April 24th, 2012, 07:11 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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636 fork swap
as some of you know I purchased 03-04 636 front fork parts from a member here on the forum who sold his 250 and was not able to install them. he pretty much took care of the hardest part, which is taking the 250 steering stem and getting it welded into a 636 lower triple. more on that later. but the forks i received had a broken fender mounting bracket which was unknown to me before purchase and the front wheel had a dent in the rim which was shown in the forsale pics. luckily i was able to pick up '05 636 fork set and front wheel assembly locally.
back to the steering stem. the 250 steering stem is welded in the lower triple so you'd have to have it cut out and then welded into a 636 lower triple. the 636 steering stem is press fit into the its lower triple so you have to get that pressed out i believe. i'm not sure if any additional machining is required with sticking the 250 stem into the 636 lower triple. here's a few pics showing my stock 250 stem vs. the 636 lower triple with the 250 stem welded in. picture of a stock 05 636 lower triple with 636 stem. basically lift your bike up securely, take off your fairings and tank, lift the front end up, take your front tire off, loosen up the lower and upper triple tree clamp bolts, careful the forks can drop right out. next you need to take the upper triple off by removing the large 22mm nut. it will reveal a splined locking nut. this nut holds the lower triple and upper triple together. the manual says to use a special tool, but i found that the spanner tool for the rear shock also works quite well. or a screw driver and hammer also works. be very careful removing the lower triple as there are (19) bearings under the splined nut and (20) bearings above the lower triple. the bearings will fall out all over the place, so be careful and pay attention. after this you basically reinstall with all the 636 parts. grease up the bearings again, follow the manual to re-install the bearings properly. this part is a pain, which i will probably need to redo, since i think i didn't seat the bearings properly. more on that later. you'll have to drill out the 250 ignition switch from the 250 upper triple. here's where you have to do some modifications to the upper 636 triple clamp. the ignition mounting tabs on the 636 are about 1/2" too long. i took a rough estimate and hacked it off with a hack saw and then decided to use my orbital sander and some 40 grit paper to sand it down. you'll have to drill and tap new holes to secure the 250 ignition switch. even then the 250 ignition key switch is too small in diameter compared to the 636 ignition switch ring. what i did was went to the hardware store with the 636 triple and 250 ignition switch and found the closest rubber o-ring that would fit. ended up with something in the plumbing section. there's still a 1mm gap, but doesn't look too bad. my ignition lock no longer works. if you do some more fiddling maybe you can get it to work. another issue i ran into is that using the stock 636 clip ons, there's hardly any clearance over the black plastic surround. so i had to order a set of woodcraft 50 mm 2" riser clip ons. for now i set the fork height at the stock 636 level indicated by the ring on the fork. after a quick ride, the new forks definitely feel better than stock. i'll have to fine tune them. things i still have to do: 1. get my new bt016 120/70/17 mounted and balanced so that the front tire matches the rear. 2. redo the bearings on the stem head. the forks/triple move when the front tire is lifted in the air and pulling on the forks. 3. fine tune the suspension. 4. wait for my 05 636 front fender to come in, paint it and install. 5. upgrade rear shock next here's a couple pictures of the final product so far. |
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April 24th, 2012, 07:15 PM | #2 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Andy
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 1988 Honda Hawk NT650, 1989 Honda Hawk NT650, 1997 GSXR750 Track Bike Posts: 890
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What did you end up doing for the speedometer?
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April 24th, 2012, 07:22 PM | #3 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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at the moment nothing. planning to get a phone mount on the handle bar or something, run a usb cord, and use an app on my phone. probably more accurate anyhow.
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April 24th, 2012, 08:54 PM | #4 |
ninjette.org dude
Name: 1 guess :-)
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much.
Blog Entries: 7
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Nice!
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April 24th, 2012, 09:15 PM | #5 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: David
Location: Loves Park, IL
Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): Time will tell Posts: 969
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The Ninja looks so strange without the fender! The install though, is very clean! I do like it if you've gone this far, you may consider a digital gauge.
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April 25th, 2012, 04:26 AM | #6 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Andy
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 1988 Honda Hawk NT650, 1989 Honda Hawk NT650, 1997 GSXR750 Track Bike Posts: 890
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I could recommend either a Koso or Vapor as I've used both. The Vapor is quite a bit easier to get hooked up, and its only around $100.
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April 25th, 2012, 05:13 AM | #7 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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I love the koso but the price alone is equal to what I spent on the fork swap. I'll check out that vapor gauge. Seems more in line with my budget.
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April 25th, 2012, 09:03 AM | #8 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Elias
Location: Denmark
Join Date: Nov 2011 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250r Posts: 152
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where did u get those right and left front turn signals?! i love them
Also love the fork upgrade u did there, looks sweet. |
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April 25th, 2012, 10:56 AM | #9 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: Zach
Location: Orlando, fl
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2013 636 - ABS Posts: 173
Blog Entries: 1
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Quote:
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April 27th, 2012, 12:11 AM | #10 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: Elias
Location: Denmark
Join Date: Nov 2011 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250r Posts: 152
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Quote:
only us and canada shipping. must find them! ebay it is. :P |
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April 30th, 2012, 09:24 AM | #11 |
CPT Falcon
Name: J.Emmett Turner
Location: Newnan, GA
Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 CP Blue EX250J, '97 unpainted EX250F, 2nd '97 unpainted EX250F (no engine), '07 black EX250F Posts: A lot.
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Looks higher than it should be, but maybe that's just due to the lack of a fender.
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April 30th, 2012, 06:42 PM | #12 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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yes, i think it does sit higher up front. still need to tweak the fork height length.
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May 21st, 2012, 10:27 AM | #13 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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Update: So I fixed my fork/triple moving during braking issue by replacing the steering stem bearings/races which lead to other important discoveries. While I had the triples out, I compared the lower triples, the stock 250 and the modified 636 I had bought. Doing some measuring from the top surface of the lower triple to the end of the stem tube. The lower triple was incorrectly machined/pressed about a quarter inch too deep. This created a lack of threads for the stem nut to grab onto and possibly why there was slop in the steering stem bearings. I took the modified lower triple to a machinist to correct. He also determined that the lower triple was bent! This explains why my front tire is not straight when the triples appeared to be straight and the wobbling tire issues.
Luckily, when I picked up the '05 636 forks, the lower triple also came with it. So my machinist basically re-did all the work on the lower triple. He said whoever did the original job did piss poor job. The stem tube was about .005" off in circular runout with respect to the welded on adapter piece that is slightly larger in diameter than the 250 stem tube and press fitted into the 636 triple. The adapter also did not have a stopper lip, so the stem tube could have potentially been pushed right out of the triple over time! After getting my straight 636 lower triple modified and the steering stem bearings replaced with the All Balls kit, my bike now rides straight and I can finally take it with confidence into the twisties. Time to play around with the fork height/rake angle to find what suits me best. |
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May 21st, 2012, 12:42 PM | #14 |
wat
Name: wat
Location: tustin/long beach
Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much.
Blog Entries: 5
MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14
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thats disappointing
good thing you got passed the road blocks. nice job they look sick
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May 23rd, 2012, 07:32 AM | #15 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Willie
Location: Hampton Bays
Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 500, VFR750 Posts: 51
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fork swap
Please let us know how it performs after you do some riding. It looks awesome on your bike, hopefully it rides as good as it looks. Glad you got the triple clamp/stem issue worked out- hard to believe the machine shop that did the work previously would do such a half-assed job on the stem swap... it's not rocket science.
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May 23rd, 2012, 09:11 AM | #16 |
RIP Alex
Name: Cuong
Location: Houston, TX
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '10 250r, '09 265r Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 2
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You should have your machinist start making extra parts for a kit.
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HalfFast Racing Team Serving Greater Houston Area Riders:WFO Riders MotoHouston HPC CMRA Ride Smart Fastline Lone Star Track Days |
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May 24th, 2012, 03:44 PM | #17 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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August 4th, 2012, 04:31 PM | #18 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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after taking the bike out to track with the 636 forks, i thought i'd update this thread for anyone who is thinking about doing this swap. two words: SIMPLY AMAZING! in the corners, it holds the line perfectly. you don't get that squirrely feeling when you're leaned over and wondering, is it gonna hold or will it slip out from under me. future mod will be an aftermarket rear shock. gotta start saving.
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August 4th, 2012, 04:57 PM | #19 | |
RIP Alex
Name: Cuong
Location: Houston, TX
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '10 250r, '09 265r Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 2
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Quote:
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HalfFast Racing Team Serving Greater Houston Area Riders:WFO Riders MotoHouston HPC CMRA Ride Smart Fastline Lone Star Track Days |
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August 30th, 2012, 12:23 PM | #20 |
ninjette.org member
Name: John
Location: Buffalo NY
Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): Ninja Posts: 122
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Hey, did you use the stock master cylinder? And how come only one rotor?
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August 31st, 2012, 03:46 AM | #21 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: L
Location: WI
Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709
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I used the stock one for about a month until I was able to collect parts for a zx6r master. One rotor because 250's come from factory with one only. You could put two if you like the looks of it, but it's just added weight imo.
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March 16th, 2015, 07:07 AM | #22 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Thom
Location: Virginia
Join Date: Dec 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2013 zx6r and 1995 250r Posts: 69
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awesome write up!
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March 16th, 2015, 08:18 AM | #23 |
Fighting Texas Aggie '05
Name: Neil
Location: Hutto, TX
Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track Posts: A lot.
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Looks good, did you have to clearance the fairings or shrouding to fit the wider forks?
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