Installed a Superbrace today

[SirSquid1300]

I'll post a few pictures in a few moments, but we all know what they look like. What concerns me is what they feel like. Since Northern California just got hammered with 12 to 16 inches of rain (in some areas), it's not really safe for me to rip on the ST in twisties right now (there's also a ton of dead, wet foliage on the roads). I did however, get a quick jaunt to the grocery store in tonight and I'm not sure I feel the difference. This is my first aftermarket fork brace experience so I'm navigating uncharted waters here. It could just be my imagination, but the steering felt... uh how should I say this... crisper?

I read the threads on fork braces but thought I would revive an old topic to get the most recent rider experiences. I should also add that I have Race Tech Gold valves, Sonic springs and adjustable valve caps so the front suspension was already great to begin with.

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

Somewhere here I read about the the difference of trucks blowing the bike around on the interstate from one rider. This was interesting, but I can't figure out how that's possible. I put one on my 84 V65 and can't say I noticed, it was really because the factory piece was known to crack. I'm curious how it feels when you can get it under stress.

 

[SMSW]

I put a fork brace on my V Strom. I noticed little if any improvement or change in the handling, but, I am a conservative rider and not aggressive at all in the twisties. I suspect this device will result in an incremental improvement that will be mostly noticeable to a rider pushing the performance of the bike.

 

[Slydynbye]

I once had them on my 94 Magna, it seemed to help on slow turns over uneven pavement.
Didn't seem that much different until I removed it, THEN I could tell the difference.

 

[Bush]

Does the 1300 have the built in fork brace under the fender that the 1100 has? If so, is there still room for argument that adding another brace is really pointless?

 

[Sadlsor]

On the BRG, I felt a little uncertainty from the front end when heeling over on rough roads.
I could feel it on long-ish sweepers, it felt stable (kindof) but almost like it was "hunting" for a line to track on. A vague feeling up front, rather like my description now...
I'm considering RaceTech Gold Valve Emulators, like I did on the Blackbird.
Although I don't always ride at that pace, I do appreciate the spirited romp from time to time. And while it's not a "problem" at my level, any improvement is still an improvement.

 

[NVDucati]

I'll post a few pictures in a few moments, but we all know what they look like. What concerns me is what they feel like. Since Northern California just got hammered with 12 to 16 inches of rain (in some areas), it's not really safe for me to rip on the ST in twisties right now (there's also a torn of dead, wet foliage on the roads). I did however, get a quick jaunt to the grocery store in tonight and I'm not sure I feel the difference. This is my first aftermarket force brace experience so I'm navigating uncharted waters here. It could just be my imagination, but the steering felt... uh how should I say this... crisper?

I read the threads on fork braces but thought I would revive an old topic to get the most recent rider experiences. I should also add that I have Race Tech Gold valves, Sonic springs and adjustable valve caps so the front suspension was already great to begin with.

I just got my first ST-1300 a week+ ago. Love it. I knew from the get-go that I will add a quality fork brace to it. I put them on all my conventional front end bikes. They just make sense because they cut the distance, and in turn the leverage, between the bottom triple tree and the axle roughly in half. That doesn't matter much when we are just putting along in a straight line. But when even a little bit leaned over the center diameter and the inside edge diameter of the tire are not the same size. That builds in a rotational speed conflict. Then add on top of that the compression of the two fork tubes ... throw in some road surface imperfections ... it all becomes a bit of a jail break just when you really don't need one. By and large it just means less adrenaline and discomfort but that is always my first choice. PS: envious of your front end set up.

 

[SirSquid1300]

On the BRG, I felt a little uncertainty from the front end when heeling over on rough roads.
I could feel it on long-ish sweepers, it felt stable (kindof) but almost like it was "hunting" for a line to track on. A vague feeling up front, rather like my description now...
I'm considering RaceTech Gold Valve Emulators, like I did on the Blackbird.
Although I don't always ride at that pace, I do appreciate the spirited romp from time to time. And while it's not a "problem" at my level, any improvement is still an improvement.

I highly recommend the RaceTech Gold Valves for the ST. I purchased them along with the adjustable valve caps - I think the total was about $600. Oh... and I threw some Sonic springs and a lighter weight fork oil (5W I think) in there for good measure. I found the bike didn't dive like it used to; keep in mind the new springs also had something to do with that. I also like being able to adjust the ride on the fly for highway cruising or the twisties. NorCal road conditions are not great - pot hole city. I would say if you are installing them on your own, the difficulty level is about a 3 out of 5. It can also be a messy job. One of the forks slipped out of my hand - I ended up dumping a quart of oil on the ground. Fortunately, I had a large drum of cat litter on hand to soak it up almost immediately. Yes, when I service the oily bits, I keep a large drum of cat litter with-in arms reach.

Also it took me about 30 or 50 miles of riding and adjusting, riding and adjusting, riding and adjusting to get it right. At some point, I would like to see a professional about my suspension settings as my sag measurements were... probably not all that accurate.

 

[SirSquid1300]

I just got my first ST-1300 a week+ ago. Love it. I knew from the get-go that I will add a quality fork brace to it. I put them on all my conventional front end bikes. They just make sense because they cut the distance, and in turn the leverage, between the bottom triple tree and the axle roughly in half. That doesn't matter much when we are just putting along in a straight line. But when even a little bit leaned over the center diameter and the inside edge diameter of the tire are not the same size. That builds in a rotational speed conflict. Then add on top of that the compression of the two fork tubes ... throw in some road surface imperfections ... it all becomes a bit of a jail break just when you really don't need one. By and large it just means less adrenaline and discomfort but that is always my first choice. PS: envious of your front end set up.

Thanks! I do highly recommend getting the RaceTech valves, adjustable valve caps and Sonic springs - that was a difference I noticed immediately. I also love being able to adjust the suspension settings to accommodate certain riding conditions on the fly. I've owned a lot of bikes: GSXR 1000, 750, SV1000S, Buell X-1 Lightening, VTR1000, RC-51 (what an awesome machine), Triumph Bonneville, Honda F4i and a Honda Shadow. None of those bikes struck a chord with me like the ST1300 (at the exception of the RC51 which I regret selling to this day).

By the way, where in NorCal are you located? I'm in the Sonoma County area and always on the look out for fellow ST owners.

 

[Igofar]

I used to live in Sonoma, right off highway 12, in the valley of the moon. Used to hustle pool at the Hub (bar) if its still there.
You've got some nice roads that cross from 12 to 16, and towards Petaluma. I miss the wine country.
I don't miss servicing bike that live near the vineyards, and drive down dirt roads a lot.