Hello,
I'm a 02 Superhawk owner who's just joined the forum. I'm from the east coast of the United States. I've joined the forum so I might learn from your past experiences on upgrades & troubleshooting. Love the bike.
Look forward to chatting with you and thanks in advance for your help.
Hello
Re: Hello
I'm late getting pics of the bike, especially since I bout it last May. Got more interested in riding last year than pictures or upgrades.
The long cold winter in New England has had me collecting parts for upgrades this spring. Like most I found the suspension needs an improvement so I'm planning on swapping the front and upgrading the shock. Picked up Pilot Powers and am in the middle of repairing my 2-into-1 pipe.
The long cold winter in New England has had me collecting parts for upgrades this spring. Like most I found the suspension needs an improvement so I'm planning on swapping the front and upgrading the shock. Picked up Pilot Powers and am in the middle of repairing my 2-into-1 pipe.
Re: Hello
Voted most likely to be found dead in park bushes following an act of autoerotic asphyxiation.
Welcome Aboard Red 
Re: Hello
Thanks for the kind greetings. I have spent time on the Superhawk forum and have to say it is a great site. Still, there's got to be a heck of a lot more Superhawks (err, I mean FireStorms) on this side of the pond than in the US. Over here, big V-twin sport bikes didn't have anywhere near the sales the I-4s did. That said, I suspect I'll learn quite a bit from you guys.
I've spent a bit this afternoon assembling my collection of front end parts. As I mentioned earlier I'm going to upgrade the suspension. Its getting difficult to find 929/954 forks and triples here and the cost of 1000rr parts is still too high. I've decided to take a wag at doing the front end with GSXR 1000 parts because there's a million of them here and their pretty good parts. Just to make things difficult I thought I'd use the 07 parts. I say difficult because the fork diameter at the lower triple looks to be 56mm as opposed to everyone else forks (54mm). The 07 forks do come with the higher spring rate (.976) as well as full adjustment.
Next week I hope to spend some time comparing the steering stem size (02-VTR1000 vs 07-GSXR 1K). I know the RC51 SP2 stem was too large and the 954 was OK. I haven't found dimensions for the stem size on either the SH or the GSXR. I'll check with Allballs and Spears Enterprises. Hopefully we'll come up with something that leads toward a match. I'd rather not make a custom lower triple and stem but I will if I must. Anyone having more knowledge or experience feel welcome to chime in. I figure, even if I end up making a set of triples, at least these will help in the mockup. If they can't be used they'll get posted to Ebay or one of the forums. At some point its easier to work with real parts than spending countless hours looking for dimensions you might not find.
In the end I'd planned on doing superbike bars. Surgery and getting a bit older has reminded me my back likely won't take too many long rides bent over the original bars this summer.
So let the upgrades begin. Should be fun.
I've spent a bit this afternoon assembling my collection of front end parts. As I mentioned earlier I'm going to upgrade the suspension. Its getting difficult to find 929/954 forks and triples here and the cost of 1000rr parts is still too high. I've decided to take a wag at doing the front end with GSXR 1000 parts because there's a million of them here and their pretty good parts. Just to make things difficult I thought I'd use the 07 parts. I say difficult because the fork diameter at the lower triple looks to be 56mm as opposed to everyone else forks (54mm). The 07 forks do come with the higher spring rate (.976) as well as full adjustment.
Next week I hope to spend some time comparing the steering stem size (02-VTR1000 vs 07-GSXR 1K). I know the RC51 SP2 stem was too large and the 954 was OK. I haven't found dimensions for the stem size on either the SH or the GSXR. I'll check with Allballs and Spears Enterprises. Hopefully we'll come up with something that leads toward a match. I'd rather not make a custom lower triple and stem but I will if I must. Anyone having more knowledge or experience feel welcome to chime in. I figure, even if I end up making a set of triples, at least these will help in the mockup. If they can't be used they'll get posted to Ebay or one of the forums. At some point its easier to work with real parts than spending countless hours looking for dimensions you might not find.
In the end I'd planned on doing superbike bars. Surgery and getting a bit older has reminded me my back likely won't take too many long rides bent over the original bars this summer.
So let the upgrades begin. Should be fun.
Re: Hello
Ah, the lament of many an ageing ballerinamy back likely won't take too many long rides bent over the original bars this summer.
Two bikes, still only four cylinders!
Re: Hello
RE: Ah, the lament of many an ageing ballerina
Great. Now I'll have that picture in my head. I'll never get to sleep.
Actually, the original bars were great last year. Took awhile to remember to squeeze the tank to get the weight off the wrists. A couple hours at a time on the bike wasn't a problem. That'd be a stretch this year.
Great. Now I'll have that picture in my head. I'll never get to sleep.
Actually, the original bars were great last year. Took awhile to remember to squeeze the tank to get the weight off the wrists. A couple hours at a time on the bike wasn't a problem. That'd be a stretch this year.
Re: Hello
02redhawk, over your side of the pond I thought V twins, Harley's were the most popular bike 
Not IL4's.
I like you plans so far for your bike. I only now one member (who's not been on here for ages now) who fitted GSXR forks to his Firestorm. Iirc he had to turn down the Suzuki steering stem at the bottom to get it to fit the bearings. His forks would have been earlier GSXR forks than the 07 you are planning to use.
Do keep us posted with some pic's on your progress, I look forward too seeing them,
Chris.
Not IL4's.I like you plans so far for your bike. I only now one member (who's not been on here for ages now) who fitted GSXR forks to his Firestorm. Iirc he had to turn down the Suzuki steering stem at the bottom to get it to fit the bearings. His forks would have been earlier GSXR forks than the 07 you are planning to use.
Do keep us posted with some pic's on your progress, I look forward too seeing them,
Chris.
Re: Hello
RE: ...thought V twins (Harley's) were the most popular bike Not IL4's.
As for Harley's, ya can't swing a dead cat w/o hitting one for sale now that the economy has slowed. I never really warmed up to cruisers or touring bikes. A looong time ago I had a xs750 I took cross country. A set of low bars (like superbike bars) and a tank bag convinced me to go with the performance you want and make adjustments to the riding position as needed.
RE: the GSXR swap
The 2005 and earlier forks would have made it a bit easier. I imagine it would still take some experimenting to get either setups to work so why not go for the better springs and valving of the newer model. I say this as I stare at the forks laying on the bench hoping like hell I can make it work w/o major $$$.
I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and notes. No sense letting the time spent go to waste.
Not IL4's.As for Harley's, ya can't swing a dead cat w/o hitting one for sale now that the economy has slowed. I never really warmed up to cruisers or touring bikes. A looong time ago I had a xs750 I took cross country. A set of low bars (like superbike bars) and a tank bag convinced me to go with the performance you want and make adjustments to the riding position as needed.
RE: the GSXR swap
The 2005 and earlier forks would have made it a bit easier. I imagine it would still take some experimenting to get either setups to work so why not go for the better springs and valving of the newer model. I say this as I stare at the forks laying on the bench hoping like hell I can make it work w/o major $$$.
I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and notes. No sense letting the time spent go to waste.
Re: Hello
I wondered the same as Tattie, if the XS750 was the 3 cylinder Yamaha. If so, yes I'm old enough to remember them too. As Tattie says a lovely sounding bike.
I can fully understand your logic in going for the up graded GSXR forks. As you say though, if you have to have a set of yokes (triple trees) made specially for your bike, it will be plenty of $$$. One of our members had a set made for his Firestorm, I think they were to take Ducati USD forks. He had his made so they were adjustable, so he could alter the steering angle to suit him, might be worth considering if you could have that too, for not to much more if you have to have some made.
Interesting about the Harley situation.
Chris.
I can fully understand your logic in going for the up graded GSXR forks. As you say though, if you have to have a set of yokes (triple trees) made specially for your bike, it will be plenty of $$$. One of our members had a set made for his Firestorm, I think they were to take Ducati USD forks. He had his made so they were adjustable, so he could alter the steering angle to suit him, might be worth considering if you could have that too, for not to much more if you have to have some made.
Interesting about the Harley situation.
Chris.
RE: Would the XS750 of been the triple with the shaft drive?
If it was, I reckon that was one of the best sounding bikes of of its era late 70s early 80s.
It was a shaft drive triple. I loved the sound compared to the I-4s at the time. I don't remember there being to many reliable twins over 650cc at the time and I wanted a bike that I could tour around the US with w/o revving it to bits. Yes, it wasn't the best handling bike made and more than once I ground the center stand stuffing it into a corner. That said, the only other bike at the time I remember looking at was the Honda 750F Super Sport. The Honda was a nice bike but it definitely needed a steering damper and was way out of my price range.
I guess that's another reason I bought the VTR1000. Sounds pretty good, handles OK, decent power and doesn't break the bank.
If it was, I reckon that was one of the best sounding bikes of of its era late 70s early 80s.
It was a shaft drive triple. I loved the sound compared to the I-4s at the time. I don't remember there being to many reliable twins over 650cc at the time and I wanted a bike that I could tour around the US with w/o revving it to bits. Yes, it wasn't the best handling bike made and more than once I ground the center stand stuffing it into a corner. That said, the only other bike at the time I remember looking at was the Honda 750F Super Sport. The Honda was a nice bike but it definitely needed a steering damper and was way out of my price range.
I guess that's another reason I bought the VTR1000. Sounds pretty good, handles OK, decent power and doesn't break the bank.