Not the wheel or forks fault
This is just MHO. I'm not going to post any further responses.
Based on the length of the strut, lack of shock absorption and other factors, I conclude that the strut is adequate only as long as no significant side load or longitudinal load is imposed.
Side load we can control (mostly) by flying a straight landing and not making drastic high speed turns. Still, runway imperfection can bite us (witness the 9A that folded on a paved runway a short time back).
Longitudinal force (front to back) is controlled only by exposing the nosewheel to "low friction" runways, as well as having a properly inflated and installed nosewheel.
The lack of any shock dissipation in the strut compounds the problem, since any force from the runway is transmitted directly into vertical motion of the aircraft. If you are exercising "proper" technique (stick full aft on rollout), this translates into nose popping off the ground. When you come back down, if there is any more forward resistance, the additional force will fail the nose gear, since it cannot (and is not designed to) take much in the way of a longitudinal event.
Finally, the "icing" on the failed event cake. Failed nosegear can easily cause flipover, even at relatively slow speeds. The A models are high CG. With the nose gear folded back, the aircraft is quite literally teetering on falling over with very little assistance. I know, because as I righted my 7A model after a flip, IT DID NOT WANT TO STAY RIGHTED with the nose gear folded back. It wanted to stand on the NG and prop.
If my RV had not flipped, the damage would have been substantially (on the order of $40K) less. Oh well.
I love RVs. Great planes. Took 6+ years to build mine (and coming up on a year to rebuild). The nose gear appears (to me) UNSAFE for unpaved runways (and even some paved ones).
Based on the numbers (5 or 6 thousand flying, how many are A models?) we are approaching a 1 % failure rate. That seems to me a bit high.
Just MHO.
I will now don my flame retardant suit and "repair to my lair".
Later.