You're not just imagining things, I'll put a pic. up later to show you the difference it really is a huge change. Springs will help I'm sure but you could always sell your vtr stuff after your done which is where I'm at right now. Anybody need some parts?

 

That sucks - you can't rotate the controls how you want them? I kept moving mine back and forth until I was happy with the reach to the high beam, the starter, etc...
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Big Dick Tubes

 

Instead of drilling new holes in the bar, you can always just file off the little **** on the plastic. Allows proper adjustment and if you secure properly they should never move.

 

Yes you can do that, but it really isn't that hard to do and that way you don't have to worry about the accelerator sliding off the bar in a corner. I think it took me all of 15 minutes to do.

I wouldn't worry about light controls or those things but I would do the accel. JMO

 

If that happens, you've probably got something more important to think about! FWIW, I do that with all my bikes, including my race bike (back when I used to race) and I've never had a problem with anything moving. If you make sure the fitting screws are tight, you'll never have an issue.

 

Really, I just never wanted to take that chance I guess I was too scared!

 

After this conversion, how planted does the bike feel?

After riding my buddies '02 GSXR 750 and then hopping on my bike it feels like im riding a dirt bike.

Also, what do you think the difference would be between the stock front end with springs/valves/fork brace and the 929 set up?

The reason I ask is that I luv my bike but I sure wish it was more planted.

 

It is like night and day, chocolate and vanilla, standard bike and sport bike.

I was a little worried at first that the results wouldn't be worth the effort or I was going to screw my bike up. But I have to say this is absolutly the best mod I've ever done. My hawk feels like my buddies gsxr1000 now, it has the "feel" of a real sport bike now. It takes no effort to go into a corner and keep my line or change my line whenever I want to. You just dont feel the flex any more.
You can brace it up but you just can't make up for the more ridged, thicker, wider, triples. Then you have 53mm fork legs going through the lower triple and 50mm through the upper instead of a 41mm fork tube, adding even more stability. Also the sport bikes have better inner workings and just feel so much better overall. They soak up the bumps better but are stiffer at the same time!

 

hey superhawk22, do you think it's necessary to add on an aftermarket fork brace on a 929 set up? i mean the stock 929 is already rigid enough and absorbs all the bumps, no? just curious.
i'm sure it'll be like night and day between stock and 929.
i'm currently tryin to haggle on this 929 front end. . .

oh yah, and with all this talk about upgrading the front end, are things working fine with the stock rear shock? is it highly recommended to up the rear as well? or can we get away with it?
i was talkin to a gear head here and he said that the other flaw of the VTR is the set up of the rear swingarm/suspension (and it's attachment to the frame) and how it twists . . . any insight on this?


hey can someone remind me why i love the VTR and why i'm not on an RC51 with beefier suspension? :wink:

 

lol I'm asking myself the same question. My friends say the RC is HARDCORE though and is no fun to ride on a regular basis.

I dunno though, if I'm riding my bike like an RC51 then maybe I need an RC51. Then again the VTR is paid for. Some of the old timers on this board have had both bikes and the VTR gets ridden more. I guess it all depends on the kind of riding you do.

If you ride very aggresively most of the time then I guess we know the answer. If you ride aggresively occasionally but want to have a fun and relatively comfortable bike the rest then maybe we should stick with the Hawk. RC996 says he has his bike dialed in pretty good.

Currently I'm trying to beg a ride on an RC and see what its really like. I've been told they are the most planted bike there is.

 

No, I don't think a brace is necessary it is very ridgid. Yes you can tell even more now that it needs a rear shock but you only feel that because the front end is so much better, you can feel more input from the bike. But it's not like I have to run out and buy one tommorow. it's always held it's own on the street and the track it did fairly well stock so with this it will only do better.

As far as the swing arm set up it's fairly close to Ducati design and I think they know a thing or two about handling. What alot of company's are finding is if it's too ridgid and doesn't flex it puts too much stess on things. When this happens it's suppose to cause oversteer.

Lastly, I've had too much fun making my hawk what it is to buy an RC51 and I still spent less money. I feel like I've had a hand in my bike because I picked the parts did the work and reeped the rewards. I mean how many other superhawks have 929 upper and heli bars with a 954 lower triple, Gsxr polished forks and 6 pot brakes, zx12r axle and rc51 wheel and rotor? I had fun finding and piecing everything together and then to have the end results be sooo much better then stock! Plus with the Helibars, I can adjust the height of the bars from slightly higher than stock to as low as they go without hitting the fairing.

 

hey superhawk22,
one more thing, you talked about getting heli bars for the 929 so you can lower the forks. is that just for personal preference (ride positioning/looks) or do you have to? will i have problems with the standard 929 clip ons on the 929 fork setup? thanks again for all the info and patience on my newbness!

 

It's not a problem, I don't mind answering what I can through my experience.
Unfortunately I can't help you there,(I don't know the 929 fork length). What I can tell you is, you're not going to be able to mount the clip-ons under the triple like they're supposed to be on the 929, it hits the fairing,(unless you don't have one). If they are the same length as the stock VTR forks, like the RC51 forks, then you just mount them on top. But if they are shorter like the gsxr forks are, then you want to drop the forks as far down the triples as possible so you don't lose too much length and make the bike twitchy. I have the heli bars so I could have the caps just above the upper so I'm only losing about 10mm or less. Plus I get the added benefit of being able to adjust my ride height slightly.

 

dang you're quick! hmmm, gotta do some measurements then. i think i saw a 929 at the shop . . .
if that's the case and the 929 clip ons won't work, then there's no point buying those and maybe i should opt for the heli bars like your setup.
gotta back track on this thread and see if anyone has put the entire 929 set up . . .
anyone?
thanks a mil superhawk22!

 

You got it man I know there's some, I think this whole thing started with someone that did 929 and they droped them halfway in the clip-ons but I didn't like that. JMO

 

here's our guy to ask! first post!
just wondering if the 929 clip ons would've made a difference?
i'm tryin to figure out what: "the forks sit about 3/4 to 2/3 the way in the clip ons" mean. that mean the forks were too short and the clip ons are just grabbing a piece of the fork (on top of the triples?) or are the forks too long that the top is stickin up to high? having a hard time visualizing this . . .
master superhawk22, whatchu sayin?
hold on, the 929 clip ons are supposed to go under the triple, so it sounds like they're too long, which is why he grabbed the gixxer clip ons to sit on top of the triple (to cover up excess tube stickin up?), but i guess there's still some forkage (that's my new word ) stickin out? bingo? if it's only cosmetic, then i might be able to live with that. . .
or did this whole thing just pass clear over my head?!!!
. . . the learning continues . . . :wink:

 

I thought you had it but then you confused yourself again. He put the clip-ons on top of the triple which is also what I did at first. The forks are sitting inside the clip-on and you just see the top of the adjusters, yes grabbing only some of the fork. He did this because the forks are too short so he sank it as far down as possible but still being able to grab about 1/2 inch, or what's that, about 12mm of the forks. When doing it this way you lose about an inch, or about 24mm or is it 26mm?

As far as the clip-ons, 929 or gsxr, they're pretty much the same, it's the fairing that keeps you from mounting under the triple. Both the gsxr and 929/954 mount the clip-ons under the upper as do most race replica type bikes. But if you try to mount regular clip-ons under the triple there isn't enough room for your hands.

 

dohh!! okay, i get it now!! i almost had it too!! so the heli bar is the most sound solution then.

can't wait to see the finished product! let us know how the 929 heli bars fit and function! i'd imagine the positioning can't be too far off from the stock setup.

 

Guess I need to spend some time on a stock bike to see if mine is "better" and I don't even know it!
________
Hawaii Marijuana Dispensary

 

Does anyone know if the 929 / 954 / RC51 parts are interchangable?

I'd like to begin piecing together the items necessary to do this conversion but I don't want to end up with a bunch of miss matched items.

Also, in the end I'd like to put superbike bars on it cause I don't want to give up the riding position my VFR 750 clip on's give. So I want the RC51 triple tree.

 

I don't know exactly what you are asking but. The tubes do have the same diameter so as far as triples to forks that should work, I have gsxr forks in my 929/954 triples. But the RC51 forks are longer then the 929s. If your going to use superbike bars you might want to go with the shorter ones so you don't have to worry about the forks sticking up too high. The RC51 upper triple is flat where the 929/954 triple is lower on the outsides and moves up in the middle. So if you fabricate your own sb bars you might want to use the RC triple. If you buy the kit it usually comes with the upper triple doesn't it?
The size of the rotors are different so the mounts on the forks for the calipers are in different spots so the wheels are not interchangable. Well the wheels actually might be if you changed the rotors but I'm not sure if the mounting holes are in the same place.

HOpe I answered what you were looking for if not maybe you could explain it again and I could possibly help more.

P.S. I should be putting the Helibars on tonight, I'll try to get a pic. up, they might adjust to about the same as the VFR bars.

 

They'd have to go up a hell of a long ways to pass the upper triple.

You did answer my questions and then some. Sounds like I need a complete RC front end.

Here's another, what about the ignition/key? Is it easy/possible to relocate the key slot to the new triple?

 

On the 929/954 it bolts right up, but if you don't take the stops off the lock doesn't work. RC996 could answer on the RC51 triple I think it's the same situation.