SAFE-T

RC51 forks have gotten stupid expensive. They are the nicest option in terms of length and spring rate, and match very well cosmetically. Probably the most 'bolt-on' option, especially if you buy a complete front end. R1 and CBR929/954 are the next best options. The R1 fork can be done with the stock VFR front wheel and rotors, and has the same spring rate as the VFR. The CBR fork is shorter so you have to look at different handlebars, or perhaps lowering the rear of the bike but definitely do-able.

You might be able to put a set of '04 fork bottoms on your older R1 forks, but it would most likely be easier to either buy a set of '04 forks, or the correct calipers for the forks you already have. :fing02: Hard to believe you can buy R1 forks for under $50....

'Frankenfool'....I like it :lol: I think it should go in 'Featured Modifications' but I can't start a thread in that area. Bueller ?

You have mail

Found out you could use various bearings in different wheels AFTER I went to the trouble to have a custom spacer/adapter made for mine <_< Guess we're both members of the "figured out an easier way to do things after first doing it a more difficult way" club. I must have ground through at least three sets of RC51 outer spacers trying to get mine right :huh:

I think you are getting me and Larry confused... :unsure: He told you the R1 axle was 25mm and the VFR's was 22mm. Anyway... Ducati wheel bearings are 25x47x12 RC51 wheel bearings are 22x47x14 CBR929/954 bearings 25 mm ID. No idea what their OD and widths are, but probably 47/14 or 47/12. Unfortunately I don't keep as good track of this stuff as someone like Rob (veefer800canuck) but I do remember the Duc/RC bearing specs because I was looking for a 22x47x12 bearing to mate Ducati wheels on RC51 Ohlins forks. There is no such animal available from any manufacturer anywhere on the planet. I don't know as much about the 4th gen front wheel, but the 5th/6th gen front wheels are the same, and since RC51 bearings fit in them, their OD must be 47mm. So....try a set of Ducati wheel bearings. Or almost anything else that went on inverted forks, since 25mm was a fairly common size axle. Lastly, according to this guy the front wheel bearings for the VFR750 and 800 are the same.

I have a CBR929/954 lower triple in perfect condition. Might also be willing to part with my billet upper triple - the VFR ignition bolts right in. Other than that I would just buy a set of 929/954 forks with triples and sell the forks. Easier than trying to find the top triple seperately these days. THIS is a good example. Larry worked out the details on this setup, which I had originally planned to do on my bike. I had the same experience looking for 22x47x12 bearings for my Marchesini's - no one makes them. BUT....Honda uses 22x47x14 bearings in the RC51 - pretty much the closest thing out there and certainly would have been easier than the $60 custom spacers I had made. I would check the sizing on a set of CBR929/954 or other Honda bearings before I turned the axle down - could be they're a fit. Larry will spit up on his computer if this is true.

The R1's monoblock calipers are the shiznit. Yamaha used the same calipers on the R1, R6 and FZ1 making a used set easy to find for around $50. I particularly like the ones with the gold inserts.

OK, but now that I read your original post again I see you are using '98 forks. I think these use 298 mm rotors. The later models used bigger ones - 310mm, then 320mm. The VFR's rotors are 296mm so you should be able to use the front wheel and rotors as-is, with spacing of the calipers/rotors as necessary. If I remember correctly, this is what vfrrider (Larry) did on his bike.

If you want to use the VFR front wheel, try sourcing a set of Ducati 320 mm rotors - they can be redrilled to fit directly on the VFR wheel (see vfrmonkey for this one) - at least on the 5th/6th generation models. As far as the bearings go, I'm pretty sure you can just change over to a different bearing size. This is what you do when putting a VFR or Marchesini front wheel with a set of RC51 forks, since the outer bearing diameter and width is the same. Then you use the correct axle for the forks and either modify or make your own inner/outer bearing spacers. Others have taken more difficult paths before they figured out an easier way later <_< Next you will need a single-nut Ducati rear wheel :goofy: which is a very easy mod for your bike. Imagine a set of these on your veefer !

Swiffer 'curved' his oil cooler using a press he cut out of wood. Lower triple just touches the rad hoses on 5th and 6th gen. bikes with the CBR lower triple. IIRC, Swiffer used an RC51 lower triple/CBR upper and it still touched the oil cooler on his '94.

I'm amazed you got anything done on your bike at all :goofy: and now it's completely finished.

Dremel dremel :joystick: