Srinath Fork Brace Installed!! (tips and pics included)

[cummuterguy]

Well, I got my fork brace from Srinath this week, and went out this morning and installed it. Looks great!  

I did a few little thing during the install that some of you might find interesting.

I didn't feel like pulling off the front tire just to remove the fender, so I wriggled my hand (actually 2 fingers) between the tire and fender to attach a 8mm wrench (5/16th works just fine also) to the backside nuts. With the wrench positioned in place, a 3mm allen head wrench loosened the bolts from the top.

It took about 15 minutes to remove the 4 bolts holding the fender to the fork brace this way. I decided I can come up with a better idea than that, more on that in a bit.

I then used a 4mm allen wrench to remove the four stock 'button' cap bolts that hold the brace on the forks. I carefuilly removed the rubber speedo-cable support loop and removed both the fender and the brace from the bike.

Now, time to make that fender removal easier. I zipped down to my local hardware store to get the new hardware I would need to install the brace.

I chose 6mm 1.0 X 30mm cap bolts and 6mm washers for the brace to fork fasteners (stainless of course)



For the fender fasteners I grabbed (4) 8-32 T-nuts(machine thread)

and (4) 8-32 X 1" button cap bolts (machine thread)

I then clipped the three 'tangs' on the T-nut a little shorter ( i didn't want it to puncture all the way thru the fender, just 'grab' a little), put my new fork brace and fender together (off the bike, actually on the living room floor.. it was cold outside..) making sure i had the fender lined up with the brace, i placed my shortened t-nuts on the bottom side of the fender, installed my 4 button head bolts thru the holes provided on the fork brace and tightened it down, sinking the t-nuts into the fender (now they won't fall off, and won't need a wrench to remove)

I disassembled the two again, went outside and put the fender thru the forks, then the brace on top. Installed the 4 fender bolts, with washers (note.. since I used non-metric fasteners for this part, I needed a standard allen head wrench it was 3/32" for these bolts)  Then I installed the 4 brace to fork bolts (6mm X 30mm 1.0 pitch) with their 6mm washers and tightened them in a cross pattern. (ok probably not needed, but it's a habit)

Installed the rubber speedo cable loop again (if you have problems getting it back in, do what I did. Clip a small corner off the round part that goes in the fender, making it able to 'screw' in. Much easier)


Done! and it looks like it was supposed to be there all along!  THANKS SRINATH!  

I will post pics of the brace on the bike in a little bit, my camera phone has been having difficulty uploading them for some reason.

All told, it took about 45 minutes, moving slow and stopping for coffee. (hardware store trip not included)

[cummuterguy]

Pics...

[Dragonfly]

Looks nice.
Is it going to add any rigidity to the front end?? Or is it more for looks.

[The Buddha]

I'll let him post ... being the latest one to fit it ... but its not for looks alone ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[cummuterguy]

no, it's not for looks, thats just a fringe benefit (compared to the crappy rusted thing I pulled off)

I haven't had a chance to ride it much, I just did the mod this am. It's supposed to help keep the forks from getting uneven, thus causing wobble, hop etc. especially in higher speed cornering. I'm gonna test that theory in the morning.

[V8Pinto]

Commuterguy,

Do you have any profile shots of the bike w/fairing?  I've been considering that fairing for quite a while.  How's it look?

[john]

Damn beefy isn't it?  Looks fantastic  

[cummuterguy]

V8pinto... this is the only one I have that's side profile... not the best take, but you get the general idea.



It's been on for 10 months now, and the only problem I've had was the hardware that holds the visor on rusted quickly, so I switched it all out for stainless.