Streetfightering the chopper

[beergood]

It did add about 5 pages to this thread in a hurry, unfortunately they don't make for a very compelling read, one way or the other ('ceptin for the yo mama jokes, do you think we can start a thread for those?).

Don't get me wrong, I love name calling, it just kinda falls flat in text form.

I sympathize with you Isaac, but I think you are a little too easily baited. However, I know it can be a pretty crappy to be called out in a thread you started. And I liked this thread in the beginning. I think KGB's original assault was a little immature (it is pretty transparent that it was about a different thread), but I think you should rise above it.

Let's get this thread back on topic, which is about the modding Isaac is doing to his bike, because that is what I find interesting (that sounds kind of egocentric of me).

*MissFabulous: Yo Mama is so poor that when I was over at her house I stepped on a cigarette, and she yelled "Who turned off the heat!"

[isaac]

Yeah, **** the po-lice.

[morthrane]

Heh... nice thread.

Issac, I like the bike. But even though KGB was being something of a dick when he said it, it does look like a hack job from the side view. Its not a question of fabrication per say (my skills in that area are practically in the negative). The issue in my mind is one of lines... the area between the gas tank and the seat doesn't flow well. Smooth sloping gas tank, sudden ball killer chasm, then a seat which doesn't have a profile that really matches the lines of the top spar of the frame/bottom of the gas tank.

On a different note, I think it may look better overall if you're willing to ditch the instrument cluster and use a bicycle computer and idiot lights grafted to the top triple clamp. May not be as practical, but it would improve the lines of the bike IMHO.

[Sasquatch]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but consider losing the plastic covers, and air box and go pods. I presume you want to keep the battery, so mount it very low in a battery box. I'm not feeling the seat, but that is me...I'd sooner go w/an old school looking springer. As mentioned before, I'd ditch the dual gauges too. Get a wireless bike computer...what do you need the others for? I'm sure you know where neutral is and where your bike is revving based on sound.

[isaac]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but consider losing the plastic covers, and air box and go pods. I presume you want to keep the battery, so mount it very low in a battery box. I'm not feeling the seat, but that is me...I'd sooner go w/an old school looking springer. As mentioned before, I'd ditch the dual gauges too. Get a wireless bike computer...what do you need the others for? I'm sure you know where neutral is and where your bike is revving based on sound.

I'm considering going to pods, but of course that costs money. What's prevented me from doing a springer seat is the frame spars underneath it. Usually springers ride above what looks like air. If I did that, there'd be these exposed frame rails down there seemingly doing nothing. The only way I could practically get around that is by either moving the rear shock upper mounts far forward, or making it a hardtail, which I'd like very much to avoid because they're too damn uncomfortable, which this seat isn't.

If you can find me a picture of a springer CB/GS/KZ, etc that had that kinda seat, I'd be very interested.

The guages are what I'm most likely to do next. The tach cable has always been broken anyway, and the high beam light is invisible to me in the daytime when it'd do the most good anyway. The speedo I do like the looks of though. I'd just have to separate it from the guage cluster and mount it lower. The bike speedo idea is also doable, but it just doesn't look very pretty, however minimalist it is.

[isaac]

The issue in my mind is one of lines... the area between the gas tank and the seat doesn't flow well. Smooth sloping gas tank, sudden ball killer chasm, then a seat which doesn't have a profile that really matches the lines of the top spar of the frame/bottom of the gas tank.

The thing is, I don't like the lines of the stock bike. In my "What I really think about GSs" thread, I mentioned that I hate the "rising to the right" look. I like straighter bikes with more horizontal lines.

I've already answered this question ten times but: "Why did you get an L model then?"

Because it cost $350.

What I was trying to do with the seat was to straighten out the lines of the bike. I like the straight lines of a cafe bike. The headlight and taillight are generally about the same height on the bike.

Also note the "sudden ball killer chasm" that is that bike's entire seat line after the tank. I like that.

On a stock L model, the headlight is about 8" above the tail. The lines of this bike, in stock
form, direct the eye along that imaginary line.


I don't like that. That's what i'm trying to get away from.

I could of course just use another tank, but that won't work with the steering stem's location and angle on the frame. Hence, I figured that messing with the lines of the seat was the easiest way to modify the overall flow of the bike from a 20 degree upward slope, and flatten it out.

Once the guages are gone, I plan on dropping the dual headlights some more, just to straighten out that flow even more.

[Sasquatch]

I'm considering going to pods, but of course that costs money. What's prevented me from doing a springer seat is the frame spars underneath it. Usually springers ride above what looks like air. If I did that, there'd be these exposed frame rails down there seemingly doing nothing. The only way I could practically get around that is by either moving the rear shock upper mounts far forward, or making it a hardtail, which I'd like very much to avoid because they're too damn uncomfortable, which this seat isn't.

If you can find me a picture of a springer CB/GS/KZ, etc that had that kinda seat, I'd be very interested.

The guages are what I'm most likely to do next. The tach cable has always been broken anyway, and the high beam light is invisible to me in the daytime when it'd do the most good anyway. The speedo I do like the looks of though. I'd just have to separate it from the guage cluster and mount it lower. The bike speedo idea is also doable, but it just doesn't look very pretty, however minimalist it is.

well, fwiw, just typing in "Honda bobber" found a couple pics (albeit small) they are out there...maybe visit sohc4.net and ask around there (I know I've seen this done). I also think a flat tracker rear end would look nice on there....some decent ones on eBay for cheap w/the rear light already wired in and ready to go. I know you spent a lot of time on the seat and like it, just my opinion.

[Camell]

Great job=D> nice to see someone taking a rice production bike and making it yours. not riding stock , if i wanted stock i wouldn't have my grinder!

Keep up the good work , love the way you try the idea to see if it works then complete it !

[isaac]

Hey guys. I took a break from working on it for a little while to visit my best friend in the hospital for the last week. He got in a really bad motorcycle accident and broke quite a few bones, collapsed a lung, and can't feel his left hand.

As far as the bike goes, it still needs some work of course, but I did chop out the support bar in the drag bars so I could rotate them downward and forward a bit more.

I'm considering really going nuts with them and making some clamps to clip them onto the fork so I can then ditch the handlebar mounts and drop the guages. We'll see if I can find some material for clip ons. I don't feel like paying for "real" ones because they're always a ripoff.

[beergood]

I'm interested in seeing what you come up with for that. I have been thinking about doing the same thing. Paying over $100 for clip ons is ludicrous.

[bradleymaynar]

I like what you've done with the bike. Your attitude reminds me of Jesse James when he first started making his own bikes. He made what he wanted and could care less of what other people thought. Do what you want and enjoy the results.

Brad bt

[mortation]

To lower the rear end did you just use short shocks? I used 11" shocks on my GT550 but they say not to use them on touring bikes over 900cc and 850 is pretty darn close Just wondering cause I am looking to do on purpose what you did on accident before you started modding again

[steely]

To lower the rear end did you just use short shocks? I used 11" shocks on my GT550 but they say not to use them on touring bikes over 900cc and 850 is pretty darn close Just wondering cause I am looking to do on purpose what you did on accident before you started modding again

I just took a set of 11" shocks off of my 850, and replaced them with the originals. I found that the rear wheel had been rubbing on the underside of the fender, and I had bare wires leading to the tail light. I will be putting the shorter shocks back on when I get the custom tail lights fabbed up (and the wires out of the way). I have found that even using a shock rated for a heavier bike is not enough to keep the fender off of the back wheel. I am going to experiment with heavy duty springs. When you shorten the springs, you increase the leverage on the shock. This effectively lessens the spring rate. If the heavier spring doesn't work, I may end up moving the rear shock mount towards the rear of the bike to keep the stock angle.

[mortation]

I just took a set of 11" shocks off of my 850, and replaced them with the originals. I found that the rear wheel had been rubbing on the underside of the fender, and I had bare wires leading to the tail light.

Yea thats what I was afraid of These are the shocks I have on my GT550 I wanted to order for the GS850: http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/rear_shocks.htm

Bottom of the page.

All chrome 11" short shocks. Come with eye to eye (pictured) or clevis bottom mount (Honda's and some Suzuki's). Works on mid size and smaller bikes 850cc and smaller. Not recommended for Touring or heavy bikes, like 900cc and larger . They will work on KZ900/1000 too with single rider so there are a few exceptions. Appr. 440lb loading weight

[nichols750]

That's lower by 1-2" in back, 1.5" up front,

I raised it back up in the back to beyond stock height. I'm getting there, and it's gonna be cool as hell.

how did you do all this lowering and raising of the rear end?? I am wanting to try some different looks in height, but I don't know how to change that height without new shocks or, blocks, or some kind of major surgery.