Girder front end

[calgary56]

Anybody out there running a 'girder' front end? 

I'm contemplating a 'girder' for my '05 Wide Glide, give it that 'Old School' look.

I do a LOT of hard riding, how do the girders perform? How many inches suspension travel do you get? All I've heard are anecdotal stories, no first hand accounts.

C56

[Old Crow]

I never had one on a Harley, but I had both(at different times, of course)a girder and a springer front end on an old Triumph chopper I used to ride.
The girder is hands down way more stable than a springer in the turns, and much more fun to watch operate as you hit bumps in the road.  I also think it works better than a springer when the front wheel is stretched way out in front of you.
Can't see it too well in this pic as we were packed for a week on the road, but:

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[panhead_dan]

If you ride hard, best to stay away from a girder front end. Unsprung weight is a factor in good handling and a girder is maybe the worst front end for unsprung weight.

[calgary56]

Thanks for taking the time to respond guys, ... 1 pro, 1 con, .... won't be anytime soon, wife, finances, yadda, yadda, yadda, ... so will continue to reasearch

[Glenn W]

Ran a 8"+ over girder on my Norton 750 Commando with a raked neck, and still have a 8" over springer on a '72 Honda 750 in an AMEN Savior frame. Both are fun, but no way do you want to push them in anything resembling "hard riding". The shadow of a long-ended front tire is fun to watch bouncing around when the sun's coming from the side, but it's NOT a performance thing!