FJ1100 fork conversion

[XJOK2PLAY]

Phil,
Looks good! Amazing how natural it all ties in!

Do the new bars alter your riding position? Make you lean forward more?

Like the way the bars look.

Those custom caliper brackets you made are sweet.
Good work!

[bikerphil]

Phil,
Looks good! Amazing how natural it all ties in!

Do the new bars alter your riding position? Make you lean forward more?

Like the way the bars look.

Those custom caliper brackets you made are sweet.
Good work!

Thanx, bro. The bars make me lean forward a little more, but I have long arms, so it isn't a problem. The clip-ons have about a 4" rise, plus the upper TT is an inch higher too. The riding position is very comfortable. Another plus, the pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder doesn't bother me when riding anymore.

[bikerphil]

update

Ok, I got the fender to mount up decent with a few strategically placed cuts and grinds....

















I would ultimately like to get the fender to sit a tad closer to the tire, a project for another day.

[jmnjrpa]

Great work!

[DGXSER]

Awesome job Phil!

I wonder if the fender would fit nicely bolted up from below that same mount point on the forks? Distance looks pretty close to where it might look right.

[bikerphil]

Awesome job Phil!

I wonder if the fender would fit nicely bolted up from below that same mount point on the forks? Distance looks pretty close to where it might look right.

Thats a good idea, DG. Gonna go out there and check.

[bikerphil]

Ok, I bolted the fender on to the bottom of the fork brace ears. The tire/fender clearance is good, but now the fork brace will be exposed, which I don't mind, actually I like it visible. Problem now is, I'll have to make some standoffs about an inch tall to bolt the brace on. Just wondering if it will still function ok with it mounted that way, away from it's original mounting surface. Ace Hardware/Motorcycle Parts is closed tomorrow, so I guess it'll have to wait.

[DGXSER]

Well, not as good of a brainstorm as I thought huh. But I do agree it put the fender where it should go.

I would think your gonna want the standoffs to have as wide a base as possible to keep them from pivoting. Maybe even find a wider standoff than fits at the top and custom cut it to taper with the forks. Much easier for me to say than for you to do though I know.

[bikerphil]

Yep, I'm going to stick with the higher fender mounting. Seems like it'll be much more stable and easier to bolt on that way. Now it's time to start tinkering with the fork oil weight, valving, and rear shock setup.

[Ivan]

If I understand correctly, fork braces mainly prevent the forks from bowing outward. This in effect keeps the wheel aligned vertically with the forks. That's just what I have read. Until I get my high speed filming set up, I won't have conclusive proof.

One other thing.

You might check on a set of 83-85 Venture front calipers. It looks like they may bolt straight up to the FJ forks, and they have dual pistons. If you could find a venture near by to get measurements, that would be best, or there is always Ebay. If it doesn't work, you could "re-gift" them. Also, I have such a Venture, hence the idea, so I could take a few measurements, to see if you think they would fit.

[bikerphil]

Ivan, as for the calipers, I tried the dual piston FJ calipers, but there isn't enough clearance for the inner pistons. They hit the wheel. Those adapter brackets I made for the XS calipers are rock solid. I'm not really too worried about additional braking power at the moment, but I like your idea.

These forks are really solid even without the brace. The way I have it set up now under the fender, it has 9mm spacers to raise it up enough to clear the tire. The way I look at it, the longer the spacer, the weaker it will be. The brace keeps the forks from twisting.

I bought another set of FJ forks for $30, and I'm going to make my own custom damping settings. The XS wheel is heavier than the little FJ 16", so I'm going to fine tune the settings for this particular set up.

[bikerphil]

Ok, after riding the bike around for 'bout a week, I've noticed that it handles poorly at slow speeds of about 10-15 mph, especially in a bumpy turn. The faster you go, the better it handles. I haven't measured anything yet, but I believe the front wheel is closer to the engine than it was with the stock front end. Rake/trail is slightly different. I've installed some shorter rear shocks to lower the back a little, gonna see if that will change anything. I'm also thinking the rebound (front) is still a bit hard, even on it's lightest setting. Anybody got thoughts on this ?

[jmnjrpa]

Might want to try progressive springs to soften the rebound.

[bikerphil]

another update

After switching to a good pair of stock shocks and springs in the back, this handling problem has totally disappeared. The previous shocks I was running (JCW with factory Yamaha springs) were way too stiff, even on the lowest spring preload setting. Goes to show you, you're looking for the problem in the front, and it's really in the back, lol. I also upped the front tire pressure to 36 psi, and it's handling great. I did violate the golden rule of suspension tuning by making more than one adjustment at a time, but it's all good. Might be time to start thinking of some progressive shocks for the rear.

The front forks do have progressive wound springs in them, 15W oil, and center spring preload setting. Rebound damping on it's lightest setting.

[bikerphil]

After riding this bike hard for a couple hundred miles, I'm satisfied with the strength of the alternative caliper mounting brackets. Had my doubts there at first, lol. The bike stops exactly the same as it did before, which is fine for now. It was a good learning experience, doing that custom fab. The 6061 5/16" aluminum plate is some strong sh*t.

Pissed me off, the rear shock adjuster busted clean off. POS OEM shocks. Gonna get some good Progressives. Anyone run them?







If you notice the aluminum block off plate on the front of the fork leg(s), it's for the anti-dive unit. Those were gone faster than an octy, lol. The PO got rid of them. They would tie into the brake lines. Bike doesn't dive without them.