What's the best fork brace? SRC or superbrace

[xr650rkyle]

I have had a SRC on my old 600 and liked it alot and am thinking about buying one for the XR650R.

Any Comments?

Anyones, I should stay away from?

[kelleyseiler]

I put a Superbrace on my XRL and I really like it. It seems to be built really well.

[jbird710]

I put an RSW racing fork brace on my 650L and still think about it on the 650R. Works great on the 650L; especially in the corners on the street. I'm a little concerned (probably shouldn't be) about it getting caked with mud when riding the 650R offroad. I"m not sure how it's price compares with the other two you asked about.

http://www.rswracing.com/xr650r.htm

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

SRC is the best hands down.

[hill5150]

Src..........

[Guest]

SRC All the way. Wasn't SRC first and everyone else just tried to copy Summers design? I think the SRC mounts much better than all the other braces as well.

[XR4DEZ]

Put one on my 650r and the bike had a tendency to swap in the whoops and the 650r doesn't really do that. Took it off and no swap so I returned it to Superbrace.

[415ZR1]

I was happy with the SRC brace. Definitely did what it was supposed to do. The dust wipes are a nice feature.

At the risk of spamming...

I have an SRC brace with the guard kit for sale in the Honda Parts section of the classifieds. Installing a CRF inverted fork on my BRP.

Edit: By request, link added to my SRC brace ad on TT.

https://www.thumpertalk.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=22417&cat=28

[BWB63]

How many of you that have replied have used at least both? What are you basing your facts on? I have tried all three most bought. I thought RWS pulled the forks in a little and this is bad on the seals. SRC are made real well but, the superbrace has the best fit and finish. The Superbrace clamps better then the others and has a ridge machined into the brace for boots or neopreme fork guards.

[XR4DEZ]

How many of you that have replied have used at least both? What are you basing your facts on? I have tried all three most bought. I thought RWS pulled the forks in a little and this is bad on the seals. SRC are made real well but, the superbrace has the best fit and finish. The Superbrace clamps better then the others and has a ridge machined into the brace for boots or neopreme fork guards.

Had the SRC on my DR and the Superbrace on the Honda, the DR had bad fork flex but the 650r does not. Did not find any advantage to the fork brace on the 650r. Summers did not even keep one on the 650r for very long. Put the money towards suspension and a stabilizer.imo

[asf]

I thought RWS pulled the forks in a little and this is bad on the seals.

I have one on my XR400 front end, I dont see any sign of pulling in the forks. I read the other posts and they seemed to mount it lower to alleviate this issue and/or reduce torque settings on the brace.

[Thumpage]

I also have the RWS fork brace and have never noticed any evidence of it pulling in on the forks. My basis? I notice no discernable fork bind or friction with my brace on. Second, If I remember correctly, I had even once tried installing it with the wheel still in place and everything still all tightened up when the bike was on a stand after I had the brace off at one point. Trying to slide the brace on was not too easy. It was snug without it seeming to push the forks out, either. I would say 'Just right', and precise. Of course this is really not the way to properly install the brace and I did not actually install it that way. I did it out of experiment before loosening everything up and going through the 'procedure', doing it the correct way. I simply tried it first, since I had read some things at one time such as mentioned in this thread by BWB.

A fellow XR650R rider had made mention awhile back in the past about my axle 'seeming' to him to be slightly more exposed from under the fork clamp than his and surmised it to be from the forkbrace pulling in the fork leg. I thought the comment a little odd and basicly dismissed it, according to my own logic. I don't believe that assumption to be correct because you really cannot push the lower fork leg in further after it butts up against the axle spacer. We never did measure our two bikes exposed axles for a reference though.

Anyway, I have never had any detrimental sign of "pulling in" or 'pushing out' of the fork legs, occurance.

Given the stated above, I do feel the Superbrace forkbrace is a more streamlined, cleaner looking unit. It takes a little more fender trimming to clear the RWS at full compression than the Superbrace. Mainly the width on the sides of the fender since the RWS is more square, no big deal. fender still looks clean. I have never had any problems with my front fender flexing too much, either.

Also what's nice about the Superbrace is, it has only two parts that sandwich together rather than three pieces. I do kind of like the way it installs better. The inner raised lip for the fork boots to clamp to, doesn't make much sense to me. If the brace is installed too high on the fork leg where you can't simply clamp the fork boots on the lower fork leg itself, the raised lip of the Superbrace will hold water or even debris on the top of the fork seals. There are holes at the bottom of the stock fork boots that allow drainage. If the inner lip and boot is higher than the top edge of the fork leg, water and crud could accumulate & stay in there.

I have ridden a bike with the Superbrace unit and could not tell any difference in handling character between the two. If anything, the difference in bar position of the two bikes was much more a standout.

With all said, the Superbrace is twice the cost of my RWS, so I am happy to stick with what I have.

As for handling, you will not notice much difference with or without a forkbrace until you are riding in and out of deep ruts, through large rock beds, heavy mud and sand. That is where the difference is felt. The front wheel feels like it tracks and holds a line better in these conditions. When turning in mud and sand the front end will have less twist. Even when braking, especially in a turn, you will get less fork twist and bind.

I have never ridden a bike with a SRC forkbrace so...?

A forkbrace should make a difference in making the front end more stable and responsive & less prone to twisting and binding no matter what brand you choose. How's that for a somewhat neutral, unbiased, well rounded comparo? Finished,

[Thumpmeister]

I have the SRC. I don't like it. In fact, I took it off. When I put it on, it seemed to make the forks bow out, caused binding, etc. When I went riding with it, you could feel the binding, and if you hit whoops hard enough, the brace would in fact slide down and start rubbing on the tire. Plus, you can't use your stock fork boots with it.

The SRC brace gets a from me.

[Thumpage]

Quick suppliment to my above post: The holes at the bottom of the stock fork boots are probably more for venting but also provide drainage. Water, sand and such can work it's way inside. No big deal when the boots are fitted to the stock position. But when fitted close to the top or above the top of the fork leg is when water and debris can accumulate on top of the fork dust seal. that is why it is more important to install a Superbrace brand forkbrace as low as possible so that the raised machined inner diameter lip does not extend over the top edge of the fork leg. I have seen pics of a bike with the Superbrace installed that way and thought, [that could not be good for the fork seals].

[BWB63]

Quick suppliment to my above post: The holes at the bottom of the stock fork boots are probably more for venting but also provide drainage. Water, sand and such can work it's way inside. No big deal when the boots are fitted to the stock position. But when fitted close to the top or above the top of the fork leg is when water and debris can accumulate on top of the fork dust seal. that is why it is more important to install a Superbrace brand forkbrace as low as possible so that the raised machined inner diameter lip does not extend over the top edge of the fork leg. I have seen pics of a bike with the Superbrace installed that way and thought, [that could not be good for the fork seals].

The SuperBrace has a stop grove in it that rests on top of the lower fork tube. You can only mount it down to the stop. I think the RWS I had was not machined to spec's. They are made by a home type of shop.

[platterdr]

I have the SRC brace on mine.But I have not ever had another fork brace on any other bikes to compare it to. Actually I have alot of SRC parts on my bike. But since the original owner was Scott Summers I guess that makes since

[hill5150]

I have the SRC. I don't like it. In fact, I took it off. When I put it on, it seemed to make the forks bow out, caused binding, etc. When I went riding with it, you could feel the binding, and if you hit whoops hard enough, the brace would in fact slide down and start rubbing on the tire. Plus, you can't use your stock fork boots with it.

The SRC brace gets a from me.

You installed it wrong.

[Thumpmeister]

You installed it wrong.

Well, seeing how I followed the instructions, I don't see how I could have installed it wrong.

Are you the expert fork brace installer and can immediatly tell that I installed it wrong? Unless your Scott Summers himself, I'm pretty sure that since I followed the instructions, that I installed it right.

[BWB63]

If you installed it right then you had the wrong fork brace. Hill5150 is right, there is something wrong. I don't like the SRC brace myself compared to the Superbrace but, it is a well made product and works. It can't do what you discribe if installed right, that is if it is the right brace for your bike. The front fender needs to be trimmed a whole lot compared to the superbrace or it will hit hard on the fender. I found the two SRC brace' that I have had were in spec. The one RWS I had was a little out of spec. ( I lined them all up and the RWS was .067" shorter between forks comared to SRC but, it was when they were first being made) I hope how ever bought these off ebay like and got to use them

[Thumpage]

The SuperBrace has a stop grove in it that rests on top of the lower fork tube. You can only mount it down to the stop. I think the RWS I had was not machined to spec's. They are made by a home type of shop.

It does sound and appear like the Superbrace's raised inner lip will always remain higher then the top of the lower fork leg then. I personally don't think that feature is a good idea for the reason of holding water and dirt like a bowl over the fork dust seals, . With the lower mounting RSW brace, there is no need for the inner raised lip for clamping the fork boots to. They just clamp to the top remaining edge of the fork leg itself.

Now that I see and read about the Superbrace more clearly, the less I am liking it in comparison to my RSW brace, . Given the height at which it has to be installed compared to the RSW, it looks as if the Superbrace is a little higher in the middle above the tire than the RSW unit is, even though it is more streamlined and rounded on the sides.

Here are a couple pics of each of them as examples of their installed heights on the lower fork legs. Take a look at when I push the fork boot in, in the pic of my brace. The vent/drain holes of the fork boots line up with the top edge of the fork leg so that water and dirt can drain from the top of the fork seals. With the Superbrace design, that will not happen,? . (Pics shown at the bottom)

I have actually been to the RSW,(RSW is actually the correct spelling) shop. RSW makes the parts from CNC equipment. The manufacturing shop also manufactures and machines parts for computer testing tables and circuit boards. Very precise work. far from a "home type of shop", ?. This is not to say there had been a slight design tolerance flub in early units or something, I don't know. I have had my RSW fork brace since 2003 and mine seems just fine. I don't know when RSW actually started making them.

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