FZ1 Fork conversion

grahamand

grahamand

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Hello, I am new to the sight, and would like some advice from you experenced guys. I just got a 01 fz1 that was hit by a car. Clean bike, damage is forks and plastic! Could care less about plastic right now. I just want to get it on the road! Forks seam to be a bit hard to find without $$$$! I would like anyones take or info. on using R6 or R1 forks? This is what I know already, Wheels,axle,bearing,brakes and a few other things all are the same. Using a R1 triple clamp would involve changing the stem, R1 is 1/2" shorter! trying to find out if R6 tubes will fit FZ1 clamp? cant seam to get this answered? or if anybody knows where I can find a reasonalby priced front end?
 
Thank Adam! that shows a bit on R1 swaps, but that much I already knew! Still trying to find out if R6 tubes will fit FZ1 triple clamp? Does anybody know the answer? If this works its a lot less work than R1's. And don't anybody sugest the dealer! They are more clueless than we are!
 
I am not sure what measurment those are! but they are not the diameter of the fork tubes where they go thru the triple clamp! R1's inverted forks are 50mm and FZ1 is 42mm trying to find out the R6s dia.? I have a 99 R1 also so I have that bike to compare parts.
 
my bad for information -- thought I saw '09 (not '01)-- even though I was on track originally -- got derailed ..... let me check elsewhere....
 
knowonder those specs sounded funny! Big difference between 2009 and 2001 bikes! the 2nd gen FZ has inverted forks just like the R1! I have the old style!
 
measurement is taken at the fork "inner" tubes...

and on an '01 .... there is no other option than stock forks... at least if you're in the least bit concerned with money... which judging by your other posts... I'd tend to think that you're concerned about money.... you **could** put on a R1 front end... and have triple trees custom made / altered... and have to buy a R1 wheel... brake calipers... brake rotors... and all of that good stuff.... for no reason... since the R1 legs are shorter and it would mess up the geometry of the bike..


There's a damn good reason you don't see hardly ANY Gen 1's with fork conversions done... the stock Gen 1 suspension is actually pretty dang good... for a few bucks, you can send it off, and have them revalved/resprung... for a few more bucks, you can have AK20's installed....

Gen II's have R1 swaps done to them quite a bit... that because the stock Gen II suspension is abysmal....

There's a reason for not changing the Gen 1... and there's a damn good reason for changing the Gen II
 
and both are... on the "inner" tubes.... the size of the moving component of the fork... however, there are too many other considerations... 1 being that the R6 forks are inverted... and the spring in the R6 would barely hold the FZ off of the bump stops in the forks... so... springs would have to change... then... the length is wrong... the amount of travel is wrong...

as I said above... you **could** do it.... Then again, you *could* put a 1.3 Liter Geo Prism motor into a 65 Mustang.... You **could** slam your penis in a desk drawer.
 
FYI R1 R6 & Fz1 all take the same wheel, brakes, and stem bearings! and several other parts are interchangable! Yes money is a issue! if it was not I would buy new one! And If I had the the old ones (Did I mention the bike was hit by a car) I would repair them. I am looking for the cheepest way to get it rolling. And If The r6 tubes fit thats the cheepest way!
 
FYI... pre-98 R1 wheels fit 2001-2005 FZ1. any other parts that happen to cross reference are also from pre 98 R1....Almost nothing from the Newer R1's (after 99) Will fit the Gen 1 FZ... including the wheels, stem bearings, brakes, etc. None of the USD forks will fit in the FZ triple trees. No other Triple Trees are the same height as the FZ1. No other forks are the height of the FZ1's. R6 and R1 are lower.

Wait till a set of FZ forks comes up on eBay. Anything else is just a patch.... You're going to spend much more money trying to MAKE something else fit that isn't meant to fit.... nothing else is meant to fit. Not other forks meet the same specifications. Even if fork tube is the same size... you **could** most likely use non-USD forks from a early model (94-98) R1 or R6... they would fit in the holes.... they'll also be the wrong height, and be sprung for a completely different weight bike, with different geometry... Also, the internals will be over 10 years old.. so seals will need to be replaced, bushings replaced, oil replaced, springs replaced, etc.... after all of this is done, the forks will still be the wrong length.
 
Since when did they make a R1 or a R6 in the mid 90' ? 99 is the first year for R1! I have one! I compaired specs for 01 on R1, R6 and FZ1 and they share many of the same parts. I am not trying to make a new bike Just want it to roll! Gee guy you are full of wont fits! You just dont know what people with ideas and good tools are capable of! I have been waiting for some FZ forks to come up on ebay. Its been a long wait! R1 and R6 are no shorter than if i had them shortened myself! weight is not a issue either! no more difference than two riders 50lbs apart! If I was trying to build a race bike that handling was everything, I would be concerned! This is just a back yard project! on a low budget and old R6 forks are a dime a dozen! I just wanted to know if they would fit?
 
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98 was first year for R1.... and it has USD forks.

Simple answer.

No. They won't fit. None of them will.

Dude, I didn't just get my 01. I've had it for a good long time. And just about anything you feasibly CAN do to a FZ, I've done it.... I'm not raining on your parade just for the fact of doing it. one more time... IT WON'T WORK.
 
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I have been doing this a while also! likely a lot longer than you! I just cant be a expert on every bike made! thats why I am here! But Don't tell me what won't fit! I will make it fit just to prove you wrong! You also dont know what I have available to me to work with! I already Know of 3 people that have done a R1 swap and that it does work! Plus already know that 01 R6 and FZ1 both have 43mm forks the travel is a difference of .2" and the spring rate is almost the same. r6's are about 1" shorter and use the same wheel, brakes, axle, and stem bearings. and the 2 bike have a weight difference of 40lbs. This has gone way past what I was looking for! I just wanted to know if the R6 forks would fit in the FZ triple clamp? I am only concerned with fit! thats it! I can work with the rest! Believe me I can! I just dont want to do all the mods to use the R1 forks! And If fz forks were that easy to find I would not have a problem.
 
Allright -- everyone in there respective corners...:fencers:

As a neutral party to the discussion above AND someone who is very knowledgeable of the working of suspensions,

May I suggest you call Lee at Traxxion dynamics

TRAXXION DYNAMICS, INC.
261 Rope Mill Pkwy, Ste. 3
Woodstock, GA 30188
Phone: 770-592-3823
Email: [email protected]

to discuss your query. I do not claim to have any more information then the next -- I was just on the fact finding mission of the possible "what if" scenarios b/c I had heard of it being done for the Gen II's all the time....just not the Gen I's.

If you have reports of success from 3 other individuals, then by all means be the fourth. Please share you outcome with the rest of us. If you do happen to correspond with Lee, please share his responses or any other sources of information that might prove useful to others.

HOWEVER, this is a discussion and everyone is entitled to their views, but if it continues in this manner -- it'll be gone.

end of line.....
 
Va rider, you are right about 98 being the 1st R1! my bad! but still I can do a lot more than you can imagine! You talk about feasible I go way beyond that. have you lowered your bike 2" extended the swingarm. Installed a big bore kit, changed the cams added bigger carbs and nitrous or a Turbo? I have done all the above. I have been building motors for over 30yrs. this FZ1 project is just for fun. it will likely become a drag bike anyway, so I dont care how it corners! I have 3 other bikes! and this won't ever be my #1 bike its not a R1! or a ZX11!
 
Brohay thanks for the info. I will contact him! You are right this got way out of hand! This started out so simple! I know you can fit the R1 forks on a Fz1 1st. gen. I have seen it done. I was just trying to find out if i could use the old R6 forks. if they would fit the FZ triple clamp the rest was easy to make them work. If I findly get the answer to that I will post it for you all!
 
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