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Hmmmm??? Actually, now I can't see the photo of the bike now either!!
Mac_Muz: I'm 56 y/o. That bike has an upright seating position much like a BMW Tourer would have. That isn't my bike but a similar one. Mine is burgundy in color.
catman: I don't see why you couldn't put those on your bike....you can buy them in several typical diameters to fit any forks.
Here's another shot at posting a photo:
PS: Replacing the fork seals isn't really a hard job, but it is very messy due to all the fork oil. Then you must do it in a very clean environment. You might also have to make or get a special tool to hold the lower bolt in place to disassemble and re-assemble them. I just got a large nut that fit and JB Welded it to the end of a piece of 1 inch square steel stock to make the tool.
Again I get a red x, but copied from properties to see the image. yeah koob, I could tolerate your bike, but I can't my sons bike. In order to do that my arms would need to be a 3rd longer than they are now, and now my knuckels drag the ground as is.
oddly the first pic shows now too. My saddle bags are hard as stock on a Nomad, and one of the reasons i chose a Nomad. They are somewhat larger than yours, which I wanted since my wife goes along more than not. So we need 2 sets of everything, and on the USA tour we had a lot more stuff than most anyone else might. We had the trailer for that.
Some real odd things to have on a cross country trip from NH to Cal and back were a basket pack filled with a set of clothing for each of us in the year 1805, and a 52.5 inch long flintlock rifle to that same time. Mocs, boot mocs, knee breeches trade shirts a dress leggins for her hats sashes and more, plus 18th century cooking ware and canvass. geeze huh?
We hit up several Ron Dee Voos and were seeking Lewis and Clark bi-centenial events as we rode. Another passion.
CATMAN. you can rig up leather lace on fork seal covers. In paper create a pattern, then make it in a softer deer hide leather, and lace them up top to bottom in military boot fashion.
Not sure I can explain that in text, but i can try.
Pass the lace from the outside into the covers, then cross the lace to the next set of holes down, and bring them outside. Now don't cross them again and move down, BUT cross straight over like the top is and go in again there, then cross them and move down. Continue till done and finish off with a surgons knot. That is a square knot with a extra wrap at each tie.
Hmmm how do i say that in text? Right over left, and right over left again, pull snug. The left over right and left over right again and pull snug. Once tied in deer or elk thiong, it will be difficult to get apart, and be very frustrating to try to get apart.
If I were doing this pattern i would leave extra on the 2 verticals and with Barge Cement turn in these longer ends to re-inforce the area that would have the punched holes. If you have no punch use vise grips a plumbers torch and a nail. Tad stinky but it works.
Yes, I think I understand the boot lacing idea. Thanks!
Maybe I'm just an old codger (no doubt about it, I'm 64!), but I liked the looks of the old British bike "fork gaiters", those accordion-like flexible tubes which covered the seals. I guess everyone decided they wanted that Ceriani fork look with exposed fork tubes. I just try to keep the exposed tubes clean of dried-on bugs.
I don't know any other part that can do that and slip over the fork tubes too. You could spend a good day poking around in car junk yards and might just find something.
I have used Saab door switch rubbers which are L shaped to connect terminals on switches, A rubber boot much like what you want from a VW rabbit but smaller to cover a ciggy butt lighter socket, a brake wheel cylinder dust boot to fit ciggy butt plug in volt meter, with minor trimming, and assorted other i can recall off hand.
Now i don't really know the set up you have and i don't know if a cv joint boot that is split open and gets screwed or maybe riveted closed could work, as they seem to be too big.
I know if it was mine and I wanted something there i would look around until I did.
I will look around anytime I want an odd part of a bracket and or a cover. and find something that fits or can be altered to fit and the freer the better.
The frame on my Nomad has 2 ugly bolts holding the front right up tube as seated. For that i made a cover of a regular prescription bottle i cut down and cleaned out the bottom of, then painted black.
On bikes a lot can be made up with very little in parts and a a lot in imagination.
Yeah, to put traditional fork gaiters on it would necessitate taking the forks apart. I think I'll just stick with keeping the fork tubes clean!
Well, not actually APART....
You'd have to support the front-end with something to keep it elevated. Then loosen the upper and lower yokes until you can slide the forks out from underneath. Removing the front wheel or using a bike lift would help here. Then you just slide the gaiters down and reverse the process.
Trouble is that the old Brit bikes with those gaiters had forks lowers and uppers that were made to accommodate them. So finding ones that fit right may be kind of tough.
I'm sure you can find a set of those fork protectors online that will fit your bike. You can't clean them while you're riding, and something nasty could splatter on there during a ride. So those will keep that area clean in between cleaning.
Fine by me. I find about the time you need new fork oil you need new seals anyway. i don't know ALL bike well not off the top of my head anyway. So some have cheats better than others.
An example is my old 81 triple 850 yammi. It has drains and it has air inlets up top. With a baby bottle to measure, and rigged with a line tubing and a clamp to pinch the line, I can hang the bottle and take a hike, per side, but that way isn't the best way.
The best way is to drop the forks and take them apart, and clean everything in there. I will use the cheat every other re fill though, so long as the seals are still good.
My Nomad has long chrome covers and upside down forks, no bugs get there unless they crawl up there, and if they have I sure don't know about it.
KoobleKar: Yeah, I might just have a look at fork protectors, although I manage to keep a good eye on the forks to make sure they stay clean. My bike might look strange with gaiters, although looks are less important than function. I should just get a new Triumph Bonneville, perhaps. Any excuse will do.
Mac: I like Nomads. For a relaxed touring bike, they are great and look good.
We got nannied huh? LOL I could see home made fork protectors maybe from rattles cans of clear with a semi transparent cap, cut and modded heavily and clamped with something or another better than a hose clamp, perhaps chromed zip ties which are availiable.
Yeah the Nomad is a Freight Liner of a bike heavy, steady and slow. Not real flickable. In long enough twisties it can wear me down. But i am a little guy for that size of a bike at 145 lbs.
Yeah, the Nomad isn't really made for twisties. But it's great on a long trip on the interstate, I reckon. I usually take back roads...the interstate highways are great for making time getting from one place to another, but they aren't very interesting. So my bike stays dirty most of the time, what with all the bugs I collide with.
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