Properly designed and constructed, they will handle as good, if not better, than any other motorcycle front end.Tuesday, 24 April Motorcycle Front Ends. Pound for pound, they will deflect less than other types of front suspensions. Girder front forks were used on motorcycles for many years. Too much or too little makes a bike hard to control. The importance of trail is often overlooked. Trail is measured in inches, and should always be a positive number. Front-end trail is the distance between a vertical line from the center of the front wheel's steering axis, to where the tire makes contact with the ground. Rake is measured in degrees, which means the larger the angle, the further out the front wheel will be. The angle of front-end rake is formed between the frame's neck and a vertical line. While other bike manufacturers were changing to hydraulic telescopic forks, Vincent Motorcycle Company brought girder forks to a new level, making them hydraulically dampened and using aircraft-quality alloy for maximum strength. Built from tothe Vincent Black Shadow was one of the last production motorcycles to use the girder front end. They held up under extreme heat, sand, dust, and primitive roads. They were sturdy enough to be used by the U. Indian motorcycles of the s and 40s used Girder front ends. Adding a small shock between the top and bottom triple clamps reduces the effects of harmonics and vibration. Comprised of a pair of uprights attached to a triple clamp by linkages, the only movement in a girder front end takes place at the fork-trees.Ī four bar parallel link mechanism provides the method for mechanical movement. They can be made very strong but also be light in weight. It is an engineering fact that the triangle is one of the strongest structures for support. Girder front ends get their name from the classic structural shape of the Girder Truss or Girder Beam, which was used in bridge and roof construction since the 14th century. They were easy to manufacture and could be constructed in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes. The girder front end is one of the earliest types of both bicycle and motorcycle front suspension. This is what I chose when building my Hardtail Sportster. Compared to springers or telescopic, girder front forks are both lighter and stronger, and relatively inexpensive to build or buy. Cracks, for instance.A girder front end is an excellent choice for a custom bike build. So always check the springs-especially with regard to the earlier Druid type forks that effectively hang on the spring. A breakage could, at worst, lead to a collapse and cause the front wheel or front mudguard to slam into the frame leading to a total loss of control. So take advantage of strip-downs and restorations. I also inspect all threads and lugs-both of which are easier to repair effectively when the forks are off the bike. I give them a good rattle and listen for rust particles-or larger pieces-moving around inside. I feel the tubes and lugs searching for damage. When I get a set of forks in for repair, I check them in a variety of ways. Your ears can tell you a lot if you just listen carefully. When forks have been abused like this, they need to be stripped and have the worn surfaces built up with weld. In fact, all it does it mask wear and it damages the side plates. You need to watch the upper spindle areas and listen for any clicking. I make front wheel spindles too where required. There were various jigs to be built and equipment to be sourced.īut girder forks are my core business. My older brothers all had British motorcycles, while I had Italian machines mostly.
HOW TO BUILD GIRDER FRONT END HOW TO
Now trading under his own name and operating from a workshop in Hastings, East Sussex, Jake explains some of the intricacies of the girder fork and shows how to maintain and get the very best from them. Steve died inleaving Jake to continue the business which has gone from strength to strength. Jake Robbins began his career as a girder fork engineer working with the late Steve Burniston, the man behind Elk Engineering. Hey There.Jake Robbins talks about his girder fork engineering business, and shares his insight into girder forks care, repairs, maintenance and manufacture. Select your motorcycle to guarantee fitment. By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. Usually ships in business days.Īt jpcycles. Please select your bike here to see all the parts that fit your motorcycle. The item selected will only fit the motorcycles listed.
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