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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: GSRider on June 02, 2008, 03:57:47 AM

Title: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: GSRider on June 02, 2008, 03:57:47 AM
And a question about how to do a rebuild...how do you do it?  :icon_confused:

Does anyone know what the mounting distance is, and if there are any direct swaps available from bigger bikes?
I don't want to go to a dual disk up front to keep my unsprung weight down.

My plan is to do a rebuild on the caliper, and if it's still not up to par, to start switching out calipers, if available. I am also hoping that if I do go to a larger caliper, a master cylinder will be able to bolt right on the bars.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:05:35 AM
Nothing is a direct swap that's better than the GS.Have you tried EBC HH pads?They worked quite well for me on the GS front end.I have a .pdf file I can email you that will help with the caliper rebuild.It's for Katana caliper but the technique applies to most Suzuki calipers.If you want it pm me your email addy.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: nastynate6695 on June 02, 2008, 09:38:03 AM
there was a site i found where someone took a gsxr caliper and just make a plate to fit it onto the fork.  I personally dont trust this method but one of my bike shop owners told me he used to do it when i was trying to upgrade my brakes.  Instead i just went with a kat front end
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 07:56:33 PM
Quote from: nastynate6695 on June 02, 2008, 09:38:03 AM
there was a site i found where someone took a gsxr caliper and just make a plate to fit it onto the fork.  I personally dont trust this method but one of my bike shop owners told me he used to do it when i was trying to upgrade my brakes.  Instead i just went with a kat front end

I saw that write up too.I too upgraded to the Katana front end.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: bucks1605 on June 02, 2008, 07:59:49 PM
Quote from: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 07:56:33 PM
Quote from: nastynate6695 on June 02, 2008, 09:38:03 AM
there was a site i found where someone took a gsxr caliper and just make a plate to fit it onto the fork.  I personally dont trust this method but one of my bike shop owners told me he used to do it when i was trying to upgrade my brakes.  Instead i just went with a kat front end

I saw that write up too.I too upgraded to the Katana front end.

Me too, all said and done I only have around $100 dollars in to it. I can't complain.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:03:24 PM
I'll have $250 when it's all done,but I'm counting brakes,clip ons,and cost of modified parts.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: bucks1605 on June 02, 2008, 08:06:40 PM
Quote from: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:03:24 PM
I'll have $250 when it's all done,but I'm counting brakes,clip ons,and cost of modified parts.

Lucky for me the guy was selling basically I complete rolling frame. I was able to sell the other parts and completely cover my the purchase, the $100 was for new seals, pads, paint, Dgyver's stem work, and a few broken bolts.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: The Buddha on June 02, 2008, 08:18:12 PM
Quote from: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:03:24 PM
I'll have $250 when it's all done,but I'm counting brakes,clip ons,and cost of modified parts.

Yeow ... OK my friend has $350 in his, but new seals/dust covers and some custom stuff by me, and a lot of powdercoating, and the top triple was $50 for the GS dash grommet carriers welding. Else it was ~250.
Of late the brakes and disks have been the hardest to procure ... that dude got a large part of it (legs, triples etc) for a deal and a 1/2 - like $50 and shipping if I recall, cos its stem was bent, but we were able to get the bent part cut and removed and it was still useable. Else we had his lower triple we would have cut and inserted into the kat's. Yea the bearings were perfect, the stem was bent ... strange.
Anyway, you guys know if a GS master cyl will work right with a katana brake system.
Cool.
Buddha.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:23:11 PM
My forks are rebuilt.Done by dgyver and me along with a write up.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: bucks1605 on June 02, 2008, 08:29:20 PM
Quote from: The Buddha on June 02, 2008, 08:18:12 PM
Anyway, you guys know if a GS master cyl will work right with a katana brake system.
Cool.
Buddha.


I'm using the gs mc. I went on a short ride to check everything out, but there's still some air in the system, because the braking sucks. I may upgrade over the summer, we'll see once I get the system properly bled. I thought someone once told me that the kat and gs mc's are the same.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:32:45 PM
Quote from: bucks1605 on June 02, 2008, 08:29:20 PM
Quote from: The Buddha on June 02, 2008, 08:18:12 PM
Anyway, you guys know if a GS master cyl will work right with a katana brake system.
Cool.
Buddha.


I'm using the gs mc. I went on a short ride to check everything out, but there's still some air in the system, because the braking sucks. I may upgrade over the summer, we'll see once I get the system properly bled. I thought someone once told me that the kat and gs mc's are the same.

Try a TL or gsxr master with the round plastic resvoir.That'll stop ya.
Title: Re: Front Caliper Replacement/Swap?
Post by: The Buddha on June 03, 2008, 06:42:56 AM
Quote from: ben2go on June 02, 2008, 08:23:11 PM
My forks are rebuilt.Done by dgyver and me along with a write up.

You did seals you mean ... Anyway, this guy's bought some weird rusted sheite very cheap, he took a gamble and it paid off ... forks had rust on the upper 1/2, the stem was bent on top and the not on the top was chewed up threads. His frame has bad bearings in it, so we had to swap bearings anyway, that was $30. He has some brake rotors that I now believe are the wrong size but fitting it will tell. The seals are only 1/2 the story though of what we did. You wanna see a shiny black fork leg ... stay tuned  :o ... he got lucky and he got it cheap, He ebayed it but picked up the stuff from a guy 1/2 way to Albemarle. The stuff was rusty but not rusty enough for us to not use it. The sheite was bent, but not that we couldn't fix it, it was ugly, but nothing that powder cannot fix, it was leaky, rusty, and shot ... but we near about fixed it all.
Cool.
Buddha.