Nick at Metal Head emailed me and asked if I wanted to a set of his leaf forks on the FREEDOM or DEATH MACHINE.
How do you say “f**k yeah!” in Klingon?
Nick makes them narrow or wide, short or tall, metric or American. Whatever you need for your bike, he’ll create a front end that will suit you. The photos here are 3″ under forks. Each set takes about three weeks to manufacture. All you need to worry about is having the proper hub bearings for your specific ride.
Nick has been manufacturing leafers for four years and over that time he’s refined them to the most basic and strongest design that can be made. On top of that, they simply look f***ing rad.
Instead of making something that only resembles a set of leaf spring forks, his goal was to build something solid that “works the way it should.” His forks are 100% TIG welded and alignment is guaranteed. According to Nick, he was “raised by a bearded, toothless hag,” which he believes has played a role in adding to the strength of these forks.
Shave ’em all and oil ’em up!
The springs are made from brand new trailer leaf springs Nick cuts down. They’re widely available, cost effective, and strong. Using a generic spring like these makes it so the owner of the forks can easily customize the spring pack. If they want to go to a heavier rated spring they can do that. If they want to add leaves, or remove them, they can do that also. According to Nick, “leaf spring forks give you a lot of control over the character of the ride.”
There are many things about leaf spring forks that are badass:
First, they’re mechanical and steampunk.
Next, they’re simple and rugged.
Additionally, they look like nothing out there. Ride to the rally and count who has leafers and buy them all a beer with just twenty bucks. You’ll have ten left after a fifty percent tip. That’ll give you one song with the stripper of your choice. These forks are looking like a great deal.
Finally, you’re riding without a front fender. Guess what those leaf springs double as?
Less sh*t in your face.
Get yourself a custom-made set of Metal Head Fab’s leaf spring forks for $1,100 here.*
*Narrow sets are $50 more due to the extra work in the machined rod ends on the bottom of the forks.
Qu’vatlh Hija’!
EDIT 06.15.11
nick promised me a set of his leaf spring forks – at cost – when this was written. i wrote a lot of posts for him that brought him clients who wanted more than forks, but entire frames to match. yesterday i called him up, said i had the money, and how fast could he make the forks?
he told me his “old friends decided to step in on the business end of things. it has been made clear that there will be no forks going out at a discounted rate.”
so much for a man’s word.
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Looking for a leaf spring front end for a 1945 chief want a stock look for stock brakes etc.the right length width and for a full fender