Need suspension advise

Do a search for Earles forks or leading link forks..

Jack

Seems to me I also remember that some bikes had trailing link forks. Can't recall what the makes were or if they were better or worse than leading link suspension. BMW currently uses a "Telelever" suspension on some bikes that uses a single damper/spring unit on the front.

Not that this is relevant, but when I was a kid I worked in a motorcycle shop that sold Greeves (Greeves' had leading link forks, hence this remembrance). My job was to assemble the crated bikes as they came in. The first time I looked at a Greeves manual I noticed dirty fingerprints all over the cover and on some of the inside pages. After looking closer, I realized the fingerprints were printed on! There was small print on the cover that said, "This manual has been pre-grubbied to blend in with all of your other dirty workshop materials." Gotta love the Brits.

Peter

The neat thing about leading link forks is that there is no brake dive, in fact the front of the bike actually rises when you use the front brake.

Vaughn (old BMW guy)

Hey, something I can talk about on the metalworking newsgroup and have the feeling I know something!

Some WWW sites:

- some good pictures and Michael also runs a MC-Chassis e-mail list that discusses these topics a fair amount.

I am currently in the process of building a Foale/Parker type front end like

An easier but front end to build is a Hossack type of which Chris Cosentino's bike is a good example: If I was going to do this again I would go in this direction though I want to have a signle sided front and rear swing arm just for looks.

Tony's article above (STEER.htm) covers the different options well and he also have an article about how you can limit brake dive on a motorcycle using these alternative front designs (and how to design the links). If you are serious in creating one of these I would also recommend Tony Foale's book (see his WWW site) and John Bradley has a 2 volume set on theory and practicle bike building available through

that is rather good.

If you want to discuss more then send me some direct e-mails. jwilliams at darkphoton.com

Jeff

Gears wrote:

Thanks for all the great tips. I have never seen these types of suspension, some look very cumbersome, but they look like the ride would be terrific on the streets. Any suggestions or preferences for off-road machines?

Bill

Hello,

Hoyt McKagen (RIP) ran a alternative front end on 2 dirt bikes that he said ran rather well. You can find some pictures and info at

and look for Hoyt on the page

Jeff

Gears wrote:

||Thanks for all the great tips. I have never seen these types ||of suspension, some look very cumbersome, but they look ||like the ride would be terrific on the streets. ||Any suggestions or preferences for off-road machines?

Back in the '70s I had a Steen off-road bike with a leading link front suspension and a Hodaka engine. It was 3/4-size, so it was mostly for the wife and kids, but it sure rode smoothly in the rough stuff. Texas Parts Guy

Back in the very early 60's in Hamilton, Ontario, I had a brand-new "scrambles" bike (now called moto-cross) made by Greeves in England.

200cc if I recall. Anyway, it was the first bike any of us had seen that had a large rubber disc at the bottom end of the front forks, and the front wheel axle was mounted about 8 inches forward of that. And yes, it did tend to "lift" the front end on braking which was very nice on the downhill parts. Nowadays, there is no such thing as "braking" on a downhill!! That's full throttle time!! Amazing what today's riders can do that we (or at least I) couldn't seem to!!

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell,, Ontario.