Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Discuss all things 1970 & later Airheads right here.
robert
Posts: 471
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 4:03 pm

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by robert »

Chuey wrote:Hola, Mak. It's good to see you got the bars. Did you know you were buying them from me?

Those are some that I bought quite some time ago. I had them powdercoated and gathered up some really nice SS hardware for them, as they came with funky bolts/nuts and thin washers. I'm glad you like them.

I had decided to use weld on braces. When I use the weld on braces, they go from the lower end of the front main gusset back to just above the swing arm pivot housing. There is some triangulation with that set-up. I think that is what Major Softie is talking about when he says it goes from the center to the center. I had never installed those braces. I did make them look purdy, though.

Chuey

Let me get this straight---You tarted the crappy poorly designed braces up and sold them so you install the proper ones.
I would have just cut my losses and tossed them. That doesn't seem right.
Major Softie
Posts: 8900
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 1:46 pm

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by Major Softie »

robert wrote: Let me get this straight---You tarted the crappy poorly designed braces up and sold them so you install the proper ones.
I would have just cut my losses and tossed them. That doesn't seem right.
If this string proves anything, it's that there are people out there who want them, for whatever reason.
MS - out
robert
Posts: 471
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 4:03 pm

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by robert »

Major Softie wrote:
robert wrote: Let me get this straight---You tarted the crappy poorly designed braces up and sold them so you install the proper ones.
I would have just cut my losses and tossed them. That doesn't seem right.
If this string proves anything, it's that there are people out there who want them, for whatever reason.


That's one way to look at it.
User avatar
vanzen
Posts: 1438
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:29 pm
Location: Hidin' in the Hills

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by vanzen »

Those braces either are the product that Lufty sold – or patterned after them.
I have found that the effectiveness of this type of brace can be substantially improved
(as effective as the design will allow)
IF the small brackets are welded to the frame.
Without that ...

re: design
The effectiveness of a frame brace design cannot be reduced to the choice of
either "it works" or "it doesn't work".
However (to my limited understanding of MC chassis dynamics),
the Lufty design was fundamentally a market concession
intended to appeal to those who "liked the idea"
but were unwilling to disassemble a bike to weld proper braces.
Effective function was compromised.

Excerpted from Tony Foale:
"The main "weakness" of the BMW series /5 /6 /7 frames is in the area of the
SA pivot mounting. Side loads on the rear wheel will tend to make the
upright tubes holding said pivot move fore and aft.
This can largely be prevented by mounting a bracing tube on each side."
"... These tubes can be attached to high up on the front down tubes or to the
underside at the front of the mini backbone. At the rear I mount them above
the SA pivot."
"... These tubes obviously need to be detachable for engine removal etc. and so
the detail of the fixing can be very important to the success of the mod
." *

* my emphasis
Image
Darryl Flynn
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:36 pm
Location: Durham City, ENGLAND

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by Darryl Flynn »

vanzen@rockerboxer.com wrote: Excerpted from Tony Foale:
"The main "weakness" of the BMW series /5 /6 /7 frames is in the area of the
SA pivot mounting. Side loads on the rear wheel will tend to make the
upright tubes holding said pivot move fore and aft.
This can largely be prevented by mounting a bracing tube on each side."
"... These tubes can be attached to high up on the front down tubes or to the
underside at the front of the mini backbone. At the rear I mount them above
the SA pivot."
"... These tubes obviously need to be detachable for engine removal etc. and so
the detail of the fixing can be very important to the success of the mod
." *

* my emphasis
To such a degree that us average ability motorcyclists riding a low power ( ie all standard airheads ) would ever notice ?
My other bike is a Guzzi
ME 109
Posts: 7306
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:00 am
Location: Albury, Australia

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by ME 109 »

Darryl Flynn wrote:To such a degree that us average ability motorcyclists riding a low power ( ie all standard airheads ) would ever notice ?
Basically...... yes.

High power is not a requirement tho' for a benefit to be gained from bracing an airhead frame.
One needs to make sure the rest of the show is in order before adding braces.

I have no braces ('cept on mer pants) on my RS but......they could be of help @ 180 fully loaded for touring, in a sweeper.
Lord of the Bings
pSQUARED
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:01 pm

Gotta weigh in on this one

Post by pSQUARED »

I've got 3 airheads, and was curious about this bit of frame bracing for a long time. Same reasoning as
above---how hard do you have to ride to actually feel difference/effect of bracing? Probably much
harder than I usually do.

Got some of the weld ons for a steal, and figured what the heck, try them on the 90S and see.

It's exactly like in vanzen's post above---they do, in fact, make a noticeable difference in the
stability and feel with cornering side loads.

Frankly had no expectation but was quite surprised in that normal around town riding, I could
tell quite a difference. Since then, I've welded on sets for 3 other riders on different air heads
and they all share same feeling---notable improvement under conditions stated above.

My 2 cents worth.

p2
Darryl Flynn
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:36 pm
Location: Durham City, ENGLAND

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by Darryl Flynn »

Cannot argue with that then if you have actually tried them and found them beneficial. I'm wrong :o but still don't want a set :lol:

Cheers Darryl
My other bike is a Guzzi
User avatar
hillco148
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:00 am

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by hillco148 »

Hi all!
The reason i got this bar is more for look at first and no welding.
Then i took it for a long ride to the Hampton on the southern state. The bar does make a different.
I'm sure if you track or off-road your bike you probably notice it more than just going thru a long bend..
I do feel a little more torque.. Can it be the pipes, battery & collector removal or the braces?..
But as for look, I say it makes my bike look bad a$$!..


Here's a few more pics.. Thanks!

Image
Image




Mak..
86 BMW R80N
72 HONDA CB350 TWIN
99 SUZUKI SV650 SSSA/BOBBED
00 BMW E39 M5 EVOLVE
10 AUDI Q5 3.2
97 HONDA CRV DD
Motorhead
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:30 pm

Re: Feeler Airhead 70-95 frame brace group buy

Post by Motorhead »

SO how we ineffect as in group buy a set of these do we source the title?
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