Hi all,
returning to motorcycles after several decades of not motorcycling.

My present project is restoring an old motorscooter.
(make probably not relevant as it was a New Zealand product)
Step #2 is upgrading the motor so that I can keep up with modern traffic.
Step #3 has to be fitting modern disc brakes.
Step #4 then has to be upgrading the front suspension, which is where I
will run into big problems. The headstock is rigid enough and can be
further braced, but the forks are an inverted "Y" folded back slightly
with leading arms and short spring/damper units (parts bin engineering
from the manufacturer's motorcycle rear suspension)
My current thought is to make a more conventional motorcycle front end
with two triple plates only with much shorter sliding tube forks.
Has anyone got experience with front forks (say 250cc-350cc size) and
the possibilities of shortening them?

Regards,
Greg.P.
NZ



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Greg.Procter <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Has anyone got experience with front forks (say 250cc-350cc size) and
> the possibilities of shortening them?

If you can find some forks that will fit the yokes, you don't have to
shorten them in order to make the motorcycle 'sit' correctly.

Just lift the forks through the yokes so you have an inch or two (or
whatever) protruding above the top yoke.


--
BMW K1100LT & K100RS Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple
Suzuki TS250ER (currently Beaving) Damn, back to six bikes!
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

Greg.Procter wrote:

> Hi all,
> returning to motorcycles after several decades of not motorcycling.
>
> My present project is restoring an old motorscooter.
> (make probably not relevant as it was a New Zealand product)

Intrigued now. Any chance of some pictures?

> Step #2 is upgrading the motor so that I can keep up with modern traffic.

Your wallet, but is it viable?

> Step #3 has to be fitting modern disc brakes.

A well setup drum brake, and very good forward planning ;-)

> Step #4 then has to be upgrading the front suspension, which is where I
> will run into big problems. The headstock is rigid enough and can be
> further braced, but the forks are an inverted "Y" folded back slightly
> with leading arms and short spring/damper units (parts bin engineering
> from the manufacturer's motorcycle rear suspension)
> My current thought is to make a more conventional motorcycle front end
> with two triple plates only with much shorter sliding tube forks.
> Has anyone got experience with front forks (say 250cc-350cc size) and
> the possibilities of shortening them?

Have a scout round a breakers and see if anything vaguely modern could be
adapted to fit. Once you have a stem/bearing set that fits, look very
carefully at the yoke offset needed from the stem.


>
> Regards,
> Greg.P.
> NZ
>
>
>

On Oct 11, 2:08*pm, "Greg.Procter" <proc...@ihug.co.nz> wrote:

> My present project is restoring an old motorscooter.

Step #1: SELL the old motorscooter to somebody who likes that
particular brand.

Those people are definitely OUT THERE, in more ways than one.

Step #2: Buy an old motorcycle that you can afford, preferably one
that was mass produced in Japan and imported by the millions into NZ.

Step #3: Fix it up, using aftermarket repair parts that you can easily
order from the interweb.

> My current thought is to make a more conventional motorcycle front end
> with two triple plates only with much shorter sliding tube forks.

Step #4: Next time you have such a creative thought, JUST LET IT GO.

> Has anyone got experience with front forks (say 250cc-350cc size) and
> the possibilities of shortening them?

Sure. You could install shorter stanchion tubes, shorter springs and
maybe even shorten the damper rods.

But it wouldn't be worth your time if you have the money to buy a real
motorcycle that does what you want.

And, if you don't have any money, the project will be just an exercise
in futility if some engine part or rear drive part gives you trouble.

Then you'd be back in here asking about motorcycle engines that you
could easily adapt to motor scooter style rear drive, or how to adapt
a motorcycle swing arm and a motorcycle engine to an old scooter.

On Oct 11, 5:00*pm, 1949 Whizzer <macmi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Typical bad advice from a fake.

1949 Whizzer <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Sure. You could install shorter stanchion tubes, shorter springs and
> maybe even shorten the damper rods.

Or you could do what I suggest, which is raise them through the yokes.
As long as you don't mind maybe a couple of inches of stanchion poking
up.


--
BMW K1100LT & K100RS Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple
Suzuki TS250ER (currently Beaving) Damn, back to six bikes!
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

On Oct 11, 9:06*pm, totallydeadmail...@yahoo.co.uk (Looking for an
Argument, Neil Murray) wrote:

> Or you could do what I suggest, which is raise them through the yokes.
> As long as you don't mind maybe a couple of inches of stanchion poking
> up.

I don't feel like instructing Greg about the importance of matching
the front spring rate(s) to the rear spring rates and why that's
important to the overall ride comforts as well as traction balance.

And, if he found a set of forks for a more modern motorcycle which
used a 17-inch front wheel, he would still have a handling problem
because the rear wheel is probably a 12 or 14-incher.

The rider of a two wheeled vehicle with such a wheel/tire diameter
mismatch feels like the bike doesn't "want" to turn into a corner and
then it feels like the rear end is falling out from under him is the
turn.

1949 Whizzer <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> And, if he found a set of forks for a more modern motorcycle which
> used a 17-inch front wheel,

Who said he would?


--
BMW K1100LT & K100RS Ducati 750SS Triumph Street Triple Honda CB400F
Suzuki TS250 chateaudotmurrayatidnetdotcom
Nothing damages a machine more than an ignoramus with a manual, a
can-do attitude and a set of cheap tools

On Oct 12, 6:50*am, 1949 Whizzer <macmi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Boy are you stupid. It's a motor-scooter NOT a 125cc street bike you
stupid git.

On Oct 11, 10:06*pm, totallydeadmail...@yahoo.co.uk (The Older
Gentleman) wrote:
> 1949 Whizzer <macmi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Sure. You could install shorter stanchion tubes, shorter springs and
> > maybe even shorten the damper rods.
>
> Or you could do what I suggest, which is raise them through the yokes.
> As long as you don't mind maybe a couple of inches of stanchion poking
> up.

uh, dude your senility is creeping in methinks...he's talking about a
motor-scooter.