Fork brace!?

[maro]

Is it necessary? What were your symptoms to prompt you into getting one? What kind you got? Any installations issues to be aware of?

 

[Agemax]

when your forks feel washy and wobbly when hard cornering.try and get hold of a micron brace, dont get a telefix as they have a reputation of locking your forks up during high speed cornering

 

[posplayr]

Is it necessary? What were your symptoms to prompt you into getting one? What kind you got? Any installations issues to be aware of?

Imporves stiffness of teh front end. The harder you press it teh more you will need it. It will not change the whole ride and feel but will halp what you got (stock forks right?)

Check out fast from the past .com

http://www.fastfromthepast.com/servlet/the-Fork-Braces-cln-Suzuki/Categories

 

[TheCafeKid]

Plus one. A fork brace on one of these old beasts if you intend to push it in the corners and live to tell about it long is essential. Washing out your front end in a pocked and busted street corner, or say, the hills of Kentucky where you have no idea what's coming over the next hill or around the ridge, is a rather disconcerting feeling. The brace keeps the two legs working in unison on uneven surfaces and add a measure of lateral stiffness at high speed lay over.
I will add however that it is of utmost importance to install the brace per the instructions and check for bind or stiction at each step. You will need to have the front end off the ground, and all tree and axle bolts loose per MOST manufacturers instructions. Failure to follow instructions can make the bike actually feel worse, cause damage to the forks such as bind and polish, and can be down right dangerous. But installed correctly, they can make a bike handle remarkably more consistently

 

[maro]

Just ordered the tarozzi from fastfromthepast.

thanks for the help guys.

this, a corbin seat, new shocks and new paint, I should be good for a while...... yeah right.

 

[trippivot]

all fork braces will bind the suspension if you install them incorrectly.

there is a procedure to align the trees, tubes, then the axle and finally installation of the brace. consult an expert before you rage into the corners with the new doo dad.

 

[Agemax]

all fork braces will bind the suspension if you install them incorrectly.

there is a procedure to align the trees, tubes, then the axle and finally installation of the brace. consult an expert before you rage into the corners with the new doo dad.

telefix were notorious because they were made from 4 parts. the actual brace between the forks bolts together in 2 halves and if the bolts work loose they lock your forks up, usually at the time when you are cranked over gunning it round a bend. inevitably ending in a very quick visit to the hedge/kerb/hospital

 

[Guest]

telefix were notorious because they were made from 4 parts. the actual brace between the forks bolts together in 2 halves and if the bolts work loose they lock your forks up, usually at the time when you are cranked over gunning it round a bend. inevitably ending in a very quick visit to the hedge/kerb/hospital

Ironically, by virtue of it's design, the Telefix provides for a very precise fit to eliminate the binding scenario you've just described above. They come with very specific instructions re. sequence for installing, and warn about binding, if those instructions aren't followed.
Nothing is idiot proof WRT braces....any brace will bind the forks if not installed correctly, and any number of bolts that are allowed to 'work loose' on a motorcycle will have disastrous results. FWIW, Progressive Suspension lists improperly installed fork braces as the #1 reason behind malfunctioning forks & front suspension problems.

 

[posplayr]

Ironically, by virtue of it's design, the Telefix provides for a very precise fit to eliminate the binding scenario you've just described above. They come with very specific instructions re. sequence for installing, and warn about binding, if those instructions aren't followed.
Nothing is idiot proof WRT braces....any brace will bind the forks if not installed correctly, and any number of bolts that are allowed to 'work loose' on a motorcycle will have disastrous results. FWIW, Progressive Suspension lists improperly installed fork braces as the #1 reason behind malfunctioning forks & front suspension problems.

I would suggest using at least blue loctite as well so "nothing works loose" I currently have SS bolts in all my fork fasteners and have had no problems including the fork brace (fwiw 88 GSXR 1100 forks).

 

[Agemax]

some people dont use thread locker and dont tighten the bolts up enough, dont read instructions and that leads to disaster

 

[Guest]

Telefix

Telefix

telefix were notorious because they were made from 4 parts. the actual brace between the forks bolts together in 2 halves and if the bolts work loose they lock your forks up, usually at the time when you are cranked over gunning it round a bend. inevitably ending in a very quick visit to the hedge/kerb/hospital

Had mine on me gs about 7yrs never came loose yet.

 

[maro]

geese ya'll, got me a bit worried now as far as installation. Hopefully these will come with details install instructions.

 

[TooManyToys]

I've had my Telefix on for 27 years and still OK.

 

[posplayr]

geese ya'll, got me a bit worried now as far as installation. Hopefully these will come with details install instructions.

You should read over the instructions, but when I installed my GSXR one, I left all bolts in the triple, forks, brace, and fender loose.

I went in the following order : Push the forks up all the way to insure there is no binding inbetween each step(springs out):

1.) make sure to tighten the steering stem nut.

2.) tightened the F wheel axle and made sure that the heights of the stantions into the fork tubes are equal (note if this does not check make sure your axle spacers are clean and have no nicks).

3.) Tighten the triple clamp bolts

4.) Tighten the fork bace and fender bolts

it was pretty straight forkward just making sure everything was aligning straight as it tightened up.

I dont think the installation directions are this detailed so anybody want to take a swack at my proceedure go ahead.

You can visualize the forks forming a structural load box which extends across the top triple down the two fork legs and through the wheel axle. The lower triple and the fork brace serve are cross braces to this box. Tightening the axle and then the upper triple establishes the box. The cross braces are then tightened (upper triple and theh brace itself)


The reason I started at the axle is that even if you have your forks nice an smooth going into the forks, if the wheel axle cause the whole thing to tweak over it will bind. Fortunately my axle tightened with the stantions as identical as I could eye ball them in the triple.

 

[Guest]

geese ya'll, got me a bit worried now as far as installation. Hopefully these will come with details install instructions.

Yes, they do. The brace on my bike is the Daytona (version-2, with the additional top bolts) pictured there, that I had powder coated black. Basically, you are looking to add rigidity with the brace to prevent flex, but not tighten it up to the point that it compresses the legs, and prevents the tubes from telescoping freely......you could also measure the precise distance between the fork tubes just above the brace location before & after installation, and ensure that it remains the same.

 

[maro]

You should read over the instructions, but when I installed my GSXR one, I left all bolts in the triple, forks, brace, and fender loose.

I went in the following order : Push the forks up all the way to insure there is no binding inbetween each step(springs out):

1.) make sure to tighten the steering stem nut.

2.) tightened the F wheel axle and made sure that the heights of the stantions into the fork tubes are equal (note if this does not check make sure your axle spacers are clean and have no nicks).

3.) Tighten the triple clamp bolts

4.) Tighten the fork bace and fender bolts

it was pretty straight forkward just making sure everything was aligning straight as it tightened up.

I dont think the installation directions are this detailed so anybody want to take a swack at my proceedure go ahead.

You can visualize the forks forming a structural load box which extends across the top triple down the two fork legs and through the wheel axle. The lower triple and the fork brace serve are cross braces to this box. Tightening the axle and then the upper triple establishes the box. The cross braces are then tightened (upper triple and theh brace itself)


The reason I started at the axle is that even if you have your forks nice an smooth going into the forks, if the wheel axle cause the whole thing to tweak over it will bind. Fortunately my axle tightened with the stantions as identical as I could eye ball them in the triple.

POS, thanks so much for the details. As always, you knowledge very appreciated! Can you check out the link to the tarozzi instructions. They seem to be much simpler than your installation descriptions. Is there something I am missing?

Yes, they do. The brace on my bike is the Daytona (version-2, with the additional top bolts) pictured there, that I had powder coated black. Basically, you are looking to add rigidity with the brace to prevent flex, but not tighten it up to the point that it compresses the legs, and prevents the tubes from telescoping freely......you could also measure the precise distance between the fork tubes just above the brace location before & after installation, and ensure that it remains the same.

thanks for this link!!

 

[TooManyToys]

I've got an age appropriate fork article from my GS1100E folder, but it's mB so I can't post it here. It just covers the same things as POS did.

 

[posplayr]

POS, thanks so much for the details. As always, you knowledge very appreciated! Can you check out the link to the tarozzi instructions. They seem to be much simpler than your installation descriptions. Is there something I am missing?



thanks for this link!!

I looked at the link, it basically says to keep moving the the fork up and down as you tighten things up.

I did not have any directions so just went through the thought process of what needed to be done first. That is really the axle. Of course if something is really bent you will likely have problems one way or another so it is best to go set by setp making sure as one thing is tightened it doesnt cause a bind. Fork brace included.

 

[Don-lo]

26 years on my Telefix with no problems. I still recall vividly the day I installed it. Everyday at work, I had to drive across a parking lot that had a small 1/2" curb cutting 45 degrees across. I did not realize that the front end was deflecting on that curb until I rode across with the Telefix and it did not deflect at all! The brace also removed a vagueness in the front end, but that change was not as dramatic.

 

[TooManyToys]

Agreed, I though it was an strong handling improvement.

I wish I could find my missing 1100E folder as I believe there was an article in there about adding specifically to it.