2002 CRF Triple Tree - Differences between 450/250/125?

I've got a chance at beginning my USD conversion with a sweet deal on a 2002 CRF triple tree. Owner doesn't know what size bike it came off of (long story). Is there a difference? I checked ebay and several other places selling them online and they are listed as all the same.

Thanks

Just so you know, Ogilvie was adamant that this is a horrible idea. He made the magazine who first did it print about why it shouldn't be done and they did a sort of retraction I think. Google it and read it first. He said it has to do with the frame rigidity and all the engineering that they put into that bike to make it VERY rigid, and perhaps it failing from this because the CR forks would change the stresses ...

Bump wrote:Just so you know, Ogilvie was adamant that this is a horrible idea. He made the magazine who first did it print about why id shouldn't be done and they did a sort of retraction I think. Google it and read it first. He said it has to do with the frame and perhaps it failing from this.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll do some research.

Quick question though: There's a lot of people running this setup, with great results and years of service out of it (ADVRider and SMJunkie have a lot of threads dedicated to it). Wouldn't these failures have manifested themselves by now, or are the bikes just not being ridden hard enough?

When I saw it Ogilvie was responding to an magazine project / article that was out pretty early in the bike's production I think - first year or so as I recall. I don't think SM had caught on then and I doubt Ogilvie was speaking to that. That's not to imply that SM doesn't put some real stress on the frame. I have the issue somewhere in my garage. At one time I was kinda saving all the XR650R articles. But I do remember he came down pretty hard on Dirt Bike and they had a sort of tail-between-their-legs tone as a follow-up on using USD forks on the BRP. I think Ogilvie was beyond reproach on this stuff. It was his baby so he chose RSU forks for a reason.

Summers and the Team Honda guys (Campbell, Henge, et.al) never seemed to need it so I'd really try to master the OEM setup since that's where all the development in the Team shop was done. The took some parts from the CR500 rear shock so they weren't against some parts fiche mining if they wanted to.

IMHO, Bob Bell is the wizard at this stuff and you might just call him and ask. He's not easy to get ahold of but his wife is and she is excellent at relaying questions and answers. Her name is Diane.

You might do it via email and post Bob's reply here

Here's a TT message string on it from several years ago:
http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-114432.html

Bump wrote:IMHO, Bob Bell is the wizard at this stuff and you might just call him and ask. He's not easy to get ahold of but his wife is and she is excellent at relaying questions and answers. Her name is Diane.

You might do it via email and post Bob's reply here

Here's a TT message string on it from several years ago:
[url=http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-114432.html

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-114432.html[/quote[/url]]

Cool, thanks for the info. I'll get in touch with him. I'm not familiar with Bob Bell, or recent Honda for that matter. I rode big bore two strokes in the 80's and 90's and KTM exc450 thumpers for the last 6 or 7 years.

I am impressed with borynack's site on the XR650R, especially his rebuild of the stock forks. If the USD bit doesn't end up looking like a go, then that's probably the route I'll try first.

How do the fork braces change the handling on the stock forks?

I think Bell does some things the others don't do.

Bob has been around for a long time and is part of that Cahon Zone group in SD. He was at Kearney Mesa Yamaha in the glory days. Bell was the suspension guy. The owner, another Bob was the engine guy. He's retired now and works out of the back of Bell's El Cahon shop when he ain't on epic rides.

Summers used a brace I think but I don't know anyone else. It transfers stress to other places which is problematic IHMO - just like knee braces. I think a lot of guys like to put a lot of things on the bike but look at the 1000 bikes and you'll a lot of stock things like the plastic skid plate, OEM wheels, and so forth. I had a long talk with Siraton one day and he told me the why on all that stuff. It all made sense to me, not that you could win on what I know :~)

[quote="RallyMoto"]

Bump wrote:IMHO, Bob Bell is the wizard at this stuff and you might just call him and ask. He's not easy to get ahold of but his wife is and she is excellent at relaying questions and answers. Her name is Diane.

You might do it via email and post Bob's reply here

Here's a TT message string on it from several years ago:
http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-114432.html[/quote]

Cool, thanks for the info. I'll get in touch with him. I'm not familiar with Bob Bell, or recent Honda for that matter. I rode big bore two strokes in the 80's and 90's and KTM exc450 thumpers for the last 6 or 7 years.

I am impressed with borynack's site on the XR650R, especially his rebuild of the stock forks. If the USD bit doesn't end up looking like a go, then that's probably the route I'll try first.

How do the fork braces change the handling on the stock forks?