Fork upgrade

[pichulec]

Has any of you have any idea is it possible to upgrade fork in DL1000 K5?


I am not really happy from my fork and I would like to install something from a different bike with more adjustments etc. Is that possible at all?

[Gert]

If I recall, the K2 /K3 Vee came without the adjustable fork caps. Your model should have adjustable caps, as fitted on the 1st gen Wee.
Are these fork caps not enough adjustment for your needs?  Have you perhaps tried a different rated spring or spacer?  Perhaps have a look at http://sonicsprings.com/catalog/damper_rod_forks_tech_article.php

[porter]

Anything is possible but that would be hard work. As well as the forks you'd more than likely need, yokes, wheel, brakes etc etc.
I guess a 2014 on vstrom front end might fit OK as the frame is similar but you'd never know till you started and a complete front would be expensive and hard to come by as it's the bit that gets bent first!
I'd take the forks to a reputable suspension company and have a revalve done and springs set to my weight and usage.

[Bobmc]

I had a K2 that had upgraded springs and different weight fork oil courtesy of MCT Suspension Made a massive difference. I had the same mods on my K6 as well

[Mr Nick]

The more adjustments your average rider has available, the more opportunity they have to ruin the ride quality altogether. Getting it properly set up for you by people who know what they're doing is a better investment.

[pichulec]

Porter, I also have ohlins springs for my weight and revalved in MCT, but front have lack of rebound settings, on the fast bumps wheel is losing contact with the road, cannot keep up. On the rear I have Nitron R2 with full rebound / damping adjustments so it is OK, the only problem is front fork and lack of rebound adjustment...

[porter]

Sounds like you've pretty much got it covered.  There's only so much you can do really. You could go back to MCT and get them to add for rebound damping.
The newer shaped vstrom I guess would fit with not to much work but you'd need, yokes, forks, wheel, discs, calipers, mudguard and brake lines as the all different than your model and to be honest the damping is not great on the 14 either, to harsh.

[Steve T]

You could always just slow down!

I'll get my coat . . . .

[pichulec]

Steve T, those issues are on national speed limit, not going crazy fast ;)

[Mr Nick]

Just like my mate tells his wife about her credit cards: it's a limit, not a target...

[pichulec]

Mr nick, are you suggesting me going 30mph on 60mph road for example? Thanks for the offer but won't take it. Looks like, not all people understand that DL1000 fork is far from being ideal.

[kwackboy]

Agreed, they're not the best however,  they're built to a (cheap) budget.

There's only so much you can do with them.

Personally,  I had a K6 Vee, it was pretty sorted but I never felt the need to upgrade the suspension because I thought it would be a waste of money, all I did was add a fork brace, that was it.

A bike of that design with a 19inch front wheel and a narrow 17inch rear isn't really supposed to handle that well. 

[Mr Nick]

I'm suggesting you ride at a speed where the suspension can cope with it. If that's 30, 40, or 59, then that's where you should be. Nobody gives medals for riding beyond the capabilities of your bike.
As kwackboy said, Suzukis were built to a budget and that manifests in many ways: decent suspension didn't make it on to the shopping list. The law of diminishing returns applies: somewhere down the line people realise that it's economic sense to buy a better starting point than throwing more & more money at a fundamental limitation of the old one.

[Artyman]

To tell the truth, since I’ve had my Strom, I’ve haven’t played with the suspension. I had my fork seals replaced so I know the front is set to ‘standard’ and when I first got the Strom I rotated the rear preload to find out how many turns it needs, then wound it on so it was half-way in its travel, so as I see it, my suspension is as it was when it left the factory. Sounds boring I know, but that’s good enough for me.

Other than that, I’ve never felt the need to play with it as it just works. I do normal riding, occasionally break the sound barrier and sometimes do green-laneing and backroads. Sometimes it feels a bit stiff, and sometimes maybe a tad too soft, but generally it just does what it’s supposed to do so I just hang on for grim death and keep on smiling.

As I see it, if you’re an off-roader, then you have suspension to cope with that, the same as if you were a road racer. The Strom isn't a scratcher and isn’t a paris-daccar enduro: it’s an all-rounder so as I see it the suspension it has is good enough for what I do and more than adequate for my capabilities. If you want to tweak it for road or off-road, then are you sure you have the right bike..? Spending a load of money and time tweaking the suspension just to knock maybe 8 tenths of a second off your lap-time seems like a lot of wasted effort and money to me.

[Sage]

I thought the DL1000 had cartridge forks as opposed to damper rod forks as on the 650. There are threads on here of people upgrading the 650 items with 1000 internals.
Assuming your DL1000 has cartridges they can be revalved.

[pichulec]

I think you are all right, I might need to start looking for bike with better suspension, probably it won't be a strom. I know it will be cheating on my bike but any advices which bike have more advanced / better suspension?? ADV / Touring bikes only of course

[Rusty Nuts]

As you're obviously OK with orange.........

[pichulec]

Rusty Nuts, nice clue :D KTM

[kwackboy]

KTM tend to have dodgy owners, like postman and ex tanker drivers.

Take care owning one ... 

That said, KTM they make a cracking bike, I'm closet "dodgy" fan .. 

The later 1000 vstroms are also a great bike with upgraded suspension .

Go go for plenty of test rides ... 

[Mr Nick]

That's a bit of a sweeping statement. Pretty accurate though.