help identifying front forks

74xsBobber

74xsBobber

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i just bought a 1974 (tx) xs650,the previous owner didn't know much about the bike so i need held iding my front forks cause the top tree doesn't seem the same as other xs bikes and they also seem longer not that i'm complaining but would like to know what i have so i can find a front spoked wheel that fits to match my rear spoked wheel and a better top tree. there is a sticker on the shocks that's says showa mf5-003,markings that say hf-1 2z2o on top tree and 02 on bottom tree,the current front wheel is a honda wheel so forks might be honda. also my back spoke wheel is 18" and as the markings "DID" and would like to know if its original to my bike or not, if not what bike did it come on so i can find matching front. sorry if i'm asking stupid question and not explaining myself right but i'm new to bikes,thank you in advance.
 
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- try these-pics from 74xsBobber

forks001.jpg


forks002.jpg


forks003.jpg


GetAttachmentaspx.jpg


stuffforsale2016.jpg


stuffforsale2017.jpg


stuffforsale2023.jpg
 
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inxs, I can't see those pics.. It looks like the code to the attachments in hotmail or something.

74xsBobber, have you read How to Post Pictures? If not, see if that helps to clear things up on the various ways to post pictures..
 
- bump...pics reloaded...alfredo, i thought about using your bump but i just couldnt do it...so for those ducati elephant lovers out there, this is for you

file.gif
 
Sorry I can't help you. I like the long forks with the nice brace though. As far as getting a spoked wheel it would be easiest to swap the whole front end compared to trying to match up a disk brake set up to a different wheel.
 
Sorry, could you repeat that?? NO FRONT BRAKE???? WTF?? Wish I was as lucky as you must feel. That is just beyond my comprehension or ability to keep my mouth shut. Really; find a dirt bike front end with a wire wheel and a small disk anyway. Yah just gotta have a front brake, here you do, it's the law and a good one too.
 
I'm new to building bikes but not to driving them,I've driven many other models of bikes with no front brake and have never had a problem,altough i wonld not recommend it for a daily driver.you have never seen a bike on the road with no front brake?
 
- for looks yes, but remember that the majority of your braking is on the front...when your only braking is to the rear you run the risk of losing control
 
First off it's your bike /life do as you wish I guess but here are some facts. Comparison braking TESTS were remarkably hard to find. but this one; http://www.sportrider.com/ride/146_9510_motorcycle_braking_tips/index.html
Showed these 60 to 0 distances. Both brakes 146 feet, front only 151 feet, rear only 289 feet Tests conducted on a Bandit 600, This compared with other tests I saw. Any of the chopper style rigid framed or otherwise modified bikes are likely to produce longer stopping distances one brake or two. It's your ride/life but doubling your best effort stopping distance is a huge reduction of the odds against a stop in time when some phone yakking idiot fails to notice you exist. Incidentally this distance is much longer than a modern ABS equipped car will achieve, even with just an idiot stomping blindly on the pedal. I would feel pretty stupid rear ending a car on a motorcycle.
 
The forks look like early '80's Honda. You can tell by the shape of the brace. The wheel may identify it as another brand.

No front brake is the most idiot thing I see on vanity bikes. If anyone is stupid enough to think their bike looks better without the front brake then they are not worth my time. I try to help but end up scowling at some people.

Tom Graham, who knows everything, sorry.
 
i too think it's a early honda front end,goolgle the markings"showa mf5-003" and it came up as a late 70's cb750 fork.before you judge me on running no front brake please ask what the bike is gona be used for...this bike will not be highway driven and might see 50km to 100km of street driving a year,i'm building a show and meet bike not trying to find an excuse that just what i'm gona be using it for but i appreciate the explanations and concern,thank you

p.s there is some bike builders on this forum who run no front brake but i guess they don't wanna step in and give there experience with this issue.
 
Some of my remarks were for the potential audience here, I would hate to have someone less experienced see this thread and say oh I like that no front brake look too, must be OK to remove them from my street bike.
 
i understand,didn't look at it that way,i'll be carefull with what i write,no hard feelings,been riding for 15 years now(i'm sure some of you have for longer) just never worked on them before..use to pay someone to do the wrenching on my previous bikes cause i was to busy building stangs but now i'm a little older and budget is a little smaller,done with the mustang scene and need a little something to pass time in the garage. happy to see there is so much to do with xs650's and for not to much money,what do you guys think of what i have to start of with?(pic in thread,paid it 800$ running,like it looks in my avatar,all parts removed are for sale btw). thank you
 
The no front brake thing has come up several times. I say you're big a pussy if you need any brakes at all.. just down shift and use your foot to drag on the front tire. haha :wink2:

I've ridden a few bikes where the front brakes were so contaminated with fork oil that they were probably only 20% effective. On one bike, the piston in the back brake was gummed up and if you used it, it wouldn't release. You could kick the caliper to loosen it up again. So I basically rode it around while sorting out some carb issues with 20% front brakes and an emergency-use-only rear brake. I used a lot of engine braking and squeezed the front brake to the bars (spongy lines too :D) and put my feet down at the end. It was good times.

Anyway.... I'm not going to tell you what to do, but on all my bikes, I have a front brake because I intend to ride them. If I were building a show bike, I would say screw the front brake, forget turn signals, and the license plate mount... and why bother to even make it run? I would just make it look like a sleek working motorcycle. I wouldn't even wire it except for the spark plug wires.... then just say all the wires are hidden. :laugh:

Anywhooo, I was going to say that front end looked like it was from an old suzuki.. the wheel does to me anyway. Try search ebay for the wheels and forks from the bikes you think it belongs to and see if you can't find out for sure.
 

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