I'd have to agree here. I really want one, but am thoroughly disillusioned about my Wee being an off-road vehicle so I have opted for the bars, skid plate, and hand guards first. The fork brace is now very high no my priority/wanna list.you don't "need" one but they do tighten up the bike nicely, I only ride streets and it made a noticeable difference in the way the bike feels. If it was me and planned on doing mostly street I would do the fork brace before I did a skid plate.
Yes you do.but do I really need the fork brace?
imho, the fork brace is more important than crash bars & skid plateI'm a brand new V Strom owner having just purchased a 2011 650 ABS model. Love the bike but I'm reading an awful lot of threads where folks are recommending the addition of fork braces. I plan on definitely adding crash bars and skid plate, along with luggage, but do I really need the fork brace? Most of my riding will be paved roads with an occassional trip on gravel. Don't plan on any "off-roading" or single track type rides on this bike. Thoughts??
Give that man a cigar! I don't think "need" is the right word. Most say it makes a difference and some day I may get one. But you will be able to ride your bike just fine without it. My suggestion for farkles is to always ride without for a little and see if you think you need it. If you are noticing all the problems a fork brace fixes, then it would probably be a good idea to get one.btw, nothing beyond stock equipment is "necessary" as popular as some farkles are on this forum, there are as many or more V-strom riders that don't participate in internet forums and have completely stock bikes
I like to ride on paved back country roads. Many of these roads can be very twisty and bumpy in places. The first think I noticed after adding my fork brace was that the bike handled much better on these roads. The bike goes through the turns over rough terrain with much more control than before adding my brace.This is an excellent question. I have read many threads of people saying you need a fork brace and steering stabilizer. This follows them saying to drop the forks by .5 inch.
I would like to hear from some long time Stromers what the purpose is for these modifications. I have seen too many posts that just say "It makes it handle better." No offense to anyone on the forum.
I like to know the purpose of things before I spend money and time on them.
Thanks