Fork strength

[jsek29]

Hey, a buddy of mine is looking at getting a new Sprint but is a little worried that they don't make use of inverted forks. Have any of you noticed any sort of fork flex on your bike? He is used to a SV1000S , how might the fork strength compare? Thanks for your thoughts,

[Haddi-Man]

I'm sorry, but... the fork strength?!?! :???:

It's freaking metal! Unless you get into an accident or whack it with a hammer, it'll hold up just fine!

I've never heard of inverted forks having anything to do with fork strength. I can't figure out why it would even matter which way they're oriented. As far as I know, the only reason to use inverted forks is it (supposedly) decreases the unsprung weight. I remain unconvinced that inverted forks provide any real benefit at all. However, not having ever ridden a bike with a set, I'll reserve judgment.

[denman13]

Assuming by 'fork strength' you mean firmness and adjustability then yes it is one of the ares where the Sprint has a little room for improvement. The forks are fine but they are a little soft if you're a more aggressive rider. There is a noticeable dive in hard braking for sure. They also only offer spring pre-load settings and no rebound or compression damping. But many people have made relatively minor additions like firmer springs, adding 5 to 10 mL or heavier fork oil and been very happy with the results. Others have put more elaborate front suspensions or replaced the entire suspension system.

Test ride a couple. The bike's real selling point IMHO, is the 1050 triple engine. Mmmm sweet machine.

[DaveM]

jsek29,
I ride hard and often two up. I run standard front fork springs standard weight oil with 15ml more volume.

There is no weakness in these forks and upside down forks are not necessarily stronger.

These machines handle very well especially with minor suspension work.

Your friend has no need to be concerned.

DaveM

[giantkillerrobo]

Hello All,
Thanks for the great replies - I'm the ST-ogling friend Jsek mentioned. I'm out scouting the current crop of bikes looking to replace my 03 SV1000s after a 2mph getoff onto a curb in my work parking lot that resulted in a broken collarbone and totaled SV (cosmetic frame damage = replacement...grrr). I've been riding for 15 years, I've crashed my bicycle much faster and harder, but the gods of partial credit were against me that day and now I'm looking to replace my beloved SV. Ride smart - something will sneak up on you!

Onto the subject at hand, I love my SV, the torque was simply amazing, and with a little suspension work (springs and fork oil) it was a very well sorted bike, at home on the commute and the track. the aggressive riding position made it a bit of a stretch for longer rides, and as a year-round rider in Portland OR, at some point you get tired of triple bagging your work gear in the soft bags and begin to lust after hard cases.

Enter the ST- everything about this bike looks good - the motor sounds awesome, the riding position looks to be a good balance of comfort and fun, and it sounds like Triumph has made a good effort on the new hard bags. I got a chance to sit on an 07 ABS yesterday at Cascade Moto Classics, and the bike feels great.

I was initially concerned about the forks - the SV has 46mm conventionals, with the spring work and some oil changes it was a fantastic front end that let you get away with all sorts of madness in the twisties. It sounds like similar rewards are available on the ST, if one isn't perfectly satisfied with the stock setup. It is slightly peculiar that the USD setup and radial brakes on the tiger aren't similarly fitted to the Sprint, but bikes worked for years with conventional forks, no reason to stop now.

I ran across Jsek's post yesterday - this forum is a great resource, I hope to be back posting pics of a new addition to my garage soon as the collarbone heals - the red one's the fastest/best gas mileage, right :wink:

Thanks, all, JJ

[Squidly]

JJ.....see if you can't talk the dealer into letting you test ride it. I had to go to three dealers before I was able to find one that would let me test ride it. The test ride will sell you on the bike...with out a doubt. Unless you are an exceptionally aggresive rider, I don't think you'll be disappointed in the forks. Not sure what your road conditions are like there, but here in Los Angeles the freeways everywhere have expansion joints that make the stock set up feel like a rail. I've done all kinds of modifications on bike forks in the last 30 years and they always turned out great.....but only if I did canyon riding all the time...bumpy roads would pay me back for the mods always. It's always a trade off. But over all the Sprint ST is more sport then touring....and the compromise is a moderately soft front end. ....but not marshmallow soft...just softer then full on track sport prep'd bikes :hammer:

[denman13]

I suspect the Tiger front end will show up on the 08 or 09 Sprint.

As for bumpy rides, the soft suspension certainly smooths that out. Like I said you can make minor adjustments to firm it up if you like without spending a fortune. We're working on a 'track set up' package that we would use for track days i.e tires, possibly firmer springs, and lowered sag. I'm still experimenting to see what I can get out of the stock suspension first.

[dolson]

Inverted forks, Another great moment in advertising.

Just like more mega pixels in digital cameras make you a better photographer.

Don

[JTXR]

The main reason manufacturers have gone to inverted forks is to reduce flex, the inverted forks are not any stronger than a conventional fork they just flex less. The main reason is when the forks are inverted the larger fork tube is supporting the bike and a larger diameter tube will flex less than a smaller tube.

While I have only ridden street bike for a couple of years I have ridden and raced dirt bikes for years and have experience with both types of forks. Back in the early ninety's I had a bike with conventional 43mm forks. The magazines always said these forks had alot of flex, I never noticed flex as an issue until I put a fork brace on them. The brace eliminated alot of flex which translated into more accurate steering. It took me a day to get used to he forks with the brace on and in the world of roots, rocks and ruts less flex is better.

A good way to see how much flex a set of forks has and a good way to compare them is to put the front wheel in a corner and try to move the bars, the conventional forks will allow you to move the bars much more side to side due to the flex.

I have never ridden a street bike with inverted forks and I could not tell you how much of a difference they make. I ride pretty casually and I do not think the inverted forks would be a huge benefit. However if you are a racer or push the bike really hard on the street I'm guessing you would noticed improved steering accuracy on the inverted forks due to less flex.

[Granty]

I hit a sheep at 60 mph and the forks are fine. Not sure whether it was down to flex or strength though :-D