Euro/Jap model forks vs US? And upper triple clamp compatibility?

[PUGLIA]

Ok I'm hoping someone here can help me out. I've done a lot of searching through pages of this forum back to 2005 and beyond. Haven't found an answer. So if there is a thread please let me know.
  I'm wanting to put 89 gsf 400 OEM clip ons on my 92. But I know I have to lower the front end on the bike to do it. So I've tried to hunt down if there is any difference in the forks of the euro/jap 89 forks vs the US version. I found the specs on the 89-91 E/J model and know they use Kayaba 41mm telescoping forks with 122mm of travel but I can't find any info on my 92. I know they are 41mm and are kayaba but I need to know if they are the same. Just for peace of mind when lower the front down to attach the clip ons.

Second I was wondering if anyone knows if the 89 clip ons that bolt to the upper triple clamp will match up to the holes on a 95 katana gsx600 upper triple clamp.

So if there is anyone out there with ungodly amounts of Suzuki knowledge and would like to impart some of the wisdom that he or she holds, I would appreciate it greatly!

[tomacGTi]

To save you some trouble:

The EDM/JDM forks that come with the factory clip-ons have longer stanchion tubes than the handlebar clamp models. How can you tell? They're the same forks but the oil height changes in the manual.

If you lower the triples to install the factory clip ons, you either need to drill and tap your existing triple (the bosses are there but are untapped) or obtain the correct triple already drilled and tapped for the clip ons. I would suggest using a drill press for the job unless you are that accurate doing it with a hand drill.

Katana clip ons will not bolt onto either triple without drilling and tapping either triple. The material is there but it's your ass, so caveat emptor. You will also have to factor in the one inch (25.4mm+) drop that will take away clearance from the front wheel/entire bike and alter geometry on the bike to ensure proper overlap on either clip on.

It will get much worse under braking, steepening the head angle under dive possibly causing headshake. The factory damper rods suck and this will really make the situation worse.

If you really want clip ons, I would suggest to get ones that have a rise in the clamp and place them underneath the top triple. This will also necessitate modifying the headlight bracket. Another option with the OEM handlebar clamp are a set of clubmans or Suburban Machinery bars. Barring a complete fork swap, these are the easiest, safest, least expensive options.

If you are hell-bent on running the EDM/JDM setup, I'm sure you can obtain the katana fork tubes and hybrid the forks to accomodate. By the time you've gone down this road, you could have purchased a fork swap already.

If you need a set of OEM clip-ons and the factory clip on triple, let me know. I've had a set languishing in the basement for eons now that I'll let go of.

Good luck.

-Randy