On this Easter weekend maybe it is helpful to remember that while he was on this Earth Jesus only commanded us to to do one thing: Love.

I really don't like seeing stuff like this on my favorite forum!

 

If you ask WWJD (What Would Jesus Do), I'd imagine he would have saved some $$ by tuning the OEM to suit his riding needs vs converting to USD forks without spending time/effort to tune.
Easiest thing to do; change out the fork oil to different weight to make the fork "feel stiffer".

 

Lets see tell people they don't know how to ride, twisting things around about how many miles of testing that has been done into a maintenance issue. I could go on but what is the point.



Yeah you are totally civil yet isn't say people are in bed together passive aggressive in the least or just straight out rude. So once again why bother with the BS Also another one of your twist and why you are not worth the time. I said between two the two forks, if they are set up the same, the USD units will work better which gets turned into : both of you arguing for USD fork without getting USD fork properly setup and tested for you personal us..... SO maybe you should work on your reading comprehension skills as it doesn't sound like you get what is being said to you as you are in such a rush to prove your point.


Again a rude comment, at least you're consistent.
Yes you have tried them on a dirt bike.... not a lot in common with a VTR there and a SuperMoto again completely different type of a bike than a heavy street bike..... so you think that just maybe there might be a difference in the performance out come?

So once again, unless you have ridden a VTR with a USD conversion, you are just assuming and really do not have any real info to add.

Cost...hell I spent way more setting up the stock forks I ran for years. So yes I know how they are stock and I know how they work completely reworked braced and set up for me..... How you can do it for under $200 sounds interesting but unbelievable when springs are around $100 a brace will run around $100 valves are $2-300 then you have to build them or have someone build them for you.

As for what mu USD set up cost.... well SP2 forks with Ohlins valves set up by Dan Kyle.... cost to me $100 Yeah I had to buy a set of springs.

Have a nice day, you are on your own.

 

Perhaps re read your responses above.
True, works on both sides of the discussion however.. perhaps you could take some of your own advice.
Actually you said you tried it on some other bike,, which has no relevance what so ever on THIS application..
So the snide remark is both uncalled for, and immaterial to THIS discussion.

The actual suspension work is no more costly than doing the same level of work to get the OEM forks to work the best THEY can.. And yet in the end, the OEM forks would still be limiting you in brake performance, and wheel selection.
Very true.... and for many, it is more cost effective to swap to a fork that has more potential in suspension set up, brakes, and lighter weight wheel selection then modifying the OEM forks and being limited to more pricey one off custom components.

Id suggest you price that work again.. Im sure if honest in your pricing at real world costs, you'll come up with a figure much higher then $200.

Swapping to USD forks is more expensive then Modifying OEM forks to be the best they can, if for no other reason you have to source and pay for the USD forks, triple clamps, fender, wheel, brakes, ect...

But in the end you get better brakes, wheel options and suspension using off the shelf or parts yard stuff...

Plus you get to visually modify the bike.

Plus you get to build something more unique that every other rider commonly has in a VTR.

If the OEM brakes meet your needs, the suspension is fine for your riding style and just needs a spring and oil change to meet your goals.. then of course those simple mods are better for you...... It would not meet my goals and needs however.

 

Yep throw a band aid on a sucking chest wound and call it good....

Not saying you will just end up in the ditch doing that but it is one of the possibilities....

 

From your posts, it's seems you may not understand the concepts of suspension and the modifications being discussed as well as you think.

That is not a slam, just an observation.

If folks start discussing the finer points of english literature, I will be able to read the words, but not truly understand the discussion. That's a lot like what has happened in this thread.

No harm no foul... just is.

Have a great weekend... Go ride

 

Seems to me some of you are rather insecure about your riding skills and those of you that went USD forks done so for cosmetic reasons.. without investigating what options you may have with OEM forks.

My experience of OEM vs USD forks are as follow:
I participated in desert racing for 4 years on my XR650R with properly tuned OEM forks,


then converted to USD Ohlins properly tuned for supermotard/track work.



On the streets, without landing tabletops or huge sand dunes, no one would be bale to tell the stiffness gained changing to USD forks if OEM fork were properly tuned.

Besides the XR650R, I've also done USD forks conversions on SV650S for track use, sure USD forks look cool, but extra "stiffnes" isn't always a good thing.

The whole concept of suspension is to soak up bumps so you don't feel them. Not to get "stiffer" or better brakes in the process. You spend all the $$ to get better performance to go faster, why would you want better brakes?
all they do is slow you down.

 

Actually, the cost is negligable compared to the money I spent long before that on swapping out the entire internals of the stock forks, and on a brace... Trust me, unlike you I have actually gone the entire way, comparing all the stages on this one single bike...

From OEM, to thicker oil (Which BTW was nothing short of awful, as it made the fork worse than OEM)... Then to stiffer springs... To springs and valving (specifically tuned to me), and the brace added in, which was pretty decent, but still "wobbly" compared to other bikes... To finally going all the way to an USD fork, and correct valving and springs for me... And then about a year later, uprated internals, with a lot of tuning for me...

Trust me, it makes a difference in how the bike feels and behaves, every step...

And I wouldn't really recommend anyone to try fiddling with changing oil thickness... Changing the oil level is one thing... Thicker oil, not a good idea at all...

 

You know... I wasn't going to comment on the parts about you being "not civil"... But that really says it all...

I have been nothing but civil, and giving information to have a discussion... But what I get in return are you spewing opinions, and opinions disguised as facts... And one or two veiled insults...

With your added "advice" of changing oil thickness, which on a road bike can result in "oil lock", ie when the fork goes momentary solid from not being able to pump the oil, which is really, really unnerving, and can be fairly dangerous, I think I'll just take the rest of what you are saying and stick it where it belongs... In the trashbin... Good day...

BTW, for those unsure... This IS a slam... nothing short of, and completely intentional...

 

No not at all just calling you on being a rude #$%^ for saying that if someone knows how to ride then they have no need for a USD front end.

Then implying that the fork change was done for cosmetic reasons or the ones doing it have done no research, well I guess you know all and just ignore the posts about how the OEM parts were taken as far as the could go, in as far as set up, and were still found unacceptable.

I did have to laugh when you called those disagreeing with you "closed minded" when you really seem to be the one who can't accept facts when they are spelled out for you.

So have fun in your little world, throw some thicker fork oil in there, as that will fix everything and while you are at it, pull those stupid brakes off all together, as like you said "all they do is slow you down"

So I really am done now..... Good Day.

 

Whatever floats your boat, do you honestly think someone who is looking to do one single mod is going to convert the VTR to USD forks?

As to changing the fork oil, it does require some trial and error, but in case if you produce "oil lock" in your forks after changing oil weight, that pretty much indicates that you shouldn't be working on suspension yourself, leave it to someone else.

So call "SLAM", is just weak sauce...

 

ENOUGH...........
One and all, you, me, everybody, everybody

Lets drop all the personal stuff please.

Speak to the topic, or choose not to post.

Thanks

 

There is nothing physical about swapping to USD forks that causes more stress on the frame.

Tuned OEM forks with a brace work very well. USD forks are still more precise, because the stanschions are substantially stiffer. Simple physics. The tubes have a larger diameter, giving them a higher area moment of inertia.

 

Right on! It is simple physics!
I guess there is nothing to add at this point, all is covered by now.. just wanted to share my experience:
When I got my USD forks, after rebuilding them and installing on the bike, the deference in riding was enormous even before I started tuning the forks, not to mention braking and steering due to rake & trail, for me that was a well worth investment.

Got to say, I had a good laugh reading these posts fun fun fun Love this forum