Spy Picture Of A Crazy Over 8 Foot Long Front End

Almost all part manufacturers will accept to make a custom part for you. Maybe not if it’s too crazy. Surely not if you don’t want to pay the price of a one-off. But Russ at Precious Metal Customs had a client who wanted a Springer fork over 8 foot long. The client knew what to expect and not to expect from such an extended front end. So, Russ called MeanStreet to request such forks. First, they said no, but the client insisted more than a few times. So MeanStreet thought that it would be an interesting technical challenge to “reinvent” the XXXXXL forks.  So, here is the result. An hybrid over 8-foot long custom Springer that is part inverted upper tube and Springer lower section. Wow! The customer is extremely excited. We all wait to see how the final bike is going to look and handle…especially when negotiating turns.

12 Responses to “Spy Picture Of A Crazy Over 8 Foot Long Front End”


  1. 1 ANT Feb 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    I bet the amount of flex in those legs will look like that rubber pencil gag we all saw as children.

  2. 2 J Feb 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    LOL- isn’t this how the fad ended in the ’70’s, too?

    “But this one goes to 11…..”

  3. 3 Mad River Motor Company Feb 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 pm

    His name is SugarBear. When you need that $#!^ extra long, you call him. He hooks you up.

  4. 4 Dave B. Feb 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 pm

    Everyone that knows me, knows I love the long bikes… but damn that’s a long front end!

  5. 5 Rodent Feb 23rd, 2008 at 10:15 am

    i like Means Streets knock off of HD#1 better

  6. 6 gustian Feb 23rd, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    Think they have to re-design streets for that “baby”.

  7. 7 TROY Feb 23rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm

    Wow, I hope there was a ton of lawyers and paperwork involved in this one!

  8. 8 burnout Feb 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm

    that is the longest “conventional” front end I have seen…… There are some girder types out there longer. peace

  9. 9 Jeb Feb 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 pm

    Who was the moron who conceived this???

  10. 10 IntelGunny Feb 24th, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    I wanna see him ride the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee on this thing.

  11. 11 Howling Banshee Jun 9th, 2008 at 9:10 am

    I have used a 6 foot long springers on a couple of things including a V8 trike,
    they tend to whip a bit, but as long as you make the rockers the right length to put the trail right they actually steer fine.

    Sugar Bear’s page is worth a look, he makes some nice looking springers that work better than many stock forks.

    While eight feet long is a little extreme ( pointlessly long even ) as a general rule I would still argue that a well designed springer front end works far better at large rake angles than telescopic forks, which to be honest tend not to work at all at any thing beyond a very mild 40 degrees, which does not look like much of a chop, you need to be out at 45 to 50 degrees to really get the ‘look’ hense a springer or girder front end should be the only kind under consideration.

    PS I hate 21 inch front wheels, who’s idea was that ? I am old enough to know that a narrow 16 or 17 was what we used years ago
    ( because it makes your forks look even longer ) and they tend to steer better on long forks than a big floppy 21

  12. 12 donald Dec 27th, 2008 at 6:04 am

    About that front end. Never use an overstatement where a nuaunce will do.

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Cyril Huze