Tarrant Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 I've come across these on eBay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Marzocchi-43mm-RAC-Factory-Works-Forks-100mm-Radial-Mount-/150928537866?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23240ab90a I'm not very mechanically minded, would anyone happen to have the standard measurements for '05 VTEC forks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Welcome Tarrant. You would need to change the tripleclamps to suit those forks. Also the front wheel, brakes, clip-ons... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarrant Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 Dumb question, but they're the same size as the VFR's standard forks aren't they? where does the 43mm measurement come from, the tube or the leg? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer ron_al Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 where does the 43mm measurement come from, the tube or the leg? Typically, the 43mm measurement refers to the inner portion of the fork leg. In a "right-side-up" fork (as on OEM factory fork on the VFR 800), that inner portion is what is held by the triple clamps (so they are engineered to hold 43mm fork tubes). The larger outer portion is thus at the bottom, and has the brake caliper mounting points & also the axle mounts. In an "upside-down" fork (as in the ebay fork that you posted), that inner 43mm portion is the part that extends to the bottom, and the brake caliper mounts & axle mounts are attached to the 43mm end of the fork. The larger outer portion now extends up to the bike, and is held by the triple clamps. The ebay fork that you posted says that it has 56mm tubes at the bottom triple clamp mounting surface, tapering to 53mm tubes at the top triple clamp mounting surface. So, in order to swap out these forks onto your VFR, you would need a new set of triple clamps, designed to accommodate those larger fork tubes (and that assumes that the fork length is sufficient to maintain appropriate numbers for rake & trail). And as The Phantom pointed out, you would also need to change out the front wheel, axle, brakes, & assorted bits to work with the USD forks. HTH, Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 What's the goal for the fork swap? There are a bunch of threads on different fork swaps people have done and what you need to make them work. Yes, with those forks you are going to need the entire front end for whatever bike they were made for, assuming it is a bike who's triple tree fits in the VFR's' neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Ooh, those would look purdyful on my FrankenViffer. If only I weren't in the throes of a kitchen and bathroom reno....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Africord Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 A quick check around the interwebs seems to indicate that these forks would fit better with Ducati 1098s, or older R1 triples. Looks like a lot of work to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 Definitely a time and money investment, and if the OP is NOT mechanically inclined as he's stated, then add even more money to pay someone to do it. Either that or add a lot more time to get it all worked out! Either way, it's not going to be a cheap investment. If you're looking for a tricked out look and/or better handling with a tricked look, then these would be something to consider, but if you're just looking for a better front suspension than stock, then changing the valves/shims and springs would be a much easier and less expensive way to go IMHO. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 Yeah. Agree with above. Just looking at the dimensions, they aren't standard to anything I've seen. Normally it's 50/54mm for triple trees. So you would need a set of triples, possibly custom, to go along with these. If you want the bling, I'm sure someone somewhere can do some coloring to the OEM forks. If you want a better front end, look up some of the 929, R1, RC51 conversions on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 wow, those are pretty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer spinalator Posted August 22, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2013 The VFR 1200 has 43mm USD forks. The riders are also very very cool, from what I have heard. That is all I have to contribute to this thread, thanks for your attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarrant Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 To be perfectly honest I just like the look of them. It's probably a hell of a lot more work than the RC51 and 929/954 route most people take, but it'd be different, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer spinalator Posted August 23, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 23, 2013 Since I like reading about these projects, you totally should do it! How is that for random encouragement from the internet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted August 23, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 23, 2013 To be perfectly honest I just like the look of them. It's probably a hell of a lot more work than the RC51 and 929/954 route most people take, but it'd be different, that's for sure. Just do your homework and be ready to shell out some $$. It's said "anything is possible, all you need is the time and money!" Good luck on whatever you decide. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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