fork brace

[BA80]

Anyone know anything about this fork brace? I've only seen a couple and this one came off a set of forks from a smaller XS.



It seems to work as it should. The only problems, it's a PITA to install and the brake hose brackets don't fit anymore.

[bikerphil]

Yep, I've fooled with those before, just what you said, can't use the brake hose brackets anymore. I had to bend the brace slightly so it would not bind the forks with outward pressure, YMMV. Good brace though, does it's job.

[BA80]

This one fit snug but I had no problem lining up the rotor slot on the right side (special).

I've not ever run a brace and couldn't bring myself to toss Tkat a $100 for something I wasn't sure of.

I like the way the front end feels now. Don't need to manhandle through corners anymore.

I'm sold.

[bikerphil]

This one fit snug but I had no problem lining up the rotor slot on the right side (special).

I've not ever run a brace and couldn't bring myself to toss Tkat a $100 for something I wasn't sure of.

I like the way the front end feels now. Don't need to manhandle through corners anymore.

I'm sold.

For sure, night and day difference. The one I worked on was on a Standard, they will probably fit both.

[tom clisham]

Xs650

I think.................

I've seen those on ebay as having come from an xs650.

Very old school.. Looks kind of neat.

[BA80]

The forks were smaller diameter tubes and had the smaller diameter rotors so I knew it was at least a 750-850 because it had a 19" wheel. I think the 650 had a smaller wheel. Didn't it?

[jwhughes3]

Wire spokes

Didnt 650s have wire spoke wheels?

I thought it must have been a 750 or 850 from the tapered front fender on it.

Brace looks like it got a nice paintjob.

John

[BA80]

Yeah, the 650 did have spokes didn't it and that wheel was aluminum.

I did strip it and paint it JW but I kinda intercoursed up the paint putting it on. GEEZE what a PITA.

Not too bad though.

Thanks brother.

[fredintoon]

FWIW, various years of XS650 had 3 or 4 different styles of wire-spoked wheels as well as the same pattern of 7-spoke cast wheels that are on the XS11.
All XS650s have 19" front wheels, any style of XS650 front wheel will bolt right onto an XS11.

[jetmechmarty]

It's a XS650 brace. It will fit the XS11 just as easily as it does the XS650; especially the standard. The XS650 shares wheels with the XS11, and with the standard, it can share the front fender.

The downside to this brace is that it will add sticktion to the forks. It has to be carefully tweaked, as noted by BikerPhil. The TKAT and Tarozzi braces do not suffer from this.

[CaptonZap]

Being a belt AND suspender kind of guy, I have one like that, and T-Kats type put on top. 80G. Since I never rode an 11 without one, I can't say what the improvement is.
My bike was a one owner, bought from the original owner, so I assume it was a dealer option, since the owner was a buy it and ride it type, as opposed to a "I'll put every accessary I can find on it" type.
The brake lines have what look like factory brackets holding them to the plate part of the brace. CZ

[BA80]

It's a XS650 brace. It will fit the XS11 just as easily as it does the XS650; especially the standard. The XS650 shares wheels with the XS11, and with the standard, it can share the front fender.

The one I have has a lot bigger plate where the mount holes are as you can see in the pic.

The downside to this brace is that it will add sticktion to the forks. It has to be carefully tweaked, as noted by BikerPhil. The TKAT and Tarozzi braces do not suffer from this.

Ok, I'll bite. What the heck is "sticktion" ? I didn't have to force any bolts, everything lined up perfectly.

[steelraider]

Forks are misaligned slightly not allowing telescoping action to occur smoothly causing them to stick slightly ! STICKTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BA80]

Well mine don't seem to be sticktioning at all so I guess I'll just ride.

[jetmechmarty]

Ok, I'll bite. What the heck is "sticktion" ? I didn't have to force any bolts, everything lined up perfectly.

From Wikipedia:

Stiction is the static friction that needs to be overcome to enable relative motion of stationary objects in contact.[1] The term is a portmanteau of the term "static friction",[2] perhaps also influenced by the verb "stick".

Here is the link: STICTION
I spelled it wrong in my previous post.

All of the telescoping forks on our bikes suffer from stiction. The hoop brace can make it worse. I didn't say "will", I said "can". When you set your laden sag, you measure the difference between the forks after falling, and after rising. Taking the average accounts for stiction.