2010 Voyager Forks

[guitars4god86]

Hey everyone - glad to be able to join this group with my new 2010 Voyager I just picked up yesterday. Used to have a '99 Nomad and I upgraded to the big boy.

Anyway, I picked this bike up for super cheap b/c it needs some work done on it and I'm having trouble finding some parts, specifically the forks. Does anyone know where I can find used parts for this bike? I'd like be able to get the complete assemblies for less than $680/pc OEM...

Actually, anywhere that I can find any used parts would be a huge help - I've already contacted a few junk yards in my area (MN and WI) and no one has anything....

[ray2]

you can try here http://greenscyclesalvage.com/ I did not look for the forks.

[cactusjack]

Since most people don't swap out the factory forks on a Voyager for an aftermarket set, I'm thinking you may have trouble finding a decent used set. I'd wager most of the bikes in salvage yards are there with messed up forks.

[redjay]

pinwallcycles.com ?

[smokey]

some guy or seller was parting a voyager and other vn1700 parts out on ebay last time I looked.

[guitars4god86]

@cactusjack - that's kinda what I was figuring...

@ray2 and @redjay - neither site had anything...

Dang. I guess I'll just have to tear them apart and see exactly how much damage there is. The forks still move up and down smoothly and there's no crazy noises - I'm hoping maybe all I'll have to order is the outer part of each fork and keep all the insides as they are.

[redjay]

You did not state what damage there is to the forks ? From your last post I guess there is damage to the lower fork casting due to an accident ?

[guitars4god86]

@redjay - No, it's actually more towards the top of the forks, right below the fairing. I bought the bike at an auction and from the pictures, it just looked like the fork shields were bent, but now that I have it in my possession I can tell that the actual fork outers are dented in. Most of the fork actually looks like it's in good condition. I'm hoping that when I take them apart the insides are still good since they still move freely...any ideas on if that's a possibility? I can't push the forks all the way down with just my strength, but they seem okay with what I can do, so I'm not sure if they'll get stuck or something if I were to hit a big pothole or something and depress the forks all the way...

Also - anyone know of any aftermarket forks that would work on my Voyager? Or any forks from another type of bike that would work? All I can find about the forks is that they are 45mm hydraulic, 5.5 in. If I find something with the same specifications, will they work? I've fixed quite a few other things on a bike, but I've never replaced forks before, so this is gonna be a learning experience for me...

[ringadingh]

Straighten them out in a hydraulic press, theres nothing at the top that affects their operation. Just go slow and easy and don't put a flat spot on them. Ive had success with that a couple times over the years.

[bouson]

Originally Posted by guitars4god86

@redjay - No, it's actually more towards the top of the forks, right below the fairing. I bought the bike at an auction and from the pictures, it just looked like the fork shields were bent, but now that I have it in my possession I can tell that the actual fork outers are dented in. Most of the fork actually looks like it's in good condition. I'm hoping that when I take them apart the insides are still good since they still move freely...any ideas on if that's a possibility? I can't push the forks all the way down with just my strength, but they seem okay with what I can do, so I'm not sure if they'll get stuck or something if I were to hit a big pothole or something and depress the forks all the way...

Also - anyone know of any aftermarket forks that would work on my Voyager? Or any forks from another type of bike that would work? All I can find about the forks is that they are 45mm hydraulic, 5.5 in. If I find something with the same specifications, will they work? I've fixed quite a few other things on a bike, but I've never replaced forks before, so this is gonna be a learning experience for me...

So long as the neck stem on the fork matches the you can mount any forks.
I would suggest getting fork tubes of the same length and diameter then mount them in the fork brace.
You can also go to the Kawasaki website and select the model and year of your bike and chose the parts diagram to find the part number to order the tubes.
It sounds like the bent area is the outer cover that is just decoration and could be removed and fixed without buying parts.

[guitars4god86]

@ringadingh - don't know if I have access to a press, but I'll ask around. Wouldn't pushing the dent back out decrease the strength of the fork? I guess it's an option until I can get the money to replace the forks...???

@bouson - the fork shields (the chrome decoration) definitely has to go, but I can feel that the actual fork outers are dented too - see pictures below

[guitars4god86]

Anyone know anything about Chaparral Racing (www.chaparral-racing.com) - they've got the lowest prices anywhere I've seen for OEM parts for my Voyager...

Almost too good - anyone bought anything from them or know details?

[bouson]

Originally Posted by guitars4god86

Anyone know anything about Chaparral Racing (www.chaparral-racing.com) - they've got the lowest prices anywhere I've seen for OEM parts for my Voyager...

Almost too good - anyone bought anything from them or know details?

Never heard of them, but for something as important safety wise, as forks I would say go with a well known name/brand or stick with stock straight form Kawasaki.

[ringadingh]

If the forks are dented its hard to fix, but bent can be fixed, unless they are kinked.

[bouson]

You won't know what you need to fix till you take it apart. After that you can make a parts list.