If you have any questions, i would be glad to help

I can't say it's the best looking swap I've seen, but it looks like you did a good job with it. Did you run into any issues with it?

Can you still lock with the key? How about steering stops? I'm guessing you haven't taken a ride yet since you didn't post ride/feel details.
Some better quality pics would let us seem your work in detail.. 

im 18 and never worked on a bike before, but i did my best, these pics were taken on my cell phone, ill take my nikon over and take some better pictures, i have to mess with the steering stops yes, it doesnt turn very far, not many issues, but i had to get the steering stems out, i used a hammer, a socket, and a big wrench to get them out, i took off the collars, and hit them out through the bottom, the gs stem was a hair smaller so i wrapped alluminum tape, and it seems to fit pretty snug in the gsxr bottom triple

The machinists and metalurgists will probably be along soon to weigh in. But I think the aluminum shim may be too soft. I have heard of this trick before, but not with aluminum.

Quote from: ZukiGS500E on December 20, 2010, 11:46:54 AM
im 18 and never worked on a bike before, but i did my best

No worries, I was 16 when I had my gs and I just turned 19. That's what they are best for, a learning experience. It looks good, just very different from the other f/e swaps I've seen. Most tend to have inverted forks and be some flashy color, I actualy kind of like how subtle yours is.

I bet it'll ride great. I'm impressed you swapped the stems yourself. Most people send out the bottom triples to have the stem swapped. I think you're the first I've seen on here who did it himself, so that's definitely cool. Did you have to many any spacers/adaptors for the top, or did it happen to be the right height?

Anyway, very good work. I don't think Redhen meant it looked bad. Most swaps just make the GS look worlds better because of the USD forks. Yours actually looks pretty stock, so it's not flashy, but you'll still get the same benefits. I'd love to see a real headlight on there though. With as much work as you did on the front end I'm sure you could handle re-wiring up a real headlight.

Yeah, the headlight might be what's throwing me off. I definitely did not mean it looks bad, it just doesn't give it the mean stance that some of the other f/e's do. You did a good job, and I'm definitely in for more pics 

Quote from: Paulcet on December 20, 2010, 12:04:24 PM
The machinists and metalurgists will probably be along soon to weigh in. But I think the aluminum shim may be too soft. I have heard of this trick before, but not with aluminum.

I wouldn't stress about it too much. The stem is pressed into the bottom with much of the load being placed on the bottom of the shaft. The aluminum shim isn't going to have a ton of load on it and any lateral load it does take will be well dispersed. It's pressed more for the purpose of keeping everything all together and aligned.

Quote from: saxman on December 20, 2010, 02:49:32 PM

Quote from: Paulcet on December 20, 2010, 12:04:24 PM
The machinists and metalurgists will probably be along soon to weigh in. But I think the aluminum shim may be too soft. I have heard of this trick before, but not with aluminum.

I wouldn't stress about it too much. The stem is pressed into the bottom with much of the load being placed on the bottom of the shaft. The aluminum shim isn't going to have a ton of load on it and any lateral load it does take will be well dispersed. It's pressed more for the purpose of keeping everything all together and aligned.

aaaaack ! the sky is falling ! aaack !

ok, that's out of the way. i'm quite impressed with your abilities at your age. i can barely change a tire myself at better than twice when you started this. excellent, fun, work !

now then, the machinist in me (if i dare call myself that) says the tinfoil tape is a no no. if it holds forever, please berate my care and worry. but the worrywort in me says: .0015" movement at the head/stem area translates into .015"-.020" movement at the wheel. remember, the forks are acting as a 3 foot cheater pole on that stem area every time you hit a bump in the road. then add in the brakes and slowing YOU plus the weight of the bike from 60 mph, with bumps... get where i'm going ? it may be great for a little while, but it will get ungreat in a hurry and downright wobbly quite quick.

there. i love the project, just wanna make sure it's completely safe.

rock on man

Quote from: ohgood on December 20, 2010, 04:56:33 PM

Quote from: saxman on December 20, 2010, 02:49:32 PM

Quote from: Paulcet on December 20, 2010, 12:04:24 PM
The machinists and metalurgists will probably be along soon to weigh in. But I think the aluminum shim may be too soft. I have heard of this trick before, but not with aluminum.

I wouldn't stress about it too much. The stem is pressed into the bottom with much of the load being placed on the bottom of the shaft. The aluminum shim isn't going to have a ton of load on it and any lateral load it does take will be well dispersed. It's pressed more for the purpose of keeping everything all together and aligned.

aaaaack ! the sky is falling ! aaack !

ok, that's out of the way. i'm quite impressed with your abilities at your age. i can barely change a tire myself at better than twice when you started this. excellent, fun, work !

now then, the machinist in me (if i dare call myself that) says the tinfoil tape is a no no. if it holds forever, please berate my care and worry. but the worrywort in me says: .0015" movement at the head/stem area translates into .015"-.020" movement at the wheel. remember, the forks are acting as a 3 foot cheater pole on that stem area every time you hit a bump in the road. then add in the brakes and slowing YOU plus the weight of the bike from 60 mph, with bumps... get where i'm going ? it may be great for a little while, but it will get ungreat in a hurry and downright wobbly quite quick.

there. i love the project, just wanna make sure it's completely safe.

rock on man

I suppose a lot of it depends on how thick of a shim we're talking here. It's worth noting that I've seen many many examples of people using cut up aluminum cans as shims in swap like this for extended periods of time without an issue. That would seriously worry me, however, it seems to work just fine. Often, bearings are press fit into place in very similar manners to this, so it's done.

It's not the idea solution(I would knurl the shaft to provide adequate interference personally), but I'd be shocked if it became a problem, assuming a very thin shim.

Pooh pooh on all those who are pooh poohing your work.  Looks darn fine to me. 

As for the aluminum tape...  take it easy and keep a close eye on it for the next million miles or so.  As long as there is no sign of looseness in the front end, you can call it a success!  When it starts to loosen up, you can look for a plan 'B', right?

well thanks everyone, i totally forgot my camera, ill def have pictures taken tomorrow morning, the headlight will probably sold, i dont like it either, i thought it would look cool, but now that i see it on the bike i dont like it. Now what can i safely do for the shim, it was a pretty tight fit, even without the tape, but i heard someone else do that somewhere. I have a decent bit of wrenching experience, i do most of the work on my gs and car, and it helps my dad is mechanically inclined, he teaches me alot.

Did you press the stem in with a press or just slide it into place with the tape holding it firmly? Makes a difference

Some stock GS triple have the shafts welded from the bottom. If you have a decent welding machine, I say weld that sucker on it. I don't see the harm in welding around the shaft to make sure it stays put.

Does anyone know what the guy does that usually swaps the stems for people? I think his name is Bob. It's possible that the newer ones are a little bigger, but I don't think they're an exact match so he might have a good answer.

Quote from: tt_four on December 21, 2010, 05:54:33 AM
Does anyone know what the guy does that usually swaps the stems for people? I think his name is Bob. It's possible that the newer ones are a little bigger, but I don't think they're an exact match so he might have a good answer.

He welds additional material to the stem and grinds it down for a proper interference fit.

Gonna put a fork brace on it or is that it?

Michael

Quote from: tb0lt on December 20, 2010, 10:16:49 PM
Some stock GS triple have the shafts welded from the bottom. If you have a decent welding machine, I say weld that sucker on it. I don't see the harm in welding around the shaft to make sure it stays put.

kinda difficult to weld AL to FE