I'll say it again... who knows off-road Hondas better than Summers Racing? And who knows fork braces better? I can't verify this, but I've heard it said that SRC provided fork braces for Moses when he was charging around in the desert for 40 years. How else would he have lasted so long? So if you think a fork brace is what you need, SRC is definitely the one you want for your Honda!

Who needs a fork brace on their Honda dirt bike? Granted, not everyone. SRC makes top-notch products, using the latest technology and premium materials, so they're not cheap, and they take considerable time and effort to install. If you're happy just poking along casually on a forest trail, with no desire to turn up the wick and see what you and your bike can do, and you're sure you're never going to try and keep up with another rider who's riding hard... then you don't need a fork brace, you need a backbone! Either that, or you need to be more honest with yourself. No, the SRC Fork Brace is pretty much intended for riders who want the best handling they can get from their bike. Savvy woods riders know that the key to being quick between the trees isn't more and more horsepower, it's all about handling! Numerous super-riders like Scott Summers ride big bore high- power bikes, but that's mostly because their sponsors want them to ride the bigger bikes. But just in case you don't already know it, most factory riders would do as well or better on smaller bikes, and they could outrun most of us even if they were riding a 1958 Sears moped! With bald tires. And a slipping clutch! But when you look at the top privateers, and many of the pros as well, you'll see the great majority riding 200's and 250's, and many even ride 125's. Light bikes with great handling is key to being quick in the woods, and great handling is not a common attribute for bikes with forks that flex a lot when encountering trail trash like rocks, ruts, and roots that do their best to throw you off your line, and sometimes off your bike!

I've been riding and enjoying my Honda CRF230F for over a year now, and I've used its quick handling and meager 17 HP to show more than a few newcomers and inexperienced riders that light and quick works better than heavy and overpowered when you're charging through tight woods and rough terrain.

The CRF230F, however, was not made for hard charging, so its suspension can use all the help we can throw at it. It's easy to throw a little extra fork oil in to prevent the forks from bottoming on big impacts, but what about the inherent flex in those small, 37mm fork tubes (35mm for the CRF150F, while the CRF250X has huge 47mm tubes!)? Every time the front wheel encounters an obstacle on the trail, like rocks, roots, ruts, branches, etc., the forks flex to some degree, allowing the wheel to head off in anew direction. Even if we don't lose control and crash, it takes time and energy to correct these undesirable changes of direction, both of which slow us down and attack our reserve supply of energy. What's more, a wandering front end is not very confidence inspiring, and confidence in your bike and personal abilities is one of the most important considerations to riding quickly and safely, and for leaving squids on 50 HP motocross bikes in your dust!

Okay, assuming that we now accept the fact that a good fork brace can greatly improve a bike's handling, what's the word on the fork brace offered by SRC?

The first thing I wanted to know was how flexy the stock forks really are. We'll get to some "before and after riding impressions" later, of course, but can't we make some "hard facts" measurements that don't involve seat-of-the-pants impressions? I decided to tackle this question by using six motorcycle tie-down straps to fasten only the front wheel firmly to my ATV trailer. First I let all the air out of the tire so I could inflate it again later to tighten the straps even more. Then I used the tie-down straps (see photo) to fasten the wheel firmly to the trailer floor and front rail. Once I had the straps as tight as I could get them, I re-inflated the tire all the way to 30 psi, hoping to eliminate as much tire flex as possible. Once the front wheel was lashed down as tightly as I could get it, I used a 20 lb. pull-scale to see just how far the forks would flex with a 20 lb. pull at the end of my 28" handlebar. Several tests showed a full half-inch at each end of the handlebar. And just think... due to the extra leverage and length, this degree of flex would be even greater with a full-length 32" handlebar!

I wish I had access to a heavier scale, but in reality, I suppose 20 lbs. of force is more than average for normal riding. Just for the heck of it, I had a friend measure how far the handlebar end moved while I twisted the handlebar as far as I could go. Incredible but true, after three such attempts, each end of the handlebar moved an average of 2-3/8"! I was truly shocked! I had no idea the forks would flex that much!

Then I took the bike off the trailer, rolled it into the garage, and began my attack on the project of installing the SRC fork brace. This is not a quickie project in the first place, since the fender, wheels, and forks all have to be removed and replaced, and the fender has to be modified. Naturally, it takes even longer when you frequently stop what you're doing to take photos and keep a step-by-step running account of the tools used and the work performed. I also took this opportunity to change my fork fluid, which then led me to discover an error in the Honda CRF230F Shop Manual, which then took considerable time to check, double-check, and satisfy myself that the manual truly was in error.

INSTALLING THE SRC FORK BRACE

Since the forks and front wheel must be removed, make sure the bike is sitting on a stand that will support the bike safely when all that forward weight is removed.

1. Using an 8mm socket, remove the front number plate.

2. Using a 10mm socket, remove the front fender.

3. Using a 10mm socket, remove the brake line clamp from the left fork slider.

4. Using a 12mm socket, remove the two brake caliper bolts.

5. Using a 12mm socket, remove the four bolts from the lower fork clamp. Then pull the brake caliper up through the forks over the front wheel, and swing it back over the handlebar to hang back out of the way.

6. Using a 10mm socket, remove the four axle clamp nuts and the axle clamp from the right fork slider.

7. Using a 17mm socket, loosen the axle and remove the front wheel assembly. Note: If you plan to change your fork fluid during this operation, now is the time to use a 17mm socket or 17mm box-end wrench (do not use an open-end wrench!) to loosen the two fork caps while the fork legs are still tightly clamped in place.

8. One fork leg at a time, hold onto the fork leg while using a 12mm socket to loosen (no need to remove) the upper fork clamp bolts. Be sure and hold the fork leg while doing this, or it may fall from the loose fork clamps.

9. Using a #1 Phillips screwdriver to loosen the upper clamp, remove the accordion-style fork cover from each fork leg assembly. Cleaning the upper fork leg and then applying a light film of oil will allow the fork boot to slide off much easier. Then clean the fork boots thoroughly, inside and out, and set them aside to dry. Then clean any gunk and dirt from around the fork seals.

10. If you are not changing your fork fluid during this operation, skip the following section and go to step 11.

11. Check to see if your steel fork leg is perfectly straight. This is easily done by rolling the leg (let the aluminum slider portion protrude off the edge of the table) along a perfectly clean and smooth surface (like a kitchen or dining room table if "you know who" isn't watching). If you detect any wobble or signs of the steel fork leg being bent, now is the time to have it straightened or replaced. Go ahead... we'll wait for you... NOT!

12. If you're also following along with the SRC instructions, you can ignore their step 5, since they have already cut the supplied Mudskins to the proper 11" length. Their instructions were written for a different bike, by the way, so some of the instructions are totally wrong for the CRF230F or CRF150F.

13. Install a Mudskin on each fork leg, sliding them all the way down to the fork seal in the fork slider. Ignore the SRC instructions here, and don't bother stretching them over and onto the slider yet.

14. Being careful to install the left and right assemblies where they belong, slide each fork leg up through the fork clamps until the top of the steel fork tube (just the steel tube, not the aluminum fork cap) is flush with the upper surface of the top fork clamp. Then tighten the two upper fork clamp bolts on each side, to 20 ft/.lbs.

15. Now reinstall the front wheel and axle, tightening the axle to 54 ft.lbs. When replacing the front axle clamp on the right fork slider, note and position the UP indicator correctly. Tighten the upper two axle clamp nuts to 9 ft.lbs., but leave the two lower nuts loose.

16. Replace the front brake caliper, and be sure to route the brake hose the same way it was originally. See the appropriate photos if you don't remember how yours was routed. Tighten the two brake caliper bolts to 22ft./lbs. Then replace the brake hose guide on the left fork slider. Now replace the upper brake hose guide and all four of the lower fork clamp bolts, but do not tighten them yet. Then spin the front wheel and make sure the front brake still works.

17. Take the bike off the bike stand, to allow the bike to roll. Apply the front brake, and push forward and downward on the handlebar to compress the forks as far as possible several times. Now do your best to visually align the front wheel and handlebar so that the wheel points straight ahead when the handlebar is straight.

18. Now tighten the four lower fork clamp bolts to 24 ft.lbs., tighten the fork caps to 17 ft.lbs., and tighten the two lower axle clamp bolts to 10 ft.lbs.

19. Place the bike back on the bike stand so that the front wheel is off the floor. Slide the Mudskins down to the fork sliders, and stretch the lower end over the slider, pulling it down for a 1" overlap (see photo). The upper end of the Mudskin, when fully extended but not stretched, should now be about 1" below the lower fork clamp.

20. It's finally time to install the fork brace, so use a 5mm hex key to remove the four bolts. Position the brace onto the forks from behind, so that the part number and bolt heads will face forward. When properly positioned, the crossbar of the fork brace will be about 3/16" to 1/4" above the tire. Then use the 5mm hex key again to install the front portions of the fork brace clamps (see photos for clarification).

21. Now stretch the upper end of the Mudskins upward on the fork tube to fit flush against the bottom of the lower fork clamp, and use the supplied nylon cable ties to fasten the Mudskins firmly in place.

22. Now it's time to cut away the sides of the front fender to clear the fork brace. Locate the adhesive backed guide provided with the fork brace, and use a #1 Phillips screwdriver to poke holes through the four fender bolt hole locations in the paper guide.

23. Peel the backing off the fender cutting guide, and use the four holes to properly position the guide on the front fender. Get it as straight as possible, and then fold the sides of the guide down onto the sides of the fender (see photo). Now you can see the areas of the fender that have to be removed. Use whatever tool(s) you have at your disposal to remove the plastic from the indicated area. I used a hand-held jig saw with a very narrow blade that allows gradual turns for well-rounded corners. You do NOT want sharp corners here, as they will lead to cracking and breaking the fender. Follow the supplied guide as closely as possible!

24. Once the fender has been cut according to the guide, remove the adhesive paper guide, clean up the edges of the cuts, and reinstall the fender. Remember, the two longer fender bolts go to the front.

25. Now go back and check every nut and bolt to make sure they're all properly tightened. Don't forget the fork caps. Then reinstall the front number plate, and you're done!

THE FLEX TEST

With the fork brace installed, I took the bike back out and lashed it to the ATV trailer again, just as described earlier, locking the front wheel firmly to the trailer, but without restricting handlebar movement. Without the brace, a 20 lb. pull on the bars (forward or rearward) produced 1/2"of flex at each end of my 28" handlebar. With the brace in place, the same 20 lb. pull produced only 5/16" of flex, a reduction of nearly 50%. When I used all my strength to twist the handlebar without the brace, I could move each end of the handlebar 2-3/8". With the brace in place, I was still able to move it 2-3/8", so I guess I was overpowering even the brace. This amount of force, however, is totally unrealistic except in a crash, at which time having some flex is probably a good thing to help prevent damage and/or injury.

Frankly, I still don't understand why the SRC Fork Brace is installed with the Mudskins in between the brace and the fork slider, which seemingly allows flex that might be eliminated if the brace were mounted directly on the fork slider. But who am I to question the engineers at SRC?

RIDING IMPRESSIONS WITH THE SRC FORK BRACE

To make a valid riding comparison, I chose a section of trail that's particularly rough and littered with rocks and ruts. I carried the appropriate Allen wrench with me, and I removed the fork brace before riding this particular section of trail in both directions, twice. This gave me a fresh reminder of how the forks feel without the brace. Then I reinstalled the fork brace and repeated the ride, again twice in each direction. Then I rode the rest of the day with the fork brace in place.

The only downside is that since so much fork flex has been eliminated, the forks feel stiffer and harsher when encountering trail trash, even though the fork action hasn't changed. You definitely feel more feedback from any and all front wheel impacts with trail trash, both in your hands and your wrists. Overall, it makes the bike just a bit more tiring to ride.

The upside is the greatly improved steering precision. I really didn't notice how much the front wheel was wandering after being deflected by impacts with minor (2" and less) trail trash until I felt how much more solid and precise it is with the fork brace in place! It not only allows you to go faster, but faster with improved confidence! Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, was the improved feel and front tire traction feedback during hard cornering, even when the surface was smooth and flat! To me, this was every bit as beneficial as the improved steering on rough ground. I regret that the feedback is more harsh now, but the benefits were well worth it!

SUMMARY

I like the SRC Fork Brace, but I do have some mixed feelings about it, so I don't recommend it to everyone. Because of the cost and time involved in installing the SRC Fork Brace, I don't think casual trail riders and beginners should even consider a fork brace. Spend the money on better tires and protective gear instead, and then practice, practice, practice. In short, the harder you ride the more you need it, and the more you'll like it. If you're riding your CRF230F harder and faster than Honda's design intentions, and maybe you can even feel the vagueness of the front wheel steering when you're pushing hard over rough terrain, and when cornering on any surface, then you'll love what the SRC Fork Brace will do to improve your bike's handling. There's a very good reason that nearly all high-performance off-road bikes comes with massive, and usually upside-down forks, and it's all to get rid of unwanted fork flex. The SRC Fork Brace will do just that, at a fraction of what it would cost to buy and install larger and stiffer forks.

CRF's Only Review Conducted By: Gordon L. Banks, January 2005
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