46mm KYB forks on my WR430

Mated a '99 KX250 front end on to my '87 WR430 for a super plush ride. I've yet to sort the headlight but one is on the way currently. My approach was to swap in the steering stem from my Husky over to the KX fork bracket. Works well and yielded a super plush ride. Keeps the standard head bearings too. Bigger brake rotor also gives two finger wheel lock up on demand. I kept the brembo master cylinder but used the Nissan caliper.

Looks nice. I can not wait to get my 86 400WR together. I have to repair the swingarm pivot in the rear of the engine. The PO drilled the rear engine mount mount out to Ø7/8" so I need to make a custom flange and interlock pivot bushing to fit now.

Thats a great looking set up!
I need that for my 510....

Using the husky stem really simplifies the swap. Looks like a matter of finding a suitable fork set / triple clamps and you are good to go. And, as always, this can be easily reverted back to stock.

What did it cost you for the hole deal?

another option is also the italian huskies, they used the same bearings and spacing for years, up to mid 2000s..makes the entire front end a bolt on affair. many have done it here.

do you have details on what years kx will accept the swede stem? no machine work needed?

I was able to score the KX250 as a parts bike for $150 as the lower end had failed and the engine was not worth repairs. I then sold on eBay $225 for the rest of the parts minus the front end. After parts to rebuild the brake caliper, fork seals and covers, wheel bearings and seals I'm just about even on this project.

Justintendo, I'm not sure as to which years KX may be best to start with as my deal was based on economy and availability as much as anything. I scored a front end for a 95 WXE from a fellow cafe member but that deal took a while to come to fruition and I made the decision to move forward with the KX unit. The WXE is a 43 mm while the KX is a 46 mm unit. I'll end up using the WXE for another project. I agree the straight up bolt on option is a great way to go. The KX trees required a sleeve to be fabricated as the KX stem is shorter and larger in diameter. Straightforward turning job; I made it with a slight interference fit. I heated the tree up and pressed in the sleeve then pressed the husky stem in. From there it's simply a matter of bolting the parts on. I also appreciate the rubber mounted handle bar mounts for additional vibration damping.

good info darrel, thanks

The wr models stayed with the steel stem which fits the exact bearings longer than the cr version. I suspect similar in the 4 stroke bikes. I suspect changing the cup and cone like to make ktm (2004 and whatever uses that size) work would be the case for the cr and possibly to current. The wr from this section probably ends up higher in the front with most more modern track oriented front end swaps.

The stem length and the way the steering stops work and even seal issues can creep into these things.

For kicks and giggles , I tried my 79 wr forks on a sm 04 frame with factory races and bearings and it fit perfectly. Now before you guys starting wondering why I did it that way, its because I don't have the 04 forks to try in the 79. Hope this helps in the future for some one searching what forks to use.

Nice work. Did you re-valve or change springs? Is the clamp off-set similar? Modern bikes seem to be affected by 2-3mm of trail change. Did you notice a difference in steering? I have aftermarket clamps on my '10 Husaberg, I think they are 22mm off set, and it was noticeable. (Maybe it was the other way and they are 18mm...) KTM seems to be tweaking the clamp off-set and axle locations every couple of years recently.

The clamp offset seemed similar but I didn't measure it. I'm unsure of any work done to the forks; I replaced the seals and wipers. The bushings seemed fine without much sign of wear. The major difference I noticed was that the front end no longer "pushes out" in the turns. I ride gravel roads a bunch and the front wanted to slide out often. These don't do that. At 70 mph indicated on the speedometer it's rock steady. I planted the front end in a small ditch in an effort to bottom them out but they don't bottom. I'm on the lookout for a suitable jump to try next. Tight trails are more the norm here and the new setup seems to steer better. It could be that the old forks simply needed adjusted but I do like the rubber mounted bars and the more powerful brakes.

my forks pushed too until i set my sag correctly with a different rear spring. dont get me wrong, im not knocking the fork swap, just dont forget about setting up the rear as well. i seem to have the 87-88 forks working pretty well now..cant say they work all that much worse than my WER built showa forks on my 95

Justintendo, that's good advice on the setting up. It never occurred to me to check set up on the rear.

most important thing other than having the suspension in good condition, in getting the sag right. my stock spring was so soft for my 220 pounds that i had to have the preload cranked to even attempt the right sag. this caused handling issues that no bolt on can fix..
i run the stock forks slid the whole way up, a few mm shy of the bars. my spring in the rear is maybe 10mm shorter than stock and a good bit stiffer...made a huge difference.
yellow stripe progressive springs w/ 500ml atf each leg. new bushings were noticeable as well, even tho the old ones werent awful looking..

I ended up with this headlamp unit. It's a 32 watt LED unit. My horn beeps now rather than croaks. LED lamp in the back as well. I put a few miles on it this evening, the lamp is ok; whiter than before. Suspension is super plush.

Great comment! Front / rear balance is the key to making any bike handle. I just got the ITC shocks on my CR revalved for a third time... not only is spring rate and sag important but valving is as well. On the throttle exiting corners my bike was squating and using up the top of the stroke causing the the front to push. After firming up the low speed compression it stays higher in the stroke and keeps the front planted. The 83 CR is also tall and has a lot of rake/trail, great for high-speed stability but so-so for flat corners and railing inside ruts. I have gone to a progressively softer setting on the fork emulators as well, (light spring 2 turns of preload) less harsh in chop and better turn-in. I am running 20wt oil but that effects rebound more than compression according to Race Tech. Oil level is 5.75".

So many variables, takes a lot of riding experience to distinguish what needs to be changed. I know I still don't have it yet. "yet"

84scrambler, you are right. At least static sag and rider sag can be measured, taking the guess work out. Justintendo is right, once the sag is balanced front to back the improvement should be huge. I need to focus on suspension setup more. I don't have it "yet" either!