Are aftermarket fork braces worth it?

[4gasem]

Wow! Why stainless and not aluminum? 3lbs is a lot.


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[sdt354]

Hi Guys,

I just bought 2 new Shinko tires for my 96 and was thinking of installing an aftermarket fork brace in the process. Is the stock one on the bike good enough? I don't want to burn a $100 bill if it's not going to do anything. I kind of like the looks of the UFO one. I did search the forums before posting this question but no one definitively stated whether it was worthwhile or not in any of the postings.

I'm using one the VMOA store used to sell. The one at python is the same I believe. on the older style forks I wouldn't go without it, because of the way it stiffins up the forks (which is why I bought it). The stock isn't even close in fit.
IMHO.
Steve-o

 

[ninjaneer]

...A lot of guys have said forget Furber, if it wobbles that bad you need new head bearings...other say it works great.

...The real culprit of wobble is bad head bearings...

i agree with the opinion of RaWarrior and "a lot of guys". i recently replaced the steering bearings and figured why not do the Furber fix while I was at it. So as I started buttoning up the steering head, I studied the assembly and came to the conclusion that the Furber washer adds no benefits, especially if assembled the way Furber advices (on top of the two lock nuts). Take a pencil (to represent your yokes stems and put a couple washers (from tight inner diameter to loose ID) around it to represent the upper and lower bearings. Note how the pencil behaves when you wiggle it in the washer(s). Now take a couple of washers to represent the locking nuts that are suppose push the bearings snug around the yoke stems (essentially removing the play you would notice with the "loose" washers around the pencil). Now put a washer on top of the "locking nut" washers. Now you tell me what benefit can this washer provide? Nothing.

the wiggling handlebars (and i've experienced it a couple months after replacing the bearings and simply retorqued them because more then likely they are settling into their new home) is the result of nothing more than the yoke stems not properly torqued down or the bearings are worn down to the point that they can't sit in the stem housing or hold the yoke stems. replace the bearings--cap'n kyle can give you a great deal, and it won't take you but an afternoon to complete.

...other say it works great.

The only reason why, these folks say it works great is because they've overlooked the observation that as part of installing the washer they properly torqued down the steering assembly.



i tried to save face and replace the rubber OEM bushing with the Furber washer and after watching how it would interact with the locking nuts, determined that it would cause more harm then good.

if you disagree, and are in need of the famous Furber washer, i have one available, which I'm willing to offer for a fraction of what you'll pay for. you know what? it ain't for sale, i don't want to be associated with the promotion of such buffoonery. do yourself a favor, save your money for a set of frame braces or solid motor mounts and periodically maintain your steering.

 

[[email protected]]

I agree with ninja. Good bearings and proper adjust is all you need.

I hear a lot of tips on how to remove the races but not much on installing them. I just did mine and it wasn't bad at all. I put the races in the freezer overnight. I got them started in the neck with a dead blow hammer. Once they were started I used a homemade tool to drive them home. I used a piece of all thread with a metal plate and nuts on each end. I cut a slot in each old race. Put old race on top of new and assemble tool. Tighten nuts and it pulls the bearing right in. Tap the metal plate on top the race with a hammer to make sure its fully seated.

 

[Fire-medic]

I agree with ninja. Good bearings and proper adjust is all you need.

I hear a lot of tips on how to remove the races but not much on installing them. I just did mine and it wasn't bad at all. I put the races in the freezer overnight. I got them started in the neck with a dead blow hammer. Once they were started I used a homemade tool to drive them home. I used a piece of all thread with a metal plate and nuts on each end. I cut a slot in each old race. Put old race on top of new and assemble tool. Tighten nuts and it pulls the bearing right in. Tap the metal plate on top the race with a hammer to make sure its fully seated.

Bicycle mechanics have a similar tool to what you fabbed-up. The all-thread & washers is OK, you can also use like you did the old bearing, & the slot you cut will make it easy to avoid sticking the old one in the frame neck, assuming there is enough depth to possibly 'grab' the old one. I went to Harbor Freight Tools & bought a set of bearing/seal drivers & that along with a half-inch drift punch allowed me to remove & replace the steering head bearings easily. I just use a ball pein hammer to start the outer race into the steering head, tapping around the perimeter to make sure it is not 'cocked,' & then use the bearing driver, checking for evenness of insertion. If you want to try the all-thread method, the HFT drivers have a hole in the center which would allow the use of a length of all-thread to draw the bearing in. I think you would want to do one at a time, a slick mechanic may be able to seat both the upper & lower outside races at once. I am not that good.

I also scored from another VMax owner today, I will start a new thread about that.

 

[RaWarrior]

Mmm-hmm....the "furbur fix" is one of those things where any change would seem to be an improvement. As ninjaneer said the washer is useless, it's tightening the bearings that gives the improvement.

Probably half of the performance aftermarket depends on this....the perception of more when you're really just restoring what's been lost though time, age, or lack of maintenance.

 

[VMAX NV]

Wow! Why stainless and not aluminum? 3lbs is a lot.


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stronger, shinier?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VMAX-CUSTOM-STAINLESS-STEEL-MIRROR-POLISHED-FORK-BRACE-/270723475553?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f08606861#ht_956wt_1165

 

[Davelaf]

I talked with Brendan at PCW about this a fair bit and he said pretty much the same thing...the fork braces are nice and bling, but the stock one works just fine.

For frame braces, he said it depends how you ride. If you ride "normally", maybe a little stoplight racing now and then but that's it it won't make a huge amount of difference, you probably wouldn't notice. If you ride "really push it", as in dragging the pegs and lots of time at 100+, they can help cure some of the shaky handling among other things.

Though I tell ya, the new head bearings and lowering blocks made a HUGE improvement all around...bike feels so much more "planted" now. Not that I thought it was bad before(it only got wiggly at high speed), but now it's so much better, the difference is striking. Any speed, any lean angle, it's on rails.

Hi. What are the lowering blocks and what do they do. Thanks.

 

[3-Max]

Hi. What are the lowering blocks and what do they do. Thanks.

Also interested.

 

[[email protected]]

Also interested.

Ryan hasn't been around in a while so I doubt he will answer.

When he says lowering blocks I'm going to assume he's talking about lowering the OEM forks internally. Racetech accomplishes this with PVC spacers (just some conduit) and Progressive uses "lowering springs". Either way works. Basically you disassembly the fork and put a spacer on the damper rod. The spacer prohibits the damper rod from fully extending out of the fork body (creates more overlap) and lowers your forks. The progressive kit came with (4) 1" springs. You can stack 2 on each damper rod to effectively lower the front forks by 2".

 

[MaxMidnight]

You

Hi. What are the lowering blocks and what do they do. Thanks.

Mr Mabdcmb has given you the what, attached is the how.

 

[Davelaf]

Thanks, I'm not sure if I want to screw around with that, I imagine Yamaha spent time and money to figure out the best settings! Maybe?

 

[MaxMidnight]

Thanks, I'm not sure if I want to screw around with that, I imagine Yamaha spent time and money to figure out the best settings! Maybe?

That is probably correct for what is in the forks but remember that they are made to a price and that better springs and damping are available which will greatly improve their performance.
Lowering blocks won't improve the handling with poor springs and damping.