Quote:
Originally Posted by Z1Rider
Inverted forks do not belong on dirt bikes! Period!
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Man, every dirt bike made in the last 15 years by every manufacturer on the planet better be recalled then.
The other advantages of an upside down fork greatly make up for the one disadvantage, which is the exposed seal surface. Those cheesy plastic fork covers actually do a really good job of protecting the stanchion tube from damage. A little extra care and maintenance on the user end, such as a seal cleaning from time to time, will help to greatly prolong the life of the seals. A seal mate tool is a wonderful cheap investment that takes a couple minutes to use.
The reduced unsprung weight, increased rigidity, increased stanchion seal and bushing spacing (lower friction and stability), larger stanchion to tube overlap, and radial brake mounting capabilities greatly outweigh the possible decreased life of a cheap and relatively easy to replace wear item.
Those are just the reasons bike manufacturers switched to them, but then again, what do all of those engineers know.
