Extending the CG125 Forks

[killerbanjo]

Ok so I have my trusty CG125 1991 BR-J and I love it. However because i live in Cornwall I cant help but bomb down the trails every now and again (Not too fast and not doing anything too harsh on the suspension).

The bike is not designed for this use but does do it very well, and if i had the money i would get a TS or DT etc but i cannot afford the insurance (im 18). From what i have looked up the fork tubs/sliders are 27mm so if i could find another bike with the same diameter, but longer tubes would that work?

I would rather not swap the whole front end and i would like to keep the bike fairly original but just give the suspension more travel.


Any help from the experts would be great Ed

Edit: Here is a TS and it looks very similar other than the travel and the high level exhaust and the sump guard. https://www.motorstown.com/images/suzuki-ts-125-02.jpg

[smegballs]

https://www.car99r.com/chopperfiles/fork_diameters.doc

Word document showing a load of different fork diameters.....

Some possible candidates?

XR100
TS100
DT100

Remember just because the fork diameters are the same doesn't meant that the distance between the fork ends is the same, be prepared to pack it out with stacks of washers make up some spacers.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-XR-100-FORKS-/151063002353?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item232c0e7cf1

[killerbanjo]

Thats great, thanks for the info. Anyone else put a different front end on a cg or extended the forks? Would really like to here from some other people as its the most valuable thing I own and really don't want to screw it up!

Many thanks.

[Nope.]

[killerbanjo]

I see what your saying. I am confident doing the work but its hard to get the information i need from online. Really need to head to a breakers yard i guess... If i could afford the insurance on a dirt bike i would get one but sadly i can't. Ed

[smegballs]

To get the brakes working with just a fork swap you will almost certainly need to fabricate mounting plates of some kind.

It gets to a point where you have to decide exactly what you want to do.

Fork swap only
Whole front end swap
Fork/wheel/brake swap keeping cg yokes

Either one is going to have its own set of challenges and critical dimensions that will need to be worked out properly.

If you just swap the forks, then you have to hope the front axle is the same diameter, make up spacers to get the front wheel aligned properly and also find a way to make the brakes operate safely.

If you want to swap the entire front end you are now in the realms of matching up fork yokes, stem lengths/diameters etc need to be compared and matched. May well get to the point of pressing in new stems, getting the yokes machined etc etc. If you choose this route why even stay with 27mm forks, you can just get anything you want within reason.

Swapping the forks with the cg yokes may be possible. If you do this you are going to have to consider the sideways distance between the forks on the cg, compared to the donor bike. Again spacers will probably need making up to align the wheel etc.

Either way this isn't going to be cheap, it will quite likely require the use of a lathe, and depending on your route will need access to presses, and other bits of shop kit. If your plan is to save money for insurance purposes you will almost certainly spend more (especially if you put a value on your time) than if you just insured a different bike. Not to mention, to stay legal you would have to inform your insurers of the modification, what would the cost of that be? I'm sure they would take a dim view if worst-case you killed someone and the cause of the accident was attributed to a bodged front brake that failed of which they were not informed.......

Overall, stuff like fork swaps is a pain in the ass thing that is pretty cool if you have a bike just sitting around as a project that you don't actually use for an everyday ride. For a bike you ostensibly need to get around it will likely cause you a lot of frustration and anger.

Not what you wanted to hear but that's just the way things are sadly.

[unitynotsocri...]

if it were me I'd just get some lifan 125 road bike forks,with brakes and wheel ,spokes preferably so the rear matches , put gaitors on em and change the yokes as well.

Cg's take the same size yoke as most chinese stuff.The lifan forks are thicker and a little longer.

see picky , ...This was a Brazil CG frame with lifan road forks/yolks.The forks will take a bit more of a bashing due to the wider tubes and the small extra length provides enough clearance for a cg .
You could kill the centrestand for more ground clearance and think about different wheels or tyre combinations that can add an inch.
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[stinkwheel]

I bet forks from something like an MTX50/125 or an older, drum brake XR125 would bolt straight in only requiring a longer brake and speedo cable. There is a huge amount of parts interchangeability on the older (say 70's to early 90's) generation of small hondas.

That all said, you would also need longer rear shocks to go with it. If you just jack up the front, you'll massively increase the rake angle of the frame. It'll fight you going into corners then kind of flop all the way over to one side once you manage to start it turning
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[cb1rocket]

Put in longer forks and your make it handle like a cruiser!
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Honda H100S2 Rebuild - https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=253852

[jimspeed]

I bet just refreshing the fork oil in it would make it much better, maybe a heavier weight of oil and slightly more of it?
nice easy work to start with
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Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
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