The USD project is on the road (now with pics!)

[del la sol]

i was actually thinking how much i loved the front fender on it

you should just pick up a bottle like this, its small and could be tucked away just about anywhere

[meehacker]

Hey - nice work!
I like the headlamp brackets - I bought the Lockhart Philips clamp on style for my conversion, but I like yours much better.  Looks great - can't wait to finish mine!

[turbofb]

Thanks,
Part of my "Version 1.0" of this job, was to do it all with as many stock parts as possible.Since I have a whole shop at my disposal,it was easy enough to cut,bend,weld and shape the little steel bits needed to make it come together.In the end,Ill probably get some of these,just because it will go well with all the bright,polished and anodized alloy thats on the front of the bike now.....

http://www.streetfightersinc.com/GSGHeadlightBrackets.jpg

I wasnt fully happy with the fender either,but it was a matter of limited choices and trying to get things done sooner and cheaper.I tried and tried to find an early-mid 90's red fender,but I dont think hey ever made one.....after all,red was never Suzuki's color.This fender bolted right up with minor work and is nearly a perfect match for color.I dont really care for the large,solid surface area ahead of the fork tubes,but it does probably help with the aerodynamics.
And,like many things it looks a lot better in person from different angles......pictures dont do this thing justice,I really,really dig how the entire project came out.The bike really catches the eyes of motorcycle people,from what Ive seen just in the last couple days.

[Red01]

I dont really care for the large,solid surface area ahead of the fork tubes,but it does probably help with the aerodynamics.

And protecting the sliders from dings by errant bits of road debris.

[turbofb]

Coolant bottle situation is resolved,and in clever fashion if I do say so myself!

After looking around at other bike's bottles,I came to the realization that Ill probably never find one thin enough to fit in the tail section.So I started looking at the stock bottle and other locations around the bike.

Turns out,there is a perfect spot up front,which is occupied by the horn.The space is 10 times bigger than what the little horn needs,and its wide open.Coincidentally,its also about the same shape as the coolant bottle,+1,and just happens to be very close to the thermostat/rad.cap housing, +2.And,using a small spacer,the horn bracket lines up with one of the mounting holes in the bottle,+3......AND.....when in place,the vaguely usable coolant level window is clearly visible from between the frame tubes,+4!!!!

So,I moved the tiny little aftermarket horn to one of the mounting tabs for the cooling fan.No problems there,the wiring reaches and its tucked nicely in place.Then,I had to cut about 1" off the top of the coolant bottle for top clearance.It would have fit without the cutting,but I never would have been able to get the cap off when in place.To regain the locking lip for the lid,I used my trusty heatgun to soften and enlarge the top edge of the bottle,so it locks into the cap.

The bottle now handily fills in a space that is otherwise wide-open and in plain site, from the left side of the bike.It looks like it belongs there,sitting at the same angle as the front frame tube and only a B4 owner would be able to tell it doesnt belong there.I can add coolant with a thin funnel or piece of tubing,not that you ever have to do that much anyways.

[El Dopa]

Great job. I have had mine with an 05 gsx1000 frontend for almost a year and I love it. you will have lots of fun with this conversion.

'05? What did you need to make the conversion?

I've more or less given up trying to source '91-'95 bits here in New Zealand. I'm now looking for bits that I can frankenbike up.

Did you use '05 triples and the bandit stem?

Details, please!

[gsxr400 racer]

that is how you do a conversion any front end that is long enough for your project and your stem pressed into it makes a front end for a bandit . Its just that the 91-95 stuff is a dirrect fit with out pressing the stems.

[El Dopa]

that is how you do a conversion any front end that is long enough for your project and your stem pressed into it makes a front end for a bandit . Its just that the 91-95 stuff is a dirrect fit with out pressing the stems.

I knew that worked for the SRAD stuff ('96-'99). Good to hear it works for the later model stuff as well. Presumably you replace the bearings at the same time?

Now to find an '06 gsxr750 thats been written off, but majically has no damamge to the front end.....

[Red01]

Just remember this part:

any front end that is long enough

[El Dopa]

Just remember this part:

any front end that is long enough

Well, I'm not planning on building a chopper.......

[turbofb]

Its quite the opposite when it comes to USD forks.
They tend to be shorter,and if they are too short,youll end up with a bike thats raked like a bad 70's hotrod.

The GSX-R750 forks are just long enough,I have mine ran down to the very edge and it still sits a tad lower in the front.Other bikes like the TL or late model GSXR's might be a little longer,youll have to do some research before deciding.
The GSX-R1100 forks are another 1" or so longer since they are made to have the clip-ons above the upper tree.Of course,in order to utilize the extra length for frontend height,youll have to put the clip-ons below the upper tree....but the height can be regained with convertabars or heli-bars....its a vicious cycle!

[El Dopa]

Ahhhhh, the penny drops.....

I just assumed with the size of the 400 that more or less any USD forks, from 600 up, would have length to spare.

There's a 1100 being parted out near me. Time for a weekend trip.