Hatta fork
The Hatta fork was a unique design of fork utilized by four Kawasaki motorcycles from 1971 through 1975. These forks allowed the rider to customize the rake, spring tension, and fork length to specific riding conditions. The base of the fork tube ended at the axle. The axle was then kept in place by a retaining cap and three fastening bolts.
Adjustments[edit | edit source]
3 way axle[edit | edit source]
The bottom of each leg of the fork have two positions for the axle. By placing the axle in the auxiliary position forward of the standard position increased the fork offset thus giving the motorcycle better road qualities. By rotating the legs 180° so the auxiliary axle position is behind of the standard axle slot, decreased the rake. This gave Hatta forks a total of three positions for the axle.
Spring tension[edit | edit source]
The spring tension rate and damping was adjustable via an adjusting screw at the top of each leg under rubber caps. This enabled the rider to customize the motorcycle for the conditions he was riding in.
Fork length[edit | edit source]
The upper and lower triple clamps were designed to permit even more adjustment. Both triple clamps had straight through holes as opposed to tapered at the top. This permitted the fork tubes to be raised or lowered to the rider's comfort.
Kawasaki models with Hatta forks:
- Kawasaki F7 175cc Enduro (1971-1975)
- Kawasaki F5 350cc "Bighorn" (1970-1971)
- Kawasaki F8 250cc "Bison" (1971-1972)
- Kawasaki F81M racing bike (1971)
Another feature of this fork was the built-in fork brace plate for strengthening the fork.