Suntour CR V8 Suspension Forks

[John L]

Hi guys

Just did my first commute today - 31 miles round trip Went well except for some very bumpy stretches which definitely take from the enjoyment.

I have a suspension seat post which helps but with the extra weight in the front wheel (hub motor and marathon plus tyre) I'm beginning to think that suspension forks might be a good addition. I don't want to spend too much (who does!) but are these forks any good Suntour CR-8V V2 700C Forks 2009 | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com At £29.00 they seem like very good value but may be too heavy or too soft. I don't intend doing any serious off road cycling - some unpaved canal paths will probably be the extent of any real stress on the forks.

There is lots I don't know about them. I'm assuming that the distance between the dropouts is 100m and that the existing headset will fit! Maybe I shouldn't assume so much!! Has anyone got these forks and would you recommend them? Or have you any advice about fitting suspension forks in general.

Cheers

John

 

[NRG]

Yep use those on my Peugeot conversion, very worth while, soak up the bumps very well. Mine are also the 700c version but I had to hunt for a 1" head tube, took me a while really pleased with the results.

 

[John L]

NRG - Thanks for the photo Good to get some feedback - could find no reviews on the net. The silver version looks good. Any extra vibration from the motor thru the handlebars?

The silver version is only £28 but it has 3 options -not sure what the significance of the difference sized threaded steerer means Suntour CR-8V-V2 700c Forks | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

Noticed also that there is a dynamo bracket - might be useful in the winter.

 

[NRG]

Yes they are 100 mm

No vibration through the bars, I have mine set a little soft and they seem to work well.

The different thread lengths are how much of the steerer is threaded from the top, you will need to measure the one you have and get the appropriate length or you may have to do as I did and cut one down to the correct size.

I had to take about 12 mm off the length to match the original forks, also check the diameter is correct...

Oh and the bottom ball race needs to match, my old Peugeot has a separate race and ball set so I had to modify the forks to accept the slightly smaller diameter race of the Peugeot...a friendly LBS is a real help!

 

[aseb]

This sounds interesting, I'm sure this could help me with my spondylosis and myalgia but can you help clarify the sizes. This is for a Powabyke X-Byke.
The fork spacing is 108mm so should be ok.
What is Integrated HD: ID type / 48mm?
And what is the 100mm mentioned by NRG? Is this the length of the steering shaft that the handlebar connects to?

Any advice that will help to make sure I get the right part will be appreciated.

 

[John L]

Yes they are 100 mm

No vibration through the bars, I have mine set a little soft and they seem to work well.

The different thread lengths are how much of the steerer is threaded from the top, you will need to measure the one you have and get the appropriate length or you may have to do as I did and cut one down to the correct size.

I had to take about 12 mm off the length to match the original forks, also check the diameter is correct...

Oh and the bottom ball race needs to match, my old Peugeot has a separate race and ball set so I had to modify the forks to accept the slightly smaller diameter race of the Peugeot...a friendly LBS is a real help!

NRG - Thanks for taking the time on this - its great when people share their experience I'll measure up over the weekend and get an order in. Guess I'll have fun dismantling and trying to make everything fit. But thats half the craic

John

 

[John L]

And what is the 100mm mentioned by NRG? Is this the length of the steering shaft that the handlebar connects to?

Hi aseb - the 100mm refers to the gap between each fork at the dropouts. The 8fun hub motor needs 100mm to fit the fork. The suntour CR V8 not only is wide enough but it has better clearance (the fork tapers) than my existing fork so it should be a good improvement for me.

I'm afraid I can't help you with the other queries. Hopefully others can.

John

 

[Scimitar]

The bottom components of those are aluminium, as you would expect.
I've come across a couple of mentions of front-mounted powered hubs rounding off the ally dropouts and also parting company with the bike, leading to a faceplant. Seems this can be got around by using a close-fitting steel torque arm. By close-fitting, I mean hand finished to closely fit the flats on the motor spindle. That's the way I would do it, anyway.

 

[John L]

The bottom components of those are aluminium, as you would expect.
I've come across a couple of mentions of front-mounted powered hubs rounding off the ally dropouts and also parting company with the bike, leading to a faceplant. Seems this can be got around by using a close-fitting steel torque arm. By close-fitting, I mean hand finished to closely fit the flats on the motor spindle. That's the way I would do it, anyway.

Hmm - God that sounds dangerous When I get them I'll have a better feel for how strong they are. My current forks are alloy as well but much less tapered. Definitely something to consider. Thanks.

John

 

[NRG]

I'm still using these with just the tabbed washers that came with the motor, so far so good, no indication of the drop outs spreading...however, I take care not to use full throttle from stand still or when moving slow...I run my motor a little 'hot' so it has a bit more punch than a standard 36v unit....

 

[John L]

Well while my battery is dead I had one good news story on the bke front today. When I went to order the CR V8 threadless suspension the last one was gone. Did a big search on ebay and eventually tracked down this fork - Federgabel SUNTOUR NEX4110 #446 bei eBay.de: Fahrradteile (endet 27.10.10 18:41:45 MESZ) but in black. About £30 inluding postage

It arrived this evening and I got it fitted in an hour. Feels great. One thing that I noticed immediately was that the wheel with the motor fits the forks beautifully - dropouts are much thicker and a much better fit than my original forks.

John