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Reversing direction of forks

  • Thread starter Thread starter GSster
  • Start date Start date
G

GSster

Guest
This might be an odd question, but I'll throw it out there - has anyone out there reversed the direction of the forks on a gs1100 with the leading axle design?

The axle would end up behind the forks and the calipers in front.

I've read somewhere that kawa Z1 owners have done this to shorten up the wheelbase and let the bike turn in a bit quicker, as well as making it look a bit more sporty. I suppose you would also have to shorten the springs slightly too.

Thoughts on this?
 
GSster said:
I've read somewhere that kawa Z1 owners have done this to shorten up the wheelbase and let the bike turn in a bit quicker,
Click to expand...

It would have the opposite effect. The leading axle fork reduces trail, which increases steering quickness.
 
tkent02 said:
It would have the opposite effect. The leading axle fork reduces trail, which increases steering quickness.
Click to expand...
wrong, a shorter wheelbase increases steering quickness, a longer wheelbase gives better high speed stability
 
And which teams do you design suspensions for?

Somehow it seems that if switching the forks around was the way to a better quicker handling bike, someone would have thought of it at some point in the last thirty years.
 
Last edited:
tkent02 said:
And which teams do you design suspensions for?

Somehow it seems that if switching the forks around was the way to a better quicker handling bike, someone would have thought of it at some point in the last thirty years.
Click to expand...
kawasaki have been doing it for years on their race bikes , right back to the 80's, try looking it up!
 
Trailing axle forks? Leading axle forks on backwards?
And you thought of this idea?
Show us a picture?
 
tkent02 said:
Trailing axle forks? Leading axle forks on backwards?
And you thought of this idea?
Show us a picture?
Click to expand...
no i didnt think of this idea, its been going on for years reversing forks, you should know, read the thread i have going on it. leading axle, trailing axle, central axle everybody has tried it all. works for some bikes but not for others.
blimey mate you need to learn how to spell GOOGLE ;)
 
Sorry, not interested enough to google it. If I want a better handling bike I'll buy one.
To the OP, just put the forks on backwards and tell us how it works for you.
 
tkent02 said:
Sorry, not interested enough to google it. If I want a better handling bike I'll buy one.
To the OP, just put the forks on backwards and tell us how it works for you.
Click to expand...
well stop wasting all our time and go out and buy one then. then you can go and annoy other people on honda websites
 
The whole leading axle thing disappeared on sport bikes mid eighties, even on the GS1100 itself, so it became a moot point for most bikes. Just curious if anyone has tried it.

I'm not really sure why it was that way in the first place or what the advantage is of leading axle design. An old article on the GS1100 claims it was to leave room for that version of the damping adjustment (which was a new feature for Suzuki at the time).
 
Just tried reversing the forks on a bicycle that has a leading axle just to see what would happen. The steering is very sensitive and the front wheel wants to 'flop in'. I wouldn't ride it without hands. There seems to be a fine line between where a wheel wants to flop in (twitchy) and where it is quick to steer. I know apples to bananas, bike to motorcycle, so porbably still not a good answer.
 
Before GSter and tkent02 kill each other (virtually, of course) I suggest you read this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry
There are a lot of factors involved in fork design, and when you change something like that you are inviting problems, if not disaster. If you don't like the way it looks or handles, I suggest you get a different bike instead.
 
fighting0054-1.gif


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Shorter wheelbase= easier turn in
Longer wheelbase= smoother on straight aways.


Daniel


icon_munching.gif


More popping as I type. ;)
 
If you don't like the way it looks or handles, I suggest you get a different bike instead.
Click to expand...


Now where is the fun in that? Half the GSs I've seen on here are modified beyond anything I'd even attempt.
 
Before GSter and tkent02 kill each other
Click to expand...

Not me - I actually agree with both Agemax and tkent02 - the trail is increased, but the wheelbase is shorter - what the final result though?

Yamaha had with a trailing axle in their vision bike, so it is not like this is something from Mars here. Honda Rune has a dramatic trailing axle, but that is not really a good example.
 
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