Topic: Re: Clip-on mounting? (Changed to: Please post your Clip-ons)

[SKTP]

I am considering Clip-ons and have never actually seen how they work.

Do they clip-on above or below the top triple tree?

If above, do they shorten your fork length? I doubt it, but I'm not really getting how they actually mount?

I would love to see some pics of clip-on mounted and how they mount...thanks and sorry if this is the stupidest question ever....

[odiewan]

They simply clamp on to the fork tubes. They go where ever you have room on the fork tube. On the CB, I would assume under the top triple.

Here's a picture from an R1 forum

[Kong]

You can loosen the clamp bolts in your triple tree and raise the tubes up to attach the clip-on's  above the tree if you want to - its a way to lower the front of the bike, usually by about an inch or a little more.

Or, as said above, you can mount them between the upper and lower tree, wherever best suits your riding style and comfort.

[SKTP]

Sorry, I'm bumping this with a title change....Please post your bikes with Clip-ons

[odiewan]

A set of Woodcraft clip-ons

These are the ones I just ordered for my CB. I have sets on my SV and my Aprilia RSV 1000 R. You don't have to take the triple apart to get them on.
Woodcraft makes a full line of clip-ons for vintage bikes. You have to call them with your fork tube diameters to order them. $149 and you get your choice of black or silver tubes.

[flybox1]

on the cheap side, you could go with dunstall style which go on top of your top triple, but dont require any repositioning of your forktubes.

http://www.cyclexchange.net/index%20pics/barend3.JPG

older thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=59805.0

[Kong]

These are just on the bike for a fit.  This is a set mounted above the tree with the tubes moved up to accept them.  Mounting this way lowers the front of the bike by the distance the tubes are moved up, about an inch in this case.  Please ignore the little drops of blood in the second photo:



By the way, that little monkey on the bike is a Kong to be.

[odiewan]

Please ignore the little drops of blood in the second photo:

Dude, what are you doing that puts blood on your bike?
Blood sweat and tears indeed...

[FunJimmy]

By the way, that little monkey on the bike is a Kong to be.

And a cute Kong too.


Requisite photo

[SKTP]

How much does handling change buy effectively shortening the down tubes/fork length by mounting clip-ons above?

[FunJimmy]

How much does handling change buy effectively shortening the down tubes/fork length by mounting clip-ons above?

If memory serves me and I doubt it does (it’s the second shortest thing I have) 1" lower at the forks is equal to 1 degree steeper rake.

[Kong]

I suppose the trite answer would be that lowering it one inch in the front has the same effect on handling as raising it one inch in the rear with 13" shocks would, but as FunJimmy said, maybe a degree.  I would suggest that there is no noticeable change in handling at all, but a considerable change in how the bike feels like hits handling because of the changed rider's stance, and possibly a small shift forward of the center of gravity attendant to the changed seating position.

[MCRider]

How much does handling change buy effectively shortening the down tubes/fork length by mounting clip-ons above?

Every bike would be different, but generally speaking it will quicken the steering which you'd probably like up to very high speed where it could get twitchy which you might not like.

I'd be real concerned that you had enough clearance at the top of the fender/tire, and that the brake hoses aren't kinking or potentially get pinched by the rising wheel.

You'll lose some ground clearance also which means your 4-1 header may touch down near the front in rt hand corners and parking lot speed bumps, and camp grounds, as well as the regular places in the rear.

[MCRider]

Racers tune the front end to different tracks by raising or lowering the tubes in 1/8 inch increments so if you are sensitive to your handling you'll tell a difference for sure and even if you're not sensitive i can't imagine that even a numb butt wouldn't tell the front's down an inch.

IMO.

[MCRider]

The elegant (and expensive) solution is to buy longer fork tubes from Frank's Maintenance, so you can have the high clip ons and the stock ground clearance.

[Really?]

It has gone as low as this. Burt Munro on his Indian.

[Roach]

and that was the last time burt had his front teeth lol

[Kong]

Racers tune the front end to different tracks by raising or lowering the tubes in 1/8 inch increments so if you are sensitive to your handling you'll tell a difference for sure and even if you're not sensitive i can't imagine that even a numb butt wouldn't tell the front's down an inch.

IMO.

You have a high opinion of "numb butts" that I do not share*.  Most riders can't tell when they have a tire that is under inflated by half, let alone something as subtle as the effect of a degree of two of rake taken out of the bike.  And as to comparisons of "racers" to street drivers, those are analogies that play well in the fantasies of adolescents, but don't very often have a thing in the world to do with the real world motorcycle riding - you ever see a race track with a rail-road crossing, un-repaired pot holes, and some moron about to to make a left hand turn in front of you in an van full of children?

* If you don't think most bike riders are oblivious to reality just note what percentage of them go without helmets in states where they are not required.

[MCRider]

Yeah Kong you could be right. I guess I'm thinking people who want cliipons have an elevated awareness to these things. Otherwise they wouldn't be drawn to clipons but rather ape hangers.

So humor me in my delusion.   

[Kong]

Pleased to my friend, I have plenty of delusions of my own that I hold sacred - just read my posts to see a few of them.   But let me say this - in most cases I don't think there is much difference between the motivations of people using Apes and others who use clip ons.  Its all about the style, and which style a guy prefers is really immaterial.

Somewhere else on this board I posted a series of photos of the process of doing a paint job; it was done for a guy named Freddie.  That idiot, and I do not use the word inappropriately, has a set of Apes on the bike I painted that is so tall he can barely reach them, and they are mounted so as to be raked forward of vertical a considerable amount.  The bike is unsafe by any standard and I've told him so.  I like the guy and I'm going to feel real bad the day he gets killed on that bike.  I've seen clip ons on street bikes that were just as bad, just in the opposite direction.

[srook]

Dunstall clip-ons




Scott

[Really?]

Nice work Scott!  I wanna ask questions but not wanting to hijack the thread.

[srook]

pm me, happy to answer anything.
Scott

[SKTP]

Ask away...clearly Scott knows what he is doing. That's some insane polishing going on there. Impressive. Do they make Dunstals with a vertical adjustment or pivot?

I will admit I am going for style. But I want it to function as well. I just want a really clean look.

[Really?]

Since you said it was ok, here ya go.

I PM'ed him and he answered my silly questions.  I asked about the gas cap and the instrument label.  I had never seen one other than black.  Saw a black one on ebay a while back for about $20.  He found the one he has and the black one at Yamiya.  $!2.66 for it.  I think the one he has fits the look very well.  The cap he has is a Carpy Dunstall one but he also said you can find them cheaper elsewhere.  He has had no leakage issues.