Tomhummer, your very welcome

Schumacher you might want to check out www.superbrace.com also

 

I can't say it was giant improvement, but the bike was still fairly new at the time I installed it. It might, probably would, be a more noticable imporvement on a bike with a lot more mileage on it.

But it did stop an odd oscillation that was a little disconcerting when you were in a highway interchange that can be taken at higher speeds.

Every time I would go through one almost dragging a peg it would do a little bit of 'hunting' around with the front wheel. Felt a little spooky the first time it happened.

But after I installed the brace it stopped doing it altogether. So I have to think that the 'hunting around' was probably being caused by the front forks twisting or flexing under the load of laying the bike over so far while going relatively fast.

Overall I would have to say that there was an imrovement, if for no other reason than it let me enjoy the ride more without having to be weary of the 'wobbles' any time I wanted to get a little frisky with it.

Hope that helped, ride safe, if it isn't snowing like it is here.

 

Citoriplus, thank you for the reply. may i throw a couple more things at ya? could you elaborate on the brace choice you and Ron made? did you install the brace with the bike on a lift with forks extended or on the ground in an upright position? thank you.

 

I installed mine while on a lift, after bouncing them up and down a few times to get them loose. When I first put it on, I did it like anyone else, on the kickstand. Diden't feel quite right. Once the front end was fully extended, then I put them on loosely, lined up the brace right, and torqued them using the a star pattern. Made a difference that way, IMO. The bike corners better with them.

A while ago, I was riding next to a friend who was on a wide glide. He drifted off the road, and may have got some mud in his tires. Well, he pulled back onto the roadway, and was ok for a minute, then went into a tank slapper. The force acting on the bars was so great that it actually tossed him off of the bike, then the bike went down in a shower of sparks, right next to me. I pulled into the oncoming traffic lane, and made it to the other side of the road. By the time I got the chick on the back to shut up and get off, and got off myself, he already had his bike stood up on the road. He rode it home, put it in the garage, opened a beer, then said, OOOWWWWWWW!

He put a fork brace on the next week. Never seen or heard of anyone having one with the brace on and mounted correctly. Only bike I never had one on was the RKC, and the standard I had before it. For me, it's mandatory equipment.

 

so does it really matter if you install with the kickstand down or on a lift?

 

nope. both ways are equally as ineffective.

they look cool but are totally unnecessary on a street application.

 

Probably not, given that there is a steel bar nearly 1" in diameter (the axle) holding things 'straight' without a real side load.
But I put mine on with it lifted, front wheel hanging, just for my own peace of mind.

If they were completely ineffective why are they built in to so many of the crotch rockets?
Ok they often get 'pushed' far harder than your average Harley (especially Softails). But they are also much lighter and have shorter, more rigid fork assemblies. So they really shouldn't need one nearly as bad.
I "LIKE" to play with mine sometimes like its a crotch rocket, and believe me when you push a bike as heavy as a Softail around hard with a wideglide fork assembly up front. If left unsupported, it will give you a lesson in the flexability of steel and aluminum your not going to like much.

Smug,
I picked the one I have primarly because its made of thick (relatively) steel and 'should' be stiffer than most of the aluminum versions. Another is that it looks nicer than most of the aluminum ones. Aluminum versions often make up for their lessor strength with bulk. They just don't look nice, or didn't when I was shopping for one, that may have changed. I also got it for decent price off evil-bay.
If there is a drawback to the steel one its that its not a light weight toy. You could easily hammer nails with it. Adding weight to the unsprung portion of the fork tubes changes the front forks ability to hold the road on uneven surfaces. But its not all that much extra weight and I'm not crazy enough to try pushing my bike hard enough find out its ultimate limits.
I'm just too old to be playing those kind of silly games these days. I don't heal up as fast as I used to.