bobbed gs450

[mpape]

i am in the process of bobbing my 450e i bought a 750l tank and fenders and a solo seat pan off ebay i know to some people on this forum this is sacralige but dont worry i have 2 bikes of the same model and i plan on restorig one original im going to cut the frame in the rear where the seat pan goes and i will replace the springs with struts to make it a rigid and lower it hears a befor pic ill post more as i go does anyone have any pics or links to other bobbed gs's so i can get some more ideas

[txironhead]

Yes, to some it is sacrilege, to me it is sacrilege to let someone else tell you what to do to your bike. (unless it's how to repair it or other kinds of tech tips, then rock on!) There are quite a few here that have heavily modded their GS's, some to the point you can't tell what it was originally. Remember, it's your bike.

That being said, do some searches here (there are a few nice customs being built in the Appearance Mods section) and you'll find plenty of tips. You're on the right track, asking others who have done it before. But before you do any permanent mods to your bike, close your eyes, find your inner energy, and quote the following five times:

"Measure twice, cut once":shock:

Good luck!

[bgmart450]

Might have been easier to start with a 'L' or 'T' model (bobbed is chopper-ish right?). I am sure anything is possible with enough time and effort Good luck with the project!

[wharrah]

Dood,

what makes it a 'GS' is the engine... after that, Katy bar the door. There are days when I'd love to find a chopper-like frame for my GS and make it into a pseudo Captain America or something... anyone know where to do that?

Rock on. We all march to different drummers.

The sacriledge would be to let it waste away in a dark garage corner and never see the light of day or the pavement again.

[txironhead]

Might try here:

http://www.cycleonemanufacturing.com/

[mpape]

belive it or not the l and e modle frames are pretty much identical the 750l tank i got bolted right on to my frame with no mods so did the fenders the only real difference it the frame is in the rear the e modles frame goes back farther than the L to maunt the duck tail but a cutter and a grinder will take care of that and getting rid of the 4 inch high factory seat and mounting a solo springer seat to the frame with forward controls will put me in a completly different riding position im also lowering the rear and i think i might go with the ape hanger handle bars just need to figur out how to get or make longer cables and brake lines like i said i will post pics of my progress

[QuaiChangKane]

belive it or not the l and e modle frames are pretty much identical the 750l tank i got bolted right on to my frame with no mods so did the fenders the only real difference it the frame is in the rear the e modles frame goes back farther than the L to maunt the duck tail but a cutter and a grinder will take care of that and getting rid of the 4 inch high factory seat and mounting a solo springer seat to the frame with forward controls will put me in a completly different riding position im also lowering the rear and i think i might go with the ape hanger handle bars just need to figur out how to get or make longer cables and brake lines like i said i will post pics of my progress

If you're going with struts on purpose, that's cool. But if you're just going with struts to lower the bike, you can get shorter shocks, relocate the frame and swingarm mounting bungs for the shocks, or get lowering blocks (basically a bracket that moves the bottom of the shock farther back on the swingarm).


As for the controls cables, if you have a Cycle Gear or other non-factory motorcycle accessory store that caters to more than "standard" cruisers, they should have a selection of aftermarket (such as Motion Pro) cables in stock. Just figure out your required lengths and sort through the bin until you find what works.

As for the ape-hangers - two things. First, check your local vehicle code - I know that in California, any bar that places your hands above shoulder-level is illegal. Secondly, raising your hands that high severely limits blood flow to your hands - you'll cramp up, get cold, and lose coordination quite easily if the bars are too high. Try to do a mock-up (maybe PVC?) before you order to find out what height/spread/pullback you're looking for.

And for aesthetics, try to find a smaller, wider rear wheel - the small rim/fat tire look really sets off a bobber.

Good luck - and post photos!!!




-Q!


(Edit - one other thing about ape-hangers. They make your bike handle like crap. YMMV, but expect significant handling differences.)

[mpape]

as far as the struts go yes it is on porpose i still might cut my springs to make the shoks shorter but i really want to slam the rear to the ground and i think going rigid is the only way as far as the ape hangers go ill probably get ones that put my arms at just shoulder hight hear in jersey i belive we have laws regarding handel bar hight as well but its not to enforced theres guys riding around reaching way over there heads
how big of a tire can i squeez int to the stock swing arm anyway

[txironhead]

You can get a Dennis Kirk catalog and custom make your brake lines. Just measure how long the line needs to be, order the appropriate universal line and the fittings you need. The fittings just screw into the ends of the line, and it's generally cheaper than ordering custom-made or specific stainless lines. Plus, stainless lines seriously help the dated braking system on these bikes.

If you can't find the "perfect" cable by the aforementioned method, most competent motorcycle mechanics can custom make a cable for you.

[snark]

Post a lot of info on this. I'm running out of ideas for my 450L project bike.

[txironhead]

You want more info? Not specifically GS stuff but great for ideas:

http://www.vs1400.net/

http://www.custombike.org/

http://oldskoolsuzuki.info/

http://64.172.168.34/neatstuff/

Also, I'd pick up a copy of The Horse: Backstreet Choppers. It's mainly harley stuff, but there's some interesting metrics plus a ton of ideas and vendors. The bobbers are definitely making a comeback.

If you find an idea that you like but just don't know how to do it, don't be afraid to ask.

[newbomb]

Parts

you might also try this site they have A huge metric catalog

http://www.jpcycles.com/

[txironhead]

Oh, yeah! I forgot about catalogs. Try Dennis Kirk, too. Kuryakyn (dunno if I spelled it correctly) also makes a metric catalog, some of which can be adapted to GS's. Very high-quality stuff. Also try Cycle Re-Cycle (online).

[MissFabulous]

You want more info? Not specifically GS stuff but great for ideas:

http://www.vs1400.net/

great pics there, but seriously - turn down your sound before you hit the "hall of fame" page"!!!! LMAO!

Personally, I like looking at vintage and antique bikes for ideas. Another site I like checking out for bikes outside the norm is http://ratbike.org/a_custom.php

Have fun with it and post pics!!!



[/quote]

[txironhead]

I used to have a ton of links to older bike sites with a lot of bobbers, rat bikes, "original" '70's choppers, etc., but my computer crashed and I lost most of them. Since I've joined this forum my "favorites" folder has grown immensely!