Before/After

[Spider]

Aloha all,

Here's a couple of pictures of my bike before and after the work. The ammo-can saddlebags aren't installed on the after picture yet due to rear-brake work, but should be on shortly. This thing HAULS! I'm still working out some of the kinks, but it's one hell of a ride. I wouldn't have been able to even get it moving without all the help and info found on these forums. The shocks were cashed, the spark-plug wires were shot, the brakes all had to be replaced, and a bunch of other work.

The paint's still not finished, I need to reinstall the seat-rails and bags, and I've a few more mechanical things to take care of, but I'm almost there. The pictures are kind of crabby, and I apologize for the rain in the second photo, but I'd just pulled into the drive. Anyway, here she is.

Thanks!
Spider

[sheridanredneck]

like it, lookin good! what kind of mufflers r them?

[CatatonicBug]

Is it just me, or is some thing wrong with the rear shock on the "after" picture?

[Rasputin]

Nah there is nothing wrong with that shock Cbug. It is one of those Transfer style shocks...Ya know the ones that transfer all the road bumps directly to your spine.

[TDodge7]

is that a fork brace I see ? Why improve the front end and then remove the shocks from the back ? Kinda counter productive isn't it ? other than that not bad , tho I probably would have left it stock , that paint looked like it was in pretty good shape .

[Spider]

Nah there is nothing wrong with that shock Cbug. It is one of those Transfer style shocks...Ya know the ones that transfer all the road bumps directly to your spine.

Exactly. Cervical Disk brand shocks

I actually prefer a rigid. Riding soft-tail to me feels like riding the middle of an unstable, whippy, spring-like thing.

The fork brace comes in handy, especially when all one has is front suspension. Also why I'm going to be overhauling it soon to beef it up.

The paint wasn't stock. It was actually blue over yellow over stock maroon. It was due a paint-job. Besides, bright blue doesn't go with ammo-can saddlebags :P

And as far as I know, they are stock sportster mufflers.

[xsilerating]

is that a fork brace I see ? Why improve the front end and then remove the shocks from the back ? Kinda counter productive isn't it ? other than that not bad , tho I probably would have left it stock , that paint looked like it was in pretty good shape .

You mean something like... 'better before than after'?

That would be my take on it as well.

.

[WMarshy]

Hey Spider,

Welcome to the forum. Where in upstate are you located? Im excited to think/hope your near me in Oswego, it all depends on ones definition of 'upstate'.

[fredintoon]

The riding sensation

- - - I actually prefer a rigid. Riding soft-tail to me feels like riding the middle of an unstable, whippy, spring-like thing. - - -

Hi Spider,
my first decade riding was on rigid frame bikes because back then only the unaffordable new ones had rear suspension.
To me riding a rigid is like that scene in "Rocky" where Rocky takes a punch to the cheek in slow motion and his face goes all wobbly and mucus flies everywhere except it ain't that cheek and not quite mucus and it goes on and on and on and on.
OTOH, I like the paint job and the thought of ammo-box hard bags is a delight. Certainly an upgrade from the two plastic kitty-litter container "hard bags" shown one time on the XS650 list.

[DGXSER]

I lke the fact he has a bedroll strapped to the bike, and a roll of duct tape!! Not sure I want to ride a bike far enough I can't be back in bed that night if I might need duct tape to get it there.

Nothing irreversible done to the bike, so if you find the back is killing you after that long ride you need to camp out for, you can find some shocks to put on it. As to the color, if you like it, that is all that matters.

[psycoreefer]

I like it, thought about doing something similar with a shadow I used to have but SWMBO (who's bike it was) wanted blue instead. I'd like to do a sidecar rig WWII style with an xs. Post some pictures when you get the ammo cans on, what size are you going to use? They've got some great big ones you could mount up as a trunk too.

[Fix]

I think it looks good, Spider. You in the service?

Also, you can click the link in my sig to add yourself to the map, maybe find some folks locally to ride or wrench with.

NM, you're already on there!

[Spider]

I lke the fact he has a bedroll strapped to the bike, and a roll of duct tape!! Not sure I want to ride a bike far enough I can't be back in bed that night if I might need duct tape to get it there.

It doesn't NEED the duct-tape. It's just in case. I always carry it when I travel, don't care what I'm driving. That, 550 chord, a knife, and a zippo, and I'm generally good to go. Need to add a tarp to that bedroll though.

I'm using 20mm ammo cans. Brackets are being fashioned from various bits of metal, including a leg-extension thing from a weight bench. I'm not in the service, just dig the look of the bikes. Survival bikes too. Eventually I'll be blacking out a good deal of it. Laying OD Green truck bed-liner down for paint. Bunch of three inch spikes and a battle-axe backrest...

I digress. How far upstate. Well I'm on the map:P I'm actually in Auburn. 40 min West of Syracuse.(if you go the speed-limit)

[jwhughes3]

olive drab

I like the idea esp with the ammo cans - pplz post as pix available - your ideas on suspension are ouch tho

John in San Antonio

[WMarshy]

Hey spider, Im in Oswego so I know where Auburn is. I bought the side covers from Ms. Pinupbetty in weedsport... Its nice to know there are some "central/upstate" NY members.