Re: New Bikes

[Ben Barkow <dr.ben@xxxxxxxxx>]

Earles forks qualify on 1200s or fantasy bike?

Try as I might ot to stuck in the olden tymes, I can't shake the idea that
the Earles forks design is still pretty good, at least if it was made with
lightweight modern materials. No sliding bearings. No complicated girders.
No dampers squeezed into stanchions. No telescopic joints. No
plastic-covered balls holding everything in place....

At first look, the Telelever seemed to me a crazy and complex compromise of
sporty/telescopic design motives and something working sort of like a poor
person's Earles. But experience has shown, I think, that the lunatic
replacement of tapered bearings (Earles) with a ball joint and bearings
(Telelever) is durable if still strange.

I find the Telelever works pretty good and possibly has some benefits in
terms of steering geometry over bumps over the old Earles.

While I haven't had a close look at the girder-like fork on the new Ks, it
may be a really swell design, capturing much of the Earles advantage at the
cost of ocmplexity and bad looks.

I hope I'm not just fixated on an old puppy-love bike. That puppy love
lasted 32 seasons as a daily ride.

Cheers.

Ben
- -- 
Ben Barkow, Toronto... 39 seasons on Beemers, 44 as a biker,
1961 R69s/rod, 1967-1999... really sup'ed up and fast
1984 R80RT/rod, 1998- 5 extra peak ponies in a wider flatter power band,
  much modified 2-into-1 exhaust, CR 9.5, Keihin PJ 34mm oval carbs,
  Uni filter, dual-rate springs with cartridge emulators,
  BT45/S11, Saeng fairing
1999 R1100S, 2004- Leo Vince exh, JetHot coatings

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