One thing I'm surprised at, though, is that people seem to assume that running a girder automatically makes the bike a chopper or a bobber. I'll be replacing the shock with a unit custom-made for my application, and will do some tuning to the geometry to get it as close as possible to stock. It'll need some work to make everything fit, but it was a good deal and should serve as a good starting point. I'm still in the planning phase for my 550, but did buy that P&P pictured above. The stem threads into the lower tree.Д«umping my own thread again just to talk about the aesthetics, engineering, and philosophy of girders. It's relatively simple to get a stem made that fits your neck and then use spacers between the bottom tree and the lower neck cup to make the rockers parallel. So that's already going to drop your trail if you keep stock rake in the neck.ДЄ lot of the P and P's were made with 7/8' sporty stems. I believe the offset from the neck on the P and P is 5'. Dont use it unless you're raking your bike out. The extra hole behind where the lower rocker mounts to the legs is 5* internal rake. I did this because it's easy to tighten the crap out of them and lock up the front end from moving at all. I dont know much about the stock bolts on the rocker studs, but I used an acorn nut and a jam nut on mine so I could adjust the force on the joints. They also used nylon washers between anything that wiggled. The HD shock, however, may be a bit more stiff than you'd like. The shocks are 12' long and can be replaced with a newer HD shock with minimal effort. Late model K7/K8/F2/F3 front sprocket cover removal: Lubricate lightly between spring leaves with graphite grease.Shorten your forks: DO NOT CUT THE SPRINGS! Excessive spring friction causing squeak.Д¦. Missing spring slip pads causing squeak.Д¦. If spring leaves show wear or damage replace spring assembly.ДҐ. Bent spring clips contacting spring causing squeak.Д¤. Replace spring assembly with any signs of damage.Д¤. Worn spring bushings or pins allowing spring end play. Replace spring assembly with any signs of damage.ДЈ. Worn or broken spring shackles allowing excessive movement. Replace spring assembly with any signs of damage.Дў.

Broken center bolt or loose U-bolts allowing excessive spring movement. Worn shock absorbers allowing excessive oscillation.ДЎ. Replace worn components and shorten PM interval for greasing.ДҐ. Replace spring assembly if any signs of damage.Д¤. Replace U-bolts and check torque as part of a preventative maintenance interval.ДЈ. Reduce weight carried by vehicle to suspension rated capacity.Дў. Reduce speed when loaded heavily on uneven terrain. Vehicle driven incorrectly for terrain or vehicle overloaded.ДЎ. Replace with correct spring assemblies rated for weight and arch.ДЎ. Incorrect spring assemblies installed in vehicle.Д¤. Verify suspension rated capacity before changing to a stronger spring.Д¤. Replace worn parts and have front end aligned.ДЎ. Refer to alignment specialized repair shop.ДЈ. Worn suspension components ( Hangers, pins, bushings, and shackles).Дў. Damaged or failed shock absorbers 'locked' in position.Д§. Always replace springs in pairs to avoid a lean.Д¦. Mixing old and new springs or new springs with different manufacturers.ДҐ. Refer to frame specialized repair shop.ДҐ. Capacity or arch different from side to side.Д¤.

Verify suspension rated capacity before changing to a stronger spring.ДЈ. Replace springs with an assembly with a higher weight rating. Replace spring with an assembly with a lower weight rating.Д¤. Replace damaged suspension components and spring assembly as needed. Weak springs may be flat or reversed arch where they had previously carried weight and retained their arch. Check suspension for damaged components or weak springs. Suspension is contacting bump stops or frame.Дў. Shorten preventative maintenance intervals for greasing.Дў. Possible bushing, spring, or shackle replacement if damage has occurred. Ability to flex is taken away from the spring because bolts/pins in the end of the spring or shackle are bound up.

Leaf spring girder front end