Tonti related question- can I dump the fork brace?

[Guzzirider]

On the standard overweight ugly front mudguard (aka fender for you yankee doodle dandys) on my Jackal there is a heavy brace, which is attached onto the forks by 4 bolts.

 

I presumed this was designed to reduce fork flex. Its heavy and its ugly and I am thinking of dumping it when I get my new alloy front mudguard built.

 

I think several other Tonti models have this kind of brace bolted to their mudguard and forks.

 

Has anyone else dumped it, and if so did you notice any difference?

 

Cheers

 

Guy

[jrt]

If you get rid of the stock mudguard/fender, there's probably no reason you *have* to keep it. None of my old Tonti bikes have a fender brace and they run just fine.

[Guzzirider]

If you get rid of the stock mudguard/fender, there's probably no reason you *have* to keep it. None of my old Tonti bikes have a fender brace and they run just fine.

 

Thanks! I was thinking the same- the LMV has one, but the 1000S does not!

 

Cheers

 

Guy

[Baldini]

Guy, does Jackal have linked brakes? If so, using just one front disc puts twisting load on forks. I have no brace on my old Tonti (38mm Marzocchis) & using just one disc twists forks visibly, & enough to bend my admitedly thin (temporary Ha!) mudguard mounts. I don't find it a problem in use but then I'm not very sensitive to these things. It may be that's what the brace is there to prevent.

 

KB

[jrt]

I thought about that, but I can't make it work in my head...ok...I think I just did.

The twisting forces don't come from the wheel- they come from the brake caliper- right?

Gripping the wheel-even on a disk that's not centered- will transfer force to the brake mounts, and to the center of rotation. There's no such transfer on the brake caliper, so I guess that's why the forks twist on you Baldini.

Now, I have a G5 with linked brakes, so the rear and front brake levers operate on opposite disks. They may be much weaker braking, but I've never seen such behavior. Nowadays, I have a set of leading link forks on it, so it's a mute point. Maybe you should go dual disk, Guy?

[Guzzirider]

As standard, she had just one front disc which maybe explains the brace. But she now has twin brembos seperate from the rear.

 

You are welcome to have my brace for free Keith!

 

Guy

[JoeV11]

If you do any hard riding on bumpy roads, you will feel the bike flop all over withoug the brace. You have the beautiful Ohlins suspension, they are obviously smarter than us mere forum mortals, and wouldn't add that much weight to the forks if it wasn't necessary. Besides, form follows function, so I think it looks great. Joe

[jrt]

The Jackal doesn't have Ohlins.

[Guzzirider]

The Jackal doesn't have Ohlins.

 

My forks are being rebuilt to fast / race spec by Maxton engineering so I won't need Ohlins

[Tom M]

I wouldn't get rid of the fork brace because the front end will become more flexible which is usually considered a bad thing for handling. Try this: stand in front of the bike, hold the front wheel between your knees, grab the handlebars and twist them back and forth. You will probably detect some fork flex. Now remove the brace and try it again. I bet you'll detect a lot more fork flex.

[badmotogoozer]

Tom nailed it - that method will tell you right away if you need a fork brace on any bike.

 

Rj

[jrt]

Just make sure it's the *fork* that's flexing and not the connection to the handlebars. They are often mounted on rubber washers to isolate vibration.