Leading Link Front Forks

[scotto-]

Well a couple weeks ago I rear-ended a car (silly me) and bent the heck out of my favorite cruiser forks. I didn't throw them away (imagine that) and just got to thinkin' what I could do with these poor bent legs.....turn them around and fab up a leading-link suspension fork.

So that's my little side project (like I need another one) and I think they're gonna work pretty well with a drum or disc-brake on them. The only real downside to these forks is they be rather heavy, but sturdy. And they do change the geometry of the bike considerably by raising the bike a bit and extending the front axle further forward. We'll see how it's goes....here's the mock-up for the build........

 

[scotto-]

Well I finally found a little time to play with this project today.....it's coming along, slowly but surely....

 

[corgi1]

Your artifical ground contact point is now way behind the axle center,instead of a couple inches ahead of it
.
.

 

[scotto-]

Your artifical ground contact point is now way behind the axle center,instead of a couple inches ahead of it
.
.

Making this a trailing link fork, instead of a leading link fork? But this will all change when the upper shock mounts are welded on. As it is now, it's just to show an idea of how they might look when completed....there really is no artificial ground contact to compare when actually mounted on the bikes head tube at the correct angle. They will work fine with nearly 4" of travel and a drum brake for good stopping power.

 

[rustycase]

How did this build progress?
I'd like to see how it worked out!

Way back when I had a Greeves dirtbike with an Earles - type front suspension.
It was pretty good, at the time.
When hard braking, the front end actually lifted/rose up...
...kinda interesting to ride.

Good luck
rc

 

[scotto-]

Hey RC, it's been put on the back burner as I've been buried in some bigger builds and such. I will get it done eventually, just a different type fork for a plush cruiser build. Yeah I know what ya mean with those braking characteristics of the old Greeves and Sachs and such......they don't nose dive for sure lol!

How did this build progress?
I'd like to see how it worked out!

Way back when I had a Greeves dirtbike with an Earles - type front suspension.
It was pretty good, at the time.
When hard braking, the front end actually lifted/rose up...
...kinda interesting to ride.

Good luck
rc

 

[rustycase]

Hey Scotto,

Yah, I got more than a few irons in the fire, too.
Hope you continue giving thought to this one... as you said, it would be very nice for a plush cruiser!

I found this pic thru a site called bmwdean. it's a 348cc Douglas Dragonfly from 1957. They made great iron in 57 !!

There must be a really nice museum in Alabama... the Barber Museum.

...dialogue says BMW used the Earles type fork for sidecar use, but mainly sold solo bikes and they were also equipped with the Earles fork.

...I'm thinkin of my salvage pile now... I could axe three china MTB forks including one front suspension fork just like you have... could be done!

Fun stuff!

Best
rc

 

[scotto-]

Hey Scotto,

Yah, I got more than a few irons in the fire, too.
Hope you continue giving thought to this one... as you said, it would be very nice for a plush cruiser!

I found this pic thru a site called bmwdean. it's a 348cc Douglas Dragonfly from 1957. They made great iron in 57 !!

There must be a really nice museum in Alabama... the Barber Museum.

...dialogue says BMW used the Earles type fork for sidecar use, but mainly sold solo bikes and they were also equipped with the Earles fork.

...I'm thinkin of my salvage pile now... I could axe three china MTB forks including one front suspension fork just like you have... could be done!

Fun stuff!

Best
rc

Twas a good year 1957.....that's the year I was made! The older I get, the better I was

Fun stuff indeed, keep it rollin' Bro!

scotto-

 

[rustycase]

Here's a bit more of what I've found, Scot.

"The fork of the Russian Ural motorcycle, seen to the right, is a leading link fork, not an Earles fork, and is installed on many Ural sidecar-equipped motorcycles.
As noted above, in an Earles fork the pivot point is aft of the rear of the front wheel — that was the basis of a patent for the design. The pivot point of the leading link fork is forward of the rear of the tire.

Another leading-link fork is the “ExtensoDive” fork by EML Engineering in Holland."


and


I found the Ural bikes, too, but only grabbed a pic of the rear end on their 'patrol' model. flip a lever to engage power to the sidecar wheel!
Yah baby! I like it!