Fork Inner Tube oddity

[mt.b]

Oil & dust seal time for me on the 14. After stripping them back it looked like it the guides were also in need of replacing. After laying the Inner Tubes down next to each other I noticed the the porting was different...

Going on the parts list and a DR650 fork seal replacement I've done, the 14's Inner Tubes should be the same. For some odd reason, mine are not 
This is the 1st time I've had the 14's forks apart so something happened with a past owner by the looks. The springs are constant rate types so there has been some sort of work done in the past. My guess is a shop did it and mixed up the Inners with another set of forks. So there is another motorcycle out there with the same config as mine maybe?
Another reason to DIY or find a really good mechanic.

[Andre]

Ok guys finally figured it out. Hoolis pics confirmed what Seth noted in an earlier post - the tubes on the early models have oil return holes close to the bottom of the stanchion, the later models are higher. Makes no difference but easier to identify which ones you have. My K2 forks are completely standard except for the stanchions which are from a K5. The K5 also has a different bush arrangement [yellow with a flange ]and it fits onto then damper which is a tapered step [the K2 is fairly straight]. The K2 bush can be seen in the shop manual photo and is white with a 1mm taper and no flange.

So I assume that the K5 bush wont go onto a K2 rod [due to the tapered step inside], and....the K2 bush won't go into a K5 stanchion because it's too fat. I figure mine were changed at sometime and the wrong stanchions were ordered [most places selling them don't differentiate between years], so whoever did it was stuck with the same problem.

As the bush is 30mm long and doesn't go inside the stanchion, it does theoretically limit fork travel to 100mm [vs 130mm]. But the primary purpose of the bush is to locate the damper rod, and judging by it's condition it never comes into contact with the stanchion - so no harm really, other than it being a bit more tricky to reassemble.

Thanks to Hollie and Seth for their input and for inspiring me to think about the issue a bit harder. Bottom line is they are likely going back together as is, and will make do the tie-wrap test to ensure they're definitely not bottoming.....that is, unless I open up the stanchion hole by 2mm

Quote is from here http://gsx1400owners.org/forum/index.php?topic=1981.0

[seth]

There are 3 different fork tubes used on the gsx1400
K2
K3-k4
K5 onwards
The rest of the internals are also different between these models (different spacer length and spring length )
Also the spacer at the bottom of the fork tube is different and only fits the correct year fork tube.
There are  threads on this showing the differences.
Also go to Robinsons foundry  to look at the parts lists and see the different part numbers.

[Mister Fishfinger]

If it's any help, I've got a K5 and my stanchions look like the ones at the bottom of your picture, i.e. with the hole nearer the end of the tube.

[Andre]

Checked my old K2 stanchion. Hole is 12.5 cm from bottom. Replaced with #0050525 from TNK

[mt.b]

There are 3 different fork tubes used on the gsx1400
K2
K3-k4
K5 onwards
The rest of the internals are also different between these models (different spacer length and spring length )
Also the spacer at the bottom of the fork tube is different and only fits the correct year fork tube.
There are  threads on this showing the differences.
Also go to Robinsons foundry  to look at the parts lists and see the different part numbers.

Sorry, forgot to mention, these are off a K7

[T250]

[/quote]

Sorry, forgot to mention, these are off a K7
[/quote]

Well one of them is...  

[Mister Fishfinger]

Here's a K5 fork, disassembled.

[T250]

If you look at one of my previous posts #5 you will see the difference between the two types of fork internals, one is a K2 and the other is a K5 onward, hope this helps? 

http://gsx1400owners.org/forum/index.php?topic=2783.msg34752#msg34752

[mt.b]

If you look at one of my previous posts #5 you will see the difference between the two types of fork internals, one is a K2 and the other is a K5 onward, hope this helps? 

http://gsx1400owners.org/forum/index.php?topic=2783.msg34752#msg34752

I have a can of worms... Picture to follow... Thank you for the post.

[mt.b]

[mt.b]

I was going to order a new K5+ Inner tube thinking the odd part was the K2 inner. The Spacer looks K3 but shorter, some sort of kit with the constant rate spring?

[T250]

What a pick n mix...
The top picture of the fork lower doesn't show the bottom adjuster as being removed as per the bottom picture, is this because it can't be removed? If so then you have two different lowers.
The cartridges are K5 onwards, (K2 springs are approx 320mm in length if that helps?). You have K2 spacers. The plastic yellow inserts are from K5 onwards. The top adjusters look like K5 onwards. The spacer retaining washer with the cut out is K5 onwards, but is not used/required with the spacer and two metal washers you have for K2...

I have a set of K2's here, any questions just give me a shout 

[mt.b]

What a pick n mix...
The top picture of the fork lower doesn't show the bottom adjuster as being removed as per the bottom picture, is this because it can't be removed? If so then you have two different lowers.

Lower adjuster can be removed, thankfully!

The cartridges are K5 onwards, (K2 springs are approx 320mm in length if that helps?).

Both springs measure 311mm

You have K2 spacers.

I thought that. Mine are 117mm.

The plastic yellow inserts are from K5 onwards. The top adjusters look like K5 onwards. The spacer retaining washer with the cut out is K5 onwards, but is not used/required with the spacer and two metal washers you have for K2...

I have a set of K2's here, any questions just give me a shout 

Thanks mate, if you can measure the spacers, I'd really appreciate it

[T250]

You have K2 spacers as they are metal, the K5's are plastic...the metal spacers measure 95mm

So really your best option would be to get the following;
A set of K5 spacers,(white plastic), and one K5 stantion, I think then you should be able to build a matching pair of K5 legs with what you've got...