Sorry I've not been able to get out testing, tummy bug floored me last week, hop to get out this w/end.
Chris.
Chris.
FF: Forks Modified Steering Stem
- Thread starter greg brillus
- Start date
Today collected my shadow from Greg Brillus he has installed the modified steering stem, bearing conversion, Kawasaki steering damper and springs are 40lbs one side and 50lbs the other. The damper is a Koni and rider weight is 90kgs, any other technical details Greg will have to respond to, the ride is great and did not bottom out although only covered 5 miles in the hills and 55 miles on the freeway more miles to be covered to give better feedback. As usual the work carried out by Greg is first class I could not be happier.
Peter.
Peter.
Thanks Peter, yes the main hold ups were getting the fork blades re-painted and the machining of the lower link eyes which were too large for the sealed bearings to install. We had to make up a jig to hold the links in the CNC mill machine the eyes oversize, hone the eyes dead true then press fit steel sleeves in the holes, then hone the eyes again to the final size. Quite a big job, but it worked perfectly, and everything aligned correctly as it should. Peter's Bike has the exact spring configuration as my bike, only I have the Thornton shock absorber up front. After I rode the bike around my streets and good undulating road surfaces the tell tail zip tie around the lower spring case showed about 50 mm of used travel with about 25 mm left. The rest will be up to Peter's testing over the coming weeks of riding, although this weekend we are in for 35 to 37 degree Celsius temps, a bit warm for midday riding methinks..........
.
.
Greg, is the damper bracket that TT has mentioned made to have the damper under the crashbar, per https://www.voc.uk.com/net/docs/1.1/1.1-413-19.pdf
or over, per, on p.2 https://www.voc.uk.com/net/docs/1.1/1.1-553-32.pdf ?
or over, per, on p.2 https://www.voc.uk.com/net/docs/1.1/1.1-553-32.pdf ?
Greg can answer for himself but if you have a crash bar fitted then you can use that as the fixed mounting for the hydraulic damper. Typically this means that the moveable part of the damper is fixed, via a bracket, to the left hand side of the forks and the damper then is positioned more or less in line with the crash bar. This results in a very neat installation which is not noticeable to a passing glance. You will have to make up your own fixed mounting which will clamp around the crash bar and you should find that the damper does not interfere with any other components. The neatest I have seen is the installation I have mentioned earlier by Vincent Brake, but it does use an expensive damper.
Today was my first time on ANY bike since my surgery last year. I went out on my Coment with the modified steering stem, thornton shocks (coil over at rear) and the front springing described in my earlier post.
I was gobsmacked!! It was suburban riding - Hope to get it out into the countryside in the next few days. Immediate observation is that the front suspension to the eye is much more active. Under accelaration the front of the bike rises slightly; Under braking the front dips slightly - but more significant, under braking when traversing irregularities the front suspension continues to move allowing the rfont tyre to remain in contact with the road surface.
General impression is that the bike is much more planted, feels much more secure on the road. The only downside - and I'm sure I will quickly get used to it, is that the bike feels just a wisker taller than before - due I am sure to the slight but definite increase in the front end ride height.
Regarding steering damping I have fitted a Kawasaki type steering damper across the front of the motor - see photo's. I wanted to retain the crash bar and transport tie downs and it took an amount of trial and error before I got the mounting brackets working with nothing clashing anywhere.
Here are a few photo's of the damper setup - some taken without the fuel tank in place, some with it in place.
Now if you wish to duplicate my damper mounts, here are the drawings to help you do so. I made mine up from store purchased mild steel angle and strip using no more than a small angle grinder with a cut off wheel, a drill press and a bench grinder - and liberal amounts of time. The important thing is the relative position of the holes.
Hopefully more info to follow after a country run in a few days time (weather permitting)
Martyn
I was gobsmacked!! It was suburban riding - Hope to get it out into the countryside in the next few days. Immediate observation is that the front suspension to the eye is much more active. Under accelaration the front of the bike rises slightly; Under braking the front dips slightly - but more significant, under braking when traversing irregularities the front suspension continues to move allowing the rfont tyre to remain in contact with the road surface.
General impression is that the bike is much more planted, feels much more secure on the road. The only downside - and I'm sure I will quickly get used to it, is that the bike feels just a wisker taller than before - due I am sure to the slight but definite increase in the front end ride height.
Regarding steering damping I have fitted a Kawasaki type steering damper across the front of the motor - see photo's. I wanted to retain the crash bar and transport tie downs and it took an amount of trial and error before I got the mounting brackets working with nothing clashing anywhere.
Here are a few photo's of the damper setup - some taken without the fuel tank in place, some with it in place.
Now if you wish to duplicate my damper mounts, here are the drawings to help you do so. I made mine up from store purchased mild steel angle and strip using no more than a small angle grinder with a cut off wheel, a drill press and a bench grinder - and liberal amounts of time. The important thing is the relative position of the holes.
Hopefully more info to follow after a country run in a few days time (weather permitting)
Martyn
Yes it does Bruce. See my posting #459 above. The holes are tapped M6.
First real ride today in the hills around melbournes east - covered 60 miles. I have thornton front shock and a thornton coil over on the rear. I HAD the seat mounted in the conventional manner - onto the RFM.
Before I upgraded the front end (Big thanks to Greg for all his help) I used to think that the suspension setup was very stiff up front but plush at the rear. Today with the new front setup, still using the same thornton shock, the front felt very compliant and really planted - I was moving through corners both sweepers and sharp hairpins at speeds far in excess of what in the past felt safe. But I now think, with the front working so well it has shown that the rear is too stiff so over the next few hours I will be installing a fully suspended seat utilising struts I designed some time back.
Tomorrow I have another run scheduled - with the revised rear set up - of around 120 miles. Keep watching. It is all good so far.
Martyn
Before I upgraded the front end (Big thanks to Greg for all his help) I used to think that the suspension setup was very stiff up front but plush at the rear. Today with the new front setup, still using the same thornton shock, the front felt very compliant and really planted - I was moving through corners both sweepers and sharp hairpins at speeds far in excess of what in the past felt safe. But I now think, with the front working so well it has shown that the rear is too stiff so over the next few hours I will be installing a fully suspended seat utilising struts I designed some time back.
Tomorrow I have another run scheduled - with the revised rear set up - of around 120 miles. Keep watching. It is all good so far.
Martyn
That is a very interesting observation about the rear end Martyn, because you have just confirmed what I too had thought about my bike. And I thought it was just me...............................Anyway, it sounds like you have started your apprenticeship with the bike all over again, and enjoying the ride. The extra freedom of the forks does take a little getting use to, I must admit to trying to grab the damper knob a few times, and quickly realize that does nothing anymore.
...............Anyway, it sounds like you have started your apprenticeship with the bike all over again, and enjoying the ride. The extra freedom of the forks does take a little getting use to, I must admit to trying to grab the damper knob a few times, and quickly realize that does nothing anymore.