Some pics of my 80g/s and a few questions please

[oldnfat]

I agree there is a compromise on the fork brace....however under heavy/emergency braking (if there is such a thing on a g/s!!) I was alarmed at how the forks twisted and hoe hard it was to control direction...but agree a BMW brace that bolts to the lower slider is probably best....and still made I understand.

On the forks....by far the best set up I have managed is by ditching the hyperpro progressives and getting some wound for my weight and use plus changed the internal to gold valve emulators....£330 from some guys in Leatherhead....massive improvement.

 

[solidstate100]

On the forks....by far the best set up I have managed is by ditching the hyperpro progressives and getting some wound for my weight and use plus changed the internal to gold valve emulators....£330 from some guys in Leatherhead....massive improvement.

Under heavy braking, even with the fork brace, there is still a large amount of twist, I just decided to live with it

I also have the hyperpro progressives, and they are undoubtedly part of the problem - the rate is WAY WAY WAY to high. Waste of money, unless you are maybe 50 stone than they would be in the ball park. Almost anything else is better then them, I found.

 

[ianboydsnr]

I had the bolts out today. As standard they are m5 x 12mm long, but mine are 18mm or 20mm long as I have nylon spacers above the mudguard to give the loom some room and penny washes below to support the mudguard better. I've just clicked the link above and ordered shiny new white spacers tho, as mine are a bit less pretty.

they are indeed a weedy M5.

 

[oldnfat]

Under heavy braking, even with the fork brace, there is still a large amount of twist, I just decided to live with it

I also have the hyperpro progressives, and they are undoubtedly part of the problem - the rate is WAY WAY WAY to high. Waste of money, unless you are maybe 50 stone than they would be in the ball park. Almost anything else is better then them, I found.

Agreed, the progressives were a complete waste of time and money. The new set up is far better....how much better than stock and worth the money? A harder question to answer.

 

[Archie's dad]

I had the bolts out today. As standard they are m5 x 12mm long, but mine are 18mm or 20mm long as I have nylon spacers above the mudguard to give the loom some room and penny washes below to support the mudguard better. I've just clicked the link above and ordered shiny new white spacers tho, as mine are a bit less pretty.

Thanks for that Mark.... Do the 5mm spacer allow enough room for the wiring loom? I notice eBay have some 10mm ones.

 

[ianboydsnr]

Thanks for that Mark.... Do the 5mm spacer give allow room for the wiring loom? I notice eBay have some 10mm ones.

Mine arrived today, and they look fine, I wouldn't use 10mm ones, the loom is supposed to go through the channel, so an extra 5mm should be fine, you don't want too big a gap, you get 10 anyway, have a try and if you think it needs it put two in and have a look.

 

[markjackson]

If only I'd seen this earlier, when she was in bits!

I'll have a measure tomorrow.

It looks like a folded aluminium extrusion, about 5mm thick, flat on one (the underside) side and rebated by maybe 1mm in the centre of the other side.

It bolts to the lugs on the fork legs, with an equal amount hanging in front and behind, and is about 85mm wide.



The sides are not quite parallel as it tapers a bit towards the top.

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From the lowest to highest part (the outside of the top) measuring vertically is 155mm

At the point where it meets the forks it's about 127mm (outside to outside), but petty springy so easily deflected 10mm either way.

I'm sure, from when I fitted it, that it's not completely symmetrical, i.e it has a very slight ' lean-to roof' slope.

I'm pretty sure that anything made from 5mm ally plate to the approx dimensions and powder coated black would do just fine.

It did make a difference when fitted; If playing at 'grabbing brake' at low speed the 'twitch' in the handlebars was very noticeable. After fitting this was far less.

It's no real substitute for a proper top yoke, which would have been a much better idea, but it doesn't weight much and doesn't look too daft, so it's a keeper on mine.

Good luck!

 

[markjackson]

Thanks for that Mark.... Do the 5mm spacer allow enough room for the wiring loom? I notice eBay have some 10mm ones.

They do on mine, without squashing the cable at all. It's a Seibenrock mudguard and S/T loom (a used G/S one is on its way), but I think the dimensions should be about the same.

 

[oldnfat]

It looks like a folded aluminium extrusion, about 5mm thick, flat on one (the underside) side and rebated by maybe 1mm in the centre of the other side.

It bolts to the lugs on the fork legs, with an equal amount hanging in front and behind, and is about 85mm wide.



The sides are not quite parallel as it tapers a bit towards the top.

[/url]

From the lowest to highest part (the outside of the top) measuring vertically is 155mm

At the point where it meets the forks it's about 127mm (outside to outside), but petty springy so easily deflected 10mm either way.

I'm sure, from when I fitted it, that it's not completely symmetrical, i.e it has a very slight ' lean-to roof' slope.

I'm pretty sure that anything made from 5mm ally plate to the approx dimensions and powder coated black would do just fine.

It did make a difference when fitted; If playing at 'grabbing brake' at low speed the 'twitch' in the handlebars was very noticeable. After fitting this was far less.

It's no real substitute for a proper top yoke, which would have been a much better idea, but it doesn't weight much and doesn't look too daft, so it's a keeper on mine.

Good luck!

On the basis that my fork brace which is exactly the same has pitted and rusted on the underside, I would suggest that mine at least if made from steel.

 

[Archie's dad]

It looks like a folded aluminium extrusion, about 5mm thick, flat on one (the underside) side and rebated by maybe 1mm in the centre of the other side.

It bolts to the lugs on the fork legs, with an equal amount hanging in front and behind, and is about 85mm wide.



The sides are not quite parallel as it tapers a bit towards the top.

[/url]

From the lowest to highest part (the outside of the top) measuring vertically is 155mm

At the point where it meets the forks it's about 127mm (outside to outside), but petty springy so easily deflected 10mm either way.

I'm sure, from when I fitted it, that it's not completely symmetrical, i.e it has a very slight ' lean-to roof' slope.

I'm pretty sure that anything made from 5mm ally plate to the approx dimensions and powder coated black would do just fine.

It did make a difference when fitted; If playing at 'grabbing brake' at low speed the 'twitch' in the handlebars was very noticeable. After fitting this was far less.

It's no real substitute for a proper top yoke, which would have been a much better idea, but it doesn't weight much and doesn't look too daft, so it's a keeper on mine.

Good luck!

Out of curiosity, have you got new forks or had them sprayed? They look ever so clean and silvery!!

 

[markjackson]

Carefully vapour blasted by Damian at RCP paintwork between the nicely named villages of Nether Poppleton and Green Hammerton .

 

[markjackson]

On the basis that my fork brace which is exactly the same has pitted and rusted on the underside, I would suggest that mine at least if made from steel.

Hmmm… I don't know why I thought ally? I guess it was because mine seemed too light to be steel.

And… It's far too cold and windy to head to the garage with a magnet tonight!

 

[Beemerboff]

On my G/S I have a SJBMW billet top plate, Flatracer SJ style tubular lower brace with one of their short fibreglass mudguards mounted on it, the soft OEM springs from my R75/7, which match the soft spring on the rear Ohlins, and 5 wt Maxima synth suspension fluid.
Stiffer progressive springs work fine with the stiff springs on the Koni's on the /7

The G/S set up is a huge improvement over the well worn and stiff set of forks I started with.
Not too hard to align as the forks are well worn and I have had a bit experience trying to get BSA forks to slide , but might be a problem if your forks are newer and relatively tight - mine were at the other end if the spectrum.
There are a few pics around of the factory Dakar G/S bikes with the low brace mounted guard so they are not completely wrong, and they work well in everything but clinging mud , and I dont get much of that around here!