ws6transam
Member
- Nov 17, 2005
- 309
- 0
Hi everyone,
I have a 18 year-old suspension with what is probably factory original oil.
Everyone I've been talking to seems to think that fork and suspension design have come light-years in terms of sophistication since the 1991 design of my machine.
So, since I also need a new front rotor, which turns out to be WR500-specific and ungodly expensive, I was looking at buying a whole wheel and maybe updating the brakes to a more common rotor design. That got me to thinking about the $300 worth of fork & rear shock servicing that the bike needs, and I figure: For a few more hundred dollars, couldn't I find a decent fork, wheel, and rear shock (maybe swingarm too?) that is more compliant than the 1992 design?
...only I don't exactly know where to start. I am considering the 1999 - 2008 Yamaha WR250F, WR400F, WR426F, series of motorcycles. My first thought is this: What is interchangable between these models, and what are the differences in terms of suspension ?
I've heard of one WR500 owner who swapped a 1999 WR400F suspension onto his bike with the simple use of a 10mm spacer on the triple-tree. If this is the case, is the WR400F from 1999 similar enough to the remaining models that I could pick up a used set of forks from any 1999 - 2008 WR and use them? This would assume that the head stems from 1999 - 2008 are unchanged. Does anyone here have any insight?
I guess, I ought to also back up a little bit: Exactly WHY would a 1992 model with KYB upside-down fork be considered so much less desireable than a newer-design USD fork? What is the difference in the designs, and would it truly be worth the expense of going to the modern suspension?
I have a 18 year-old suspension with what is probably factory original oil.
Everyone I've been talking to seems to think that fork and suspension design have come light-years in terms of sophistication since the 1991 design of my machine.
So, since I also need a new front rotor, which turns out to be WR500-specific and ungodly expensive, I was looking at buying a whole wheel and maybe updating the brakes to a more common rotor design. That got me to thinking about the $300 worth of fork & rear shock servicing that the bike needs, and I figure: For a few more hundred dollars, couldn't I find a decent fork, wheel, and rear shock (maybe swingarm too?) that is more compliant than the 1992 design?
...only I don't exactly know where to start. I am considering the 1999 - 2008 Yamaha WR250F, WR400F, WR426F, series of motorcycles. My first thought is this: What is interchangable between these models, and what are the differences in terms of suspension ?
I've heard of one WR500 owner who swapped a 1999 WR400F suspension onto his bike with the simple use of a 10mm spacer on the triple-tree. If this is the case, is the WR400F from 1999 similar enough to the remaining models that I could pick up a used set of forks from any 1999 - 2008 WR and use them? This would assume that the head stems from 1999 - 2008 are unchanged. Does anyone here have any insight?
I guess, I ought to also back up a little bit: Exactly WHY would a 1992 model with KYB upside-down fork be considered so much less desireable than a newer-design USD fork? What is the difference in the designs, and would it truly be worth the expense of going to the modern suspension?
