+ 1 ( and really + any bicycle mechanic you talk to as well )
="Chalo"]Forks are designed to carry loads concentrated around the bottom headset bearing. If you look down the inside of a normal straight fork steer tube, you'll see that it probably has a tapered wall that's thicker on the bottom end, or even a sleeve stuffed in to reinforce the tube at the bottom. That's where the stresses concentrate. The stresses in the middle section of the steer tube between the headset races are lowest, and the tube is often thinned or otherwise relieved there to save unnecessary weight.
To handle the forces transmitted through the lower headset bearing race, the fork also has a press fit section with a shoulder machined into it so that the the crown race-- the part of the lower headset assembly that attaches to the fork-- is securely connected to the structure of the fork, and can't move around on the steer tube. If it were allowed to budge this way and that at the stress levels we're discussing, it would fret the metal of the fork steerer and damage it.
So you have three basic problems when you use a tapered steerer fork in a 1-1/8" headset and head tube. First, you're putting the crown race on a part of the steer tube that was never designed to withstand the forces that pass through the lower headset race. Second, there's no shoulder for the crown race to sit on, so it will rock and push on progressively farther with use, loosening the headset and notching the steer tube. Third, you've extended the fork several more inches than it even would have been with an overlong fork by itself, screwing up the bike's handling and weight distribution even more than you'd have to with a fork like that. Not to mention that now you have a longer than normal lever to break things that you already predisposed to break by installing them wrong.
Don't use that fork with that bike. It's just the wrong thing for the job, and you're likely to get hurt. Even if you don't get hurt, when it breaks you'll be out the money you spent on the thing anyway. If you haven't already ruined it by mounting the crown race on the taper, just liquidate it and get a fork that fits your frame-- preferably one as close to the same length as the stock fork as you can find.
If you don't have to use a folding bike, please don't. They are crippled with all sorts of compromises in order to make them fold. They are barely safe and usable at the speeds and power levels for which they were intended. Motorizing one is really asking for trouble. However, installing the fork you have there, the way you did, is demanding trouble at gunpoint.[/quote]
Yes, sell the fork right away ! Before using it.
cwah said:
No, aluminium frame....
Maybe selling the fork and getting a new one is the best bet.... Or get another bike