Jul 16, 2010
Since bikes have various purposes as well as each rider has various views of what their bike should look and handle like, there are a number of styles of front ends for biker to choose from. So, we thought we’d weigh in on various types of front ends we’ve used on builds. Which covers, Girders, Springers, Leaf Spring and Inverted Tube Forks. The primary function of forks, regardless of their look is to attach the front wheel to the motorcycle. That’s pretty simple. Motorcycle forks also provide the suspension and framework for mounting some brake components, lights and fenders if needed or wanted. Understanding the characteristic differences between various front ends though, will help you in making your choice of the right forks when creating your own custom bike. With this post, we’ll cover the Springer. Later post will cover, girders and leaf springs and inverted tubes.
Springer Forks use two sets of parallel forks. One set, mounted to the frame, remains rigid while the other set, the active set, absorbs the movement of the front wheel. The lower ends of the active forks are connected to the rigid forks through links called rockers. The rockers provide the pivot points by which the front axle is allowed to move. The upper ends of the springer forks are connected to the rigid axle through the suspension components, usually springs, shocks or a combination of both. When a shock absorber is added to the suspension components, vibration and harmonics are reduced. Both axles are then mounted to the frame through the (typically) integrated trees. Since springer forks use a pivoting rocker, they are ideal for use where longer forks are needed. The overall movement of the rockers is relatively unchanged no matter the length of the forks. This is great for rakes exceeding 35 degrees. Because of their elegantly simple design, springer forks are comparatively lighter than tube forks and require less maintenance. If an old school look is desired, then springer forks may be the right choice for a custom chopper, or customizing a motorcycle. In either case, allowances will have to be made for mounting fenders and brake hardware.
