Fork Brace: XJ1100

[draygonfly]

Been trying for days to locate a company which sells fork braces for XJ1100. No luck. Any suggestions. Thanks

[Mike Hart]

F/B for XJ

Sorry, never heard of aftermarket F/B for the XJ11.

Commercial, that is. There were a couple for the XS.

Tkat has mfg'd F/B's for the 3 different XS/XJ fork sizes,
don't know if he has any XJ models in stock. I have one,
it's great. He made these at a cost way below the value
of his machinist time, and has shoulder surgery coming up,
so I'm not sure when there will be more available.

http://www.tkat.com/

[Cootie]

There is a fork brace on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1841941350
Looks like it is in good condition.

Jason Udy
XS1100SH "Red Bull"

[Mike Hart]

ebay F/B

Yep, that's a Tkat f/b

note: only fits Specials, not Standards or XJ's

Tkat's price was about $70

[Deano K]

Re: ebay F/B

Maybe back in the middle ages when you bought one....

Deano K.

Originally posted by Mike Hart
Yep, that's a Tkat f/b

note: only fits Specials, not Standards or XJ's

Tkat's price was about $70

[Jdwags]

FBrace

Just checked my email from this spring,

TKATS price was $85 before Snohomish days..

[cmk59]

Fork braces on XS11s



Just installed a Tkat Fork Brace on my '81 Special, and it's like night and day. HUZZAH! HALLELUJAH! RAH, RAH! Even with my 300 lb butt and my 250-something SWMBO, the dreaded 'hinge' is all but disappeared! Can't WAIT to take it out on the twisies now!

Message to all who don't have one...bug Tkat for one...well, WELL worth the $$$, whatever the going rate!

Chuck
'81 Special
"Kilo Commando"

[cmk59]

F/Bs again...

Hey, even if there aren't any available for Std models, the Special model will work...it will just ride a bit higher off the fender, that's all. If you don't like the 2" gap, get a small leather tool bag to put there, and don't waste the space! Better yet, use the space as a reason to put a pencil-beam driving light there!

Chuck
'81 Special
"Kilo Commando"

[Jerry]

Uh, just to make sure, the standard or special Tkat FB will *not* fit the XJ. According to Tkat, there is a difference in three areas; the drilling for the bolts that 'clamp' the brace to the tubes, the rise of the between-tube brace and the relief (angle) of the clamp to brace.

The XJ has a token factory brace built into the fender (which is not intechangable with earlier XS models) and requires its own unique Tkat FB.

[cmk59]

tkat f/b's

No offense, my man, but my post DID NOT say anything about the XJ. Only between Standards and Specials, though if there are XJ Standards and Specials, I may stand corrected.

cmk59
'81 Special XS11
"Kilo Comma

ndo"

[kenkrieger]

Nah,,,,, no specials or Standards,only Maxims for the XJ,,,,,,I have 2 and have written Tkat so far no answer, but he 's a busy fellow, so I will have to have patience. Not to mention the shoulder surgery.

[Jerry]

My post was just to clarify, since the original poster was inquiring about an XJ fork brace and the thread had expanded to include standards and specials.

Supposedly there was a Midnight XJ (similar to the Midnight Special) in addition to the standard XJ. Don't know if the Midnight XJ was anything more than a different paint job; have never seen one. Parts list doesn't seem to make any distinction.

I put a Tkat fork brace on my XJ a couple years ago. At the recent Camp Spearfish, of the 7 or 8 bikes there, only 1 didn't have a brace. We were able to compare the XJ, standard, and special braces side by side and talk to Tkat, who was there. He mentioned it had been a while since he made up some XJ braces, didn't remember if he had any in stock. If not, I don't know of any other sources for one; XJ owners will have to wait until Tkat does another run of braces.

[oldnortonrider]

Fork Brace

This is my first posting, so I gotta get something on the forum
to "see how this is done" .
I've had the TKat Fork Brace on my '81 Special, now for about 3
weeks; this Special that I've been riding fairly regular since about
'94 .
Ditto ; to "CMK59" 's comment : ".....HUZZAH! HALLELUJAH! RAH!
RAH!......" .
I roadraced at Daytona in 1962 ; so, "handling" is important to me. I always knew this motorcycle was WELL engineered from the fork neck back. Not so, from the fork neck, forward.
It is now.
"Mr. 'Tkat' " is a first class, A-1, type person. We exchanged several emails, inquiries from me, etc. ; before I decided to
"jump in". I haven't emailed him , to comment and tell him , yet,
about my "new" motorcycle; but I'm going to.

1981 XS1100 Special

1979 XS1100 Standard (stored for now, but not forever)