Upside Down Front on my 907.

[900streetfighter]

Since I started a thread on this a while ago I've been collecting bits. I had hoped to use fork parts I had left over from my SSie project but all Ive used is yokes and (helibar)clipons. I've temporarily fitted yokes and legs and there seems to be clearance around the gas tank and the coolant tank. This is due to the offset being a few mm longer. The steering stem is 6mm longer so I have to put a spacer under the lower race or above the top race. This is a big decision as under will drop the forks 6mm which may be crucial but I wont really know till I have it up and running. Above top race will give me better clearance around the tank. The headstock bearing are 1mm bigger ID (26). I've got a set of Multistrada adjustable legs which are long enough(790mm centre to top) but I think they have longer travel so this is not definetly going to work. I'm using a SSie 3spoke front wheel and a bonus is I can use original discs although I will upgrade to the later lighter type if this all works.
Other bonuses are the ign/steering lock bolts staight onto the SS top yoke and should fuction, also the brakehose splitter fits.
The calipers are 65mm so the bottom hose banjos will need changing to 90'. The 25mm speedo gearbox takes the 907 cable but maybe different ratio.
Still afew parts to find inc a mudguard, the multistrada guard is a bit angular but I think a 999 might fit and look ok.
I was a bit apprehensive starting this but am enjoying it now although my intention to make the turn quicker has gone out the window as the wheelbase will be longer and the rake will be about the same.(perhaps I'll look at raising the rear next)
I'm hoping to get the bike on 2 wheels in the next few days to see how it sits and somehow see if the wheel will hit the rad, then fit new H.S bearings and get it on the road for the UK Paso Meet.
Cheers, Keith

[Jaffa]

You could have the stem removed from the original 907 stock and put into the ss headstem.

[900streetfighter]

You could have the stem removed from the original 907 stock and put into the ss headstem.

Thanks for your input, I did consider doing that but I want to keep the M1R's intact incase I have to revert back to original setup, or to sell them if it works. Having a 6mm 'adjustment' on the yoke height may be handy.
cheers, Keith.

[duc907]

I have thought about this myself(forks and triple clamps in my garage). I would appreciate up dates and photos if possible. As for travel I was going to experiment with shorter springs and longer preload spacers.

[900streetfighter]

Things are not going to plan. The fork legs at the top are 53mm which I didnt realise till I got them, no real problem, I'm having the top yoke bored out. Last night I assembled the fork legs in the bottom yoke and fitted the wheel with discs, speedo drive and spindle, all off the bike. I then bolted the calipers on to the fork legs and thats where everything went tits up. Not only are the calipers not central to the discs but the wheel isn't central in the forks by the look of things.
It looks like I can't mix and match late brembo 3 spokes and speedo drive with the multistrada forks.
Also when I removed the headstock bearings from the frame(with great difficulty) I found out they're 47mm as opposed to the 52mm they look like fitted(the 52mm seal had me fooled).
I'm too deep into this to stop now so I'm going to get the correct head bearings, fit the yokes and legs and find some way of centering the wheel. This might be possible by machining the speedo drive. Then there's the calipers/discs, I don't think different offset discs will solve the problem as its only 2-3mm difference so maybe spacers between the wheel and discs or have the calipers machined down where they bolt to the legs.
Cheers, Keith.

[paso750]

Keith, did you try to fit the forks and triple clamps and then the tank and the front fairing plus the part below the instrument panel.
I had tried some RSV Mille and Laverda 750 Formula (which would`ve had the perfect length) but being USD forks the tube diameter was also over 50mm and they both touched the tank. Also it wasn`t possible to steer that much than before. It would`ve been necessary to cut the front edge of the tank and maybe reweld it to fit things properly.

G.

[900streetfighter]

I'm using SS yokes that have a longer offset(30mm) which put the legs further forward and clear the tank, just. I probably won't be able to fit the rubber trim although the SS yokes have adjustable stops so I can set the steering lock so theres a bit of scope. I've offered fairings up and it all looks good. I havent tried the tin plate with the trip reset in it but if I have to lose/trim/fabricate one then thats the least of my troubles.
As soon as I fit new headstock bearings I can put it together and see whats what. cheers, Keith.

[900streetfighter]

Things always look better the next day is the saying I believe. I reassembled the forks again and got the vernier out. The discs and calipers are the same distance apart, Result. So I put the wheel in minus the speedodrive and put in a spacer thats 2mm thinner and everything lines up perfectly. Happiness. I now need to take 2mm off a speedodrive or if that doesnt work I'll have 2mm machined off the fork bottom. Meanwhile Ive had the SS top yoke turned out to take the 53mm legs. On 2 wheels and out of the hall next week hopefully.
Cheers Keith.

[Tamburinifan]

What handlebars are you gonna use?

[900streetfighter]

I hope to use Helibar clipons that I have. They're raised about 25-30mm and bring the bars out at top yoke level. If they dont fit I'm in trouble. Cheers, Keith.

[blazing928]

respect!!

[900streetfighter]

I now have the forks and wheel in. I raised the bottom headstock bearing with the 6mm spacer from the marzocchi yokes (Filed out to 26mm) and shimmed the top bearing for now with some 26mmx2mm copper washers from ebay to see what spacers are required, 6mm under the cover plate and 4mm above and under the threaded castle nut. There's less thread on the SS spindle so there's not a lot to play with.
I removed 2mm from the fork side of the speedo drive without breaking through the casing so that was the wheel spacing problem solved, however when I put the front wheel in it is slightly to one side on the RH caliper. I think I can get round this without too much trouble.
The next thing I did was to get the bike outside and undo the top fork nuts to drop the forks to max and see if the wheel touches the rad....it does. I have about 10mm too much travel. Dissapointing but expected really.
I've lowered the legs so that the top of the top cap is level with the top yoke. These forks aren't designed to be run that low, the bottom yoke clamp is not fully on the 54mm area of the leg as they taper quite far down the leg for some reason. I have about 75% contact with the bottom clamp, which is not ideal.
Anyway I'll sort all that out later, get the body work on and see if there's any problems with that.
It all looks good, no contact anywhere and the clipons look good although I'll have to run them fairly straight but thats how I like them anyway. Due to using clip ons I cant use the rubber tank trim, The bars where the knuckle comes out and up is the limiting factor. The riders view is pretty good, same as an SS, alloy yoke with fork adjusters poking through either side, I think there's room for remote reservior master cyliders too which'll work well with the 65mm calipers, look trick and be good for keeping an eye on hydrolic fluids(I ran out of brake fluid on an autobahn 2 years ago due to a leak, this I discovered approaching sevices with no front brakes).
Next to do is to strip it again and replace the copper washers with steel spacers, sort the hydrolics out, then take it for a ride and see how it feels. For now I'll run high preload and damping and see how much travel the forks have in practice, I'm hoping to get away with it or look to move or alter the rad to suit rather than alter the forks. I've got a 999 mudguard in the post, I love ebay, this project wouldn't have started without it. I have increased the wheelbase by having 4mm more offset but I now have less trail so the handling might be a bit quicker. I'll let you know.
Cheers, Keith.

[JoKing]

Pictures?

[900streetfighter]

Pictures?

I will have to learn how, a friend will be needed to teach me, and not until Ive cleaned it(after seeing pics of your rebuild!).

[900streetfighter]

I put it together and rode it round the block a few times to see how it is. The front tyre is touching the rad under heavy braking so its back to the drawing board. Apart from that it seemed to handle ok.
My options are to reduce the fork travel (anyone know how to do this?) or alter/move the rad.
It does look good though, the 999 mudguard suits it I think, I still haven't learnt to post pics but I can email some for one of you clever guys to post for me if you pm me your email.
cheers, Keith.