Should I??

Tcams

Tcams

New Member
I have a 26" electra beach cruiser and I was thinking about adding springer forks instead of the normal forks before I order a kit motor. I was reading in some other forum that its a much more enjoyable and smoother ride. I need some advise from someone who knows there stuff. Please let me know.

Thanks
 
It isn't by any means mandatory, yet it's true a front suspension makes for a much more comfortable ride. They're also groovy lookin' lol I'd be cautious though, some of the cheaper ones look like an accident waiting to happen with crimped ends and pivots, extreme length and/or bends.

There's some folks here that have rebuilt their low-cost springer forks to have sleeved pivots etc. and that's an option - but these look like quality forks, a lil pricey tho;

MSF-2T.jpg

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or: Venice Motor Bikes, motorized bicycle sales, bicycle engine kits, service, parts.

Ofc if yer not concerned about the springer style - you can always throw a set of mountain bike shocks on there, they're prolly more effective than springers but it is a totally different look ;)
 
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Fo'Sho'! Cheap springers are a waste of money and you will bust your yayas.

It depends on where you ride too. I have never had any suspension, and I don't really think I need it.
 
lol joe - the roads around here... well... yeah :p

There's some truth to having better control/less likely to loose it with shocks and hittin' potholes etc. but how much with bicycles I unno...

My bike has e'cheapo stock shocks (not the real bad 'uns w/crimps but still low qual) but I wouldn't give em up for the world... well, for a better set ofc but ya know what I mean ;)
 
I am extremely fortunate. Even the dirt/gravel roads here are in very good shape. Yes, you have to ride around some bumps here and there, but in general, they are smooth enough for no suspension.
 
Ohio, Arizona - I'd be surprised if yer roads were as bad as ours, Maine really does try hard to keep the roads... drivable, but every winter the frost heaves do a number on 'em.

Not as bad as New Hampshire tho - at least the feds didn't cut off our funding lol
 
you could have nova scotia roads. they actually have a "Groove" for your car's tires to roll in. of course, at the bottom of the deepest part of the grooves, are holes. from aformentioned frost heaves. lol

ontario roads arent much better, lots of cracks running horizontally across.
 
I believe that front suspension helps with frame life as well
the fork takes the brunt of the bumps rather than transferring it directly to the frame
just my opinion tho :)
 
from what i've been reading around here is that springer forks ain't all they're cracked up to be for motorizing.

those cool looking monark repro's up there that barelyawake posted? well, everyone i've asked that uses them has said they tighten them down so much that the spring is about useless.

the "lowrider style" schwinn repro forks look like they were built out of a screen door, using a vice and a hammer as the tooling mechanism. i wouldn't even trust those on a bike without the motor. in fact, if they were still a screen door, i'd be afraid it'd slam in my face.

mountain bike suspension forks may be the way to go, but i wouldn't know, they'd look goofy on my bike.

it's kinda cool how much regular forks flex when you're hammering down the street. they'll move 4 to 6 inches forward and back. and from some research i've been doing, they're supposed to.

so, uh, i dunno. i don't think i answered your question...
 
Hmm... I wonder if those monark repro's would be any better with dual-stage "progressive" springs - or do they tighten them up so much cause they're made floppy?

Heh - I suppose there's a reason we replaced them with pneumatic/hydraulic ;)

Still, I like the look despite my mountain bike ways and if I ever got a springer bike that one is prolly the highest quality I've seen, short of custom jobs.
 
from what i've heard, they're made floppy, and your steering gets all loose and wandering.

i'm sure the spring rates could be adjusted...

i had an old monark with the original forks (with no motor) and they were cool, but the bike never went over 15mph, but i could bottom them out going off curbs.

it's all a matter of someone designing something motor bike specific, like that leaf spring idea.
 
Thanks for everyones advise. Im still not sure if im going to put forks on my first project. I might just wait until I have at-least built one and have some good experience. Im running on a budget an prolly will just skip the forks for now even tho it gives the bike a sick old-school look.

Thanks again everyone.
usflg
 
Tcams_Zonie said:
Thanks for everyones advise. Im still not sure if im going to put forks on my first project. I might just wait until I have at-least built one and have some good experience. Im running on a budget an prolly will just skip the forks for now even tho it gives the bike a sick old-school look.

Thanks again everyone.
usflg
Click to expand...

Tcams_Zonie, I have great place for real cheap used bicycle parts. Everything from complete bikes, frames, forks, cables, tires...you name it they got it.

They also offer free bicycle repair classes (one day I will get down there and post pics, i was just there yesterday) I bought a seat, seat tube, a few cables all for $3. Awesome frames that will go for $15.00, suspensions forks can go for $5. It all depends who is at the counter as far as prices. They just make up the price when you are ready to check out.

BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage): non-profit bike repair and recycling collective in Tucson, Arizona
 
That place looks Awesome! Free repair classes! Thats what I need. hah. Im gonna have to check it out once my project gets complete.
Thanks a bunch FairRAcing31 I hope too see you around once I get ma mb completed.
 
Bad roads? Don't move to Colorado...even the bike trails have pot holes here.
I have a springer on one of my bikes and just big old soft tires on the other two. The fat cruiser tires give the best ride. Keep them slightly underinflated and you're good to go. By underinflated, I mean about five PSI under recommended pressure. Just my opinion.
Tom
 
bairdco said:
from what i've been reading around here is that springer forks ain't all they're cracked up to be for motorizing.

those cool looking monark repro's up there that barelyawake posted? well, everyone i've asked that uses them has said they tighten them down so much that the spring is about useless.

the "lowrider style" schwinn repro forks look like they were built out of a screen door, using a vice and a hammer as the tooling mechanism. i wouldn't even trust those on a bike without the motor. in fact, if they were still a screen door, i'd be afraid it'd slam in my face.

mountain bike suspension forks may be the way to go, but i wouldn't know, they'd look goofy on my bike.

it's kinda cool how much regular forks flex when you're hammering down the street. they'll move 4 to 6 inches forward and back. and from some research i've been doing, they're supposed to.

so, uh, i dunno. i don't think i answered your question...
Click to expand...
Regular bike forks flex 4-6 inches? Are they made out of rubber or something? Mine are tubular steel and I can swear they don't flex anything like that. I think the bottom of my bike would scrape the ground if they flexed 6 inches. What "research" are you talking about?
 
erm... I think he meant 4"ish total so that'd be roughly 2" of play forward and back - which isn't actually unbelievable depending on road/speed/weight of rider/bike...

I dunno for sure - but I wouldn't scoff so quick. physics is a funny thing :p
 
yeah, it's a coupla inches in each direction. old style cantilever forks (the bent forward schwinn style) are the most noticable. i don't think the designer back then knew it, but he made the first shockless, springless suspension fork. this design was used on racing bikes as a way to make up for lousy road conditions, and is still in use today.

my '56 goodyear has those style of forks, and they shimmy forward and back like crazy at speed.

my last bike had american made, heavy steel, tubular forks, and they rocked back and forth even worse, because of their ridgid design.

if you don't believe me, take a look at your fork the next time your jamming down the street. especially on a road with a few bumps in it.

most companies aren't gonna even try to explain that their bikes have "suspensionless suspension," but they all do, whether it was done purposely, or not.
 
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