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4Strokes.com Technical: DIY Conventional Fork Leg Protectors by NOS

Make your own lower fork leg protectors! It's easy and costs less than a pack of smokes. They are made out of PVC pipe and snap right on. No more costly dents in those aluminum lower fork legs ever!

Items needed are: masking tape (the wider, the better), jig saw or coping saw with a narrow blade so it will turn sharp on the PVC pipe, some sand paper, and a razor knife like an Exacto knife.

Note: Although intended for an XR200R, this article may help with other model bikes as well.

1. Measure the outside diameter of your lower fork legs at the narrowest point. (i.e. only the round part that looks kind of like a pipe.) Let's use a measurement of 2.75" as an example.
2. Buy a piece of PVC pipe with an inside diameter as close to but less than 2.75". Example 2.50"
3. Essentially what you're going to be doing here is making a tape pattern of your lower fork leg. Looking at the side of your fork leg, lay masking tape (the wider, the better) down on it to cover all of the part that's 2.75" in diameter. Don't put tape on the parts that make bracket mounts, etc. Do this length-wise but cover all of 2.75" diameter.
4. Imagine now that your masking tape is the PVC pipe. With an Exacto knife trim nice smooth curves and strait lines around everything that is not 2.75". On the back-side of the leg leave a gap length-wise (up and down) of approximately 0.75".
5. Carefully pull the tape pattern off of the lower fork leg and stick it on your PVC pipe.
6. Trace your masking tape pattern with a marker or just cut around the tape with a jig saw or coping saw. You're going to end up with a piece of PVC that looks kind of like a jig saw puzzle. Take the part you just made and try it on your lower fork leg. It's supposed to be pretty hard to snap on. Trim the back-side gap if it goes on too hard.
7. Take them back off, sand the edges, clean them up a little, and re-install them!

These things hang on like a dead turtle and they are way tuff! You can also get the PVC pipe in black, white, or gray. A 10' piece of PVC pipe costs only a few bucks. Also, steel wool or a pot scrubber will take the white lettering off, as will mild solvent.

Credits: Article written by New Old Stuff, edited by 4Strokes.com

Other related (Forum) topics: Lower Fork Protectors | Home made lower fork guards

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