i bought a 98 gsxr swing arm, and i need to know exactly what to do to accommodate it, thanks

To be honest I don't know that I've ever seen anyone describe a swingarm swap here 

I'd go check out some of the builds on customfighters.com, those guys swap swingarms faster than I can swap a set of hand grips.

The only few swingarm swaps I remember on a gs is from Jim (radically custom) and RGV (almost direct) swaps. I don't think there has been a gsxr swap unless one of the racing guys want to chime in.

Did you get the arm for free? Just wondering why you would buy it without some research in fabbing it first.

I thought about Jim's, but that's a bit more than a home made swingarm swap so I didn't think it'd really apply. I do remember that RGV swingarm though! Forgot about that one!

You need to take some very detailed measurements of the bike and the swing arm. How wide is the swing arm where it meets the frame, how far off center is the sprocket sit on the wheel, etc. There's no other place to start.

This is what i got from a fellow gstwinner. He is talking about a bandit swingarm, but AFAIK the GSXR swingarm is pretty close.

Quote from: gsf500RR on November 03, 2010, 09:49:16 AM
180 is usually the size of any 600 sport bike. 1000cc have 190 on a rime that could actually fit 200.

Thing you should already have found on the forum:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=49500.0
and this
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=51871.0

The mod shoud not be hard, but it's suppose to be direct swap neither so make it seems as a chalenge to your brain.

STEP I
Okay anyway, to make it short you will need a bandit 12 arm, a bandit 12 rim, and the rear break mecanism (of bandit 12 of course).  You will also need a 520 rear sprocket (stock it's 530, but you don't want to use a 530 chain on a GS500) designed for bandit 12 (you can find this online).


Since you will buy this second hand, you'll have to make sur what you buy is compatible. I.E, if you gonna buy a bandit 12 arm from a certain year (e.g 1999) and you want to buy a rim of year 98 make sur both 98 and 99 are compatible. For this reason I advise you to join a bandit 12 forum so you can ask them what is compatible and whatnot. I think they are all compatible but I'm not sure. Personally I bought a pack with everything from the same bike (but I will sell the rim because I want a 200 tire so I will need a GSXR rim).

BTW I don't know if bandit 1250[/] arms are any different from the bandit 1200 but I would advise you to stay away from those (no one that I know have swap a bandit 1250 arms).

You will also need a rear spring of course, I don't have one yet so I don't know what to use. A stock bandit 12 could to the trick but I'm not sure.

STEP II
Now that you got everything, you got to do the first part of the swap, AKA trying to see if it fit. And it should fit

Follow this tuturial, and replace bandit 600 by bandit 12.

->http://www.gs-500.info/index.php?title=Bandit_600_rocker_in_GS

You will have to make:
/!\I'm not sure those measure are correct and the name are wrong but you should get the idea!
Spacer for repositioning the foot rests, measures (I/A/L) 8,1 x 24 x 20-30 mm
Fitting sleeves for the rocker mounting (smoothed and tempered), measures (I/A/L): 14,1 x 25 x 37 mm



STEP III
Okay so now you shoud have:
BANDIT 12 arm with rim and rear spring mounted and everything work fine.

However, since the bandit 12 rim is larger than stock GS500, the chain will not be aligned. So solve this problem you will have to make a offset front sprocket  (that can be measured only when the swing arm is mounted to the wheel).

This part seems a bit tricky, but they are pro that make custom sprocket so all you need is to measure correcly.

Honestly, at that point you should contact JIM KNOPF.


That's it. I hope that you will do this mod since they are many ppl saying they will do it but still nothing yet (myself included).

so basically i should sell this swing arm an buy a bandit arm?

What exactly is it you're trying to accomplish with the new swingarm? There are some options to get a 160 rear wheel in the GS swingarm that are a 1000 times easier than sticking a new swingarm in there. That might be the way to go.

well i want a wider tire, i want to try and make this into a streetfighter, what year banit 1200 swingarm should i use?

Quote from: ZukiGS500E on November 25, 2010, 08:55:22 AM
well i want a wider tire, i want to try and make this into a streetfighter, what year banit 1200 swingarm should i use?

If it was me, I would try to work with what is already available. First thing to do, naturally, take off your swing arm and put it side by side with the GSXR one and eyeball the fit. Take some pics and measurements for the rest of us and post them here. If you are super lucky, it might just bolt up (you've gotta be real lucky). Most probably, it is going to take some work and sharing the side by side comparision and measurements here should get you plenty of useful advice.

Quote from: ZukiGS500E on November 25, 2010, 07:59:12 AM
so basically i should sell this swing arm an buy a bandit arm?

Not so long ago you came here and said you wanted to swap the stock gs swingarm with a GSXR. Many of us (JIM KNOPF in particular) told you it could not work or it could be complicated to do since no one ever made one. We alread you told you no one made that kind of swap.

Also, we told you you should rather use a b12 instead. Yet you still bought a GSXR swingarm and now you come here and you ask if you should use a b12 instead? We already told you: go for a b12 swingarm if you want an easier swap, period.

well ill sell it and get a b12 chill

Quote from: ZukiGS500E on November 25, 2010, 10:42:52 AM
well ill sell it and get a b12 chill

LOL. That's not going to get you anywhere around here, especially when you need help. Come back when you want to swap something else. Happy Thanksgiving. 

Before you go out throwing money at another swingarm swap you don't have the means to do... lets step back a bit.

Why do you want to swap out the swing arm? Can the goals you hope to achieve through a swing arm swap be achieved through simpler means?

do some measurements and some thinking
what is the diameter of the GS pivot axle?
what is the diameter of the GSXR pivot axle?
what is the length of the GS pivot point of the GS swingarm?
what is the length of the GSXR pivot point of the GSXR swingarm?
the gsxr will be wider(longer)
now the thinking part........
if you narrow the GSXR pivot point to GS width....will it fit?
will the swingarm sides hit the GS frame
will you have to make inner bearing races or sleeves so you can use the GS axle or do you want to drill out the GS frame to use the GSXR axle

when you get all this worked out....
will the swingarm now hit the back of the foot controls....they probably will
now space out the foot peg brackets


getting there.....
what shock have you decided to use?
will the dog bones fit the GS rocker link?
when you install the shock what is the new ride height?
longer/shorter dog bones will have to be made
install the wheel with a 520 rear sprocket
how far off is the chain alignment?
how far is the chain from the tire?
how are you going to fix this issue?
space the countershaft  sprocket out.....
machine the rear sprocket carrier as much as possible
the chain can lightly scuff the tire not perfect but will work

again welcome to the world of fabrication
no one will do it for you

I installed a 91-92 gsxr swingarm yrs ago..... and took it off , 4.5 x17 so much easier(bolt on)
but you have friends with a machine shop should be easy with access to a machine shop
look at the GS that had the triumph SSSA installed for other option....about 2 yrs ago  rider/owner....from europe...kronos or something like that