CB77: Aluminum (late) vs. Steel (early) fork lowers?

[jas67]

I currently have a 1967 CB77 with aluminum fork lowers, and will be taking delivery of a 1965 that has steel lowers in a few weeks.

I'll eventually sell the '67, and will be keeping the '65. If I wasn't worried about keeping things correct, are the aluminum ones better? Are they much lighter? Stiffer? Any advantage to swapping, or is it not worth it?

Thanks,
Jay

[LOUD MOUSE]

I suggest you leave parts as they come. .................lm

I currently have a 1967 CB77 with aluminum fork lowers, and will be taking delivery of a 1965 that has steel lowers in a few weeks.

I'll eventually sell the '67, and will be keeping the '65. If I wasn't worried about keeping things correct, are the aluminum ones better? Are they much lighter? Stiffer? Any advantage to swapping, or is it not worth it?

Thanks,
Jay

[jas67]

I suggest you leave parts as they come. .................lm

That's kinda what I was thinking.

[LOUD MOUSE]

I look at what HONDA did over the years of production and truly about 1966 when that front suspension change was used I was confused about what HONDA wanted to accomplice.
No doubt the change was for the better but I haven't ridden the TYPE 2 front suspension. ...............lm

I suggest you leave parts as they come. .................lm

That's kinda what I was thinking.

[G-Man]

My guess is that the cast-alloy lowers were just cheaper to make. The steel lowers involved welding several parts together and that pretty-much becomes one piece with the aluminum lowers. The seal holders became much simpler, too.

That alloy design survived well into the 1980s

G

I look at what HONDA did over the years of production and truly about 1966 when that front suspension change was used I was confused about what HONDA wanted to accomplice.
No doubt the change was for the better but I haven't ridden the TYPE 2 front suspension. ...............lm

I suggest you leave parts as they come. .................lm

That's kinda what I was thinking.

[LOUD MOUSE]

I wonder about comparison parts
Weight?
Same number of parts on fork tube
Steel slider
Weight?
Alloy
No long heavy steel spring
Weight?
4 steel studs
4 steel nuts and 4 steel washers
2 steel axle caps
heavier 2 piece steel axle
Steel tube inside slider
???????????????????????????????. ..................lm

My guess is that the cast-alloy lowers were just cheaper to make. The steel lowers involved welding several parts together and that pretty-much becomes one piece with the aluminum lowers. The seal holders became much simpler, too.

That alloy design survived well into the 1980s

G

I look at what HONDA did over the years of production and truly about 1966 when that front suspension change was used I was confused about what HONDA wanted to accomplice.
No doubt the change was for the better but I haven't ridden the TYPE 2 front suspension. ...............lm

I suggest you leave parts as they come. .................lm

That's kinda what I was thinking.