Bramptons

john998

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VOC Member
With all this about the safety Girdraulics, has any one had a significant wobble on a Vincent fitted with Bramptons. John.
 

john998

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VOC Member
After the deafening silence, all I can say is that Bramptons must be faultless and never wobble. John.
 

vibrac

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VOC Member
wobbles on Bramptons?-never

I certainly prefer them over those aluminium things
 

mercurycrest

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VOC Member
In the mid Seventies and into the Eighties, I tried my luck at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a Twin. The plan, originally, was to have something on the bike from all of the Series; A, B, C, D. Not much I could use from an A other than a few nuts and bolts, but I did have Bramptons and a B oil tank. To make a long story short. The Bramptons were unable to cope with anything over the mid 120's and they'd go into a speed wobble. I swapped spring rates from 140 lbs to 180 lbs, no better. I even tried a different rider, Bob Bakker (look him up in the AMA Hall of Fame) and he had the same results. This was all before they had a Vintage Class for Vincents so I was running against a 154mph record on petrol. The rules stated where the foot rests had to be and your feet had to be on them at all times. We finally agreed, those who'd gone over 125 with Bramptons had always layed on the rear fender or otherwise transfered the weight off the front. I finally replaced them with Girdraulics and on the very next run the bike handled perfectly. I think I wasted at least two years at the Salt Flats trying to make Bramptons work. Even today, there are people who are attaching hydraulic shocks to their Bramptons in an effort to make them more useable, I have one on my B. Sorry, Brampton lovers, but in stock form those forks will not only beat your arms off on a twisty back road, they are incapable of proper rebound action at high speed. They sure do look pretty though.
Cheers, John
 

vibrac

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I could be persuaded that at very high speeds 120+ a girdralic would be better, but in the days when the VOC actually used their vincents in high speed twisties at Cadwell there were those (like me ) who had a choice and were certain that Bramptons were better in the twisties. after all their weight and mass closer to the headstock would suggest that.
I am lucky to have a modern hydralic unit from California on mine (sorry lads I had the last one) and cannot fault it
Having said that Ben uses girdralics on the 600 racer with a modern hydralic steering damper and a car based damper. I suppose he likes the extra weight:)
 

john998

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VOC Member
In my long ago racing days probably the fastest my Rapide went was on the straight at Sneterton. On the start line I gave the damper a nip only to have the thread strip on the damper rod. If I had Girdraulics fitted that would have been the end of the race for me. But the Bramptons gave me such confidence that the race was completed without a worry.
The forks now have a Californian spring damper unit and I am left wishing that such items where available back then. It is more comfortable and handles better, with the wheel flowing the road surface much better. John.
 

Robert Watson

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VOC Member
Not tyring to get anyone's hopes up but the "Californian spring damper" may become a possibility again -- as long as we don't talk about it too much!!
 

mercurycrest

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VOC Member
In my parts, I have a Koni w/spring that was supposedly made for Bramptons. It's marked: 76G 1237. Maybe Ikon could make an up to date batch of these too? Should I hold my breath for either or both to be made again?:rolleyes:
Cheers, John
 
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