pondering about a front end swap...

[crazy steve]

Well that takes the fun out of it, having step by step instructions.

LOL! Yeah, if was easy, then anybody could do it....

[rover]

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Nice answer, moderator

[crazy steve]

Nice answer, moderator

It's a joke son, it's a joke...

[lee_dutcher]

Stoppie...

that guy looks like he took a dump in his pants...lol,,,, put a quote above his head..."now where did i put my helmet?"

[NewGuy]

Not to rain on your parade, but do some research before you leap; while a fork swap can offer very real improvements, it's not a money-saving solution. Things you need to check are fork length, triple-tree stem length (the XS has a rather short stem compared to more modern bikes, and this can complicate a swap), and the weight of the bike the forks came off of, to name just a few things. The weight is a biggy, as many late sport bikes are up to 150 lbs lighter and may require custom springs for a XS. Another issue than has been mentioned is replacement parts costs; it's been reported that rebuild cost for some of the exotic calipers on these can be up to $100 each. 'Better' brake options (when available) are just as expensive.

And even the so-called 'bolt-on' swaps mentioned really aren't; while getting the forks onto the frame may be simple, the devil is in the details. How do you mount your headlight? Or the gauges? Are the fork stops in the right place? How about the handlebar controls and cables; will they fit? You'll likely end up up with mis-matched front/rear wheels; is this acceptable? While getting the parts on the bike isn't always all that hard, making them look like they 'belong' there can be...

I'm not trying to discourage anybody, but just to make you aware of all this; it's very rarely as simple as some make it. I'd hate to see somebody spend $$ acquiring parts for a swap, only to become frustrated with all the 'little' stuff that will probably require custom-fabbed bits to make it work... and maybe throwing away another XS because of it...

this may be my first bike but this aint my first rodeo.

Mounting guages and headlights is a VERY simple fab job, a few brackets and you're done. A good macine shop can make swap parts, or you could just weld on a new triple tree neck. there are several rear wheel sizes that came stock on the xs so you could easily match the size, then just try to find one that will not look bad against the rear.

I understand that this isn't bolt on mod, but if you can find a good fork that will be around the same size the cost will be around the same as building a stadard fork to handle. especially for us special guys who have to find a stadard fork to begin with. the parts list to make a set of stardard forks handle would be a minimum of:
forks:50-150
fork brace:100
emulators:50
springs:100

if I can find a good deal on a set of forks that still have good seals i might still fo this, but if I can find a compatible fork to swap i'm going that rout.

[NewGuy]

LOL! Yeah, if was easy, then anybody could do it....

agreed, though I always heard it said "if fabrication was easy then everyone would do it."

[crazy steve]

If you go forward on this, take lots of pics; we're always interested in upgrade how-tos...

[NewGuy]

If you go forward on this, take lots of pics; we're always interested in upgrade how-tos...

if i can find something compatable i'll make sure i do that. i did a few how to threads with my truck.

[FJ111200]

I've done an FJ1200 3CV front end swap on one of my XS's.
This first picture shows the spacer that was made to account for the FJ's longer steering stem.



Then this second shot shows the complete front end.



It lowers the XS to the point where it makes the centrestand, which is now removed, drag on the road when leaning over to the left, and the silencer can sometimes drag on the road when leaning to the right. It's a 17inch front wheel and i've put a 16inch XS rear on it aswell now. It makes you want to ride fast.

[yamahansolo]

Don't know where you got the emulator price but race techs ate roughly 150 bucks. I used my stock springs and fortuanitly my bike came with the brace. So all I spent was 150 plus fork oil and let me tell you you can whip it around the curves with ease. I have owned about 10 different bikes and this thing handles as good as my yzf600r did. They added at least 30 MPH to my curves. I still have more speed available but I haven't got GE balls to push it that hard yet.

[bikerphil]

41MM emulators for the FJ fork mod are $47.99....

http://www.debrix.com/41mm-Fork-Damper-Valve-2000-up-Harley-FXST-Softail-p/24-0361-vt.htm

[yamahansolo]

Yes but they are smaller than the XS emulators. I thought he was talking XS forks with new springs, emulators vs fj11 fork price.

[melbxs]

Valve emulators and slightly heavier oil made a massive difference to the handling of my bike. I could put progressive springs in the forks, but I don't think I need them.

The other biggie was braided lines on the front brake. Those single pot calipers work fairly well when the pipes aren't bulging.