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Anybody know if there is a fork brace made for the Sportster? Harley and aftermarket that I've found seem to be made for everything BUT the Sporty. Which does'nt make sense since I would think a brace is wasted on a Big Twin.
I don't agree. They work great on Sporties that have single disk front brakes to keep the shimmy down when braking hard. They also work great on the older Sporties with 35mm forks. Those bikes flex quite a bit in hard turns.
I've had the SE Fork brace on my bike for over 10 years and never had any problems with "binding"....What ever that is?
My bike does not shimmy when stopping hard and does not twist or wobble on the turns. It does not have abrace nor does it need one. Of course it is a 91 with slightly different rake. The newer sportsters have different forks, so maybe they do need a brace.
The Dynas might need one because they are about 100 lbs heavier without a much stronger frame. The newest Dynas even come withlarger fork diameter, and the frame looks stouter too.
Fork braces aren't always installed for "performance" reasons. Some people install them for the look. That's one of the main reasons I have one on my sporty. I don't ride it aggresively enough to see too much of a performance benefit from it. I like the look. However I have noticed a differance with my bike not being pulled into ruts on the road as much as before. The fork brace that I have is the one from www.trak-tek.com that replaces the front fender. It's definately not for everyone. The short time that I've been riding with it on, I've noticed that I get more water and debris (mostly small stones) kicked up. I'm not too worried about it though. I definatly would not recomend going with any less than a full-face helmet with this brace.
My bike does not shimmy when stopping hard and does not twist or wobble on the turns. It does not have abrace nor does it need one.
You aren't riding it hard enough.
If you don't believe a Sporty, orDyna/Softtail for that matter,has a good amount of flex in the front end, hold the front wheel tightly between you knees and pash hard on the bars back and forth. You will see the front forks twist quite a bit. Try it with the same bike with a brace. The flex will be nearly gone.
Sure most guys won't need one, but they willmake some improvementsfor aggressive riders.
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