"SuperBrace is in perfect alignment" _ "SuperBrace is what I recommend"
(http://www.googlism.com)

Letter from the Huntington Beach Police Department



May 2003

Dear SuperBrace,
Thank you so much for the tour of your facility and the chance to visit and see your operation, I was very impressed. As you know, my background in motorcycling goes way back to 1968 with my first street bike. I am still actively riding and employed as a police motorcycle instructor at an academy in Southern California. I am also an active motor officer for a local police department and have been riding motors for them for 23 years.

I first learned of your product when our police department decided to install the SuperBrace on our fleet of KZ 1000's I noticed a remarkable difference after riding only a few miles. The handling of the front end seemed to be more sturdy and responsive. After feeling this, I decided to purchase one for my own street bike, a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500.

I was first impressed with the simple ease of installation on the fork. It was only a few minutes and I was off riding down the street. The first thing that was noticed was the responsiveness and ease in steering. I had a more positive feel of the front end in the turns as well as the straight-aways, turning the bike was more substantial, it felt like power steering. I also noticed the steadiness of the bike in braking. This was one of the drawbacks in my motorcycle that caused me to want to sell it on several occasions. As you know, braking is the one trait in a bike that is the most important and this was a problem that was corrected on my bike by installing your SuperBrace.

I highly recommend SuperBrace if you want an instant performance item on a motorcycle. Too many times I see people throwing money away on items for looks only and are not investing in a tested peformance accessory that can add not only to the looks, but to the handling, performance and to riding stability. I hope your readers have a chance to test this wonderful product.

Sincerely,
Bert Adkins

ZZR1200.NET
Forum/Reviews



SuperBrace Evaluation by Ga_ZZR_Rider May 19th, 2003

As an owner of a 2002 ZZR1200, I originally contacted the folks at SuperBrace in the hopes of finding a product that would reduce or eliminate the headshake inherit with the ZZR1200, more specifically, the 2002 Model Year.

Much to my surprise, SuperBrace actually had a brace designed to fit our bikes. After exchanging a few emails with Chad Edwards at SuperBrace, I decided to give their product a try.

Originally I intended to test the brace with my stock Bridgestone tires, which had 5600 miles and a severe case of headshake from 60 mph down to 40 mph, however my new Avon AV45/46 tires arrived a few days prior to the delivery of the SuperBrace. (As it turned out, the Avon's did improve the instability, but the headshake still existed from 50 mph to 40 mph).

The brace arrived via UPS, approximately one week after placing my order. True to their word, the SuperBrace was an easy 10-minute installation:

Loosen the pinch bolts on the front axle, install the SuperBrace with the four allen set screws provided, and re-torque the front axle pinch bolts. I did have to remove the stock plastic fork seal protector's, but SuperBrace now has their own version of these in stainless steel that can be purchased as an option.

Time for a test run:
As I left my gravel driveway, I noticed a more stable, solid feel and the front end of the bike was not thrown back and forth, (as was the usual case with my driveway).

When I left my neighborhood, there are two speed bumps which I hit at a pretty good rate of speed; 30mph+ and the bike felt very solid. I proceeded to take it on a test run through some wide sweepers and see how the brace felt while countersteering.

Through the curves, it felt great and improved my overall confidence in the bike's handling characteristics. Although the headshake was still apparent, though it was reduced and only existed from 50 mph to 45 mph and the wobble was minimal.

Coming back from my test run, there is a road that drops off a couple of inches, so I decided to hit it with some real speed. I actually caught some air for the first time with the ZZR! (no easy feat for a 600 pound + bike).

For those of us who like to wheelie, I get a nice solid feel when the front comes back down to earth - no fork flex to either side, which again, improves my confidence level in the bike overall.

The SuperBrace looks as good as it performs - polished billet aluminum. As an option, I would like to see SuperBrace offer "ZZR-1200" or something similar engraved or laser cut into the front of the brace, as it really does compliment the front of the bike.

I would not hesitate to recommend this product to anyone at ZZR1200.net.

Ga_ZZR_Rider
Added: May 20th 2003
Reviewer: Ga_ZZR_Rider
Score:

Product Review written by Dustin Heslopp
http://xr650r.net/superb.htm

The SuperBrace fork stabilizer definitely lives up to its name, it is a "super" brace. Intelligently designed, it is both functional and visually pleasing. The SuperBrace for the XR650R is machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and is extremely heavy-duty. For easy assembly the SuperBrace comes in a 2 piece design which is connected by four 5mm hex bolts. Assembly is a snap, it takes about 5 minutes, and that's if you're slow. Simply loosen the lower end of the fork boots and bolt it on, that's it! The lower end of the fork boots fit nicely on the top of the brace.

So how does it work? The purpose of a fork brace is to reduce "fork-flex". Fork flex can lead to poor suspension performance, poor steering accuracy, and headshake. A fork brace can significantly reduce these issues. It's no secret that the XR650R is a big, large, huge (you get the idea) dirt bike. With this kind of mass, the XR650R definitely has the potential to "flex" its forks. The SuperBrace can greatly reduce this problem.

Ride test: After installation, I took the XR on a short ride. I immediately noticed some of the benefits of the SuperBrace. The most noticeable effect was the added steering response; the steering was definitely crisper than without the brace. The added steering response was great through tight turns, the SuperBrace gives added confidence that the XR will go where you point it. If there is any complaint about the SuperBrace (if you want to call it a complaint) is that it may be too heavy-duty. (SuperBrace is designing a fender template to remedy this fender clearance issue) If you completely compress your front forks, the SuperBrace had a tendency to lightly hit the sides of the front fender. I think with any fork brace, you probably want to trim the sides of the fender. You will, however, need to install a fender brace to strengthen the fender.

 

You wouldn't think that a simple part like this SuperBrace could make all that much difference in the feel of a bike's front end, but as I later discovered, it does. Before fitting the fork brace, bounce the forks up and down to ensure the front end is properly aligned. Fitting the SuperBrace around the lower fork tubes, we discovered that this part fit precisely. With its polished finish, It looks good, too.      More Than Meets The Eye          Before fitting the fork brace, bounce the forks up and down to ensure the front end is properly aligned. Fitting the SuperBrace around the lower fork tubes, we discovered that this part fit precisely. With its polished finish, It looks good, too.     Even the simplest part involves more manufacturing steps than you'd think. I asked Chad Edwards, of SuperBrace, what was involved in making a fork brace.     All of SuperBrace's braces start with 60/61 aircraft aluminum bar stock. Two pieces of bar are lined up and clamped together in a vice inside a CNC machine. One of the pieces gets drilled partway through and tapped; the other gets drilled all the way through and counter-bored on top.     The two bars are screwed together and again fixed into a vice. Starting with a fixed datum point, the (CNC program mills the brace. An indexable drill cuts the initial holes (where the forks go through the brace). Its two-point cutter efficiently removes the material to a width of 1"     Next a 1" end mill starts a process called "circular interpretation." The tool first expands the initial holes in a rough cut. Then, it makes a precise finish cut, rounding each hole's diameter to the correct size. Now you have two bars with two big holes in them.     Next, the part is "profiled" - the outside shape is cut. Since the part has to be kept clamped, the top half is cut first. Then, it's flipped over into the next vice, clamped again, and the bottom half is cut in a mirror image of the top.     A ball mill is used to cut any arches required between the two holes in a process called "kellering." These arches vary according to the required clearance on the bike and can be up to 2" deep. Some fork braces require an arch only on the bottom; some have arches both top and bottom.     All the sharp edges are rounded. (This program runs on the same profiling program, rounding the edges to about 1/8'.) A 16" ball mill is used to engrave SuperBrace on top and the part number on the bottom.     Finally, Chad takes the brace out of the vice, removes the bolts, and fly cuts 15-18 thousands of an inch out of the center (a couple of hair widths). That creates clamping pressure when the brace is bolted together.     The bolts go back in, and the parts are sent out for polishing. Two finishes are offered: a polished mirror finish and black anodized.

To fasten the brace in place, we inserted all four bolts, making sure they were threaded correctly... ...and tightened each bolt in turn. We followed this up with more bouncing of the front end to make sure there's no friction. To prepare the H.a.c. Radiator Cover for painting, we cleaned its surface with mineral spirits. The cover was sanded with 400-grit sandpaper and then 600-grit. Afterwards, we wiped it off again with mineral spirits to remove any remaining grit..

The following product review was written by Mark Hornstein and was printed in the December 2001 issue of the GWTA national magazine, Touring News:

(http://www.zyworld.com/GoldWingProductReviews/SuperBrace.htm)
SuperBrace for the GL1800: Yes, you do need one on the GL1800. Honda did not provide a brace of any kind, just like with the GL1500. If you have upgraded from a GL1500 and had installed a SuperBrace on it, then you already know the advantages of having one. They are the same reasons that you will want one on your new GL1800. I previously praised the SuperBrace when I first did a product review in the September 2000 issue of our magazine, Touring News. It really does reduce wobbles and improves the handling of your bike. They do have over eighty different models covered with braces especially made to fit almost any bike you might have. If you have never had one, then you need to know that it will improve the stability in those really tight twisties we all seem to seek out. They are made of 6061 T-6 aircraft quality billet aluminum and polished to a mirror finish. On my last GL1500, I had my local Honda dealer install it. On a previous GL1500, I had it installed at a rally. On my GL1800, I decided to install it myself (model #2318, SRP $169.95 ). The instruction sheet with graphics is so easy to follow that it was almost unbelievably easy to install. Remove the front fender by removing the four bolts holding it and then remove the two bolts holding the Honda chrome cover. Replace the Honda chrome cover with the SuperBrace supplied individual covers with the same two bolts. Separate the SuperBrace and install it using the four supplied bolts. Torque them to 10 lbs., which I had my dealer do for me later that week and replace the front fender and you’re finished. Now you can go for a great ride and really enjoy it knowing that your bike will track the way it should. There is even a 30-day no quibble guarantee. They can be reached by calling (800) 322-4783. Check out their website by clicking on their button to the left or on any of the photos, and also see their ads in our magazine, Touring News.

The following product review was written by Mark Hornstein and was printed in the September 2000 issue of the GWTA national magazine, Touring News:

(http://www.zyworld.com/GoldWingProductReviews/SuperBrace.htm)
“The Ultimate Fork Stabilizer” for the GL1500 by SuperBrace I have had a SuperBrace installed on every GL1500 I have owned to date. I just got around to installing it in my 1995 that had around 70,000 miles on it. It was long overdue and I should have done it immediately after purchasing the bike when it was new. It is made of 6061 T-6 aircraft quality billet aluminum, polished to a mirror finish. Once you have one installed, you can’t help but feel the difference and will never want to be without one again. Steering is a dream and it really does improve the stability in cornering whether high speed or slow. It helps eliminate the wobble when you ride on grooved or rough roads. It not only costs about $100.00 installed by your local Honda dealer but saves the front tire wear also. You could probably install it yourself with the directions that come with it, but the dealers only charge about .68 hours labor. They even have a 30-day no quibble guarantee. They can be contacted by calling (800) 322-4783 or check out their web site by clicking on their button to the left or on the photo. They are also available for most all bikes at your local motorcycle shop.

Our Trip to France ..The adventure begins..
(http://homepage.tinet.ie/~wingnut/RonWyliesPage.htm)
So, now I had a Goldwing. I serviced it, changing all the oils and filters checked the brakes and steering and we took it for a few test rides along the coasts. These rides revealed a slight wobble at low speeds but a new set of Bridgestone G702/703 Touring tyres and a SuperBrace cured this.

But I wanted more. Having not had a holiday for nearly 6 years I thought that I would like to go on an adventure on my Wing. But where to? I thought about touring England but the weather in September can be somewhat unpredictable. I considered, very briefly, going to the USA but the freight costs soon turned me off that idea. Then it struck me. South of France can be very nice in September and is just a short boat trip away. I checked all the Internet sites I could find for help and advice and noted that the French people had all finished their holiday period (August) and that their children had returned to school. Although I live within 30 miles of the North Sea ferry crossing from Hull to Zeebrugge or Rotterdam, the cost of nearly £370 for the ferry crossing put me off this idea. Instead, I booked a Dover to Calais crossing with P&O Stenna at a cost of just £149. This had two main benefits. One, it was cheaper and two, it was quicker and more flexible. The downside was the trip to Dover, some 260 miles from home but this would give us a chance to test the Wing on a really long trip before being committed to a foreign land. Although I was fairly confident that the Wing would not let us down, I took the sensible precaution of taking out recovery/breakdown insurance in Europe, with the RAC for just £54, including medical cover. We decided to travel very light with a minimum of clothing, Track suits and jogging pants are very light, warm and easily packed so we took these together with tee shirts, changes of underwear, socks and the essential items, wet weather gear. All the items easily fitted into the panniers of the Wing and the top box was reserved for essential paperwork (maps, documents, etc.), the toolkit, a security chain and the helmets, when not in use. Spare bulbs and fuses were stashed into the fairing pockets.

SuperBrace (http://home.online.no/~storerud/tips.htm)
Last weekend, I picked up my 90 Royale from our local guru, after having brakes replaced all the way around, a new front tire, and a SuperBrace installed...My venture had a considerable amount of wobble at both high and low speed.  All bearings checked out ok.  I blamed most of the problems on the front tire, which wasnt aging very gracefully, but decided to try the SuperBrace anyways...

WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE! NO wobble or head shake of ANY kind.  Took the SuperBrace back off, reinstalled the factory brace, and some high speed wobble is present again.   Looks like the $74 I payed for it was actually worth it.  Put it back on, no wobble again.  Just...wow...now THIS was the bike I thought it was supposed to be when i bought it in March with 114k on it. The brace can be found at the below address...It basically just replaces the stock brace thats already there, but is much thicker, and MUCH heavier (and shinier, too!) :)

Performance (http://www.texmoto.com/TexMotoTechnical/TechnologyofLD.htm)
    Endurance riders usually want the best possible performance out of their motorcycle. Suspension improvements are at the top of the list for those wishing to extract this performance. Better fork springs, better rear shocks and fork braces are frequently the first considered.
    Mark Johnson, owner of a Honda Goldwing, chose to install Progressive Suspension fork springs and shock and included a SuperBrace fork brace too. He claims considerable ride improvement, better cornering and the ability to last longer in the saddle. A 4 gallon fuel cell allows him to travel much farther and longer than possible using the rather small stock fuel tank of a Goldwing.
     Norm Grills supplements the range of his BMW using a 5 gallon fuel cell that permits him to cross the 300 mile barrier under the right conditions. Such range permits flexibility when it comes to choosing a gas station in a barren, rural area.
Current IronButt Association rules limit total fuel capacity to 11.5 gallons and permit no more than 300 miles between fuel stops on documented rides.