OK so any other suppliers of leading link forks besides Unit in the UK? I can order from Dauntles, price quote of around 3K and wait 8 weeks. I have an 89 GS100 with a Ural car and I have the beefed up fork brace and new progressive springs and I still feel like on a hard turn the forks are going to twist apart. OK so I exagerate a tad, but I am looking hard at a leading link but 3K is anawfully big number to bite into. Any ideas?
No personal experience but I have been told (from a good source) that ural front ends will bolt up to an airhead, seems worth looking into.
All IMZ front ends will bolt up to pre-69 BMWs except for 2008 models which may have a post-70 set of bearings. Haven't seen a 2008 model so I can't tell you. Can you fit a pre-2008 Ural front-end to a post-69 BMW, yes, with a little bit of machining. It's not that hard. Don't waste your time with Paoli Ural forks (designed for Italian 250cc bikes). Lots of options available with a little bit of machining.
I did consider that option but was reminded that LL Ural triple trees have a rake angle to match the trail-factor that a tele-forked Ural has. That's why riders of solo Urals report them to be skittish handlers. Discount this warning if its the whole Ural (incl Ural 'trees) LL being considered. Otherwise, I feel that fitting a Ural LL to an Airhead BM will require the Axle positioning to be relocated slightly forward. I couldn't take the cost of LLs so went for custom triple trees (triple clamps), while yet another route is a TeleLink conversion to shift the axle forward. (Being said that I never did get a quote for LLs from an established Trike builder) LLs as built by one Trike builder in Oz.
You have to remember that most riders of "solo" Urals try them after taking the sidecar off. Squared off tyres don't make for good handling. A true solo Ural handles a bit like a T100, a bit quick for some, but quite nice. Fitting a 19" front wheel to a true Ural solo (18" front and rear) makes for a nice bike and a good tyre combination. Even with the L/L they handle OK if you can get your head around the psychological problems. And the problems are either bad tyre combos or the riders head! The Greek importer sold heaps of Ural solos with L/L forks and no complaints - seems to have been a purely American problem.
You might ping Jim (Jimbosidecar) www.mycj750.com I was getting a quote on one of his CJ750's "We're now copying the BMW 2arles forks which should be readi in 4-6 weeks. The price will add $ 450 to the price" Konrad
