did a springer fork

T

trackfodder

Member
I was getting too many lumps on my 77 yr. old butt, so decided to finish the springer fork for my 6-1/2 HP 3-speed Rollfast. I may have opened a can of worms though. First thing that happened was the handlebars have an enlarged knurled place for clamping and the piece of steering stem I welded on was thicker than the rest of the fork stem. That meant find a proper goose-neck, which turned out to be a bike-cross unit. A 4-bolt cutie, but for 7/8" bar. Ground down the large part only to find out it wasn't a sleeve, but an enlargement. I can save it with a bolted insert later, but for now I have the bike-cross bars, which aren't to my liking., So far, it doesn't seem to have much action, so tomorrow I will ease the shoulder bolt pivots and see if that is the problem. I don't have a ready idea of how to stick a front brake on as the wheel travels up and down in the forks. I guess a Schwinn front drum brake might be ok but as I remember, they aren't too whoopee. Also a fender will be a challenge to mount. At least I can return to the original rigid setup. The flat stock (eg:links, spring perch) are 1/4" thick. Both forks are bent back a bit which serves my purpose regarding trail and rake. Was surprised to find the front end lower, as indicated by side stand too long. I will decide if this is a keeper before I shorten it or get the forks powder coated.
 

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Looks to me like it can't travel due to the moving fork hitting the handlebar clamp. Maybe turn it around so the front (moveable)fork has room to move up farther?
 
OMG! This is embarrassing. Of course you are right. I debated turning it around for handling ease. I HATE those bars. I was all set to go looking for lighter springs. Anyhow it is an easy fix. Don't even have to strip a control, just turn 180 and bolt 'er up. I may also have to remove a bit to make shoulder bolts move easier, but will do that before I have it powder coated.
Thank you for noticing my stupidity. At least it seems to be pretty stable but the thing seems a bit harder to keep on track with the new rake. It does however handle turns, etc hands -off even better now. I have lots of other thing to do. The rear coaster brake sucks and a front brake is a must. I might return to the old rear coaster wheel I had on the front once. SOMEWHERE I have a rear shoe brake from a Schwinn I took the sprocket etc. off of. It might have gone with the green 3 hp. Clinton Monarch I sold though. Also need to work on carb. as it races when warm with cable slop. It is in the linkage I think. dance1
 
Well, did the changes, the spring rate looked good, went to test and barely got out of the driveway WHEN THE FRONT WHEEL RESEMBLED A PRINGLES CHIP. Nothing but pride and the crotch of my old blue-jeans hurt and the fact that neighbor kids were WATCHING. I think the Lord was determined that I was going to have a front brake before I sally forth again. With my butt onboard, the spring leaves an ugly void above, so think I will add a counter-spring to take up the space and keep it from clattering on the down-stroke. I did add a pair of O-rings to keep it from rattling. A bit of pre-load shouldn't hurt a thing. I grew up with plunger rear suspensions on cycles.
 

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I'd be careful the first few rides until you know how it's going to hold up.
 
The terrible truth is the springs are too mushy, and insufficient clearance at the rear fork, which hit the tire, etc. Now back to the rigid fork and caliper brake until I decide to use a longer rear fork or a 24" wheel. Wouldn't mind a Schwinn spring fork if they didn't feel so sloppy. I have a couple.
 
Might try a different rocker to tune the spring action. Moving the respective pivots can change the action quite a bit...fairly easy to make as well.
 
I finally gave up, (I'm only 58,) and put a set of mountain bike shocked forks, w/cantilever bosses for front brakes on mine. Finding a 1" headset tube on shocked forkes proved challenging as most are 1 1/8", But I finally ran across a set and scooped em up quick. The last thing I would like to do is set it up with a front disc brake. 35mph wears brake pads out pretty fast.
I've never rode a springer fork I really felt stable on. They all seem to have a little "wiggle" in them. BUT, to each his own. Like I've always said,
IT'S YOUR BIKE, BUILD IT YOUR WAY.
fatdaddy.
 
As I think on it, I have a telescopic from a Moto Beta 125 SOMEWHERE. It could be muddyfied to work, I think. That would allow me to mount a Honda 50 or like-such front wheel with a meaningful front brake to endo with. Might have to spoke it up to a balloon bike 26 rim to make it fit. I really need to drop all the shenanigans and finish wiring my Lotus 7 build. At 77 I have to be realistic about what time is left.
 
trackfodder said:
As I think on it, I have a telescopic from a Moto Beta 125 SOMEWHERE. It could be muddyfied to work, I think. That would allow me to mount a Honda 50 or like-such front wheel with a meaningful front brake to endo with. Might have to spoke it up to a balloon bike 26 rim to make it fit. I really need to drop all the shenanigans and finish wiring my Lotus 7 build. At 77 I have to be realistic about what time is left.
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Hey trackfodder, I have a philosophy on this getting old crap. At 77 you have at least another 20 years left if you stay busy. Sit on yer a$$ watching TV and you'll croak in a couple years.
3 years ago the doctor gave me a year at the most. (bad ticker.) Well, I'm still alive and kickin, AND still riding my bike at 35mph all over town. I also stay busy running a small Motorized Bike Shop, (I call it Fatdaddy's MotoPeds.) That reminds me, I got customer bikes I gotta get to TODAY.
So stay right with yer Higher Power, whichever one that is, and stay busy. I'll see ya up there in 20 years or so.
And lookin at your bike, The motorcycle forks sound like a good idea.
fatdaddy.
 
HEY FATDADDY- I decided for now to re-mount the rigid and a mountain bike wheel with a 1.95" on it. The caliper will do well on the satin black chrome rim.
I am removing the dragging front fender this time and will stay with the BMX bars and goose-neck for now. Maybe I will re-discover the motorized bicycle fork. My main desire is to return to manufacturing as I have much to offer with 50 yrs experience. The Cherokee job developer lady said, "Face it, You are 77 and nobody will hire you. Market yourself as a contractor." She has a valid point. I have a retirement income from 36 yrs. as a research tech at Phillips Pet. R&D as well as SS and being 1/32 Cherokee, have IHS health care and meds (for now) and as a minority, they get a discount on payroll tax. I don't need medical, sick leave, vacation, profit sharing, etc. If they get slack or I don't fit, I can walk with no hard feelings. I suspect once I have saved or made them thousands as I have done the other places I worked, they will want to keep me. I was instrumental in winning the Malcolm Baldrige award of Excellence for Mesa Prod. in Tulsa where I was Maint Supervisor for 50 men for 10 yrs. I was actually the whole maint. dept. They went from 8.5 M to 20.7 M in the time I was there partly due to my inventions and machines I designed and built and re-designs of many of their anodes and products, I am damned good at what I do.
 
Got the rigid fork back on with the new (straight) front wheel and a meaningful caliper that works well. For now I am running the BMX bars and 4-screw goose-neck. Main reason for posting is the bars had rust in places the wire-wheel couldn't reach. I used a run-out 2" X 48" 3-M burnishing belt by hand and was amazed at the rust removal and bright surface it left. The machine it is used on I built using a spare Norton Atlas fork leg for the upper wheel mount with a 6" crowned plastic caster from HFT. The lower wheel is an 8" cast iron caster trued on the lathe and bushed to mount on a motor shaft. I worked in 2 places that had similar machines, and one did also use a bike fork, so it isn't original, just convenient. The aircraft repair place gave me belts that they decided were beyond their requirement, but were plenty good for me. They are a bit pricey, like about $20 each. The belt tracking is controlled by a blade mounted on the fender bosses with a set-bolt bearing on the motor capacitor cover. The top wheel comes with a beveled peak and works perfectly. I originally intended to make a work surface but it was so convenient to feed massive stuff in without it, I decided against one..
 

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Good luck with the rigid fork Trackfodder, I'm still a youngster and ain't riding rigid anymore. I guess I might do it just untill I found some kind of spring to put on it, Mountain bike forks, Motorcycle forks, ect, but I wouldn't like it much. Guess I'm getting soft. I used to ride the big ones and hard tail was what I rode most. Too many bike wrecks in my youth and years of hard tails left me a little sensitive to bumps. As I recall Bigbutterbean put a motorcycle fork on his bike. Ya might want to do a search and check out how he did it. Don't know if it'll help you, Might be worth checking out.
fatdaddy.
 
Strange-I don't see my update here where I am adapting a Ceriani fork I used to have on a Hodaka Ace 90 my son rode in trials when he was 12. So far still trying to remove/adjust the stem. It is bike-sized and threaded. The 19" tire won't cut it, so will spoke to Schwinn 26" balloon rim. The Hodaka brake has lots of power. I must have filed it in another category.
 
trackfodder said:
Got the rigid fork back on with the new (straight) front wheel and a meaningful caliper that works well. For now I am running the BMX bars and 4-screw goose-neck. Main reason for posting is the bars had rust in places the wire-wheel couldn't reach. I used a run-out 2" X 48" 3-M burnishing belt by hand and was amazed at the rust removal and bright surface it left. The machine it is used on I built using a spare Norton Atlas fork leg for the upper wheel mount with a 6" crowned plastic caster from HFT. The lower wheel is an 8" cast iron caster trued on the lathe and bushed to mount on a motor shaft. I worked in 2 places that had similar machines, and one did also use a bike fork, so it isn't original, just convenient. The aircraft repair place gave me belts that they decided were beyond their requirement, but were plenty good for me. They are a bit pricey, like about $20 each. The belt tracking is controlled by a blade mounted on the fender bosses with a set-bolt bearing on the motor capacitor cover. The top wheel comes with a beveled peak and works perfectly. I originally intended to make a work surface but it was so convenient to feed massive stuff in without it, I decided against one..
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Is the motor a standerd 1,750 rpm? I realy like that will have to make one myself...........Curt
 
I am thoroughly used up for the night from pulling the stem from the Ceriani fork triple-clamp. It is slotted and pinchbolted at the bottom and I assumed the thing with 2 welds on the bottom was holding a washer. I ground the welds and figured out it is just boss for attaching a fender. The stem is enlarged there. The stem rotated freely. Finally discovered the bottom ball race is a very tight fit on the stem and was able to drive the stem out with a BIG hammer and block on a bike fork nut on the threads. A smaller OD bicycle race should fit nicely and with enough spacers (about 3/4") on top over the top race it should be a good fit. Shoes are good but oily. nasty brown oil from forks. as soon as I have a keeper fit on the stem, will have the whole mess powder coated Safety Yellow to match the bike. Then I have to locate the proper spokes to do the Schwinn 26 rim to the Ace 90 hub. I may end up buying blanks and a thread roller.
 
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