Fork conversion

[Amnesiace]

Has anyone does a fork conversion before? Would the fork of a XS 650 or a SR 500 fit?
I have lowered the front and now there is not much space between the wheel and the radiator, I hope that a straight fork will solve the problem.

[per_w_aberg]

Why not turn the lower fork leg 180 deg? It will mess up geometry but maybe still be rideable. I think the vision has raked triple clamps making the forks not parallel with the steering head. Swapping the fork tubes only, keeping the triple trees will also mess with geometry in that case. I'm curios to hear any suggestions for a straight swap fork to. The top triple clamp looks odd when you put a regular handlebar on it.

[Rikugun]

Like this?

[Rikugun]

I think the vision has raked triple clamps making the forks not parallel with the steering head.

What makes you say that? Did you take some measurements that confirm this?

[dingleberry]

Don't like the idea of reversing forks as that would put brake mounts on the wrong side. Good for a dirt tracker with no front brake I guess. May alleviate the need for a fork brace somewhat though. Makes it a lot slower steering. Has anyone got specs on trail, rake etc? Probably on the info page I suppose. 

[The Prophet of Doom]

Don't like the idea of reversing forks as that would put brake mounts on the wrong side. Good for a dirt tracker with no front brake I guess. May alleviate the need for a fork brace somewhat though. Makes it a lot slower steering. Has anyone got specs on trail, rake etc? Probably on the info page I suppose.

Dinglebeery for your model this is info is in the 14x Service Manual Supplement.  Since you are too busy with your shiny new toys to look...

Model	XZ400	US 82 Model	Euro 82 Model	US 83 Model
--------------------	--------------------	--------------------	--------------------	--------------------
Castor Angle	26o20'	26o20'	26o40'	26o40'
Trail	118mm	116mm	118mm	124mm

The differences will be to do with shocks and tyres.  Identical triple clamps and frames are used throughout the XZ series

[per_w_aberg]

What makes you say that? Did you take some measurements that confirm this?

Good question. According to sciences last discovery it would seem I was totally wrong. Measurements suggest there is 0 rake. I was fooled by the trailing front wheel axle. Instead there is a hefty triple clamp offset at ~59mm, maybe double that of other bikes. That would be to make the forks clear the radiator as suggested in this forum, leaving the front axle looking funny. Now there is good radiator clearance so what could be the real story? Any regular offset fork would do just fine.

On a side note, chopper guys figured out long ago how to get good trail when rakeing out the head stock by adding additional rake in the triple clamps themselves and they seem to have good handling while still looking cool.

Going outside the box you get this project: http://www.tonyfoale.com/Articles/RakeEx/RakeEx.htm

[Rikugun]

On a side note, chopper guys figured out long ago how to get good trail when rakeing out the head stock by adding additional rake in the triple clamps themselves and they seem to have good handling while still looking cool.

Going outside the box you get this project: http://www.tonyfoale.com/Articles/RakeEx/RakeEx.htm

That's an interesting article. I'd read (and saved for reference) that when I was exploring the idea of a leading axle fork mod.

The custom triples were a poor man's way to a chopper in lieu of modifying the frame/neck.  I'm not sure if one was more desirable over the other in real world performance but purists were often dismissive of the notion. Maybe they were jealous they'd spent so much at the custom frame fabricator?

There's a bonus to the "hefty offset" you mentioned on the Vision that being turning radius. Pushing the forks forward as they are allows the steering stops to be more generous than some centerline and leading axle bikes I've ridden. Doing an about face on narrow country lanes is possible on the Vision with room to spare.