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In March I got cutoff and destroyed the front end on my 1997 springer , now I got the payout and the bike and wanted to just put a regular softail conventional forks .
I see lots of posts going from conventional to springer on various bikes but not Springer to conventional , my question is what should I be looking for in terms of used front ends ?
Thanks in advance
Jason
Portugal 🇵🇹
Last edited by Electra90; Apr 22, 2026 at 05:23 PM.
Your springer FLSTS shares the same frame as FLSTC ( 16" fat tire) and FXST ( 21" skinny tire)
So, it boils down to the look you want and what is available "over there"
I would venture to guess that this springer fork could be straightened by a specialized German workshop for a cost of perhaps 500,- Euros?
A backyard blacksmith would straighten the fork for half the price.
In the USA, this is certainly not a problem; however, here in Germany, straightened suspension components are no longer road-legal.
This means that your insurance coverage is voided—or, if you were to run someone over and kill them, you would be paying for the victim for the rest of your life, or your relatives would have to pay on your behalf...
It is also interesting to note that, beneath the black-painted fork, lies a fully chrome-plated one.
That is precisely what multiplies the difficulty of straightening this fork in any way whatsoever.
Perhaps you should hang the fork on a wall as a memento—straightening it out to ride on it again, or even selling it after it’s been repaired, could end up costing you dearly.
Just my two cents
Mike
Last edited by Mike1956G; Apr 23, 2026 at 12:56 PM.
Same goes over here for structural suspension on a car or frame on a bike. Once insurance gets involved and documented, if it's a write off, a title is marked salvage over here if a State
allows it to be repaired.
Not all States allow it.
Interestingly, never thought about insurance getting involved. Sure can't blame them though.
Jackie,
here in Germany they say: "Ignorance does not protect against punishment"
And that basically means the seller is responsible for ANY damage, knowingly or unknowingly.
There are no loopholes, you are responsible for what you sell, whether a computer or a motorcycle, and that's a good thing.
A lot of people take their first test ride to hell on completely unsafe motorcycles that are offered cheaply.
But who am I telling this to...
I have experienced court orders that frames and chassis parts had to be officially destroyed, especially for motorcycles of any brand.
Mike
* Of course, there's no way to control all of this, but that's another matter...
Last edited by Mike1956G; Apr 23, 2026 at 01:11 PM.
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Springer write off
