Does a tug Have to use a leading link front fork to work with the car or can spring mods and other tricks be used to work well.Rig in Question:Moto Guzzi V11 (1100)with a Velorex 565 car.Thanks very much,Rob
LLs are never necessary. They are just another option for reducing trail and getting easier steering.
Modified triple trees will do the same with less $$$ spent.
For off-road work the leading links offer the advantage of raising the front end under braking as opposed to front end dive, which feels weird at first but will sometimes help if you are rock or stump jumping.
Another advantage available on SOME LLs is having two axle positions available so the bike can be run as a solo or hack rig by changing the trail.
Lonnie
another advantage of LL's is they are stronger than standard forks. regular forks are not made to withstand the sideways stress of sidecaring. they will flex sideways on turns, putting irregular stress on the fork tubes, seals, bearings and axle.
You can also modify the triple tree's for lighter steering. The links however do work much better. We have a Stone in the shop right now that we are building links for and will be shortly making them for Quota's
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.mysidecar.com
866-638-1793
So what is the modification to the trees...? Machine to a different angle or swap them for modified trees...?? Are progressively wound springs needed also..? Thanks all, Rob Hey remember the 10-10 kits for choppers back in the day...??? WOWThe trees were raked 10 degrees out to allow the use of ten inch over tubes... Dayem.. Dangerous..!!
In 1972 I rode to Sturgis with a group of bikes and the obligatory chase truck. By the end of the rally the chase truck was full and one of our members was in jail with plans of remaining there for a while. I was riding a Servicar at the time with a towbar on the front, so we hooked the towbar to the old Dodge and I was volunteered to ride a 1951 Pan with an honest to goodness 28 inch extension on the forks. Although it was raked, the owner/builder was quite a bit taller than me and I could barely reach the ground. I can honestly say it was the scariest ride I've ever taken. On the highway I was fine, but the stop signs were killers.
I managed about 100 miles and we found a way to get the front end up into the pickup truck so I could have my own ride back.
Cured me of any desire to build a Chopper.
The forks would be changed to a different angle to move the front wheel forward reducing trail. Once done you would not want to ride with out a sidecar. We also some times make clamps that move the forks forward with out changing the angle.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.mysidecar.com
866-638-1793
You really don't have to spend lots of money on the forks (you can just use the forks you have and really leave them alone. If you are handy you can fabricate a better brace fork the fork sliders. You don't need different front springs you can preload the ones you have with the right dia and length of gas barrel start with 30mm long and see how it goes and use heavier fork oil. Ordinary forks can be just fine and you get the right kind of feedback somone new to the game. You can drop them 25mm or so through the yokes to see how that makes you feel.
I've earles forks there very nice to have but all my other outfits have had ordinary forks and have be fine.
Have fun
George
BM R80 Palma CA England
