SuzukiSavage.com - Pics of Extended Forks

d3adrock Full Member Offline Posts: 111	Pics of Extended Forks 02/20/20 at 17:08:54 Anyone here have pics of extended forks. I'm trying to decide if I wanna get 2"-3" fork tubes. Ive read the other forums on the subject but there's a lack of pictures. Any pics would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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Fast 650 Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 405 Valrico, FL Gender:	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #1 - 02/21/20 at 15:54:08 This picture isn't the best angle, but it is the best I can do at the moment. These are 4 3/4" over tubes I have on mine.
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twhitus Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 101 Pinellas park, floida	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #2 - 02/21/20 at 18:01:20 i have been kinda eyeing this for a while. kinda expensive tho http://www.chopper-kit-usa.com/suzuki-LS650-Savage.htm
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Re: Pics of Extended Forks
Reply #3 - 02/21/20 at 19:17:17

Yeah, that kit is more than a little pricey. If you use 6" over tubes or shorter, you can do a frame stretch to get it level and not have to bother with raked trees. The stretch on mine with the 4 3/4" tubes only changed the rake by 2 or 3 degrees and trail is still well within acceptable limits. The amount of rake change with the stretch required for 6" over forks puts the trail right at the limits for acceptable handling. Anything more than that and you will need raked trees then.

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batman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3806 osceola new york Gender:	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #4 - 02/21/20 at 21:47:55 That kit is also more than a little insane. I can't think about how much flex there would be in the extended fork tubes , possibly to the point of braking.
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Fast 650 Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 405 Valrico, FL Gender:	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #5 - 02/21/20 at 22:22:43 4 and 6 inch extensions are a common length and flex is not any more noticeable than stock at those lengths. If you feel unsafe amounts of flex at those lengths, then to paraphrase Apple, "you're riding it wrong". It's a cruiser, not a sportbike.
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Re: Pics of Extended Forks
Reply #6 - 02/22/20 at 08:29:39

Fast650, ,I fully agree that 4to 6 " is safe and reasonable , What I considered insane was the kits from Chopper Supply , 18degree tree with 10" over forks ! that would put the Savage at an angle exceeding 45 degrees ? (53?) putting most of the weight of the bike and rider on the front wheel , forks at that angle have got to flex I'm thinking , maybe not as much on a HD's with much larger forks (49mm).
Chopper Supply 's customer raves ? Two of the HD bikes are 3 wheelers with the 18 degree /10"over setup , and brag about winning first place in bike shows, but we should know by now that , Show doesn't mean GO. extending the front end of a trike is possibly the worst thing you can do to a trike ,the further extended the more dangerous it gets, On a stock trike taking a 90 degree corner to fast tends to lift the inside rear wheel , but with an extended front end , with a long wheel base it doesn't, instead the rear wheels driving tend to make the front wheel plow and skip ,and the bike doesn't turn but keeps going straight through an intersection. There was a company in Fla. that made trike conversions from standard bikes ,and found the Savage did the same thing even with it's stock front end .

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Fast 650

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Re: Pics of Extended Forks
Reply #7 - 02/22/20 at 09:57:29

Yeah, geometry on trikes gets real funny. If you try to make a turn like you would on a 2 wheeler they will plow forever. You have to lean the opposite direction to get them to turn without pushing the front end. The longer the trail is the worse that it wants to plow. Springers are the way to go on trikes to keep the rake without excessive trail. And live axles are a recipe for disaster on trikes too. Two wheels driving it forward will overpower the one wheel that is trying to steer it.

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d3adrock Full Member Offline Posts: 111	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #8 - 02/22/20 at 12:54:51 How would you do a frame stretch? Longer swingarm? Anybody got anymore pics?
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Fast 650 Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 405 Valrico, FL Gender:	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #9 - 02/22/20 at 13:25:14 You cut out the downtube about where the arrows are, and cut partway through the top of the two frame rails just past the seat mount. Those two cuts will allow the backbone to bend upward, closing the gap and raising the neck at the same time. Weld in a new longer downtube and weld up the two cuts you made and you are done.
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d3adrock Full Member Offline Posts: 111	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #10 - 02/22/20 at 13:36:04 Wow, thats cool. Whats the result? Got any pics of it finished or of the whole frame? Did you do it yourself or take it to somone?
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Re: Pics of Extended Forks
Reply #11 - 02/22/20 at 14:17:21

d3adrock wrote on 02/22/20 at 13:36:04:

Wow, thats cool. Whats the result? Got any pics of it finished or of the whole frame? Did you do it yourself or take it to somone?

The nearly finished pic is a few posts above. If you look closely there are a lot of subtle changes that were made. The goal was to make it look like it came that way from the showroom.

I didn't get any pics of just the frame other than that one while we were welding it. I took it to work and had one of the guys there do the welding. He is an artist with TIG and I have no doubts about the weld strength with him doing it.

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d3adrock Full Member Offline Posts: 111	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #12 - 02/22/20 at 14:19:42 Wow, i couldnt even tell the frame had been modded. I was also wondering where you got that tank. When it's conveniant for you i'm sure we'd all love to see more pics (profile perhaps) of your bike! Also, am i mistaken or is that a different rear fender (honda rebel)?
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Re: Pics of Extended Forks
Reply #13 - 02/22/20 at 14:25:09

The tank is the Savage tank. I just cut out where the speedo was and welded sheet metal over the openings. Cleans up the looks a lot and gives me a 3 gallon tank. If you go that route, be warned that the tank is really thin. Easy to burn holes through it welding, and it warps from the heat. It took a lot of hammering, filling, and sanding to get it that smooth.

The rear fender is from a 1400 Intruder. It is nearly a bolt on deal and the tail/brake light uses the same plug so no wiring hassles either. It is about 1/2" wider so you have to modify the rails for the sissy bar if you want to keep that. I milled 1/4" off each side to compensate for the wider fender.

The Intruder speedometer is easily adapted to the Savage fork crown too. Get a tach cable for a 70's era GT750 and it is the right length and has the right ends.

Here is an earlier mock up picture that shows things a little better.

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d3adrock Full Member Offline Posts: 111	Re: Pics of Extended Forks Reply #14 - 02/25/20 at 13:53:05 That really looks awesome! Thanks. Anyone got anymore pics? Im trying to decide before I install some goldvalve cartridge emulators while I have the forks apart.
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