FJR 1300 fork brace

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Semper Fi

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I just replaced the front tire on my 2003 FJR. This tire, like the last one, is cupped badly. The person that replaced the tire for me told me that I should look into getting a fork brace. He says that one of the things they do is reduce the amount of cupping. Does anyone know anything about them and if they even make them? I have looked on a bunch of websites and have not even found one for our bikes.

 
Does anyone know anything about them and if they even make them?
Google is your friend. Talked about many, many times on this forum. Search on fork brace site:fjrforum.com and see lots of discussion about "superbrace".

 
It's not your forks, it's your tire pressure. Anything below about 40 psi will result in cupped front tires. I run 41 front and 43 rear. It made a world of difference. I haven't had a cupped tire since.

 
It's not your forks, it's your tire pressure. Anything below about 40 psi will result in cupped front tires. I run 41 front and 43 rear. It made a world of difference. I haven't had a cupped tire since.
Thanks. I did, when I first noticed the cupping, up the tire pressure for 36 to 50 and it started to take care of the cupping. I did start to look on Google and found them after I posted, for that I am sorry. After reading a lot that has been posted on them, I am not so sure they are worth the money. I think I will do what you have done and up the tire pressure to 41.

 
I did start to look on Google and found them after I posted, for that I am sorry. After reading a lot that has been posted on them, I am not so sure they are worth the money. I think I will do what you have done and up the tire pressure to 41.
I like that outcome. :)

 
It's not your forks, it's your tire pressure. Anything below about 40 psi will result in cupped front tires. I run 41 front and 43 rear. It made a world of difference. I haven't had a cupped tire since.
Thanks. I did, when I first noticed the cupping, up the tire pressure for 36 to 50 and it started to take care of the cupping. I did start to look on Google and found them after I posted, for that I am sorry. After reading a lot that has been posted on them, I am not so sure they are worth the money. I think I will do what you have done and up the tire pressure to 41.
I'm hoping that is a typo. These tires are not rated at 50 psi cold tire pressure. 40 - 42 will be OK.

PS - I agree with your conclusion about the fork brace. The person that replaced the tire for you doesn't know what he's talking about. The brace would do nothing to reduce the tires' cupping. Fork braces are a hardware version of snake oil, IMO.

Also, be aware that a certain brand of tires (the one that begins with bridge and ends with stones) are notorious for cupping as they wear. It has something to do with the tread pattern. They do get a little noisy in mid-life, but the cupping doesn't really affect their performance all that much.

Other tires will also scallop or cup as they wear, depending on the tread pattern. It can be minimized by running high pressures, but not eliminated entirely. As long as the tire carcass flexes when the weight of the bike is on it (you want it to flex some) the tread blocks will wear unevenly.

YTMMV.

 
oh so I'm not alone. My front tire (BT023) also got cupping but it's the end of its life when it starts shown up. My front end does not wobble so cupping does not impact my riding except when exiting out of corner, strange feeling but that's expected with cupping. I don't know about increasing the tire pressure. Perhaps I try it with next tire. But 90% of the tire life has been good so far so I don't mind end of life cupping.

 
My experience is lose the Bridgestones & you lose the cupping. They are notorious for it. Metzelers or Michelin are the way to go IMO but Zilla is right in that tire pressure is crucial, as well.

 
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Fork braces are a hardware version of snake oil, IMO.
YTMMV.
This may be correct wrt the FJR, but it doesn't apply to all bikes in the event folk here have more than one :)

The Venture Royale had particularly weedy front forks, and a SuperBrace transformed the handling, particularly at low speeds. Money well spent and a standard mod on that bike.

The FJR has much stiffer forks from the factory, and I can see how bracing them might be superfluous.

 
It's not your forks, it's your tire pressure. Anything below about 40 psi will result in cupped front tires. I run 41 front and 43 rear. It made a world of difference. I haven't had a cupped tire since.
Thanks. I did, when I first noticed the cupping, up the tire pressure for 36 to 50 and it started to take care of the cupping. I did start to look on Google and found them after I posted, for that I am sorry. After reading a lot that has been posted on them, I am not so sure they are worth the money. I think I will do what you have done and up the tire pressure to 41.
I'm hoping that is a typo. These tires are not rated at 50 psi cold tire pressure. 40 - 42 will be OK.

PS - I agree with your conclusion about the fork brace. The person that replaced the tire for you doesn't know what he's talking about. The brace would do nothing to reduce the tires' cupping. Fork braces are a hardware version of snake oil, IMO.

Also, be aware that a certain brand of tires (the one that begins with bridge and ends with stones) are notorious for cupping as they wear. It has something to do with the tread pattern. They do get a little noisy in mid-life, but the cupping doesn't really affect their performance all that much.

Other tires will also scallop or cup as they wear, depending on the tread pattern. It can be minimized by running high pressures, but not eliminated entirely. As long as the tire carcass flexes when the weight of the bike is on it (you want it to flex some) the tread blocks will wear unevenly.

YTMMV.
No sir, that is not a typo. I did it because I was tired of the cupping. It has been there for almost 2 years. I have had it on 3 diferent types tires. I have now gone back to the type of tires that was on the bike when I bought it, Avon Storm 2 Ultra. I will also bump up the tire pressure and hope that will take care of the problem.

 
No sir, that is not a typo. I did it because I was tired of the cupping. It has been there for almost 2 years. I have had it on 3 diferent types tires. I have now gone back to the type of tires that was on the bike when I bought it, Avon Storm 2 Ultra. I will also bump up the tire pressure and hope that will take care of the problem.

OK, well, you can do whatever you want but...

You may want to go take a look at the specs on the sidewalls of that tire. Here's an example on a (POS) Continental front tire that I just removed from my bike this morning (it was easier to get the photo of this one than the Bridgestone now on the bike)

100_4598.jpg


I'd be willing to bet that the maximum inflation pressure speced on the sidewall of your tires is also 42 psi.

Believe me when I tell you that there are much worse things that can happen from over-inflation than a little tread cupping.

YMMV.

 
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I have a MCL fork brace that I took off of my '05 this year. It's yours if you want it. Send me a PM with your shipping info and I'll send it along.

 
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Fork braces were a good idea back in the day of thin spindly forks. On the FJR I don't see where there's enough flex in that rather stout front end to have any noticeable gain. I used one on my '85 FJ1100 and while I felt it made a difference it may have been placebo effect after spending the money. They are useful on certain Harleys like the Wide Glide or Softail models with the wide front ends. They're a whole different set of problems though.

 
People still run Avons?
Just off to Colorado this weekend with a brand new set of Storm 2 Ultras I got for a sweet deal. My second set, first set I had no complaints. Would like to try the Storm 3D XM's but lots of $$$ for those...

 
Probably be more effective on the 2014 ES model, considering its willowy 43mm forks, as opposed to the Gen I, II and Gen III A models with their more manly, robust 48mm forks.

 
Probably be more effective on the 2014 ES model, considering its willowy 43mm forks, as opposed to the Gen I, II and Gen III A models with their more manly, robust 48mm forks.
You dork! How are you going to put a fork brace on the inner (lower) fork legs of an USD fork? Through the wheel?
rolleyes.gif


The ES inner legs are very short and will not have the leverage applied to flex them like the RSU (Right Side Up) forks have.

 
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