Anyone here ever shortened forks?
 

Hey,

My modified chinarider Apache POR 125 (GY125) is coming on nicely, (I'll upload some pics soon) but I just wondered if anyone has any experience with shortening forks? I've seen tutorials on the youtube and all that, but as always, I'll happily learn from your experience if you are happy to share.

Unless you say "don't do it" in which I'll probably ignore you.

;-p

How much are you wanting to shorten ?
Loosen triples and slide the forks up

Indeed, if you only want to shorten the forks an inch or so, sliding the forks up the triple tree is easiest. :)

Hi folks, no, I'm looking at 3 or 4 inches altogether. I've borrowed a set of shorter forks to try out for size, it really affects the stance, but the handlebars I'm using only allow about half an inch adjustment through the triple tee..

I wonder if pit bike forks will fit your motorcycle? :hmm:

I've got some on right now!! so YES!

BUT. my front wheel doesn't fit those forks, and the wheel that came with them (borrowed) is a mag, not spokey dokeys.

gotta admit though,I'm quite tempted to take my current forks apart and see if some internal shortening can be done.... I'm sure I read some tutorials online but I'm blowed if I can find them now!!

I suppose I could keep an eye out for a cheap pit bike front end with a spoked wheel.. That would have the added benefit of a smaller front wheel too........

It depends on the forks. My Skyteam 200 had a very simple (i.e. cheap/primitive ) design. It was basically one long spring with an oil valve damper at the bottom. I simply unbolted the caps and cut a couple of inches off the springs. Other forks are more complicated. Heres a tutorial for a more sophisticated fork design.

http://www.customfighters.com/forums...ad.php?t=45166

It's quite simple with the older damping rod style...

easyest way................
pull the forks apart and put spacer tubes over the damping rods..
& shorten the springs.. but the compression damping most lightly won't
work...

not so easy way....
cut the bottom of the damping rods... weld a short bit of solid rod in the bottom
then re-drill and tap for the bolt..then re-drill the rebound damping holes up the
damping rods the same amount you cut off... you will retain both compression
& rebound damping... you don't have to shorten the springs....

If they are USD forks thing get a bit trickyer...




.

Thanks for the replies folks, I'll get around to taking them apart one day and we'll see what happens.... It'll have to be the simple way or no way. I can't weld and am doing the bike on an uber budget...

I'm thinking that if they are conventional forks it's just a matter of shortening the spacers under the caps. If they are USD, it's a lot more involved.

yer but thats just removeing spring pre-load & letting the forks sag...

Would swapping the tubes from the shorter pit bike forks into the lowers that hold the wheel you want be a possibility?

OK folks, I've taken the forks apart and they're really simple. (not unlike their owner)

There's a spacer at the top of the forks, which when taken out ans left out, seems to shorten the forks by a couple centimetres with no obvious effect. I've not ridden it yet with this as the bike isn't rideable yet. According to the quote above, this is letting the forks sag, is this a bad thing?!

And IF I wanted more lowering, how bad is it to cut a couple of centimetres off the spring then reassemble?

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps7v36clts.jpg

You're reducing, or even completely eliminating spring preload, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Depends on too many factors, and personal preference is just one of them.

Thanks krasi, I'm willing to give it a shot.. What about cutting the spring down a little bit, is that doable?

Of course you can, but there is a danger to make them too "wobbly". As an experiment, try compressing the last few coils and tie them together with piece(s) of wire. If the ride quality is acceptable, go ahead and cut them then.

I'll do just that Krasi, thanks for the tips..
It'll probably be the last thing I do to it, plenty to go at in the meantime....

I found this in some random pics I had in a folder. Don't know if it helps or not.

Attachment 1365

Thanks weldandgrind!
I think if anything, mine are even simpler that that!
Here's a photo of the difference between the standard fork and the pit bike forks I've been lent to try out.. Plenty lower, much better stance, but about 4/5 inches shorter.. If I take the spacer out that's about one and a half inches, so any lower and it'll involve spring cuttage! ��

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps4nrpedgr.jpg

Happy to oblige.

Are we gonna see pics of the whole bike with the short forks soon?

Not yet mister, not until it's actually rideable! I've had to give the pit bike forks back now, so it's sitting high again..

😕

As you can tell from my joining date and the mess the bikes in, this is a long term project! Mainly cos I can't spend much time on it due to house projects running concurrently . Stupid house.

Well, if it's of any relief, job, family and other minor stuff usually get in the way of riding :D

Not sure if shipping from New Zealand to the UK would be brutal, but perhaps Pete would sell his pit bike forks. He swapped to a set of USD forks, and I'm not sure if the conventional forks were even used.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=13447