Ayup folks
I made the fatal mistake of going out for one last spin to collect some cleaning stuff for the bike before laying it up for the winter, I was also going to get a new battery for my Husaberg ready for winter, but 200 yards from the shop I binned the storm...Doh!
Any way, as I now need to at least replace the bent fork tubes, I thought I'd see if anyone's swapped over to a Fireblade forks / wheel / brake set up. Does it involve getting new steering stem made etc? What model blade is most suitable / least ball ache ?
Cheers Stu. :oops:
Fireblade fork transplant
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firestorm 69
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- Location: Derbyshire
Fireblade fork transplant
Please allow me to adjust my pants
So that I may dance the good time dance
So that I may dance the good time dance
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RedStormV
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Oh feck! That's a bugger Stu 
I suppose the only upside is that you were laying it up for Winter anyway, but don't suppose you imagined you'd be laying it down
iirc the Blade 929 & 954 forks, yokes, wheels etc will go straight on, however, unless you change clip-ons, you'll have to shave the fairings a little for the clearence. I think Alan got some custom ones from Spondon in Derbyshire which mean no fairing mods. Not sure about the braking side of things TBH.
Alan & John (JBRebel) are the only people I know for sure have done this mod so will be able to confirm.
IF you go down that route and e-bay has none, you could try Normous Newark M-E-G-A Autojumble next one is 14th November - I got a pair there last year with front wheel, top yoke and mud guard and didn't pay the earth for 'em. Next after that is 16th December.
Failing that, you could try Rufforth Auto Jumble 1st saturday of each month but tbh Newark's probably you best bet - it's closer to you and much bigger.
Wouldn't bother with Huddersfield, tends to be mainly car stuff.
http://www.penny-farthing-fairs.co.uk
HTH
Graeme.
I suppose the only upside is that you were laying it up for Winter anyway, but don't suppose you imagined you'd be laying it down
iirc the Blade 929 & 954 forks, yokes, wheels etc will go straight on, however, unless you change clip-ons, you'll have to shave the fairings a little for the clearence. I think Alan got some custom ones from Spondon in Derbyshire which mean no fairing mods. Not sure about the braking side of things TBH.
Alan & John (JBRebel) are the only people I know for sure have done this mod so will be able to confirm.
IF you go down that route and e-bay has none, you could try Normous Newark M-E-G-A Autojumble next one is 14th November - I got a pair there last year with front wheel, top yoke and mud guard and didn't pay the earth for 'em. Next after that is 16th December.
Failing that, you could try Rufforth Auto Jumble 1st saturday of each month but tbh Newark's probably you best bet - it's closer to you and much bigger.
Wouldn't bother with Huddersfield, tends to be mainly car stuff.
http://www.penny-farthing-fairs.co.uk
HTH
Graeme.
oh bugger Stu!!! with regard to blade front ends theres a few routes to go down but its best to keep with one manufacturer cos everything will fit as it should rather than abit from a honda bit from a gsxr, so the 97-98 blade forks will fit straight in the only thing you need to change will be the front mudgaurd iirc. the 929/954 you will have to change all the front end ie wheel,forks,fender,calipers, and clipons withat least a 2.5 to 3 inch rise to cover the fairings, also with 929 you will have reduced lock and you need to shim the ignition to sit flush in the yoke, you can get full lock by moving the rads slightly back by 5mm also you steering lock may need some fettling with, i havnt done the steering lock as my bikes never left on its own anywhere when im out so security risk aint a problem for me. ( i know what to do with the steering if you want to know or go ahead)if you need any further info let me know
Sorry too hear about your mishap 
It all depends how you want the finished bike to look like and how much you want to spend IMHO
What ever forks you fit to get the most from them you really need someone like Roger Ditchfield @ RevolutionUK to breath their magic on them.
I would have said the cheapest option would be to pick up a secondhand set of standard Firestorm forks. But if you want to go to Fireblade forks, conventional ones (not USD forks) will be the least costly. See Fireblade fork conversion here:-
http://www.vtwo.demon.co.uk/
If you really want USD (up side down) forks then Alan is the guy to speak to
Chris.
It all depends how you want the finished bike to look like and how much you want to spend IMHO
What ever forks you fit to get the most from them you really need someone like Roger Ditchfield @ RevolutionUK to breath their magic on them.
I would have said the cheapest option would be to pick up a secondhand set of standard Firestorm forks. But if you want to go to Fireblade forks, conventional ones (not USD forks) will be the least costly. See Fireblade fork conversion here:-
http://www.vtwo.demon.co.uk/
If you really want USD (up side down) forks then Alan is the guy to speak to
Chris.
As a recent 98 Blade convert I can say that as standard with new OE springs and fresh oil the 918 (RRW) Blade forks are a lot better than the Std Storm forks. Well damped with lots of adjustment you can soon gain a lot of confidence through the brilliant feedback. Yes the Storm calipers should go straight on and the VTR wheel fits perfect. I know this as most 98 Blade owners swap the 16 inch front wheel for a Storm 17 incher.
I see myself as a sensitive intelligent man but with the heart of a clown that causes me to **ck things up right at that crucial moment........'Jim Morrison'
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firestorm 69
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:19 am
- Location: Derbyshire
Cheers fellas
All info gratetfullly recieved.
Front wheel is buggered so complete front end swap not out of question.
I'm not in a rush so i'll decide which way to go & keep em peeled for suitable bits.
I do like the idea of goin for the full usd set up, I've been runnin without fairing, streetfighter sylee over summer, so bar clearance not an issue in that case.Its a right laugh cos no one can work out what it is, since i painted the frame satin black last winter, with wheels to match, it seems to update the look of the storm, although its looking a bit second hand at the minute......what a nob end !
Stu
All info gratetfullly recieved.
Front wheel is buggered so complete front end swap not out of question.
I'm not in a rush so i'll decide which way to go & keep em peeled for suitable bits.
I do like the idea of goin for the full usd set up, I've been runnin without fairing, streetfighter sylee over summer, so bar clearance not an issue in that case.Its a right laugh cos no one can work out what it is, since i painted the frame satin black last winter, with wheels to match, it seems to update the look of the storm, although its looking a bit second hand at the minute......what a nob end !
Stu
Please allow me to adjust my pants
So that I may dance the good time dance
So that I may dance the good time dance
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stormsmasher
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 8:31 am
- Location: Nottinghamshire
When I did this mod about 5 years ago I realised that the standard Blade springs were made for a much lighter bike than the VTR!
If you are simply wanting to swap the legs (as in Shaun Pallisters advice) then don't forget to swap the springs too, you will need linear Blade ones from Ohlins for the best results....beter still would be to send the Blade fork legs to Roger and you will have the best front end for the money.
Hope this helps....I have to say I loved the feel of my Blade front end and only swapped for the cosmetic looks of my 916 front end.
Ben had my old complete blade front end for sale some time ago which would save a lot of time and effort to someone if it is still for sale.
Daz
If you are simply wanting to swap the legs (as in Shaun Pallisters advice) then don't forget to swap the springs too, you will need linear Blade ones from Ohlins for the best results....beter still would be to send the Blade fork legs to Roger and you will have the best front end for the money.
Hope this helps....I have to say I loved the feel of my Blade front end and only swapped for the cosmetic looks of my 916 front end.
Ben had my old complete blade front end for sale some time ago which would save a lot of time and effort to someone if it is still for sale.
Daz
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Stormin Ben
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 12:23 am
- Location: Birmingham
Chuxta,
Biggest problem I had was getting round to actually doing it
As Daz says, I bought his off him (all shiny coz he was going through his 'polish everything' phase as opposed to his current 'paint it matt black with hammerite' phase
)
It then sat in my garage looking lovely for nearly 9 months before I made the time
Having set aside a complete day to do it I was pleasantly surprised (and a little peeved) when the whole job from start to finish took me under 2 hours!!
VTR wheel, calipers and brake disks bolt straight back on -I didnt even need to bleed the brakes!
The difference was night and day as Beamish said. On track it went from a wobbly mess where it struggled to hold a line and you had to get all the braking done in a straight line to a joy to ride.
Braking hard and right up to the apex was comfortable & safe as you get LOADS of feedback.
No collapsing as soon as you touch the lever, no dropping into the corner as you let the brakes off, no standing up if you apply them mid-turn
And on the road they were just as good. Daz had already fitted the Ohlins springs and oil so they soaked up bumps beautifully
Highly recommended and yes, mine are still for sale
Ben
Biggest problem I had was getting round to actually doing it
As Daz says, I bought his off him (all shiny coz he was going through his 'polish everything' phase as opposed to his current 'paint it matt black with hammerite' phase
)It then sat in my garage looking lovely for nearly 9 months before I made the time
Having set aside a complete day to do it I was pleasantly surprised (and a little peeved) when the whole job from start to finish took me under 2 hours!!
VTR wheel, calipers and brake disks bolt straight back on -I didnt even need to bleed the brakes!
The difference was night and day as Beamish said. On track it went from a wobbly mess where it struggled to hold a line and you had to get all the braking done in a straight line to a joy to ride.
Braking hard and right up to the apex was comfortable & safe as you get LOADS of feedback.
No collapsing as soon as you touch the lever, no dropping into the corner as you let the brakes off, no standing up if you apply them mid-turn
And on the road they were just as good. Daz had already fitted the Ohlins springs and oil so they soaked up bumps beautifully
Highly recommended and yes, mine are still for sale
Ben
I've got an inferiority complex
But its not a very good one!
But its not a very good one!
I swapped forks on my VTR a few years back (as per http://www.vtwo.demon.co.uk/firestorm/firestorm.htm)
The only thing to watch out for is the difference in calliper mounting points/wheel spacers on different Fireblade forks. I fitted RRW forks and needed to have spindle spacers and calliper mounting plates machined. I got my replacement clip ons from Spondon Engineering.
The end results were a vast improvement on standard storm forks. Tracked much better and had more adjustment-they just felt more robust.
If I was to do it again Id probably fit UD forks like Alan.
The only thing to watch out for is the difference in calliper mounting points/wheel spacers on different Fireblade forks. I fitted RRW forks and needed to have spindle spacers and calliper mounting plates machined. I got my replacement clip ons from Spondon Engineering.
The end results were a vast improvement on standard storm forks. Tracked much better and had more adjustment-they just felt more robust.
If I was to do it again Id probably fit UD forks like Alan.
A very good thing to note that JBrebel, about the year of the forks concerning the caliper mounting points, if you're fitting the Fireblade forks that are the normal way up
Shaun Pallister used forks from a 96/97 Fireblade (as shown in his vtwo.demon.co.uk link) and I have a feeling they changed style in 1998. So anything before 98 should be fine, but do check first as you can see a difference
Chris.
Shaun Pallister used forks from a 96/97 Fireblade (as shown in his vtwo.demon.co.uk link) and I have a feeling they changed style in 1998. So anything before 98 should be fine, but do check first as you can see a difference
Chris.
This is taken straight from the Blade site and is a reputable source.
andYou need a vfr800 wheel, then machine 3.5mm off both faces.
Custom spacers are needed to.
THERE IS NO WHEEL THAT IS A STRAIGHT FIT.
Sorry but people will come on and say my mates mate got a ........ to fit straight in, but loads of people have tried and the machining route is the only way.
2 800 wheels are on fleabay at the moment.
The 98 -99 forks are very diffrent from the 96 - 97 ones hence no wheel is a straight fit like it is for mine, ask pistol pete he has actually done this conversion on his rrv.
Sounds like blade wheel spacers will be needed at the very least unless you go for a complete front end. Hope this helpsThe great 17" wheel debate....here we go then...
There appears to be many thoughts about how to go about this conversion, there appears to be 2 choices available to you :-
1. If your Blade is a 1992 - 1996 model it will take the same wheel and discs that are fitted to CBR 600's and VFR 750's of the same vintage. The wheels have the same spoke pattern as the original Blade wheel, but may require new spacers made up.
2. This method seems a lot easier...Take a VTR Firestorm front wheel which uses the same discs and wheel bearings as the Fireblade. Then use your original spacers, wheel spindle and calipers (so basically a straight swap).
The only problem with this conversion is that the wheel will now be a 3 spoke design, but apparently the Firestorm rear wheel will go staight in as well ( same bearings, disc and sproket drive ) and there you go matching wheels again.!
I have not tried this conversion but have checked the part numbers and it seems feasable.
I see myself as a sensitive intelligent man but with the heart of a clown that causes me to **ck things up right at that crucial moment........'Jim Morrison'
Re: Fireblade fork transplant
Hopefully I'm not going over old ground here, how would 1993 blade front end do? I'm ok with making wheel spacers but don't want to make caliper adapter brackets.
Re: Fireblade fork transplant
Good to see you back again Jon 
If you've haven't seen this link it might be helpful to you. If you enter Shaun's site you can find all about fitting a CBR900 right way up (RWU) forks;-
http://www.vtwo.demon.co.uk/
I had a quick check with part numbers with the CBR900 Blade fork leg and stanchion on the Ron Ayres micro fiche, going by that it would appear both the fork legs and stanchions for a 1993 Blade up to 1997 are the same. I suggest you have a check yourself, I don't want you blaming me it they are different
The part numbers though are showing the same.
Chris.
If you've haven't seen this link it might be helpful to you. If you enter Shaun's site you can find all about fitting a CBR900 right way up (RWU) forks;-
http://www.vtwo.demon.co.uk/
I had a quick check with part numbers with the CBR900 Blade fork leg and stanchion on the Ron Ayres micro fiche, going by that it would appear both the fork legs and stanchions for a 1993 Blade up to 1997 are the same. I suggest you have a check yourself, I don't want you blaming me it they are different
The part numbers though are showing the same.Chris.
Re: Fireblade fork transplant
Magic that looks promising then, I'll have a gander at the link. Yes I've come back to a storm yet again 8-) it's one of Del's old ones, I sold it to a friend a few years ago and have just got it back, my 6th storm I think! Way back when, I did have a storm blade conversion for awhile, just happens that a chap in work has got a rolling chassis for a 93 blade which had a bit of fire damage in a recent shed incident, think I'll go and see it for the front end and swingarm(brace) if it can be got for a reasonable sum.