Rebuilt front suspension - S2R 800. Now part gixxer

[Darth Paul]

Coming to the realization that no matter how hard I pretend, I just am not a 160 pound Italian.   I had to do something about the front suspension on my '07 S2R 800.  Posting this is case others are in the same boat I was.

Original plan was just a respring/revalve, but apparently at some point Ducati started building the front in a way that you couldn't just rebuild that easily.  The end solution I got sold on was for the shop to use cartriges out of a used GSXR 750, and then put new racetech springs/valves to finish it up.

End result is I now have an adjustable preload front that's sprung to my weight that cost me $700 parts and labor.  I have to say it feels GREAT.  Downhill turning doesn't suck as much as it used to and the bike just generally feels a lot better. 

I don't really know how the price lines up to any other methods to fix the cheap suspension on the lower-end Monsters, but I'm happy with the result I got for for the price I paid..  oh and it added a bit more color to the bike, too

[causeofkaos]

had the same issue with my m696 your MOD was far cheaper than mine
mine cost a bit more ...............i upgraded to the m1100

[RB]

that is cool , i didn't know that stuff would fit inside the stock tubes. I just took the entire fork from an 03 GSX-R 1k.

[ZyMe]

Coming to the realization that no matter how hard I pretend, I just am not a 160 pound Italian.   I had to do something about the front suspension on my '07 S2R 800.  Posting this is case others are in the same boat I was.

Original plan was just a respring/revalve, but apparently at some point Ducati started building the front in a way that you couldn't just rebuild that easily.  The end solution I got sold on was for the shop to use cartriges out of a used GSXR 750, and then put new racetech springs/valves to finish it up.

End result is I now have an adjustable preload front that's sprung to my weight that cost me $700 parts and labor.  I have to say it feels GREAT.  Downhill turning doesn't suck as much as it used to and the bike just generally feels a lot better. 

I don't really know how the price lines up to any other methods to fix the cheap suspension on the lower-end Monsters, but I'm happy with the result I got for for the price I paid..  oh and it added a bit more color to the bike, too

Thanks for the info.

I am about 160 lbs., but not Italian and the adjustability intrigues me...do you have parts list you could post by chance?  Or the model year of gixxer fork internals used?

Thanks!

[corey]

yea, some specific details on the parts used would be helpful to the rest of us with the marzocchi forks...

[Qfactor]

 

more info on the year cartridges used and caps?

any modifications needed?

thanks

Q

[Darth Paul]

The fork cartridges came from a 2000-2003 GSXR-750.  I was also told that a 2004-2005 GSXR-600 or 2003-2005 ZX-6R would work too.  There was something that did have to be shortened by 20mm to make the front sit at the correct height, I wish I could say exactly what it was but suspension isn't my area of expertise so I don't know.

When I get home from work I'll check the invoice to see if there's any specific part numbers for the racetech stuff, but I think it's just their standard springs and valve kits.  The fork itself is just the stock one that came with the bike - only the innards were switched out.

For the Bay Area local folks - this job was done by Evolution Suspension in San Jose.  Really nice people and I'm really happy with the work they did.

[BK_856er]

Very nice!

Could you clarify that the only external adjustment with your new setup is preload?  Your original post states that.

Or do you now have the ability to adjust rebound and compression with external clickers?

Either way it looks like a good option.   

BK

[Darth Paul]

yep just preload