Horizons Unlimited, the website for motorcycle travellers.
in cooperation with
Quality Touring equipment worldwide.
Be a Member!
Is HU useful & helpful?
Become a Member! And get more goodies!
Amazon
Buy your books and goodies from Amazon - but start at the HU Books Search page
Buy your books and goodies from Amazon.
and we get a small percentage of your purchases - and it costs you nothing! Thanks!
 
Contact Overland Solutions for all your custom modifications and setup for overland travel. Discover the extraordinary with Compass Expeditions.
Go Back   The HUBB > Technical, Bike forums > BMW Tech
Register FAQ Travellers List Calendar Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

BMW Tech BMW Tech Forum - For Questions specific and of interest to BMW riders only. Questions comparing which bike is best etc go in the "Which Bike" forum.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10 Sep 2003
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Southampton
Posts: 257
Anyone got showa forks

Does anyone have showa forks on their GS, how good are they and how easy to find and what is the expense of them.
Ive been looking at a PD which has em on but I'm unsure as to stick to origional parts as much as possible to easy fixing them.

Are they a BMW part? or can you fit other bikes forks onto the GS for better looks/suspention?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11 Sep 2003
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 229
As a brand, Showa are quite good. They are stock on many Japanese bikes, both off road and on.

As to whether they are right for the GS, that depends on the fork - The travel and ride hight being the main factor. We need more info to be able to comment on this modification.

Lots of GS's have had different forks put on to improve their clearence and handling. There are three main factors with forks:
1)suspension travel (also affects the hight of the front of the bike, which has an effect on steering geometry and handling)
2)thickness and torsional rigidity
3)asjustability and valving

Just swapping forks will not necessarily improve the bike and could seriously mess up the handling of the bike. For instance, if someone has grafted a 12 inch travel fork from some 100 kilo dirt bike onto a 200 kilo GS, which typically has around 8 inches of travel, this will cause all kinds of handling changes, likely negative, unless the proper adjustments are made. Raising the suspension significantly in the front generally necessitates raising the rear suspension travel an equal amount - difficult on the GS as you have to extend the shaft.

If the fork is set up right for the bike, it could be a positive change. Yes, parts will likely have to be sources from a different supplier, so that complicates things as well.

Have a look at HPN's site - they do lots of suspension modifications.

http://www.hpn.de/
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


 
Translate page

Your comments

"Best web site I've ever seen for traveling, on or off a bike, keep it up, thank you."
Tony Brimble, UK

"Hi guys! I really love your site and work - its an indispensable info source for touring!"
David Katz, Germany

"Simply the best motorcycle adventure site!"
Brian Coles, UK

"I could spend hours lost in the HUBB - and do so from time to time!"
Mike Paull, USA

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers."
Greg Aldis, Australia


Books & DVD's

Check out the Books pages, where we have listed some of the best motorcycle travel books and videos, BMW books, general m/c books, and travel guides. There's also links to:

in Association with Amazon.com.
in Association with Amazon.co.uk.
in Association with Amazon.de.
in Association with Amazon.ca

Remember if you go to Amazon from HU, we get a small percentage of every purchase. Thanks! Grant and Susan


Top of page Top Home Shop the Souk Grant & Susan\'s RTW Trip Subscribe to the E-zine HUBB Forum Community
Travellers Stories Trip Planning Books Links Search Privacy Policy Advertise on HU

Your comments and questions about the site are welcome. Contact Horizons Unlimited.
All text and photographs are copyright © Grant and Susan Johnson, 1987-, or their respective authors. All Rights Reserved.