You did WHAT?! Yeah, Well, I'll Test it Tomorrow....

[Tophat Fiddle]

This evening--brace yourself!--I took my trusty hacksaw and cut down the steering "stem." See photos. I have not messed with the, um, "sleeve" that goes over the step; I really see no need for that at all. The clamp there grabs the stem extremely well, but that's what I thought about the boom clamp too, heh! What I did is simply wrap a couple of throws of duct tape around the bare naked stem so that it looks presentable (and I can get it a lot prettier tomorrow after I test it). Stand by for clips tomorrow, weather permitting. Now I just need a wine cork to go in the hole, heh!

 

[CruzRider]

No you didn’t!!

Just kidding. I do wonder if that duct tape keeps the fork from slipping out if you lift the bike repeatedly. You can get headset spacers rather cheap and in colors to your liking.

Happy riding!

 

[Boreen bimbler]

Will you not use the star bolt in the top?

 

[Tophat Fiddle]

Will you not use the star bolt in the top?

I guess not--it doesn't seem to do anything other than hold the top cover on. The threads that that bolt connects to is in a plate that appears to be pressed into the tube, I messed around with it a little bit, but I couldn't get it out.

 

[Boreen bimbler]

Not sure exactly how the Q45(?) is set up but you should have a star nut inside the tube you cut off that would probably knock out through the bottom of that tube (it wont come out of the top). It is in there so you can pre load the headset correctly by having spacers to just above your steerer tube and the cap squeezes everything up snugly so there is no play in the headset. They are cheap if it wont come out.
This will explain better than me.

You can just thread the bolt in to tap in the star nut but have to do this carefully and keep it straight. A bit fiddly but doable without a tool.
Hope this helps.