GL1800 Fork Brace

[Chuck & Susan]

While perving the internet for Gold Wing farkles I ran across a review for a Superbrace that a guy had installed on his bike. At first I thought it was silly. I had not looked at my 2016 under the fender. I assumed Honda had a fork brace in there. I mean heck even the old 85 model had one made into the top of the forks. But the guy listed several things that the brace would correct. Sudden low speed wobble and harmonic vibration along with better control. These things caught my attention. The very things that I have been telling myself it was just me not adjusting to the new wing. Even more so after I lost my eye site. I have beating my self up over trying to get my balance. Anyway I figured it couldn't hurt and I have wasted more money on lesser things. I found 3 different models of braces for sell. After looking at designs and reading reviews I decided on the one that had no reviews but looked like a much better made brace. It also was 20 bucks cheaper and in black.

Kuryakyn - 7349   Fork Brace Gen 2, Gloss Black
https://www.kuryakyn.com/products/4014/fork-brace-gen-2

I ordered it from:
Wingstuff.com
http://wingstuff.com/products/34933-fork-brace-for-gl1800-f6b-gloss-black?from_search=1

VERY VERY easy to install. Even half blind.....  2 allen wrenches and less than 30min it was done.
This pic was after the install and just before I put the fender back on with it's 4 bolts.



Now for the test ride.
I figured that the best place is where I have been spending my weekends trying to relearn my balance. The High School parking lot doing circles around the light poles. But I can tell you I was sold even before I got there. When i took off from the driveway and came to a stop at the corner It didn't make a jerk move to one side. From the time I bought this bike it has always made me catch my balance just as the wheels stop. I thought it was me and a 900lbs wing not getting along. Nope it wasn't me at all. It stopped perfectly straight. And when I got to circling in the parking lot I had much better feel and control. It wasn't me trying to find my balance. It was the bike changing it's balance. So it was time to hit the road and ride a few winding roads. (Ya'll know L.A. don't have twisties) I could actually "let her do" what she was built to do. I wasn't feeling like I was "missing my marks" or "missing the apex" All along I thought it was me. At the Last Ride of the year I told gulfcoaster that I had really messed up a curve the week before and had to use the oncoming lane to correct all the way to the far edge. It wasn't me at all. The guy was right!! The front forks flex suddenly & independently. I had always told Susan the bike felt like the was flex in the handle bars. No it was the forks.
Why in the heck would Honda cast fork braces into the forks of an 85 model 1200 and then think that a 1800 would not need them.....
I can now tell you that they do!!
They should recall every one of them and install a brace.
I know that fork tubes are strong but they do flex and still will but now they flex together and brace each other.
I know many bikes Dirt and Street do not have fork braces but after feeling the change in this bike it is of my opinion
EVERY bike should have one.

NiceGoat if you see this tell me if you felt a lot of this stuff with your wing. I looked back at your pics and didn't see a brace on it that I could tell.

If anyone would like to experience the difference in handling get with me and you can ride my bike both ways with and without the brace. 4 allen screws and it comes off. You will not believe the change.

Thanks for reading
Chuck

[Nice Goat]

NiceGoat if you see this tell me if you felt a lot of this stuff with your wing. I looked back at your pics and didn't see a brace on it that I could tell.

No, mine didn't have a fork brace.  Some folks swear by them, others cannot notice a difference.  Not sure where I would fall. 

All bikes have different turning characteristics, and many are designed to have some give or flex in them to improve the ride and/or reduce vibrations.  But if the bike's design is not working for you (either too stiff or too soft), nothing wrong with trying add-ons to make it better.

What I did on my Wing was to increase the rear preload setting to the max and ran 40psi front/42 psi rear.  That made the bike predictable and eliminated the wobble for me.