SuzukiSavage.com - front forks

beauskie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 10	front forks 08/28/12 at 17:57:10 has any one dun a springer front end? if so what were ya results on it, and how much money did it take to convert?
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: front forks Reply #1 - 08/28/12 at 20:28:37 lot's o'talk, no action 'cept one... http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1213856449
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beauskie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 10	Re: front forks Reply #2 - 08/28/12 at 20:46:53 darn no pic lots of talk and tech jive but nothin i can see with the peeps.
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Charon Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1811 Harvard, NE Gender:	Re: front forks Reply #3 - 08/28/12 at 20:51:40 I suppose it is silly to ask why you would want to do it. Certainly it can't be for better performance and handling, or sportbikes would have them.
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beauskie

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Re: front forks
Reply #4 - 08/28/12 at 21:09:09

well since im not worried about handling so much. i was trying to look at in the looks department i was also woundering how they are on maintenance since my fronts are leaking and to repair them cost quit a bit and i do not have the tools of the trade for that particular undertaking. so i find that its cheaper to buy semi used ones or go for other model bikes but i was woundering about the springer? like i said nice to the eye but i wanted the maintenance part of it as well.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: front forks Reply #5 - 08/28/12 at 22:18:07 The "special tools" are easy to make.
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Re: front forks
Reply #6 - 08/28/12 at 22:20:51

beauskie wrote on 08/28/12 at 21:09:09:

well since im not worried about handling so much. i was trying to look at in the looks department i was also woundering how they are on maintenance since my fronts are leaking and to repair them cost quit a bit and i do not have the tools of the trade for that particular undertaking. so i find that its cheaper to buy semi used ones or go for other model bikes but i was woundering about the springer? like i said nice to the eye but i wanted the maintenance part of it as well.

Hmmmm.... $50 vs $500... yeah much cheaper to go springer. Huh

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beauskie

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Re: front forks
Reply #7 - 08/29/12 at 05:09:47

50$ of what vs 500$ of what? and if your sayin average cost of springer is 500 that would be fine if you can get four times the use out of it compared to the stock, since the cheapest i can get it dun for is 217$ not including new seals. and i have seen used ones up for 150$ but then i am taking a chance, again i ask how is the maintenance on the springer since i do like the look of it would it be cost effective? and yes easy to make tools for those who can and have the means to make said tools understandable. not every one has minni shops and know how. and im a guy who has to pry the knowledge from the living hands of those who guard there secrets like golem from lord of the rings.

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: front forks
Reply #8 - 08/29/12 at 05:18:48

Im a total loss at dragging up old threads, but there are pics of the tools people have made.

Someone, please, help this guy.,.

You could TRy the repair job, if its a bust, then do something else, I guess. Ive never been in the forks myself, & dont want to, but Im sure I could get thru it., FWIW, we had a little gal in Hawaii who did hers,

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beauskie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 10	Re: front forks Reply #9 - 08/29/12 at 05:35:25 thanks for tryin to belittle me and giving me an answer to a question i was not lookin for. but if we could stay on the topic witch is about the springer that would be cool.
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mojohand40

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Re: front forks
Reply #10 - 08/29/12 at 06:01:38

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1342396310/6#6

not hard to replace fork seals. I'm no pro mechanic and managed it. Fork seals (20 bucks). Only "tools" needed, a piece of PVC (5 bucks) and a couple of bolts and nuts (10 bucks), some fork oil (15 bucks ?) and a few hours of time. (total: about 50 bucks)
Give it a shot.

as for a springer...hard to get one for 500 bucks (maybe used?) AND then..probably need a new front caliper to mount to it, maybe new wheel and rotor, then some bearings and then you got to mod the steering stem etc..
bottom line: even if you could do it all yourself with used parts, I'm betting about a 1000 dollars when all is said and done. To pay a shop to do it? IF you can find one who will, maybe labor of 500-700 bucks on top of parts (I'm just guessing). A chopper kit would be cheaper.
see: http://www.chopper-kit-usa.com/suzuki-LS650-Savage.htm

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Re: front forks
Reply #11 - 08/29/12 at 09:20:35

And guess what.......You have to take your front forks apart to install the chopper kit. You will be making the same tools to take the forks apart and install seals that you would to replace the seals in the stock forks.

Replacing seals is a good learning experience.....and one of the first tasks that any bike owner should go through on the way to more advanced repairs. You could even save a few more dollars by using ATF fluid instead of fork oil.....it works well in forks.

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beauskie

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Re: front forks
Reply #12 - 08/29/12 at 14:06:06

once again that is all great and fun. but the heart of the question that i am asking is about the springer. not tryin to knock your words or anything i understand that i need to fix my front end yes but at the moment befor i do anything to it i wanted to weigh my options with some informed input about the springer front end. if no one knows about it thats cool ill try to get some input some were else but i wanted to exhaust my closest resource before i went to some one or something less proven. this site has given me alot and yes i have already looked up the way to repair the front forks on this site befor i even posted this OG comment. so again i thank you for your words but pleas stay on topic.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: front forks Reply #13 - 08/29/12 at 15:33:53 Personally, I find a springer to be a very attractive front end. Id like to have one, on something,,but I dont know of anyone who builds one for this. IDK what you wanna spend, or what they cost, or where to even go looking..
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Re: front forks
Reply #14 - 08/30/12 at 09:24:50

beauskie wrote on 08/29/12 at 14:06:06:

...but the heart of the question that i am asking...

I think what these guys are al saying is that there isn't really anyone who makes a springer front end that will work easily for the Savage.
If you have the skills, time, and money of course you can make anything work, but fixing your fork seals; even paying a shop to do it will be VASTLY easier than doing a complete front end conversion.

However... If you want to look into it further, here's where I might start:
The guys at VOODOO vintage had a girder front end listed on their website a while back; I'm pretty sure it's custom made by them, and can be made to fit the Savage to your specs. I'm also pretty sure it was over $1,000. I don't see it there now, but here's their site. You could dig deeper, or maybe contact them if you are interested.

http://www.voodoovintage.com/products.html

There are also LOTS of places online outside of this forum to find helpful info. I would do a general Google search for "Girder front end conversion" or "Springer front end conversion" and also look for chopper/bobber websites and forums that might have info. ChopCult.com has a lot of cool bikes and projects posted there, as well as a lot of how-to threads. search through theior forums and you're bound to find someone whose done something similar. It'll be useful info, even if it was done on a different model of bike.

http://www.chopcult.com/default.php

HAVE FUN!! Grin

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