flip a girvin fork

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I was wondering this too was going to ask Subadrew if he was going to try on his build off 6 bike I think it would look much better flipped looks like it would work.
 
To answer my own question---the answer is YES.I flipped everything over---only mod I had to do to make it work was drill out the pop rivits on the brake cable hanger and and re-rivit it to the other sides of the fork legs.Used the same holes and alum pop rivits.I did leave the V brake bosses on and they are now behind the fork legs.Will have to disasimble the fork again and remove them.I can flip them ,but will have to re-dril the holes.haven't desided on that. ---sam
 
Can you post some photos?
 
girvinforkflipped2.jpg
 
Now thats looking good! just let the brakes on the back if you are going to use them make the fork look even cleaner.
 
I've tried them flipped before and while the look was cool with the brake in the back, I didn't like the way it handled, at least not on the Klunkster. That bike already has a long wheelbase though so adding another in just made the thing too sluggish.

I still have 2 more girvins though so maybe I'll try it again on a more standard wheelbase bike.
 
I just got a Girvin / Noleen. Bumping this post to the top for reference.
 
Hey frameteam, did you ever use this fork on a bike?
 
Houndog said:
Can't flip mine around..The top mounting hole is off centered and derakes it...
Click to expand...
I see the problem, don't worry as soon as i can get a girvin I will be making the correct length link for the top, a reasonably priced girvin....
 
I know this is a late post, but you can't flip a girvin/noleen/proflex fork and get it to handle correctly. It messes up the TRAIL of the bike. (just google rake and trail) Think of the girvin fork like the front end of a shopping cart. The front wheels stay in line when going forward but when you flip them around, they turn quick on you. That's what happens when you flip one of these forks - the wheels wants to flip on you. Also when it compresses and is set up to factory specs, the wheel move in towards the frame like a backwards "J" and increases steering stability. When you flip it it decreases steering stability. JonnyFuego
 
Similar handling issues occur when you flip some springer fork rockers and such. But similar to those cases, we do goofy stuff like this for coolness or cosmetic reasons. Sometimes coolness trumps functionality. 8)
 
Considering the trail numbers that people put up with when they run bent spring forks, I don't think reversing the legs on a Girvin would even come close to being what the bent forks are like to ride with. I can't see it being a real problem on a cruiser type bike. If your going offroad downhill at 40mph it might be an issue, but not at 7mph on the street.

Dorian
 
I just picked one up on ebay and after studying it for a while, it occurs to me that flipping it won't change the trail as much as it first appears.

Think of the place where the lower links connect to the fork legs as a pivot point. While you're moving the axle forward, you're also tilting the the top of the forks forward due to the position of the upper link's connection point relative to the fork tube centerline.

If you're looking at the right side of the bike, the fork legs are rotating in a clockwise manner around the lower link's connection point thereby tucking the front axle back towards the bike.

I have no idea if it cancels out, but it's not as bad as it seems at first glance.

Or maybe it's just late and I'm half asleep.........

MHF
 

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