31-07-19, 06:20 AM
Having gone through stock forks, R1 front end and K-tech modded OE forks, I have to say I prefer the latter these days. Depending on which R1 forks you choose and how you install them, you could change the steering geometry a noticeable amount. Pitching the bike on its nose and shortening the wheelbase makes for much quicker steering but if overdone could make the steering too sharp and potentially twitchy.
Also, although later model R1 forks have better internals as standard than the OE Fazer forks, they're still not up to the quality of a K-tech or similar rebuild using single rate springs and quality damping valves tailored to you and the bike. You could still wind up having to mod the fork internals to get the ride quality that you desire.
IIRC, Maxton replace the OE alloy damper tube with a steel unit much less prone to wear, in addition to the valve work they do. It may be worth discussing your options with them and with MTC or K-tech direct before committing to the R1 mod solution.
Also, although later model R1 forks have better internals as standard than the OE Fazer forks, they're still not up to the quality of a K-tech or similar rebuild using single rate springs and quality damping valves tailored to you and the bike. You could still wind up having to mod the fork internals to get the ride quality that you desire.
IIRC, Maxton replace the OE alloy damper tube with a steel unit much less prone to wear, in addition to the valve work they do. It may be worth discussing your options with them and with MTC or K-tech direct before committing to the R1 mod solution.