Franks Forks is no more...

Apparently Franks is shutting down. I know Mary (the owner) was seriously ill in hospital and they stopped order taking. Now I hear they are liquidating raw material. So it looks like they are done.

Not good news as they represented one of the only places to get fork tubes for some of the models.

I didn't even know they were out there. I just paid $100 and $150 on Ebay for my LTD obsolete fork tubes. Found another company that made the other tubes for the earlier years, but not mine. Heck they were like $120 for a repro pair.

I did find a place in Italy if my memory serves me right that makes fork tubes.

This won't affect the tubes you sell will it Jeff?

Jeff.Saunders wrote: Apparently Franks is shutting down. I know Mary (the owner) was seriously ill in hospital and they stopped order taking. Now I hear they are liquidating raw material. So it looks like they are done.

Not good news as they represented one of the only places to get fork tubes for some of the models.

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Sad to hear Forking By Frank is going away. They have been around since I have been involved with motorcycles.

Where else could you get a set of fork tubes for a 1959 CZ 250 or a set of 12 inch over fork tubes for a H2 750 Triple!!!

etbike3135 wrote: This won't affect the tubes you sell will it Jeff?

It won't impact the Z1 or H2 fork tubes, but we used to special order a number of fork tubes for different models from them.

It will be a shame if no one picks up the business - but from the little I'm been able to find out so far, no one has stepped into the picture - so they are liquidating everything.

What is sad is Mary had no succession plan - and there are a few companies out there in the same boat. APE is one - Jay doesn't have a firm succession plan - so if anything happens to him, it's possible APE will cease to exist. Emgo is owned by Emil Gonzales - and has been since day one 30+ years ago. There's no succession plan there either - and Emil is in his 70's.

Explains why I didn't get a response to an email I sent a couple of weeks ago! Anyone comes across some nice F6B forks please keep me in mind!

too bad :dry: , forks by frank has been around since the late 60's maybe longer........ just sad :blink: :blink:

Good Fortune!

Way back when extended forks were all the rage, extension "plugs" or "slugs" were available in 2"- 8" lengths (maybe longer) for the daredevils willing to risk using them. Fork life expectancy -- and sometimes the rider's -- was considerably shortened with the popping of a few good wheelies, or hitting a bump or pothole, or simply riding on a rough road, as the fork tubes broke or came unscrewed at the threaded joints, which usually happened unexpectedly at a most inopportune time. :pinch:

Forks by Frank was the recommended safe alternative.

Good Fortune!

Sad to see them go. Also glad I got my tubes from them last winter.