Fork ID

[Criscone]

I bought a box of parts and I'm looking to indentify some of them. Mainly so I know what rebuild parts to purchase.

Frame is a 1980 xs650

2 sets of forks. Look similar, yet slightly different.

How many different types of forks are there?

 

[650Skull]

Post some pics and you will have all the info you need.

How big is a sore toe?

 

[Criscone]

I will grab some pictures tonight.

Things I noticed:
-Lower triple bolts, one has 2 bolts each side where the other only has 1 each side.

-handle bar risers, one set has a larger rubber bottom bushing than the other.

 

[XSLeo]

There were several different forks used over the years. The first year had the springs out in the open above the steel lowers, used a drum brake. They went to a fork with the springs in an aluminum lower, drum brake.
Or did both the 70 and 71 have steel lowers. Any way at some point theyt went to aluminum lowers.
In 72 they changed the drum to a one year only disc brake. In 73 they changed the disc brake to a bolt on disc. I think they used that fork up to 75, in 76 they moved the caliper to the rear of the fork.
In 77 they changed the calipers from the two piston solid mounted to the single piston floating. They also increased the tube diameter from the early 34 mm to 35 mm for the rest of the years.
One thing you can do is measure the tubes, 34 mm is one of the early years, 35 mm is the later.
The 35 mm forks are considered the better of the bunch. The bigger tubes flex less.
Leo

 

[Criscone]

Ill measure the tubes tonight.

Axles are different widths also right?

 

[XSLeo]

No, On the first years with the drum I'm not sure but all the others were the same. Same diameter and length.
Leo

 

[Criscone]

So axle should be the same. I'm pretty sure the axle wouldn't fit in the spare set of forks. How about the necks, are the spindles all the same?

 

[gggGary]

 

[Criscone]

 

[5twins]

The forks on the bike are '78 or newer 650 forks. The forks off the bike may not even be 650 forks at all. I say this because I've never seen any that use a fender like that, with only a rear brace or strut. All earlier 650s that had braced fenders used 2 braces, one up front, one at the rear.

 

[gggGary]

 

[XSLeo]

I third what was said. If you look at the upper trees you can see the difference between the off set of the fork tube holes to the stem holes. The one with the more offset fits the forks on the bike, right?
The spare forks may have come off a different Yamaha Or even another brand of bike. I have a set of forks off an XS1100 and they have a shorter offset like your spare forks. They look like the spacing between the forks is wider than the ones on the bike. Are they?
On the 70-73 trees the stem was shorter, 74 up they were all the same at 8 3/4 inches from where the bearing race sets to the top of the stem.
Leo