SuperBrace Concerns

n8vyc_imp

First service completed
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Hello, just installed the SuperBrace on my 2017 Honda 1100 EX, I followed the procedure and all appears good. But I seem to get shaking from time to time while letting off the throdle. Never did this before the brace. The bike also responds a little odd during turns. I’m planning on removing the brace to see if things get better. Any suggestions from SuperBrace would be helpful.

Thank you, n8vyc...
 
I have not noticed this, but I have a 2013 so different forks. I think that, if everything is torqued correctly, then your next troubleshooting step would be to remove it, see if the problem continues. Either way, you should reinstall it and see if the problem persists. good luck.
 
Actually never understood the need? Is there some deficiency you are attempting to correct or is it purely aesthetic? No offense meant, just curious.

Added these stupid "eight ball" tire valve caps and experienced a front wheel wobble when coasting down a steep hill with hands off. Got rid of those right away. Problem solved!

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I am working with SuperBrace to diag the issue. The brace is meant to stabilize the front and give a better riding experience. Not meant for looks but they do look very good on the bike especially with the optional guards on it. I will update the thread when I know more.

n8vyc
 
Once I put a brace on one of my CBX's and it made the ride worse.
Took it of and problem was gone , perhaps I did not have it installed perfectly but I thought I did and torqued it to speck.
 
These are all for looks. You are not pushing hard enough to flex what little of the fork tubes there is after the upper and lower tree clamps. Which don't take personally as I do not know you, but just honestly feel it is physically impossible.

You currently are bound at the upper tree, lower tree, axle, and even at a lesser extent the front fender itself.

Even if the tubes did flex a mm or 2- you would not be able to feel it. The amount of force needed would be huge and your tire would be flexing well before.

Also, I would think that a bit of freedom between the tubes would lessen unnatural stiction on the fork seals.

On motorcycles and cars there are a lot of products that started off decades ago on machines built much more flimsy, crudely, restrictive, etc- and those companies just continue to market the stuff to each new model / generation of vehicle whether it actually makes any difference or not.

The increased feel of such products usually is a direct result of a lighter wallet.
 
I installed one on my V-65 years ago. I never felt any difference. Maybe that's because anything over 70 mph was in a fairly straight line. Man, that bike sucked in the corners. After a couple of lowsides, I slowed way down when I had to turn.
 
I put one on my 2000 750 Nighthawk and thought it helped a lot.
 
The Nighthawk has skinnier fork tubes than the CB11. They were also "off the shelf" 1980s technology. I put a brace on my Nighthawk and noticed a lot more stability in high speed sweepers and hard low speed cornering.

That said, I put a brace on my CB11 and haven't really noticed any improvement.
 
n8vyc_imp said:
Hello, just installed the SuperBrace on my 2017 Honda 1100 EX, I followed the procedure and all appears good. But I seem to get shaking from time to time while letting off the throdle. Never did this before the brace. The bike also responds a little odd during turns. I’m planning on removing the brace to see if things get better. Any suggestions from SuperBrace would be helpful.

Thank you, n8vyc...
I had exactly the same issue. Roll off the throttle and as the speed dropped thru the 45-25mph range the head shook.

I had fitted a fork brace, so removed it and reset the forks, rear shocks, got all the wheels true and had had a general suspension overhaul and the shake has gone.

Not sure which of the above did the trick but it's better now....
 
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beardyweirdy@me.com_imp said:
n8vyc_imp said:
Hello, just installed the SuperBrace on my 2017 Honda 1100 EX, I followed the procedure and all appears good. But I seem to get shaking from time to time while letting off the throdle. Never did this before the brace. The bike also responds a little odd during turns. I’m planning on removing the brace to see if things get better. Any suggestions from SuperBrace would be helpful.

Thank you, n8vyc...
I had exactly the same issue. Roll off the throttle and as the speed dropped thru the 45-25mph range the head shook.

I had fitted a fork brace, so removed it and reset the forks, rear shocks, got all the wheels true and had had a general suspension overhaul and the shake has gone.

Not sure which of the above did the trick but it's better now....
I had exactly the same issue. Roll off the throttle and as the speed dropped thru the 45-25mph range the head shook.

I had fitted a fork brace, so removed it and reset the forks, rear shocks, got all the wheels true and had had a general suspension overhaul and the shake has gone.

Not sure which of the above did the trick but it's better now....
Beardy, how do you true up the wheels? I found the brace was bound up on the left fork, I could barely pull it off the on that side the right side seemed ok. The brace looked correct but it was binding for sure. I pulled it off and went through the loosen run the shocks then tighten the pinch bolts back to 19lb's. I went for a ride and the shake is gone and the shocks are working flawlessly again. I will return the brace back to them and let them check there specs. In the mean time I did find a replacement brace to help me on the road, see photo. :D
 
Ha!! ;-))) Love that pic....

Did just as you said with the front forks but also made sure my rear shocks we seated properly and not binding/rubbing anywhere. I have after market rear shocks, swingarm and exhaust. Also made sure the rear wheel was straight. I also re-sat the steering head column to make sure that it wasn't binding.

When I'd done I had no shake. My mate who knows more about bikes than most reckons after market braces are a bit and miss affair. He thinks if they aren't perfectly mated to the forks then they can cause more trouble than they solve. He could have a point, the brace I fitted marked one fork leg but not the other, making me think it was not evenly seated on both legs.

Either way, it's all better now... anyone want to buy a fork brace? :-)
I had also been running with the front end dropped 12mm down the forks. I'd returned that to Std when I fitted the 'Brace and since removing it returned it to dropped by 12mm.

I might raise it again to see if it has any effect...
 
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Great info thanks! The same marking happened on my left fork but was a good fit on the right. Its off now and back to normal. I am hoping they take it back it just was not working and made the bike dangerous at high speeds. I guess we don't fix whats not broken...
 
Thanks for sharing this its a useful reminder. I have read many times before that motorcycle engineers (in our case Honda's finest) spend millions and thousands of hours working with the best equiptment to design what they do and market it so why would a £50 bolt on part somehow transform it into a fireblade? It wont. I have had my fingers burnt doing this in the past and just wasted money. For a naked traditional bike I think the CB handles really well out of the box and I think the standard set up (for normal road riding) is excellent.
 
Fortunately my Agras fork brace didn't cause any handling issues ... don't really know if solved any either but it does look cool.
 
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