Superbrace

[SPORT]

Looking at purchasing the Superbrace for my 05 FJR w/ABS. It's lookin like it'll be around $200. It this a worthwhile investment for aggressive riders? What, if any noticible improvement are apparent?

Thanks in advance.

 

[black mamba]

I believe the investment in a fork brace is money well spent. But, honestly, the benefit you will experience is almost directly related to your style of riding. An agressive, twisties-hauling rider will see a far greater difference in handling than a more leisurely oriented rider......but both will benefit.

 

[Fred H.]

If this is the standard two piece brace similar to what Superbrace makes for other bikes, the answer is no, don't waste your money on it.

Two piece braces almost always cause binding in the forks, and while they do add some rigidity, they also will add stiction and binding, resulting in a harsh ride.

There are a few 5 piece braces out that are a much better choice if you want a fork brace, because they do not force the forks to conform to the braces dimension, but instead have a center section that you bolt on last, so it is able to align itself with the forks much better.

Also, keep in mind that there seems to be very little flex in the FJR forks in the first place, so it probably doesn't even really need a brace to begin with.

 

[madmike2]

Actually, for the same reason Fred stated, I just took mine OFF to do some experimenting. I want to see if I REALLY feel a difference.

If you are looking for something to magically make the FJR feel like a sportbike, this isn't it. If you are feeling the forks twist tortionally when you are "turning in" or holding a line in a corner, then maybe. I'm assuming you won't be riding that aggressively 2-up, though some do.

 

[madmike2]

Personally, I think you'd be better served by a fork spring upgrade from GP Suspensions than any brace.

Yep, I've heard that before...having the fork springs replaced is part of my experiment.

 

[Wolfhound]

When I asked the question to GP Suspension (Dave) while they were reworking my forks I was told the size of the tubes was so large that flex was nil and a brace wouldn't help & could possibly bind the lower legs a bit & cause wear . . . . :dntknw:

 

[Fred H.]

When I asked the question to GP Suspension (Dave) while they were reworking my forks I was told the size of the tubes was so large that flex was nil and a brace wouldn't help & could possibly bind the lower legs a bit & cause wear . . . . :dntknw:

Listen to him. He is correct.

 

[madmike2]

When I asked the question to GP Suspension (Dave) while they were reworking my forks I was told the size of the tubes was so large that flex was nil and a brace wouldn't help & could possibly bind the lower legs a bit & cause wear . . . . :dntknw:

Listen to him. He is correct.

I was satisfied with my set-up (fork brace, preload set at 1 line, etc., etc.) but thought it could be better. When the left forkseal began to leak I contacted someone about replacing it. As long as he was going to have it apart, I pre-ordered the seals, bushings, and aftermarket fork springs.

He told me the bushings look like new. So 28K+ miles with a fork brace have not caused undue wear on MY bike's bushings. But I understand where it "might".

 

[SkooterG]

He told me the bushings look like new. So 28K+ miles with a fork brace have not caused undue wear on MY bike's bushings. But I understand where it "might".

I had my blown fork seals replaced at 95k miles from the playa dancing event. My bushings were 'shot'. Almost no teflon left on them whatsoever. Guy doing the work had never seen anything like them, but then he had never seen forks with 95k on them. Have been using the Superbrace since 5k. I am neutral on it.

 

[Toecutter]

Have been using the Superbrace since 5k. I am neutral on it.

Does that mean that you think it's worth its cost and extra unsprung weight up front, or not? Neutral sounds like "no" to me.

 

[madmike2]

I had my blown fork seals replaced at 95k miles from the playa dancing event. My bushings were 'shot'. Almost no teflon left on them whatsoever. Guy doing the work had never seen anything like them, but then he had never seen forks with 95k on them. Have been using the Superbrace since 5k. I am neutral on it.

So did you consider aftermarket springs and trying them before you re-installed the fork brace?

Neutral sounds like "no" to me.

Or at least :umnik2: or :unknw: ....

 

[Bluebullet]

I have a superbrace on my 05 abs and it works ok for me. I found a difference on the steel grate bridge that i go over to get to the twisties in Brown County. Before the brace it would wiggle a little bit going over the steel channels but now it tracks a bit better not trying to follow the grating grooves as much. I bought mine on the group buy on a whim and I am not disappointed.

 

[clutchless1]

Personally I don't think it's a good investment for the lighter weight FJR. The fork brace may do some good if you have a big heavy pig of a bike with a wide fork set, larger cruiser types are more susceptible to having the forks flex or twist getting in the corners. As the FJR goes and as someone else brought forward earlier, unless you are using your bike to race, riding on the edge or getting into the corners and really pushing the bike for all it's worth, you may just be getting an expensive good looking piece of aircraft aluminum.

As this is just my own opinion, I have in the past used these and swore I was getting a more solid feel from the bike I was riding at the time. I rode with the brace on for about a week, after which I removed it. I again rode with the brace off to see if the front of the bike was slow to respond in the twisties or felt twitchy in any way, the answer was no! I really believe the added stability brought on by using the fork brace was all in my head.

If you feel adding this brace actually helped your bike in the handeling department, please don't think I'm saying what you're feeling is a figment of your imagination. I'm sure you have a better feel for what your bike is doing than I. All I'm saying is for me personally, It's not worth it to me installing this on my FJR. To be completely honest, I did use the Superbrace product but not on the FJR. I used the brace on a 99 Sportster ( wanna buy it? was used for a week).

Ride Safe, C1

 

[exskibum]

I, too, bought my ABS Superbrace in the GB. But I can't say much about the pros and cons, because . . . I put it on at the same time I installed new Wilbers springs up front and the Wilbers shock in the rear. The bike handled remarkably better when I got it back on the road for a trip to LA through the Sierra foothills.

I did exactly the same thing with the Blackbird -- Traxxion AK-20 uop front and Penske in the rear at the same time as the Superbrace install.

Could be that the improvement was all the Wilbers set up, or the Superbrace may have helped. I'm too lazy to take it off and do a comparison.

 

[SPORT]

Sounds to me like the mixed reviews say it isn't worth the $200.

Although I'm an aggressive rider (The FJR is extremely easy to scrape pegs), I don't plan on racing her in the mountains as I did my last bike (Triumph Sprint ST). So, I'll save my bones from something more useful.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Wolfhound]

I think what GP Suspension was referring to as a wear problem is when the brace is either installed wrong or is ever so slightly out of tolerance when made, not an issue normally . . . . .But not much to be gained by one, If triple trees are tight, not much give in the huge forks (My opinion).. I've had extended legs that really flopped, can't remember if it was a bike or an old girlfriend though . . .

 

[Bounce]

I found the Gen 1 Superbrace (for my 2003) made a difference. Not as much of a difference as they did on my various Gold Wings, but enough of one that I could tell an improvement. IIRC, it wasn't $200 for the Gen 1 version.