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Motorcycle
Suspension and Steering
Suspension
and Steering
Front end
Motorcycle steering and suspension can be controlled by several
different types of front end.
The most common form, by far, is the telescopic fork
which consists of sliding steel tubes with long springs inside
which use hydraulic fluid for damping shock absorbers. The
front fork is one of the most critical parts of a motorcycle.
The angle of rake determines how controllable the steering
is. The more horizontal the forks are the more laid back the
handling, more vertical = more twitchy and agile.
Girder
front ends can be found on the radical Confederate
Wraith motorcycle. The Wraith has an advanced 'multi-link'
girder front end. One of the earliest types of motorcycle
front suspension, the girder fork consists of a pair of uprights
attached to the triple clamp by linkages with a spring usually
between the top and bottom triple clamps.
Hub
centre steering is characterized by horizontal forks running
to the center of the front wheel where by a complicated series
of pushrods the wheel is turned. Hub centre steering can be
found on the The Bimota Tesi
1D, Tesi
2D and Suzuki
Nuda concept.
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Steering
dampers can be found on many modern sportbikes and all
race bikes, steering dampers are similar to telescopic forks
in that they provide a dampening effect to bumps in the road.
A steering damper provides a resistive force against the direction
of movement, giving a controlled compression and rebound.
Dampers are velocity dependent so the faster the spring moves
(like when you hit a bump), the more resistance the damper
provides. If you attach a damper there will be a dampening
force that will tend to stop any steering motion. In most
cornering at mid to high speeds, your front wheel steers very
little to lean you into a corner so the damper doesn't have
much of an impact. However, if the wheel hits a groove and
starts oscillating back and forth vigorously, the steering
damper will resist the movement and dissipate the energy providing
more stability to the whole bike. The level of dampening can
be adjusted quickly and easily by way of a dial on most units.
Rear shocks
Rear shocks usually come in three different forms:
Dual shocks. One shock absorber placed either side
of the wheel attached to the swingarm and frame.
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Monoshocks.
One shock positioned at the front of the swingarm, above the
swingarm pivot bolt. This type of shock is found on most modern
bikes, especially sportsbikes.
Softail monoshock. One shock mounted horizontally in
front of the swingarm below the swingarm pivot bolt.
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