Another Monark Springer Issue

cannonball2

cannonball2

Well-Known Member
This may have been discussed before, but I didnt find anything in search. Got a springer today, knew I was going to have to weld it. Soon discovered my balloon wheel hub was too wide. After looking at how the rocker was assembled I was blown away that anyone thought this is how to do it. The shoulder bolts were in the rockers with the rest of the shoulder taken up by spacer washers, forcing the fork hoops ro ride on the threaded part of the bolt and be retained by nyloc nuts the had about one thread in the nylon. BAD DEAL!!. The simple fix was to drill the fork hoops to the size of the shoulder bolt, and assemble the rockers without the spacer washers. Now you have the forks and the rockers riding on the shoulder and plenty of thread for the nylocs to lock onto. Ideally a slightly longer shoulder would be better as it would allow a washer between the rocker and the fork. Still it is perfectly useable and much safer now with this simple mod.
 

Attachments

  • 001.JPG
    001.JPG
    90.9 KB · Views: 375
  • 005.JPG
    005.JPG
    103.7 KB · Views: 366
  • 006.JPG
    006.JPG
    96 KB · Views: 345
  • 003.JPG
    003.JPG
    111.3 KB · Views: 395
I wish you guys would quit calling these "Monark" springer forks. Most of them are piss poor copies of the very reliable old Monark Bicycle forks from the 40s and 50s. Get an original off of e-bay. Both the boys and the girls will work, just shorten the threaded post on the girls and take out the spacers and you've got a boys fork.
 
thimmaker said:
I wish you guys would quit calling these "Monark" springer forks. Most of them are piss poor copies of the very reliable old Monark Bicycle forks from the 40s and 50s. Get an original off of e-bay. Both the boys and the girls will work, just shorten the threaded post on the girls and take out the spacers and you've got a boys fork.
Click to expand...

I've seen many of the original Monark forks... These 'piss poor' copies are actually a little better than the originals! (seriously)

The 'mod' that was described in the first post is exactly what I do to the forks that I install on my bikes. ;)
 
monark, schmonark...

you want some real forks, try some Rixe Tandem forks on for size...
 

Attachments

  • rixe tandem fork.jpg
    rixe tandem fork.jpg
    94 KB · Views: 641
I think that fork is ok ,looks like a moped or small motor cycle style but might need the head tube layed down more to track right
 
that fork looks pretty stout !!!
I like it :)

btw,,,some new frames need a girls bike fork (longer threaded section)as well,,,
my stretch (micargi mustang) does
the stearing tube measurement from (outside of) bearing cup to bearing cup on the mustang is: 6 1/8"
on my jag (new style, cheap Target one) it is: 5 1/4"
...the 2 springer forks are NOT interchangeable, even if you swap the threaded tubes (I tried when I built the stretch :()
 
Last edited:
No fair Bairdco!!!

Don't be floppin photos like that out there unless you've got enough for everybody in the room! I'd take one in a heartbeat!

On a side note (and not to steal the thread) I checked with my local Felt dealer today and he checked on a price for an Abraham Linkage for me -- $89 bucks! I'm going in tomorrow to see if its for real. He mentioned that "If I don't like the chrome, I can get 'em with different paint colors". Makes me think he was talking about a single springer, not an Abraham L. We'll see. I'll probably order some bricks and who knows what else.
 
That Girder fork is almost identical to the 1948-1950 Harley Davidson 125 "hummer" except for the spring. Harley used 2 heavy rubberbands instead. They can be had on E-bay quite often and the rubbers are still available as repo's. Might look neat on an old Schwinn.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top