A Day trip to Joshua Tree National Park with Motorcycle...

[BusyWeb]

Originally Posted by Moedad

Yes. Actually the shocks were easier to install than the fork brace because there's a brake line bracket right in the way of installing the back half of the brace. You can see it on the backside of the fork in this picture.
After that the shocks were a piece of cake.

Wow, you did great job.
I thought that shock installing was harder thatn fork brace install...
Its weight looks much more than brace... ha ha ha
Thanks for the photos, I might try it later on.. but not sure that I could do??
(any special tools or work bench for my bike???)

[alanmcorcoran]

What is the value of the fork brace? Does one install shocks for reasons other than the old ones are shot? Just curious.

[Water Warrior 2]

Alan, a fork brace reduces fork flex. Have you noticed the way a bike wants to wander/dance in rain grooves ? Cornering forces can also flex the forks and reduce cornering abilities and precision. Overall your bike will handle better when pushed and you will gain more confidence in the bikes capabilities. My Vstrom just laughs at grooved curves and rain grooves. The whole bike just seems more solid.

[alanmcorcoran]

The GZ wants to wiggle and wander and bounce around, so yes, I am familiar with that. The Strat rides on rain grooves, scallops, ridges, gaps, cracks what have you, like a locomotive on rails. Seriously, the thing really just hums down the highway and feels absolutely rock solid - like a Datsun 240Z if anyone remembers those. I might already have a fork brace on the Strat - I'll have to look at it.

I just returned from a night out on the Strat on the SoCal freeways. I really enjoyed the trip home - it's a real joy to ride the thing at night on the four (or five) lane, right at about 75 - got to be the definition of "cruising."

[Moedad]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

What is the value of the fork brace? Does one install shocks for reasons other than the old ones are shot? Just curious.

WW answered the brace question, and I will concur based on my limited experience to this point. I replaced my shocks mostly because they were the OEM and were more or less 17 years old with 40k miles on them. Plus the left side shock had some corrosion on the spring that was pitted into the spring.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

The Strat rides on rain grooves, scallops, ridges, gaps, cracks what have you, like a locomotive on rails.

The tread pattern on the tires is often the biggest factor in what the bike feels like on things like that. IIRC, a center rib will cause it to try and follow the grooves more. I think my GZ front tire had a center rib (and a groove on either side).