I think the fork is bent
- Thread starter RattyMatt
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I’d say yes
Nice Higgins. High handlebars for sure.
The top portion of the fork legs should follow the head tube, but they take a slight backward bend. The fork can probably be corrected but it is bent. The yellow line shows the slight bend backward of the fork.
The top portion of the fork legs should follow the head tube, but they take a slight backward bend. The fork can probably be corrected but it is bent. The yellow line shows the slight bend backward of the fork.
Welcome aboard!
A springer might work well on that bike too!
A springer might work well on that bike too!
Find an old school bike shop in your area. They might have one of these Park Tool Little Brute’s. It’s a fork straightener.
Cool bike by the way!
Cool bike by the way!
I have one of these fork tools. Made in Monticello Iowa about 40 miles from here by the Little Brute Company. Made using an old style automotive bumper jack. A more accurate description is a fork bender. It won't undo bent steel, it just bends it again. It will bend the weak point, not unbend bent steel. This tool will bend the fork where it wants to bend, not where you want it. Because rigid forks are still somewhat springy, you have to over push to get it to bend. It's really easy to over do it. At the molecular level, bending steel is ripping molecules apart. Bending it back rips more molecules apart. Trying to straighten a fork doubles the damage or more if you over do it and try again.
Another old school trick is to turn the fork around and ride in to a brick wall.
Or take the wheel off, stick the blades in a sewer grate and push.
^^ sewer grate, v in a tree, drive over it with your car in a controlled manner... I've straightened worse forks.
Bent forks are a common problem with antique bikes.
I see you are in Virginia. If you are anywhere near Richmond, Robbie and ItsWheelSimple can straighten forks.
Since you are not going for a full restoration, you can also have fun finding a replacement from a donor bike.
I actually might have that same fork in my pile of parts.
I see you are in Virginia. If you are anywhere near Richmond, Robbie and ItsWheelSimple can straighten forks.
Since you are not going for a full restoration, you can also have fun finding a replacement from a donor bike.
I actually might have that same fork in my pile of parts.
Those are the perfect forks to cut the legs off of and make no-welding chopper forks.
I did this with a pair of those forks back in 1968 and I described the procedure here somewhere In my early posts.
Because those forks are hollow tubes you can see into them when you remove the chrome, as you have probably already discovered.
Anyhow, the head of those forks made the perfect base for a triple tree set up for my bike.
I did this with a pair of those forks back in 1968 and I described the procedure here somewhere In my early posts.
Because those forks are hollow tubes you can see into them when you remove the chrome, as you have probably already discovered.
Anyhow, the head of those forks made the perfect base for a triple tree set up for my bike.
