| Author | Message | ||
     Jfman |
Hello all! Are the 1125 fork legs a direct fit onto the XB models? Anything about them I need to know? | ||
| Ericz |
They will bolt right up to any 2005+ (not Scg/Low) XB triple clamps. I just installed 1125CR forks on my XB. Things to know: 1125 forks use metric fender screws and front axle pinch bolts. The front wheel will sit ~0.045" to the left of center. The 1125 forks are designed for the wider fork center-to-center of the 1125. THIS IS ONLY A COSMETIC ISSUE but really hard to tell unless you have laser vision. The wheel, brake caliper and fender will all fit and work properly AND the bike will handle just fine. I chose to modify the right fork leg to re-center the wheel (because I'm OCD) and here are some pics:   | ||
| Jfman |
Thanks for the useful info. Are they an upgrade or just a black replacement? Do they have better internals? My OEM xb forks are slightly bent and I just need a replacement. But it would be nice if I see an upgrade at the same time and black looks better. Thanks | ||
| Froggy |
Per an Anonymous post a while back:
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=32777&post=1975689#POST1975689 That said, I personally did a similar swap, I was repairing my UlySSes after a wreck, and the 1125R forks fit in with some effort, but my bike has different trees than your XB-S. Also, my bike only sees commuting duty, so if there is a handling issue I have not seen it. | ||
| Ericz |
The Anonymous post is bad information. Even though the fork spacing is different, the wheel and brake (everything that is of any importance) is located off of the right fork leg. The left leg clamps on the front axle anywhere it wants to. There is no fork bending that can go on with 1125 forks in XB triple clamps. Also, the 1125 and XB models share the same fork outer tube diameters of 54mm at the top clamp and 56mm at the bottom clamp. Fitting the 1125 forks in the XB triple clamps require the same effort that standard XB forks require. The only reason to modify the forks is to re-center the wheel but the amount is so minimal, it would be impossible to notice the difference. The lower 1125 triple clamp will not fit the XB frame due to major differences in the steering stop design. You need to use XB triple clamps on an XB frame. That also means you need to use an XB top triple clamp on an XB frame because you can't mix 1125 triple clamps with XB triple clamps due to the fork spacing difference. | ||
| Ericz |
They are nothing special other than the larger tube diameter, 47mm vs. 43mm, which makes them slightly stiffer than the standard XB forks. The internals are of similar design. | ||
| Deanh8 |
Lots of bad information here. I can't believe you machined your forks!! The Anonymous post is very accurate and most likely made by an employee at Buell. I spoke with the chassis guys there the 1125R front end is a direct swap. You must change the trees. Different bore offset is bad. | ||
| Deanh8 |
The reason your wheel sat off center is because your forks are bound up | ||
| M1combat |
Use the 1125 forks and triples. The 1125 bottom triple works just fine on the XB. "The 1125 forks are designed for the wider fork center-to-center of the 1125. THIS IS ONLY A COSMETIC ISSUE but really hard to tell unless you have laser vision." So... a wider fork center to center is just a cosmetic issue? It just LOOKS different to the EYE then? So a longer distance doesn't have anything to do with a fracking measurement device telling you that something is larger or smaller? I guess I've just been doing it all wrong then. I'll just "laser eyesight" it from now on I guess. Thanks for the tip. (Message edited by M1Combat on March 09, 2014) | ||
| Ericz |
Dean, have you measured these differences yourself? Have you fit the 1125 forks in XB triples to see if/how they bind or what/how the different bore offset is "bad"? Talking to someone about it is much different than doing it yourself. You guys are missing the point. I spent a lot of time measuring and analyzing the Buell front ends before I tackled this project. The triples hold the forks. The forks hold the wheel, specifically the right fork leg (where the wheel is held against when the axle is tightened to establish alignment on the chassis and brake caliper) The XB fork centers are narrower than the 1125. If you install 1125 forks in XB triples, the inside distance between the axle holes is longer than the width of the wheel hub with bearings. The forks will only bind if the wheel spreads the fork lowers, which does not occur with XB triples. Everything fits together and functions without any binding even though there is a difference in fork c-c. M1combat, the "laser vision" refers to the very small shift in the alignment of the front wheel with regards to the forks. Yes, the numbers are different but the function does not change. | ||
| M1combat |
No. I might be OK with a milled (re-centered) set of forks but saying that moving the wheel out of alignment doesn't affect anything is just wrong. It does. You'll find that the bike reacts differently with lean angle. Not much probably, but I'm not interested in ANY. (Message edited by M1Combat on March 10, 2014) | ||
| Ericz |
Yes, M1combat, you are correct that an off center wheel will not behave the same when turning left vs right. From my observation, the distance the 1125 forks move the wheel off center is too small to noticeably impact the steering. It is my opinion that the variations the tire profile and the road surface would have a greater influence in left vs right turning. | ||
| M1combat |
So it's OK to add a small influence just because there's a larger one? They are additive. The big one doesn't cancel out the little one. | ||
| Ericz |
I think you are pushing a non-issue M1. 0.045" is a VERY small one; a spark plug gap to put it into context. |
