autofreak
12-24-2008, 05:23 AM
FRONT FORKS
Telescopic forks have several advantages. In engineering terms they're simple. They're cheap to produce, too, and manage the steering, suspension and the transfer of acceleration and braking forces with the minimum of components. Design is straightforward and uncluttered. And conveniently for motorcyclists, the fact that you can sense most of this going on instils confidence - it's part of what we interpret as feedback. Dive under braking also steepens the steering geometry, making the bike easier to turn.
139
Unfortunately this job sharing causes a substantial drawback. The suspension loading is passed through the steering, and braking and acceleration through the suspension. So the components have to be man enough to take the additional forces. Naturally, this makes them heavy. And the steering has to move them all. Forks also concentrate all these loads in trying to snap off the headstock acceleration and braking has a go at reducing the fork's rake angle and suspension attempts to stretch them out like a chopper. That's why conventional steering heads are so heavily braced. And, of course, the alteration to the steering geometry in heavy use isn't always what you want.
Telescopic forks have several advantages. In engineering terms they're simple. They're cheap to produce, too, and manage the steering, suspension and the transfer of acceleration and braking forces with the minimum of components. Design is straightforward and uncluttered. And conveniently for motorcyclists, the fact that you can sense most of this going on instils confidence - it's part of what we interpret as feedback. Dive under braking also steepens the steering geometry, making the bike easier to turn.
139
Unfortunately this job sharing causes a substantial drawback. The suspension loading is passed through the steering, and braking and acceleration through the suspension. So the components have to be man enough to take the additional forces. Naturally, this makes them heavy. And the steering has to move them all. Forks also concentrate all these loads in trying to snap off the headstock acceleration and braking has a go at reducing the fork's rake angle and suspension attempts to stretch them out like a chopper. That's why conventional steering heads are so heavily braced. And, of course, the alteration to the steering geometry in heavy use isn't always what you want.