rpm's fork brace

[ELIMINATOR]

Bit the bullet after deliberating if this is worth the money, I shall find out soon.

[airheadPete]

I think you'll like it. It is, (as the English say?), a nice bit of kit.

[Capn Ron]

And it makes for a handy tie-down point on the ferries!



Cap'n Ron. . .

[ELIMINATOR]

"nice bit of kit" alternatively. "It's the dogs bollocks"

[andyoutandabout]

Mine's still working after a these years. Should have come as a standard part before the bikes left the factory.
Andy

[ELIMINATOR]

then we would have intact mudguards!

[Vsekvsek]

How involved are putting these on? I have been wanting to put stiffer fork springs in. Figured if I have to rip into the front end I would do that at the same time.

[markmartin]

How involved are putting these on? I have been wanting to put stiffer fork springs in. Figured if I have to rip into the front end I would do that at the same time.

It's a direct bolt on.  Four allen head bolts attach the back half to the front half and you're off to the races.

[FJ1100mjk]

deliberating if this is worth the money

I will look forward to your report on the fork brace.

I recently reviewed comments regarding a fork brace on a FJ owners Facebook (thanks for the link aviationfred) Group. They are mixed, but gravitate towards the positive end.

Always wondered about the claims of fork's flexure causing cracks and broken mounting tabs in/on the fender. And that possibly they could be more attributed to plastic aging, and improper (over) torque of the mounting fasteners, or improper assembly of washers and brake hose brackets instead.

And I also wondered if the fork brace applications were better suited to their original, earllier applications of spindly 35 - 38mm diameter forks.

I do know that stiffer springs in the front, are worth their expense.

Yours are on their way to you, and again, I look forward to your report on them.

Marty

[FJmonkey]

If you are not sure if the RPM fork brace helps, all you have to do is look at your OEM fork brace. Remove the 4 fasteners and look at the size and shape of the holes. I don't think the holes being out of round or larger than they need to be can be attributed to the metal getting old. The FJ forks are flexing when they are bumping down the road. That is why Yamaha put that metal plate on the forks and called it a fork brace. They just did not design it well enough to be really effective.

[Dads_FJ]

deliberating if this is worth the money

... And that possibly they could be more attributed to plastic aging, and improper (over) torque of the mounting fasteners, or improper assembly of washers and brake hose brackets instead...


Marty

That's what I used to think - Until I replaced my front fender with a brand new OEM from Yamaha (Granted it may have been NOS) and it too cracked where it mounts within a few years.  I was careful while tightening the screws and I don't use the brake hose brackets with the SS lines.  I believe my fender would be intact had a fork brace been installed.

[FJ1100mjk]

all you have to do is look at your OEM fork brace.

Monkey:

Not sure what you mean by OEM fork "brace". I don't see a brace in the exploded view for the fork assembly (1987), where logically, a fork brace should reside...

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Yamaha/Motorcycle/1987/FJ1200T/FRONT%20FORK/parts.html

I do see a BRACKET, FENDER Item #2 in the fenders' (1987) exploded views...

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Yamaha/Motorcycle/1987/FJ1200T/FENDER/parts.html

Is this what you are referring to?

Marty

[FJmonkey]

I do see a BRACKET, FENDER Item #2 in the fenders' (1987) exploded views...

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Yamaha/Motorcycle/1987/FJ1200T/FENDER/parts.html

Is this what you are referring to?

Marty

Yes, I have seen it labeled as fork brace but that is the part I mentioned. I wonder what the factory manual calls it?

[skymasteres]

Marty,

You are correct, Mark is reffering to the #2 bracket that you identified. If you look at the forces being applied to the front suspension you can see that, when cornering, there is going to be a bending force that will try and move the forks independantly. (Pushing one up and pulling the other down) This is what breaks the fender tabs and what the heavier RPM fork brace prevents.  (If you think about the size of the axle bolt up front and the distance from the axis of action, it's easy to see how these forces will create some flex there.)

Not all bikes experiance enough flexing for it to be a problem. Case in point, the Honda Magnas of days gone by, simply replace the stock fender bracket with a 1/4" aluminum plate. It uses the stock mounting
points and is sufficient to tighten up things at the level they are typically ridden to. The FJ's on the other had are capable of much greater cornering performance...

[Pat Conlon]

If you have removed the stock brake hose brackets, you *must* put some washers under your fender tabs to compensate or you will crack your tabs.

Yes, the FJ's spindly (by today's standards) 41mm fork tubes flex, the brace helps.