01 kat front forks

[Lifeguard326]

I have to replace the front forks on a 01 Kat. Dose anyone know if the forks from a GSXR or a pre Kat would work?

[The CyberPoet]

Do you need to replace the entire fork or just the inner tubes?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[arsenic]

pre kat, more then likely, GSXR yes, but you need the ENTIRE front end.

[GregS]

Any bike that uses 41mm Showa non-USD front forks would slide into the triples. The brake caliper tabs may be different.
If you were changing the entire front suspension / steering setup, then most Suzuki sport bikes have the same (or very close) steering stem length. Of course then you may also need the brakes and wheel to fit that front end.

[The CyberPoet]

It's not just the brake caliper mounts, but also the front wheel axle mount that changes between models. In the Kats alone, the front wheel/fork/triple-tree spacing changes between the 98-02 and 03+ models.

The other thing to consider is whether you'll need to respring the forks after swapping -- the Kat is a good 100 lbs heavier than a typical GSXR, and the OEM fork springs' spring-rate will probably be insufficient if you straight-graft a GSXR front end onto a Kat.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[rowdyontheroad]

My Kat's in the shop as I type for a fork rebuild. I had them rebuilt with a heaver rate spring and heavier weight fork oil to firm up the soft stock suspension. Try doing something like that before spending the time/money on a replacement front end.

[Lifeguard326]

I've found a set of 01 kat 750 forks. They look the same looking at the oem parts list between the two models. Dose anyone know if they would work?

BTW, Thansk for all the input, everything I've learned o the boards has helped with this rebuild.

[The CyberPoet]

600 & 750 Kats share the same forks for 92-02, so that would be a go. But, like I said, if you just need the inner tubes, let us know...

My Kat's in the shop as I type for a fork rebuild. I had them rebuilt with a heaver rate spring and heavier weight fork oil to firm up the soft stock suspension. Try doing something like that before spending the time/money on a replacement front end.

IMHO: if you go for the stiffer springs, you don't need the heavier weight oil.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[rowdyontheroad]

600 & 750 Kats share the same forks for 92-02, so that would be a go. But, like I said, if you just need the inner tubes, let us know...



IMHO: if you go for the stiffer springs, you don't need the heavier weight oil.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

I do a lot of commute riding (stop/go/come to a screeching halt) here in Florida... On long city rides you could feel the dampening get softer and softer towards the end of the ride. I only went 10 weight higher than stock oil. Luckily us Kat riders have the 3 position fork dampers on the top of the tubes. I can soften on the fly if I want. Worse case scenario I can always bleed and refill in my driveway.

[The CyberPoet]

Not to goad you on, but I've ridden here in Florida for about 2/3rds of my 25 years on two wheels, including Kats for the last 8 years. Given the stock oil weight is 10 weight, doubling that in conjunction with stiffer springs is definitely the wrong solution (going to something like 12.5 by mixing 10 and 15 weight is reasonable if you hadn't gotten the fork springs upgraded; with the springs doing the work correctly, the oil doesn't need to be any thicker than stock).

PS - I tend to find those who want to go to "heavy" weight oils and complain of softening over hours of riding are the same ones whose fork oil hasn't been changed every 2 years as it should be

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet