Can anyone tell me the differences between the '08-'15 Showa fork the the '16 KYB fork? From the outside the cap is obviously different but the outer tube and stanchion look the same. Are the cap, rod, and lower stanchion thread pitches all the same? What parts are interchangeable? Are fork oil seals interchangeable? Cartridges?
I presume you are talking about the 17 R6? That is when it changed and they put the R1 front end on it and it had larger tubes? From everything I’ve read the 08-16 front ends were the same.
No, Yamaha switched manufacturers the last year of the 3rd gen to KYB, 2016. The new bike came out in 2017 with the R1 forks. 2016 fork is different from 08-15. See picture.
I'd compare part numbers from the parts diagrams on the respective model years in question. That will answer your question about interchangeable parts, if any.
You're right and wrong. The picture definitely shows an 06-07 fork cap (off bike) compared to an 08-15 fork cap (on bike). The 16 R6 fork was unique and completely different from the 08-15 and 17+ forks. Caps, inner and outer tubes, cartridge, stanchion and comp valve body are all different. I think the seals were the same without looking. It was still a 41mm chrome. Threads are different, though. And the 17+ R6 forks are identical to the 15+ R1 forks minus some bleeds in the cartridge. My guess is the bean counters won. The original plan probably was to stay with the 16 design going forward with Kayaba as the OEM supplier, but putting the same KYB forks on the R1 and R6 was more economical. Purely a guess on my part.
