Jump to content
  • 0

Vfr 800fi 5th gen sp1/sp2 front end


Zor

Question

Hi, I know there are various posts scattered across the net in regards to this but I am looking for some mechanical advice and conformation. 

 

I have a vfr 800fi 5th gen 2000, I bought an sp front end which was previously fitted to another vfr5th gen 1998, so I though it would be plug and play but I've run into an issue with the steering stem bearings being a different type and I just wanted to get some advice before I buy anything else.  You can see in the pictures that my vfr has this wedge type bearing where as the vfr the sp1 / 2 (not sure exactly) parts came from must have been fitted with a different bearing/race type. So I'm just wondering what bearing / races I actually need to buy and fit this properly and I read somewhere that I need a thin washer below the bearing when it's pressed on and above the bottom bearing race when it's pressed in is this correct? Also not sure what tools I need to get the races and the new bearing pressed on to the steering stem. 

 

Just a little clarification on parts and tools I need to get this right would be great, thanks!

 

IMG_20200606_154534.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

On my 6G. I used the SP1 lower tree with the SP1 lower bearing. I placed  a 3mm shim between the frame and the lower bearing race. The reason for the shim is. The SP1 bearing race is 3mm shorter in height then the VFR bearing race. The shim puts the race in the right place so that it isn't sitting too deep in the frame for the seal to work. The top bearing is the VFR bearing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, RustyA said:

On my 6G. I used the SP1 lower tree with the SP1 lower bearing. I placed  a 3mm shim between the frame and the lower bearing race. The reason for the shim is. The SP1 bearing race is 3mm shorter in height then the VFR bearing race. The shim puts the race in the right place so that it isn't sitting too deep in the frame for the seal to work. The top bearing is the VFR bearing. 

Ok, thanks. I've ordered an sp1 bearing and some large circlips hopefully it's going to be fit and forget. 🙈

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

From this angle the lower triple on the left doesn't look like a gull-arm.  Is it?  If not, it's not SP1 or SP2, but 929 or 954.

 

Your bike has been converted to use tapered roller bearings; the other stem has OEM-type roller bearings.  

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/9/2020 at 11:59 AM, JZH said:

From this angle the lower triple on the left doesn't look like a gull-arm.  Is it?  If not, it's not SP1 or SP2, but 929 or 954.

 

Your bike has been converted to use tapered roller bearings; the other stem has OEM-type roller bearings.  

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Yeh I've ran into a problem. The lower was supposed to be sp1 but I don't know if it is. The sp1 bearing race firs the bike but the sp1 bearing doesn't fit the tripple, any suggestions? 

 

Says y2af on the lower.

 

 

15918849674661373846636869081053.jpg

15918849927701052939961576378370.jpg

15918850274638725291169088903852.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

A few years ago my bike mechanic orders a (TOURMAX) set for my SP2 from a Dutch distributor.  Sizes were all wrong; the part number was also listed for a GoldWing.This was reported to them and a correct set emerged.

Fast forward to this year......  a fellow SP rider orders a Tourmax set.............   

You can guess what he received no?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
  • Member Contributer

The forks look like SP1 parts, but the only way to tell if the calipers are SP1 is to measure the ODs of the pistons (although this may not make a huge practical difference, it helps to match the master cylinder).  Here's some pics of my CBR lower stem--looks like yours, to me.

 

20200611_172945x.thumb.jpg.bf8ae5517671bac17b3dc4505a6746f6.jpg

20200611_173003y.thumb.jpg.3cd5598a7d3c0aaec4720745f825004a.jpg

 

This pic shows the difference between the CBR triple and the SP1 triple--big height difference, but you may not need it.

20200611_173040y.thumb.jpg.d52b7bd387af76031bfce1310eff0239.jpg

 

The practical difference is that the clamps grip the forks at different heights (imagine that the lower bearings are at the same installed height, you can see that the SP1 clamps the forks lower down).  I don't know off hand if the 5th gen really needs the SP1 lower or not, but it does look pretty cool!

 

More important is probably the top clamp, and that's where you would rather have the 929/954 top clamp, as it means you might be able to fit the clip-ons above the top clamp.  SP1 forks are relatively long, so they are the best for maintaining more "VFR-like" ergonomics.  

 

Bearing-wise, the SP1 lower has a smaller stem than the SP2, so the bearings are not interchangeable.  For the SP1-5th gen conversion you need 32907JR-2 (35x55x14) lower bearings.  But the CBR lower triple could use the same bearings as the 5th gen--measure the OD of the two stems.  I don't remember for sure, but I think one of the advantages of the CBR lower is that it takes the same bearings as the 5th gen?

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JZH said:

The forks look like SP1 parts, but the only way to tell if the calipers are SP1 is to measure the ODs of the pistons (although this may not make a huge practical difference, it helps to match the master cylinder).  Here's some pics of my CBR lower stem--looks like yours, to me.

 

20200611_172945x.thumb.jpg.bf8ae5517671bac17b3dc4505a6746f6.jpg

20200611_173003y.thumb.jpg.3cd5598a7d3c0aaec4720745f825004a.jpg

 

This pic shows the difference between the CBR triple and the SP1 triple--big height difference, but you may not need it.

20200611_173040y.thumb.jpg.d52b7bd387af76031bfce1310eff0239.jpg

 

The practical difference is that the clamps grip the forks at different heights (imagine that the lower bearings are at the same installed height, you can see that the SP1 clamps the forks lower down).  I don't know off hand if the 5th gen really needs the SP1 lower or not, but it does look pretty cool!

 

More important is probably the top clamp, and that's where you would rather have the 929/954 top clamp, as it means you might be able to fit the clip-ons above the top clamp.  SP1 forks are relatively long, so they are the best for maintaining more "VFR-like" ergonomics.  

 

Bearing-wise, the SP1 lower has a smaller stem than the SP2, so the bearings are not interchangeable.  For the SP1-5th gen conversion you need 32907JR-2 (35x55x14) lower bearings.  But the CBR lower triple could use the same bearings as the 5th gen--measure the OD of the two stems.  I don't remember for sure, but I think one of the advantages of the CBR lower is that it takes the same bearings as the 5th gen?

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

I think you might be right on so I just need vfr bearings, I'll measure it. Both are 30mm should work with vfr bearing. 

 

 

15919010599174500661230081445211.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Or an SP1 bearing on a CBR stem!  The VFR (and CBR) takes a 30x55x17, whereas the SP1 takes a 35x55x14 (and the SP2 something even larger).

 

One of the pioneers of the SP1 front end conversion, Veefer800Canuck I believe, came up with the idea of using steel snap rings to take up the extra 3mm difference in height.  It's on the first page of this thread: 

 

I think you could accomplish the same thing by using two snap rings in the bottom of the frame, instead of one there and one under the lower stem bearing (or vice versa).  But with the CBR lower triple, bearing height is no longer an issue (as it wasn't for my somewhat stalled RC36 SP1 conversion, which uses a VFR1200 lower triple (for a greater offset)).

 

The transponder chip in the key is easily removed from the key.  There's probably a way to retain the immobiliser, if you want to.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, JZH said:

Or an SP1 bearing on a CBR stem!  The VFR (and CBR) takes a 30x55x17, whereas the SP1 takes a 35x55x14 (and the SP2 something even larger).

 

One of the pioneers of the SP1 front end conversion, Veefer800Canuck I believe, came up with the idea of using steel snap rings to take up the extra 3mm difference in height.  It's on the first page of this thread: 

 

I think you could accomplish the same thing by using two snap rings in the bottom of the frame, instead of one there and one under the lower stem bearing (or vice versa).  But with the CBR lower triple, bearing height is no longer an issue (as it wasn't for my somewhat stalled RC36 SP1 conversion, which uses a VFR1200 lower triple (for a greater offset)).

 

The transponder chip in the key is easily removed from the key.  There's probably a way to retain the immobiliser, if you want to.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

 

On 6/11/2020 at 11:49 PM, The Phantom said:

Looks to me like you have an SP2 lower bearing

Great info guys. I have the CBR lower tripple I believe and thinking it was an sp1 part I got so bearings. I've ordered vfr bearings hopefully that will be plug and play from there on, I measured the vfr lower and the other lower and they have the same diameter bearing.

 

Will post an update

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, JZH said:

Or an SP1 bearing on a CBR stem!  The VFR (and CBR) takes a 30x55x17, whereas the SP1 takes a 35x55x14 (and the SP2 something even larger).

 

One of the pioneers of the SP1 front end conversion, Veefer800Canuck I believe, came up with the idea of using steel snap rings to take up the extra 3mm difference in height.  It's on the first page of this thread: 

 

I think you could accomplish the same thing by using two snap rings in the bottom of the frame, instead of one there and one under the lower stem bearing (or vice versa).  But with the CBR lower triple, bearing height is no longer an issue (as it wasn't for my somewhat stalled RC36 SP1 conversion, which uses a VFR1200 lower triple (for a greater offset)).

 

The transponder chip in the key is easily removed from the key.  There's probably a way to retain the immobiliser, if you want to.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

 

On 6/11/2020 at 11:49 PM, The Phantom said:

Looks to me like you have an SP2 lower bearing

Great info guys. I have the CBR lower tripple I believe and thinking it was an sp1 part I got so bearings. I've ordered vfr bearings hopefully that will be plug and play from there on, I measured the vfr lower and the other lower and they have the same diameter bearing.

 

Will post an update:

The vfr bearings solved the problem, so must be a CBR lower. Front end all on now looks alright, thanks for the help 👌

 

 

IMG_20200613_215358.jpg

835c19349848c16c36ace4b8e9ddb0de.0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.