Before/After

[Spider]

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

The bike's at the mech now for final touches. Then the ammo-cans will be installed. I'll definitely post photos. The cervical disk suspension system is much better for how I ride and what I tend to ride with. Eg: Aggressive with way too much crap for shocks.

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.

I know. She's a good friend of mine.

[cywelchjr]

The bike's at the mech now for final touches. Then the ammo-cans will be installed. I'll definitely post photos. The cervical disk suspension system is much better for how I ride and what I tend to ride with. Eg: Aggressive with way too much crap for shocks.

I don't know, I think a good pair of air shocks can give the best of both worlds. Pump em up hard for the hard riding, and drop the pressure for comfort around town. I used to bottom out lots with the stock shocks, but with 42 psi in the XJ shocks I installed a little while back, it doesn't do it anymore. But it still keeps the bumps from hitting too hard on my poor old mans back.

[fredintoon]

- - - The cervical disk suspension system is much better for how I ride and what I tend to ride with. Eg: Aggressive with way too much crap for shocks - - -

Hi Spider,
you ride so aggressively that shocks would slow you down?
Yeah, right.
Ask yourself how did Norton keep winning races into the early 1960s with a single cylinder engine that was
originally designed in the late 1920s and was ~20 HP less powerful than the Japanese 4s they were racing against?
Because of the superior handling of the McCandless designed "featherbed" sprung frame.

[Spider]

Hi Spider,
you ride so aggressively that shocks would slow you down?
Yeah, right.
Ask yourself how did Norton keep winning races into the early 1960s with a single cylinder engine that was
originally designed in the late 1920s and was ~20 HP less powerful than the Japanese 4s they were racing against?
Because of the superior handling of the McCandless designed "featherbed" sprung frame.

I said nothing about slowing me down. I shall reiterate and elaborate, since you aparantly couldn't take the time to read all of what was said.

I tend to carry ungodly amounts of crap on the bike. The ammo-cans weigh 40lbs empty, not including mounting hardware, and my ruck goes about 120. Add my fat ass and your shocks ain't gonna be happy, to mention nothing of riding two-up.

Though it is much besides the point. I do not LIKE having rear suspension. To me it feels like when you grab a large spring by the middle and wobble it up and down, only you're in the center of the mess going down the road. I prefer having no rear suspension. I LIKE the feedback from the road. I LIKE the lack of flex. I LIKE a big beefy chunk of metal of a bike that rides like a damned truck.

I wasn't around in the early 60's. If you were, perhaps you're better off sticking with rear suspension. In the mean time, do me a favor and have the courtesy to read everything before popping off and calling someone a liar.

[fredintoon]

I do not LIKE having rear suspension. To me it feels like when you grab a large spring by the middle and wobble it up and down, only you're in the center of the mess going down the road. I prefer having no rear suspension. I LIKE the feedback from the road. I LIKE the lack of flex. I LIKE a big beefy chunk of metal of a bike that rides like a damned truck.

I wasn't around in the early 60's. If you were, perhaps you're better off sticking with rear suspension. In the mean time, do me a favor and have the courtesy to read everything before popping off and calling someone a liar.

Hi Spider,
I meticulously read your entire post and who called you a liar anyway?
I just reckon you are mistaken in your preference, which is an entirely different matter.
BTW, I started riding in the 50's and had to ride rigid-framed bikes as in those days only the unaffordable new bikes had rear suspension.
By the '60's I had a plunger frame BSA Gold Flash. Admittedly that bike's plunger frame exactly matches your comments.
What with the pogoing teles at the front and the side-twitching plungers at the rear the bike cornered like tacking a sailboat in a choppy sea.
My previous rigid frame girder fork KSS Velocette cornered like it was on rails but except when scraping the footpegs the BSA was a far more comfortable ride.
Coincidentally, my chiropractor's office just called to confirm my next appointment. 50 years later and I'm still paying the price for those hardtail years.

[Spider]

Hi Spider,
I meticulously read your entire post and who called you a liar anyway?
I just reckon you are mistaken in your preference, which is an entirely different matter.
BTW, I started riding in the 50's and had to ride rigid-framed bikes as in those days only the unaffordable new bikes had rear suspension.
By the '60's I had a plunger frame BSA Gold Flash. Admittedly that bike's plunger frame exactly matches your comments.
What with the pogoing teles at the front and the side-twitching plungers at the rear the bike cornered like tacking a sailboat in a choppy sea.
My previous rigid frame girder fork KSS Velocette cornered like it was on rails but except when scraping the footpegs the BSA was a far more comfortable ride.
Coincidentally, my chiropractor's office just called to confirm my next appointment. 50 years later and I'm still paying the price for those hardtail years.

You inferred what you thought was my meaning and responded with "yeah right." Naming a liar , not in so many words, but the form is the same. Irrelevant at this point. I tend to jump the gun when I'm in a mood, and it seems I misunderstood your intention. Moving on.

The plunger frames are a bear. Very difficult to find nowadays. I heard they would occasionally cause serious problems when one side got hung up and the other side was still free, causing a twist fracture of your chain. Not a good situation apparently.

As far as being mistaken in my preference, it's not such an I'll conceived notion. Yes I prefer a rigid. I am young, and for what it's worth, at this point prefer to die thus; and bloody. Failing in this, I may look back and agree with you. Be that the case, chiropractors must make a living too.

[b.walker5]

Not knocking your choices..... even if I do think they're misguided and foolish, but a quote springs to mind that you may need to write down and keep for a later date, assuming that you live to an age old enough to appreciate it. "A wise man learns from his mistakes but an even wiser one learns from the mistakes of others" Believe me, a bad back in later life is no fcuking fun.. and the chiropractors inflicting pain is no fun either.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Take it easy Spider.......

These guys aren't trying to just give you a hard time, they're concerned about the well being of yours and swmbo's spinal health.

There is a great deal of experience speaking here, some of it infinite.

All they/we are trying to say is there are alternatives to the ride you like that are much less damaging to SWMBO's and your spine other than the sledge hammer in the tail bone you've chosen.

XJ air adjustable shocks come to mind.

It's not personal 'bro.

Ride HEALTHY!

[jmnjrpa]

Spider,

2x to what Greg posted. At first I was going to give you a proper rebuttal but don't see any good reason to waste my time. I do believe you need to consider different opinions for what they are and not go ballistic thinking someone has attacked you personally. Fred has his opinions as you have yours. I must say, ANYTHING Fred says carries a lot more weight than someone with less knowledge and experience. Whether you like it or not is quite irrelevant. One day, maybe you will attain that level of wisdom that only comes with actual experience. BTW I hear Midol does well on the mood issues.

[BigDick]

Fuel on the fire?

not to stir anyone up, but I gotta +1 on the bad back news. I have the bad luck to have a herniated disc at 27 years old. If you ever have the misfortune to get a steroid injection in the disc, you'll do a lot to keep from injuring your back worse/again so you won't have to go through it again.

Something else, just my 2 cents, 99.9% of the people on here are really great people and won't jump on you and badmouth you without provocation.

Ride safe no matter how you set up your ride.

[Spider]

2x to what Greg posted. At first I was going to give you a proper rebuttal but don't see any good reason to waste my time. I do believe you need to consider different opinions for what they are and not go ballistic thinking someone has attacked you personally. Fred has his opinions as you have yours. I must say, ANYTHING Fred says carries a lot more weight than someone with less knowledge and experience. Whether you like it or not is quite irrelevant. One day, maybe you will attain that level of wisdom that only comes with actual experience. BTW I hear Midol does well on the mood issues.

I'm not taking it personal. I'm aware there are other options out there. I'm fine for everyone having their own opinions and preferences. No problem. I'm not going to bust your chops for riding with shocks, I'd kind of expect a similar courtesy. I'm not too seriously worried either way. I've lurked around here long enough to venture a guess what kind of reception they'd receive.

It's obvious an elder's words will carry more weight. I'm not so dense as to assume otherwise. I am however just hard-headed enough that I'm going to do a thing even when all the told timers clap their foreheads and groan. Well except for the SWMBO. I have followed the advice of those who've gone before and avoided THAT particular headac...uhh...joy...that particular joy.

Amusing jmnjrpa, but that was nowhere near ballistic. The "mood" was due to a particular familial incident that would have had anyone's teeth on edge. I'm not needing medication myself, though I did stock midol back when I played ball. That and bananas. The combo worked wonders. Nowadays I just rock a cocktail of aspirin, caffeine, and potassium when it's required. Skip to vodka and cran for the REALLY heavy hurt. Good stuff all round by my inexperienced calculation.

[b.walker5]

Comfort for one's butt and back are actually secondary to the real reason for suspension, kind of a side effect really. The primary reason for suspension is to keep the wheels in contact with the road and eliminate/mitigate the control loosing bounce when riding/driving on rough roads, and that can be a simple as a bad joint on a slab highway, or a pot hole in the black top.

[Elevener]

I rode a hardtail (with long front ) for ten years, it was my only form of transportation. I am now 51 years old and still feel thirty. I work with someone my age who can hardly move after the day is over, I work with people half my age who are in worst shape than me.

I dont think a hardtail has a damn thing to do with it. To each their own.

[b.walker5]

Not sure the medical profession or any chiropractors would agree with you, but as you've said "To Each His Own"

[cywelchjr]

I think a hardtail with a GOOD suspended seat can be ok from a back damage point of view, but only a FOOL (IMHO) would hardtail with the stock seat. If one wants to carry more than the bike does stock, XJ shocks do that just fine. Mine carries my not inconsiderable weight far better with the XJ shocks, and I only have just over 40 psi in them, and they can go higher. I think most people could run 2 up, with full trunk and bags and just be about where I am with me and my normal gear. The XJ shocks handle it just fine, and still take the pounding out of the ride, as a matter of fact, the do better at that than the stock shocks do.

Frankly in addition to everything else, if one were carrying that much load, I would be worried about the upper mounting point for shocks making them hold that load with no cushion. I know they are welded in, but it takes less of a sharp uncushioned blow to break metal than if it's cushioned. You can put a lot more to a transmission and drive train if you take the slack out before putting the power to it, and I've grenaded a tranny by revving the engine and letting my foot slip off the clutch. I know it's probably ok, but I would be worried about the stress there, it seems like that would be the failure point (that or the mounting point on the final drive with that being aluminum).