2018

The race tech stuff is a really good upgrade, I would think you'd be pretty happy with it.

I've used Progressive springs, and Race tech's single rate springs , with emulators, that's the way to go.

seanbarney41

· #10 · Jul 20, 2018

but dude! that racetech stuff all goes inside the stock forks and no one will be able to tell that I hacked the living shit out my bike and am so badass!

Reactions: 2

roccitycafe

· #11 · Jul 24, 2018

I wouldn't pay attention to the people immediately slamming your ideas, they don't build anything, just trash people who do. Check out cognito moto, they sell a variety of kits to swap to a modern front end, other than that, make sure you don't change the trail too much, there are a lot of articles out there on how to calculate trail, so it's a good thing to understand. frankly, there's plenty wrong with your stock front end, namely the technology is a compromise allowing for inexpensive manufacturing, modern front ends require a lot more precisely machined parts, and in that era, would have been ridiculously expensive, the technology in them isn't rocket science though. a newer front end, properly sprung and valved, will keep your front tire on the ground and more consistently loaded than your old front end, which allows for safer braking without locking the wheel.

woodsman

· #12 · Jul 24, 2018

Ahhh, "cafe builders".

Quote Originally Posted by roccitycafe View Post
.... same thing with furniture, it doesn't have to be straight or not wobble, or keep thing from rolling off it, or not collapse when sat upon, it's personal taste man... if I want a dining room set that endangers the life of my dinner party guests, then it doesn't need second hand approval

TrialsRider

· #13 · Jul 24, 2018

Freakin posers! They don't build anything either, they paint shit, tart it, chop bits off, leave things missing and reassemble mismatched model suspensions wrapped around an antiquated frame and VIN.
What they do well is to promote theft of modern sport bikes unless you figure gold USD forks just fall off the Ducati delivery truck on a regular basis.

There are dudes on this site building frames, competitive race bikes and world land speed record attempt machines from scratch, those are the bike builders!
... ask those guys what they think about your project

roccitycafe

· #14 · Jul 24, 2018

woodsman said:
Ahhh, "cafe builders".

Quote Originally Posted by roccitycafe View Post
.... same thing with furniture, it doesn't have to be straight or not wobble, or keep thing from rolling off it, or not collapse when sat upon, it's personal taste man... if I want a dining room set that endangers the life of my dinner party guests, then it doesn't need second hand approval

I'll stand by that man, he's asking about putting a front end on an old bike, not showing us how he reduced his bike's curb weight by strategically removing material from the frame and swingarm. now, I'm no nasa engineer, but my guess is that most technologies have improved in the last 40 years, front suspension included, he may not know all the details, but improving the front suspension on these old bikes is a big improvement, having ridden many as well as built and designed many front ends incorporating cartridge forks, I can personally attest to that, know any stock gs850 front ends that can get the back wheel off the ground under braking without tucking under and eating shit? instead of sitting here and waiting to get trolled, and also imagining trolling where it isn't, maybe offer some help, I see lots of valid posts with valid questions just get buried with the most popular posts, which basically read as a bunch of grumpy old farts shitting on anyone doing anything to motorcycles other than filing the flash off the cooling fins or changing the oil.

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roccitycafe

· #15 · Jul 24, 2018

those guys rarely post because their posts get ignored in favor of trashing newbs

TrialsRider

· #16 · Jul 24, 2018

"as well as built and designed many front ends incorporating cartridge forks," who did you work for Showa? That would be pretty cool.

roccitycafe

· #17 · Jul 24, 2018

nope, don't work for showa, but have taken bikes with front ends I build and designed to the track and actually run them as hard as I could. this is pretty much the funnies thing about this site, I come on here and defend someone who is asking a question and it stirs a hornets nest, if I come on here and ask a technical question, I get zero response, this site could have been a nice resource but the negativity and curmudgeons here really trashed it. why not get off the computer and go build something, go try something you're not sure of, see how it works or doesn't, go build a custom bike and actually finish it, do that a few times and you'll probably shut up and stop criticizing all the "poser custom builds" out there, I have a lot of respect for people who build a show quality bike that's actually finished, maybe it's not my taste, maybe the frame couldn't be thrown around a corner at 80mph and 40 degree lean, but they actually did something, that counts for a lot in my book.

woodsman

· #18 · Jul 24, 2018

roccitycafe said:
I'll stand by that man, he's asking about putting a front end on an old bike, not showing us how he reduced his bike's curb weight by strategically removing material from the frame and swingarm. now, I'm no nasa engineer, but my guess is that most technologies have improved in the last 40 years, front suspension included, he may not know all the details, but improving the front suspension on these old bikes is a big improvement, having ridden many as well as built and designed many front ends incorporating cartridge forks, I can personally attest to that, know any stock gs850 front ends that can get the back wheel off the ground under braking without tucking under and eating shit? instead of sitting here and waiting to get trolled, and also imagining trolling where it isn't, maybe offer some help, I see lots of valid posts with valid questions just get buried with the most popular posts, which basically read as a bunch of grumpy old farts shitting on anyone doing anything to motorcycles other than filing the flash off the cooling fins or changing the oil.

It's a ridiculous statement but stand by it if you wish.

The OP bike is a bloody shaft drive cruiser, who the fuck cares if it can "get the back end off the ground under heavy braking". You sound like your "builds" involves turning lumps to turds.

roccitycafe

· #19 · Jul 24, 2018

woodsman said:
It's a ridiculous statement but stand by it if you wish.

The OP bike is a bloody shaft drive cruiser, who the fuck cares if it can "get the back end off the ground under heavy braking". You sound like your "builds" involves turning lumps to turds.

uh huh. lol.

jcw

· #20 · Jul 24, 2018 (Edited)

roccitycafe said:
nope, don't work for showa, but have taken bikes with front ends I build and designed to the track and actually run them as hard as I could. ...

Really? As hard as you could???
Then you would know a USD front end would be a BAD idea on a 70's and early 80's cradle frame.
Unless hard-as-you-can means to Starbucks and back.

A good motorcycle should be more than the sum of it's pretty parts.

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