Front Fork Swap

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Front Fork and Caliper Swap

What are the odds that we can swap out the FZ8 front forks for another Yamaha's adjustable front forks? I wish we had the bike already, so I could see for myself.

I read a review about the front forks being too soft in suddenly heavy braking situations. :(
 
Last edited:

FZ1inNH

Administrator
There's a few options for you Joel.

You can replace the fork oil with heavier weight to slow the flow through the valves.

You can replace the springs with some rated for your weight and riding style. Couple that with slightly heavier weight oil and you'll stop a lot of the dive.

You can do the oil and springs but also throw in cartridge emulators. Hard to adjust but sweet when they are set up and loaded in.

Last is swap out the forks. I'm betting you can mod one of several sets in like the FZ1 forks which are mostly adjustable but sill need at least the heavy oil. R1 forks with some modifications will likely be the next best candidate.

Start with the cheapest solution. You can get the oil and springs for around $100 from Racetech. You might even be able to get the dealer to include the install of them on the bike before picking it up. ;)
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Ah, great idea. I didn't even think about changing the oil viscosity. I'll definitely look into that first.

Will update if and when the time comes. :)
 

00007

New member
i just came off of an sv and i know the gsxr forks bolted right in i did the mod on my old bike and it improved the handling so much well worth it .. i was going to look into seeing what would take place and what mods an R1 fork would need to fit ..
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Right.

I remember reading a thread about converting the R6S standard forks to the R6 inverted. But, it required the two neck pieces as well... Hopefully since the FZ8 is already inverted, it will be a simple 1-2 swap. I'm also happy to see the front brake rotors are the same. Maybe we'll be able to swap them for the 6 Pot Calipers as well! :D
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Well, I'm not proposing that it is critical to modify the front calipers. But...

Starting off theoretically speaking, Force = Pressure x Area. By maintaining pressure constant and increasing area, you would, therefore, increase your force applied to the rotor.

I couldn't say much, but my friend and I did trade bikes for a moment and went cruising through some canyon rodes. He rode a 2007 R1, and I had my R6S at the time.

If I have the urge to take it (the FZ8) on the track, which I did with my R6S, the 6-Pot brakes could make an improvement in braking force and feel. More surface area over the rotor can make for stronger braking force, even though Pads play a significant roll. 6-Pot, with Pads great for track use, (and of course some very sticky tires), would make a significant improvement.

According to the specifications, the FZ8 appears to be heavier than the R1 by approximately 30lbs. So, the use of 6-Pot can benefit here.

For daily use, there isn't any significant benefit other than brake feel. I felt the 07 R1 had better brake feel than my 07 R6S.

Other than this, the last point I could make is by an observation. We clearly see that the 454lb 2011 R1 has the 6-Pot caliper. How would the 4-Pot be any more efficient for the FZ8, when this bike weighs 30lbs more? This isn't even accounting for the weight of the rider.

But remember, it is not critical to modify the front calipers. But, if a person like myself visits the track every so often, there is a benefit to upgrading the forks for adjustable forks. And, since one would have the forks of the R1, why not use the brakes as well? :)

(Edit: Wow... I wrote a lot...lol. If anyone feels I am misunderstanding or incorrect about something, PLEASE call me out. I am always happy to get my facts straightened out. :p)
 
Last edited:

00007

New member
thank you for clearing that up for me i do not have a track within 400 km of me but i am about 275lbs would i notice much more improvement for the cost of up grading to the 6-pot caliper? i do mostly high way and quiet a bit of cottage road twisty corners ?
i would love to have an r1 along side the fz8 i enjoy riding my fz8 a lot but do miss the pure sport bike
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Well... That is a very good question. Since I cannot quantify the added performance of this modification (Strictly speaking - A FZ8 with stock brakes compared to a FZ8 with R1 brakes), I'm not sure if the cost to performance ratio makes this modification worth it or not.

I'm not sure myself what the cost would be to do this upgrade either, but I'm sure it won't be cheap unless you can source parts in a junkyard.
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Well.. I just looked up brand new parts for the 2011 R1.

Each caliper assembly is $335. Each fork assembly is $510.... So that's already at $1700. NOT WORTH IT. But, like I said, if you can find a wrecked R1, I'd jump on it.

Side note: It appears the 2011 FZ1 has 320mm rotors, instead of 310mm. Shame the caliper is 4 pot. The slight increase in rotor size is simply designed to keep the braking temperatures down. Braking efficiency should be identical to the FZ8, FZ6, and R6.
 

00007

New member
yeah for that price i think my breaks will stay the same ... i think i will make it go faster before i worry about making it stop lol
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
Well, I FINALLY was able to check out the new FZ8!!!! I liked everything about it, except the handle bars....

Here are a few pictures I took.







As you can see, the handle bars are very basic. They are nothing like the R6 or R1. So, in order to do the fork sway, one will have to change out the neck and handle bars as well. With the handle bar right on top of the end of the fork, it makes it difficult to lower the front end a bit. Or, if adjustable forks are swapped in, there is virtually no access on top of the fork.
 

FZ1inNH

Administrator
What was it about the bars? Angle? height?

I think those low risers will become quite popular with the FZ1 riders! :D Although, swapping to them means no GPR Steering Stabilizer and not a lot of room to drop the triples on the forks. Hmmmmm...
 

xpertsnowcarver

The Sneaky Butcher
The space between the top of the fork and the handle bar appears to be too small. With an adjustable fork, it protudes out where the handle bar is located.

Here is a R6 fork. The gold on top of the fork is the protrustion that may hit the bar.



If one does convert to these forks, one may need to get the entire R6/R1/FZ1 handle bar setup as well. But, this may alter ride position...
 
Last edited:

FZ1inNH

Administrator
It looks like, from your last shot, that if the FZ1 or R1 forks are mounted but not raised in the triples, there is plenty of room. The adjustment will likely fit right up into the curve of the bars as it too tapers as it protrudes. :D I think it is safe. The GPRS is out of the question though.

Side note? I am willing to bet you can instantly find an FZ1 rider who would swap risers without question. :D
 
Top