Time to re-assemble the DT360A front end after a change of fork seals, so that also means time to fit the fork brace that I bought a while back.

I was already aware that the brace uses the lug on the left side fork leg that the cable guide locates on, and also that a slightly longer fitment bolt is needed for said cable guide.

My preference was for the cable guide to have something other than just the one mounting bolt keeping it in place, and so once it was loosely assembled I had a stare and a think as to what I could do, taking into account my limited skills and tools!

After a while I noticed that the lug on the fork leg didn't take up all of the depth of the locating hole on the brace and it might therefore be possible to create my own lug from the inside of the brace.

As luck would have it, the locating hole on the cable guide is just under 6mm. I therefore tapped a 6mm thread into the cable guide and inserted a 10mm long allen bolt through the cable guide and into the locating hole on the fork brace. The 10mm bolt was actually too long, but it was the shortest that I had. I could have hacksawed any M6 allen bolt to make it about 5 or 6mm long, but I decided instead to space it out from the inside using two 6mm spring washers. Note that standard hexagon headed bolts are too large to fit right into the rounded corner of the cable guide.

Time and use of the bike will tell if it holds or comes loose, but I am happy with my fix for the moment.

I had the same situation, It would have been nice to have your locating pin. I just use the one bolt, loctite and crush washers. It seems to be holding very well.

So, I have a question now about lower legs (!!??).

I have a 360A also, which I rebuilt a few years back. As I had found a man on eBay who was parting out a DT400B in what seemed to have been in very, very good condition (judging by the parts I got), I got the entire front end, wheel, CDI, carb, and a few other bits. (No regrets on my part- the 360 was a complete RAT. A smart man would have walked right on by)

Anyway, NEITHER front end has lower legs like the ones shown in your photo. There are NO lugs at that point at all. They are as if someone had turned them in a lathe. The cable guide is a 2-piece affair that wraps around the leg. I have seen brochures that would indicate this was the way they came, but I suspect yours came the way you have it.

Did they just use up the early style until they didn't have any more, and then go to the "lugless" version?

Just curious.

Do you have any photos?

I have read that around 1974/1975 Yamaha changed the design of the front wheel centre hub and I wonder if other things were changed at the same time?

1975 and 1976 DT 400s and DT 250s did not have any mounting " lugs" cast into the fork tubes. They were smooth. This required a clamp style mount for anything attatched to the fork leg. You will have to get creative to mount your fork brace. I purchased 2 fork braces , cut the bottoms off of one and flipped them to the outside to make a " matching" set of clamps. Some owners use metal electrical conduit clamps. Hope this helps.

Yep- Two Hole Conduit Strap on mine.

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I run 77/78 DT400 forks on my bikes and with no mounting flanges- this has worked out good.

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The correct factory brace for the 75-76 DT 250/400 is part number ACC-11110-81-00. These were a factory accessory. They cam with the proper mounting straps, bolts, and rubber pads.









These are quite rare and not for sale at the moment.

Well now, you've gotten me very excited, as the fork brace you show is what I have. Only thing missing I can see is the neoprene pad, which I can fabricate.

Also, explains why the 75 forks I got did not have those tabs on them. Forks originally on the bike when I got it were the vary same style. However, the bike came with quiet a few DT400 pieces also, and the fork springs were different from each other, making me think it was a bit of a 'frankenstein' bike anyway.

Thanks for the clarification guys!!