B12 Front End Swap?

[China Greg]

Hey! Anyone around that knows what kind of Front Ends go well with a First Gen B12?

I've improved just about everything ELSE on my old gal... was considering a Gixxer front end or something... wondering what it would require vs. perceived improvement.

[asskickinpeanuts]

From fast Larry's web site FAQ:

Suzuki RF-900 Forks
The Bandit is believed to share front forks with the Suzuki RF-900.  It also shares the fender and fender brace as well.  People looking for replacement pieces for their front forks should check the salvage yards for an RF-900 donor bike.  If you need to do a total fork replacement, you would be better served by using GSX-R forks instead as they are higher quality, upside-down, and fully adjustable.

Suzuki GSX-R Forks
After bending or breaking the forks on the stock Bandit, some people have chosen to replace them with an upside-down GSX-R unit.  This is not a simple installation and requires a fair amount of work, but it can be done.  The main advantages to using the Gixxer fork are the additional adjustability and amount of aftermarket parts available for this suspension.  Hopefully we'll have directions on how to do this modification in the future.

[China Greg]

Right right... Gixxer forks. I guess the only real issues are how to mod the steering head clamps... and how the geometry needs to be set up. I figure it must have been done plenty of times, but maybe us B12 owners are dwindling...

[asskickinpeanuts]

" I figure it must have been done plenty of times, but maybe us B12 owners are dwindling..."

Probably.

[ZipTi]

anyone swap 2nd gen 1200 onto a 1st gen 1200? my touring rig might like 6 piston calipers...

[China Greg]

If you just want to change over to six-piston calipers, I believe standard Tokicos will bolt right on. Calipers are made to Standard sizes, not individual bikes.

A few years ago I bought a pair of six piston calipers off FleaBay, came off a ZRX 1200 Kawasaki, I recall. Bolted right on to my 1st Gen B12. I think the only (small) glitch was that the steel lines I was using had to bolt on to the calipers sticking straight back...rather than curving up... but that worked well and wasn't overly weird looking.
.

.
I thought they were Kool Beans until I was on a long trip (NY to ST Louis and back via N Carolina). Somewhere around Nashville I realized I'd developed a heavy WARP in a front rotor.. and surmised it was due to a piston in the 6-pot caliper hanging up.
I made it home, but the rotor was ruined. I sent the calipers to a friend I knew who wanted to work on them; we decided that they weren't worth the risk and I went back to my standard OEM 4-pots... haven't regretted it.

You may find that you really don't need the six-bangers on there, (and I certainly don't think you need to change your entire front end to DO that!). I don't know what your set up is now... but if you put on some good quality pads and a set of stainless lines... you may find the improvement in braking power that you seek, Young Skywalker.

[ZipTi]

I will check that out, I gotta spare Gen2 front end leaning on the wall...

[China Greg]

I seriously doubt that you are going to find much difference between 1st and 2nd Generation front ends. There WAS a slight change in the damper rod after 2001, but I don't believe it was very radical.

Suggest a better course:

1) Get some good Sonic springs (or Progressive) that are calibrated to your weight
2) Put a Racetech Gold Valve kit in there

I can guarantee those two improvements will give you a far better feel.. and ride.
And while we're at it, if you REALLY want that bike to handle, and can afford $500, buy a set-up Hyperpro shock (or even Ohlins, if you are wealthy)... then you'll REALLY have a new bike, and will be astounded by how well it handles. I did that with mine... and now it handles like on RAILS. Does awesome Sport Touring AND is very credible on Trackdays.

But again, I think you are wasting your time swapping 1st Gen front ends for 2nd.

[ZipTi]

I plan on replacing the shock and re-working forks this winter.
Thanks, eh

[doublenaughtspy]

Back in the day I put a GSXR1100 shock on my '96 B12 with fantastic results!  If you have dropped your triple-tree even a little, though, you would have to raise it back up or put on a good steering damper.  The forks were re-sprung, well, because I'm not a 120lb test rider....if'n ya know what I mean....and went up one step in oil weight and added gold valves.  The weak part of that bike quickly became the frame.  I could literally feel it squirm when the going got hot.  Good luck with the mods.  The GSXR forks would be a LOT of work for a bike isn't rigid enough to get the benefit from them, in my opinion anyway.

[China Greg]

Yeah, I'm probably never going to make the switch to USD forks. I just don't think it would be WORTH it.
I'm running proper-weight Sonic springs and a Gold Valve kit in front... and it handles wonderfully. I think changing it all around would just be a big, expensive hassle, when I'm already very happy with the handling.

[RDUBandit]

Refurbed '92 GSX-R750 forks:

These are 40mm shorter than the Bandit forks.

'92 GSX-R1100 forks:

These are very close to the same length as the OEM Bandit forks.

In both cases, you just press out the Bandit steering stem and press it into the GSX-R bottom triple clamp.