R6 Fork Swap
Upgraded suspension is a logical way to modernise this type of bike, regardless of the type of fork, or the type of bike. For the XV, the GSXR and R1/R6 are the most common swaps, but given all of the other considerations (rake, trail and ground clearance) the R6 is the way I've chosen to go.
The actual mechanics of the fork swap are fairly simple. The diameter of the stem is the same, but the length is different (along with the material, but that is inconsequential). By buying a complete front end from an R6, you get the USD forks, Dual 4-pot brake calipers and master cylinder. I'm not using the switch gear, but it would work fine. Most importantly for the conversion, the forks come with the triple trees. The original R6 stem needs to be pressed out and a new stem made or fabricated that is ~25mm longer. By a remarkable coincidence, Cognito Moto makes a stem to fit that just needs to be pressed in. They also provide taper roller bearings to replace the standard bearings that we on the XV originally. I don't think I could get the stem made for that price (I don't have the equipment to turn it down), so i was a no brainer to buy it. They also have stems for other USD forks (R1 or GSXR) if thats the way you decide to go.
There are a number of fork swap threads online, but buying the stem ready made makes the whole process of swapping them simple. Choosing the right forks to give you the dynamic performance your looking for is a bit more involved...
The actual mechanics of the fork swap are fairly simple. The diameter of the stem is the same, but the length is different (along with the material, but that is inconsequential). By buying a complete front end from an R6, you get the USD forks, Dual 4-pot brake calipers and master cylinder. I'm not using the switch gear, but it would work fine. Most importantly for the conversion, the forks come with the triple trees. The original R6 stem needs to be pressed out and a new stem made or fabricated that is ~25mm longer. By a remarkable coincidence, Cognito Moto makes a stem to fit that just needs to be pressed in. They also provide taper roller bearings to replace the standard bearings that we on the XV originally. I don't think I could get the stem made for that price (I don't have the equipment to turn it down), so i was a no brainer to buy it. They also have stems for other USD forks (R1 or GSXR) if thats the way you decide to go.
There are a number of fork swap threads online, but buying the stem ready made makes the whole process of swapping them simple. Choosing the right forks to give you the dynamic performance your looking for is a bit more involved...