Three spoke conversion question.

[theclowncrusty]

Hi, i have read all the threads about three spoke conversions for the steamer, but i am a bit confused as there seems to be different ways of doing it.
Could someone please let me know what i have to start looking/shopping for to do a three spoke conversion to my Steamer that will be a straight bolt on conversion?
I am a decent spanner monkey so can do things like swapping the tripple clamps and changing brake calipers, but i have no knowledge or accesss to engineering tools if stuff needs milling.
I want my bike to look like the photo below that i have found in a post on the forum somewhere.
Thank you in advance for any replies, i love this bike and this site.....


Mark

[Mustang]

there is no way to put three spokes on a tiger lower fork assembly with out access to machining and custom parts .
You can however fit a complete front off of a sprint or trophy , but you no longer have the tiger forks , but there may be some issues with clearance on the wider trees from those bikes .
Others will be along shortly ...................

[rf9rider]

Can be done without machining parts.
Rear wheel is a straight swap.
Front end, you can build your Tiger stanchions into early Trophy/Daytona/Trident lowers, (any carb model Triumph T3 series bike will do) using all the internal parts from the Trophy and using the Tiger springs, this keeps the same height at the front end.
Doing it this way you will need either early Trophy 1200 yokes, but will need  bar mounts fitting, bolted or welded, or you could use Legend TT yokes, they just need the clock mount lugs cut off to allow room for the bar cables/electrics to pass between the clocks and yokes.
You`ll also need a longer speedo cable available from Sprint Manufacturing.
You will need the Trophy etc mudguard, brake discs (310mm) and 4 pot brake calipers, or 6 pot calipers will fit as long as the mounting holes are 90mm.
I think i covered most of this in my other posts, any more info just ask.

[Mustang]

the only drawback I see to using trophy or sprint lowers on the forks is you will change the steering geometry.
the tiger forks have a different trail due to the forward mounted axle whereas the trophy legs the axle is mounted directly inline to the bottom of the forks  .
trophy


vs.

tiger

[rf9rider]

I can see your point, it probably shortens the wheelbase a little but i never noticed the difference when i did the conversion, but it was the best option for me as like the poster, i had no access to machines etc for making up parts.
I`ll take some measurements for comparison as Tiger 2 still has the original wheels on.

[rf9rider]

Compared Tiger 1 with alloys to Tiger 2 with original spoke wheels, Tiger 1 with the alloys has a longer wheelbase of 5mm.

[Mustang]

not only have you changed the wheelbase but you may have added even more trail to the forks by using trophy lowers .................
Trail is defined as the characteristic of the wheel to be self centering , like a caster wheel . all vehicles with wheels need to have some on the steerable wheels  . on your car it is called caster .
Too little trail, and this self-centering effect is decreased to the point of instability. Too much trail, and the effect is so great that steering becomes heavy. and the wheel will have a tendency to flop over , the flop over applies more to choppers though with greatly extended length forks .

several variable affect the trail measurement :

1. reducing diameter of wheel reduces trail albeit very minimally

2. lengthening or reducing fork length affects the trail as well as the fork rake , lengthening the forks increases the rake as well as the trail .

3. and the obvious one which has the greatest affect is changing the axle position

by using the tiger forks and only changing the wheel diameter has the least amount of affect on the trail , which basically makes it steer a little quicker , same effect as raising the tubes in the triple clamps .

on the other hand you have altered all three especially if  the overall length of the forks changed any when you used tiger fork tubes in trophy lowers .

 knowing all the pieces of the pie , would tell you if you have dramatically altered the trail from stock .

but you have certainly  increased the trail just by using trophy lowers  . and by altering  the wheelbase by 5 mm longer with your modified forks you have certainly made the forks longer than original tiger forks . Which has increased the rake and added even more to the trail.

Have I made your head hurt yet ??
 :shock:  
thats why its called geometry !

[Nick Calne]

Mustang, in view of your long list,  do you know if anyone ever just went for a wheel re-built with supermoto rims?  That way you'd get 17" wheel and road tyres (albeit with tubes).  Might be a cool way to go.

[Mustang]

Mustang, in view of your long list,  do you know if anyone ever just went for a wheel re-built with supermoto rims?  That way you'd get 17" wheel and road tyres (albeit with tubes).  Might be a cool way to go.

yep thats the easiest way............ no mods required and has the least affect on wheel trail . just makes it steer a little quicker like pulling the tubes up in the triples . which is the whole point of goingto 17 inch front .

the three spokes just give the added benefit of tubeless and the ability to have larger rotors for better braking and look cool too.

[rf9rider]

Plus the benefits of more tyre choice, easier to keep clean and handling is much better  :)

And of course they don`t rot!  :lol:

[theclowncrusty]

Hi guys,
thank you for all the replies. Shopping list then? I want to keep the tiger forks so if i have got it right i am looking at trophy wheels and rotors, i know i can use the Tigger calipers with a adaptor plate but i have included a link to ones i think would look good (would they fit with an adaptor plate?)
Also i would need the trophy rear sproket? (how many teeth to keep similar gearing to what i have got now?)
Longer speedo cable.(can i use the speedo drive i have or need one from a Trophy?
Thanks again for any replies........

Shopping list so far.....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130593717313? ... 1423.l2648

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130593718174? ... 1423.l2648

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250926744941? ... 1423.l2648

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260656619036? ... 1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130593682012? ... 1423.l2648

Crusty

[rf9rider]

If your using the Tiger forks, you`ll need the original mudguard, the Trophy one won`t fit.
You don`t need the longer speedo cable, original will fit (look at Mustangs post)
Don`t know about those calipers, you`ll have to get some measurements between the mounting lugs and middle of calliper and compare it to the originals.
If they will fit, and you do end up using them, you need a 5/8 brake master cylinder to get the best out of them.
You`ll need the Trophy speedo drive as they are different, they mount on different sides.
You can use your complete sprocket carrier from your original wheels, they are the same as the 3 spokes.

[rf9rider]

And those wheels are a good price if they are ok! :)

[Mustang]

calipers won't work with tiger forks unless you make adapter to fit , which you need adapters for the tiger calipers anyway
you WILL need Trophy Rotors
and actually you could use the tiger speedo drive  by mounting the wheel reversed to a trophy but it will have the wrong ratio for the speedometer
and no matter what speedo drive you use it has to be machined down to fit .


here's the list
Tiger Forks

Front
1. left and right wheel bushing adapters (you need them custom made)

2. left and right brake caliper adapters (you need them custom made)

3. trophy front wheel

4. trophy front rotors inverted to fit in the narrower tiger forks

5. trophy speedometer drive custom machined to fit (make narrower)

Rear
this is the easy part and is the same for either front end mod
1. trophy wheel with rotor
direct bolt on using your tiger sprocket carrier and wheel bushings , no adapter s needed for wheel or brake caliper


Trophy Forks

1. see rf9riders post at beginning of this thread
**note : using the trophy front end will alter the rake and trail geometry**

[rf9rider]

Having ridden both my Tigers back to back, the 3 spoke rides and handles the best out of the two, certainly no slow and heavy steering.
I find the original wheels a bit "twitchy" and doesn`t hold it`s line through the twisties, although i`m certainly no up and coming Rossi!  :lol:
Just my opinion  :)