Fork Talk

Allinarush · 01-24-2019, 12:03 AM

Ok, so Megadan explained to me why fork flex is bad. I've looked for a descent fork brace, but now im considering buying the CSC tt250 fork setup. If I do that then am I just changing the forks or what else would I need to change?

I looked for a descent brace I could find is 50$. Im not even sure how to measure which brace would work. After modding the forks for dampening, fork brace etc... is not better just to buy better forks?

Megadan · 01-24-2019, 12:53 AM

To change to TT250 front forks you would need the Forks, both left and right, the full front wheel, or at least the front hub to lace up to your Hawk rim, the lower triple and steering stem, the upper triple, and the front brake rotor, at a minimum.

The price for all of this from CSC? $633.33

Or you could buy one of the fork braces I linked you in a PM for about 50 bucks, drill a couple of holes, and stiffen up the front end more than adequately for one of these bikes.

Even if you went full hog like I did with fork valves and a brace, you are talking about maybe $120-150 to have tunable forks that will perform as well as can be expected from this type of bike.

Fork swaps themselves can cost more than that even if you find good used ones, and then they come with other issues to resolve that can require you to spend even more money.

If I were going to spend the money to do a fork swap, I would rather spend my $633 on a set of Honda XR or CRF forks, but they would need to come with the wheel and brake setup, or at least need to buy those separately. The Hawk uses the same steering stem bearing I.D. as many Honda off road motorcycles, so the only thing that needs to be considered is if the stem is the right length. Then you just need to make your speedometer work without the front sending unit, or buy a different style that is more universal.

OneLeggedRider · 01-24-2019, 12:59 AM

I liked Dan's brace - for the street. If you're planning on any serious off roading where mud is involved ya cant have anything that close to the top of the tire. When I first started racing hare scrambles I had a little XR 80R which had about 4" of clearance between the fender and tire. Twice it got so packed with mud it froze the tire and I had to get off and scoop it out by hand. So I figure any brace you put on would have to address the clearance issue. If you wanna offroad.

Megadan · 01-24-2019, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneLeggedRider

I liked Dan's brace - for the street. If you're planning on any serious off roading where mud is involved ya cant have anything that close to the top of the tire. When I first started racing hare scrambles I had a little XR 80R which had about 4" of clearance between the fender and tire. Twice it got so packed with mud it froze the tire and I had to get off and scoop it out by hand. So I figure any brace you put on would have to address the clearance issue. If you wanna offroad.

It's not my brace mod, just taking a note from Wamey who first did it. As far as it getting clogged up. It has yet to be a problem for anybody that has done it. The brace is only maybe 4 or 5 inches wide at most, and sits a good 2 or 3 inches above the tire knobs. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....5&postcount=16

Many other brace types sold for similar fork styles on Hondas have less clearance above the tire than this.

Unlike a fender that encompasses a large circumference of the tire and is an enclosed trap that gives material only a limited area to exit, the brace is away from a large majority of ejection, and is slotted around the top circumference, giving it more than just the tire path to travel, which is also a short distance. I am not saying it isn't possible to get clogged up, but if you are running in mud that thick, as you learned, it doesn't really matter. For the majority of the off road riding many of us do with these bikes, it isn't a concern. Plus, the added rigidity in rocky or soft surfaces helps a lot with control.

OneLeggedRider · 01-24-2019, 11:18 AM

I thought about that after I posted, the amount of the tire the fender encompasses. And I'd say you're right, more room for ejection equals less chance of buildup. It would also depend on what mud you're dealing with, around here it's a red clay that is literally used for making pottery and its packing potential is formidable to say the least. My FourTrax has a brace bar that runs at an angle over the rear tires, and thru the plastic to the rear rack. It's about an inch in diameter and is a definite catch point for the clay. Being a drive tire it wont stop the tire but you might have to run in a lower gear till you can reach a creek.

The point is probably moot anyway because my next bike was an XR 200 (very similar to the Hawk) and it didn't make enough power for the mud or speed to be competitive. After that I went 2-stroke, they have alot more fender clearance and quickly reach speeds that clean the tires. But they also have rigid upside down forks that are a larger diameter and no brace over the tire.

Ariel Red Hunter · 01-24-2019, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allinarush

Ok, so Megadan explained to me why fork flex is bad. I've looked for a descent fork brace, but now im considering buying the CSC tt250 fork setup. If I do that then am I just changing the forks or what else would I need to change?

I looked for a descent brace I could find is 50$. Im not even sure how to measure which brace would work. After modding the forks for dampening, fork brace etc... is not better just to buy better forks?

Jeez, I've never bought a fork brace in my life, I (and everybody else I knew) made them ourselves out of a piece of 3/16th sheet aluminum to fit whichever steed we owned. Bent them over a tree limb, drilled and trimmed to fit...ARH

Megadan · 01-24-2019, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

Jeez, I've never bought a fork brace in my life, I (and everybody else I knew) made them ourselves out of a piece of 3/16th sheet aluminum to fit whichever steed we owned. Bent them over a tree limb, drilled and trimmed to fit...ARH

Also an option, although I would use steel personally. The cheap Harley braces work well enough and just require 4 new holes to work. Call me lazy, but I will pay a bit extra to do less work lol.

Ariel Red Hunter · 01-25-2019, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megadan

Also an option, although I would use steel personally. The cheap Harley braces work well enough and just require 4 new holes to work. Call me lazy, but I will pay a bit extra to do less work lol.

UNSPRUNG WEIGHT!!!

ARH

Megadan · 01-25-2019, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

UNSPRUNG WEIGHT!!!

ARH

Always a compromise.

01-24-2019, 12:03 AM	#1
Allinarush Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 38	Fork Talk Ok, so Megadan explained to me why fork flex is bad. I've looked for a descent fork brace, but now im considering buying the CSC tt250 fork setup. If I do that then am I just changing the forks or what else would I need to change? I looked for a descent brace I could find is 50$. Im not even sure how to measure which brace would work. After modding the forks for dampening, fork brace etc... is not better just to buy better forks?
	0

01-24-2019, 12:53 AM	#2
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 7,993	To change to TT250 front forks you would need the Forks, both left and right, the full front wheel, or at least the front hub to lace up to your Hawk rim, the lower triple and steering stem, the upper triple, and the front brake rotor, at a minimum. The price for all of this from CSC? $633.33 Or you could buy one of the fork braces I linked you in a PM for about 50 bucks, drill a couple of holes, and stiffen up the front end more than adequately for one of these bikes. Even if you went full hog like I did with fork valves and a brace, you are talking about maybe $120-150 to have tunable forks that will perform as well as can be expected from this type of bike. Fork swaps themselves can cost more than that even if you find good used ones, and then they come with other issues to resolve that can require you to spend even more money. If I were going to spend the money to do a fork swap, I would rather spend my $633 on a set of Honda XR or CRF forks, but they would need to come with the wheel and brake setup, or at least need to buy those separately. The Hawk uses the same steering stem bearing I.D. as many Honda off road motorcycles, so the only thing that needs to be considered is if the stem is the right length. Then you just need to make your speedometer work without the front sending unit, or buy a different style that is more universal. __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	3

01-24-2019, 12:59 AM	#3
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	I liked Dan's brace - for the street. If you're planning on any serious off roading where mud is involved ya cant have anything that close to the top of the tire. When I first started racing hare scrambles I had a little XR 80R which had about 4" of clearance between the fender and tire. Twice it got so packed with mud it froze the tire and I had to get off and scoop it out by hand. So I figure any brace you put on would have to address the clearance issue. If you wanna offroad.
	1

01-24-2019, 11:18 AM	#5
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	I thought about that after I posted, the amount of the tire the fender encompasses. And I'd say you're right, more room for ejection equals less chance of buildup. It would also depend on what mud you're dealing with, around here it's a red clay that is literally used for making pottery and its packing potential is formidable to say the least. My FourTrax has a brace bar that runs at an angle over the rear tires, and thru the plastic to the rear rack. It's about an inch in diameter and is a definite catch point for the clay. Being a drive tire it wont stop the tire but you might have to run in a lower gear till you can reach a creek. The point is probably moot anyway because my next bike was an XR 200 (very similar to the Hawk) and it didn't make enough power for the mud or speed to be competitive. After that I went 2-stroke, they have alot more fender clearance and quickly reach speeds that clean the tires. But they also have rigid upside down forks that are a larger diameter and no brace over the tire.
	3