Topic: Lower front fork by sliding tube in triple tree

[dgilling]

Is the IKON $200 better?  I feel like it would be, and I like the looks better. 

All my money will go to suspensions and brakes first.  I don't care if the bike is fast.  In fact I prefer it to be slow to keep me out of trouble.

Ikons are better than Hagon, more compliant, even though Hagon seems to have great customer service, most reports here say they are a bit stiff. Personally, I've used quite a few Koni's {now Ikon} and continue to use them, one of the best shocks made for our bikes...

is there anything special to ordering the Ikons?  Or do i just got to there website and get the 7610-1296 for the CB750k and wait for it to show up?  Hagon needed rider weight, passager time...etc

[Retro Rocket]

Is the IKON $200 better?  I feel like it would be, and I like the looks better. 

All my money will go to suspensions and brakes first.  I don't care if the bike is fast.  In fact I prefer it to be slow to keep me out of trouble.

Ikons are better than Hagon, more compliant, even though Hagon seems to have great customer service, most reports here say they are a bit stiff. Personally, I've used quite a few Koni's {now Ikon} and continue to use them, one of the best shocks made for our bikes...

is there anything special to ordering the Ikons?  Or do i just got to there website and get the 7610-1296 for the CB750k and wait for it to show up?  Hagon needed rider weight, passager time...etc

I'm in Australia where Ikons are made, you may get a better response from one of the US members, there is an Ikon agent in the US...
You can order Ikons to suit as well, they have compression and rebound damping adjustment ...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Is the IKON $200 better?  I feel like it would be, and I like the looks better. 

All my money will go to suspensions and brakes first.  I don't care if the bike is fast.  In fact I prefer it to be slow to keep me out of trouble.

The build quality of the IKONS is much better and the shocks in my opinion perform better, but either should satisfy your needs.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

The build quality of the IKONS is much better and the shocks in my opinion perform better, but either should satisfy your needs.  My IKONS were made to order with my weight in mind.

[Don R]

 My brother has always slid his tubes an inch up into the trees, he also runs lowering blocks on the rear. not saying it's the best idea but it's workable. He does have a header dent in his fender and short legs.

I wrecked trying to keep up with him in a turn and I was on a brand new cb500. Just saying.
   

[Retro Rocket]

My brother has always slid his tubes an inch up into the trees, he also runs lowering blocks on the rear. not saying it's the best idea but it's workable. He does have a header dent in his fender and short legs.

I wrecked trying to keep up with him in a turn and I was on a brand new cb500. Just saying.
 

Hi Don, what we are talking about here is just lowering the front, if you lower the rear by the same amount, the changes in geometry are slight, but you still lose ground clearance, the 750's scrape pegs easily at stock height, I certainly would never lower one...

[bwaller]

My brother has always slid his tubes an inch up into the trees, he also runs lowering blocks on the rear. not saying it's the best idea but it's workable. He does have a header dent in his fender and short legs.

I wrecked trying to keep up with him in a turn and I was on a brand new cb500. Just saying.
   

So he lowered both ends negating the loss of trail, different story.  It certainly lowers the center of gravity Don, but stuff starts to drag sooner than later.  It would help out short legs.

Works Performance makes custom order shocks and I use them on everything for another option.

Edit: must be an echo in here Mick, sorry.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I have to think that the spring rate required to lower the back end and keep it from bottoming out provides a pretty stiff rear.  I think some of that could be mitigated by a custom shock, but if you just use a "shorty" shock your back end will not handle as well.

[Retro Rocket]

My brother has always slid his tubes an inch up into the trees, he also runs lowering blocks on the rear. not saying it's the best idea but it's workable. He does have a header dent in his fender and short legs.

I wrecked trying to keep up with him in a turn and I was on a brand new cb500. Just saying.
   

So he lowered both ends negating the loss of trail, different story.  It certainly lowers the center of gravity Don, but stuff starts to drag sooner than later.  It would help out short legs.

Works Performance makes custom order shocks and I use them on everything for another option.

Edit: must be an echo in here Mick, sorry.

I heard that... 

[dgilling]

I spoke with Ikon on the phone.  Just ordered my set with a standard spring.  I'm a 160lbs so he said that would be just right.  should receive in about a week.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Hot damn. That's service!

[dgilling]

I found this picture of my bike before the tear down.  I rode that fork brace for about 10years with numerous hard stops and never had a problem  seems like it should have bottomed out.  I'm curious of what the travel should be. 

[Retro Rocket]

That type of brace is usually used on choppers with extended forks and sits about half way down the tubes, the typical fork brace needs to be at the top of the fork legs to do its job, that one you have is so close to the triple clamps it virtually achieves nothing. Proper fork braces are meant to stop twist, the closer it is to the mid point between the axle and the bottom triple clamp the better, the way the forks are made, makes that point at the top of the fork lowers...

[bwaller]

Sorry no notes on your bikes travel. For your info though the CB500/550 total travel is around 113mm. The CB750F3 is 132mm, so a rough guess is yours should be close to that 132mm.

You really should try to use most of the total travel available, less 10-15mm for fender clearance. It's a project but really not expensive. Get a good set of springs (I'd recommend RaceTech) rated for the bike & rider weight, disassemble and clean everything well. Install new seals, proper weight fork oil. Read up on fork tuning and set static sag and get better use of your forks.

[dgilling]

That type of brace is usually used on choppers with extended forks and sits about half way down the tubes, the typical fork brace needs to be at the top of the fork legs to do its job, that one you have is so close to the triple clamps it virtually achieves nothing. Proper fork braces are meant to stop twist, the closer it is to the mid point between the axle and the bottom triple clamp the better, the way the forks are made, makes that point at the top of the fork lowers...

Good to know. I was wondering about reinstalling but now I won't.

Sorry no notes on your bikes travel. For your info though the CB500/550 total travel is around 113mm. The CB750F3 is 132mm, so a rough guess is yours should be close to that 132mm.

You really should try to use most of the total travel available, less 10-15mm for fender clearance. It's a project but really not expensive. Get a good set of springs (I'd recommend RaceTech) rated for the bike & rider weight, disassemble and clean everything well. Install new seals, proper weight fork oil. Read up on fork tuning and set static sag and get better use of your forks.

Thanks for the info. The tubes I got for free and they came with brand new progressive springs. I rebuilt everything like you said.

[Don R]

 I must be a chicken, I don't recall ever scraping my pegs. L0L!

[Maurice]

I found this picture of my bike before the tear down.  I rode that fork brace for about 10years with numerous hard stops and never had a problem  seems like it should have bottomed out.  I'm curious of what the travel should be. 

Woah, that is very little travel if your fender never hit the brace... Were the forks in working order? That is scary, something must have been done to them.

It's scary because when you ride around turns, for example, the fork is supposed to compress (inertia) and it will absorb imperfections/bumps on the road so that the tire stays in contact. Losing contact means losing grip means being part of the scenery real quick. In other words, messing with the suspension can be dangerous. If the springs are maxed out or rebound too fast/too slow it can be bad.

Bottom line is, did you notice anything strange when you rebuilt these forks? What happens when you stand on the bike, grab the front brake and push real hard up/down on the bars? There should be a fair amount of movement and it should not bounce right back nor come back up slowly.

Your bike looks good now, nice work!

[Retro Rocket]

I must be a chicken, I don't recall ever scraping my pegs. L0L!

Pretty hard to do drag racing ...

[dgilling]

I found this picture of my bike before the tear down.  I rode that fork brace for about 10years with numerous hard stops and never had a problem  seems like it should have bottomed out.  I'm curious of what the travel should be. 

Woah, that is very little travel if your fender never hit the brace... Were the forks in working order? That is scary, something must have been done to them.

It's scary because when you ride around turns, for example, the fork is supposed to compress (inertia) and it will absorb imperfections/bumps on the road so that the tire stays in contact. Losing contact means losing grip means being part of the scenery real quick. In other words, messing with the suspension can be dangerous. If the springs are maxed out or rebound too fast/too slow it can be bad.

Bottom line is, did you notice anything strange when you rebuilt these forks? What happens when you stand on the bike, grab the front brake and push real hard up/down on the bars? There should be a fair amount of movement and it should not bounce right back nor come back up slowly.

Your bike looks good now, nice work!

It felt normal to me. Mainly just felt like a 37 year old fork. I've ridden motorcycles a long time and I never really thought much about it. I rode it super easy thought. Never really took hard corners or rode hard. Only thing that is the same on the new forks is the lowers. Everything on the bike was in really bad shape.

[dgilling]

just to note.  I spoke to hondaman and he said the travel for my bike is about 4 inches with stock springs.  However the force required to compress the last few inches is really high.  he's lowered his bike this way before and said he moved the fork tubes all the way till they hit the handlebars.   

I have 4 inches of clearance so I should be good. 

My other worries are in the carbs right now.  leaky gas ruined my new engine paint 

[Maurice]

Dang, sorry about the paint... What exactly is leaking?

Well, you do have 4 inches, but with that brace on it looked more like 2 before the dust seals would be smashed, shortly followed by a good crease in the fender...

I like your seat, the stock one on my K8 is just short of a king/queen abomination and makes me tip-toe at red lights.

[dgilling]

Dang, sorry about the paint... What exactly is leaking?

Well, you do have 4 inches, but with that brace on it looked more like 2 before the dust seals would be smashed, shortly followed by a good crease in the fender...

I like your seat, the stock one on my K8 is just short of a king/queen abomination and makes me tip-toe at red lights.

float bowls are leaking.  I ordered all new orings so hopefully that will fix that.

I'm not re-installing the fork brace so I should have a total 4 inches now. 

The stock seat I had on eventually rotted away.  the pictures in this thread are pretty old.  I just ordered a new kit from vietnam.  http://www.motorcycleseatsdirect.com/1972-1976-honda-cb750-k2-k3-k4-k5-k6-motorcycle-complete-cafe-racer-seat-cx500-style-new/  The seat will have a flat low profile look on a stock seat pan. 

[ef9tuning]

I was considering mounting Tarozzi low rise clip-ons above the triple and just pushing up the forks enough to mount the clip-ons. Haven't received the clip-ons yet but its looks as the mounting bracket is about an inch or less? My theory is the riding stance wont be so aggressive as clubman bars when mounting above the triple. Any input from the experts would be appreciated.


Edit: This is on a 78 CB750K

[Maurice]

I was considering mounting Tarozzi low rise clip-ons above the triple and just pushing up the forks enough to mount the clip-ons. Haven't received the clip-ons yet but its looks as the mounting bracket is about an inch or less? My theory is the riding stance wont be so aggressive as clubman bars when mounting above the triple. Any input from the experts would be appreciated.


Edit: This is on a 78 CB750K

Remove springs from forks and let them compress all the way, see where it stops. Remove the springs with the front end supported of course, and don't let it compress too quick or you will be mopping up oil all over you, your bike and wherever it is sitting. The damper piece in the fork controls that, there is another spring there when it reaches, so be sure to push a bit more when it bottoms to get the full travel. To be sure, in reality this will take tremendous force... until one day you come up on an unexpected dip in the road that turns your fender into a taco shell.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I was considering mounting Tarozzi low rise clip-ons above the triple and just pushing up the forks enough to mount the clip-ons. Haven't received the clip-ons yet but its looks as the mounting bracket is about an inch or less? My theory is the riding stance wont be so aggressive as clubman bars when mounting above the triple. Any input from the experts would be appreciated.


Edit: This is on a 78 CB750K

Be careful with the Tarozzi low-rise clip-ons.  My experience is that even when torqued down significantly (to their max), they will not hold position.  This is not an issue so much with steering the bike, but mine moved when I was loading or off-loading my bike on a ramp.  I ended up replacing them with other clip-ons.  Just my $0.02!