Kawi2strokes.com Forum

I had a "fender bender" earlier this year with the KH400. Bought a set of S3 forks from a forum member (thanks Luther).

Today I tried installing the front wheel on the S3 forks and learned the parts are different. The KH400 has two threaded collars/nuts on each side of the axle and the diameters are too big to fit the S3 fork. The S3 has an axle that looks more like H1's and H2's but a bit smaller in size.

Here are two pics of an S3 fork showing the axle on either side.

I've reached out to some people for an S3 front axle and am waiting. Meanwhile, I'm wondering about an alternative. For example, if I had access to a lathe maybe I could turn down the collars on the two nuts of the KH400. The difference is approximately 3mm. I think the axle diameters are the same - not certain though.

I'm also thinking that an RD400 axle looks similar to the S3 axle. I'd have to go dig around and see if I have a spare RD400 axle, maybe someone else has done this?

I figured out a workaround. KH400 axle has threaded nuts on each end. I turned down the nuts using an angle grinder with each nut held still using a block of wood. I don't have a lathe, this solution popped up on a Google search. 2mm off the diameter = 1mm all the way around and then it fit the S3 fork lowers.

Axle clamps on both sides not correctly installed on fork tubes. One end of the cap is longer than the other, that end fits to the front of the tube, tightened first. Only "gap" is at the rear of the cap.