Lowering the rear, what brand to look for?

[BigDick]

couldn't resist

unintelligent Dick

Did someone call me?!

[Montreux_Blue]

I'm not sure what mine came off of but have Showa MAH-671 stickers on them. There adjustable and are about 12" from eye hole to eye hole right now.

[lostsoul74]

and theres my rat bob

[Skin Krawler]

Here's what i've done so far. Money's been tight so I'm hold for a bit. But it is so close... I need to remember more before and after pics. It's hard when you're in the moment though, plus you gotta stop and wash the hands every time to snap a pic.

Here's when I brought her home last May.

Here she is with the fairing off. New rear HD Sportster shocks; rebuilt forks, new pads, surfaced rotor and new front Dunlop GT501. I **** canned the saddle bags do to holy holes.

And some 12" apes from a 97' HD Dyna. More pics to come with the controls and custom tail-light.

...and the seat, also from an HD is not staying. it's too long.
I need front levers, twist grip, extended brake line and a headlight to at least get her on the road. I have new bags and bag bars from a V-star.

[fredintoon]

- - - - I **** canned the saddle bags do to holy holes. - - - -

Hi Skin Krawler,
gotta say it's not what I'd do to a bike. I'd have sold off the fairing and ridden the bike without it because I dislike fairings. However, I'm sure it'll be just how you want it to be once it's done.
Still and all, WTF are "holy holes" and how do you do them?

[lostsoul74]

yep, looks like the direction mine started in, was a full dresser too, didnt like the lines how this was coming out, so ended up going with a different seat and special tank.

[xs11lover]

lostsoul74
I love the look but doesn't cutting the spring make it bottom out? I would think cutting the spring won't change the stiffness, just give you less travel..?? I'd like that look for the copper chopper.
I need to see another pic of your rat bob. I was just thinking about doing a silver "fochrome" tank for my project bike.

[Skin Krawler]

Hi Skin Krawler, WTF are "holy holes" and how do you do them?

FredInToon, Holy holes are those you get when the previous owner puts 46,000 miles & 27 years worth of stuff in the saddle bags and they stretch and sit too close to the exhaust pipes, burning holes in your bags.

yep, looks like the direction mine started in, was a full dresser too, didnt like the lines how this was coming out, so ended up going with a different seat and special tank.

Lost soul, every since about 2 weeks before I bought the XS11 and found this site to know what an XS11 was, your bike has been one of my sources of ideas of what can be done with an XS. Your bike is so clean and straight to the point. No non-sense.

MORE PICS:

Those V-Star bag-bars and the HD switches wired in.


Down sized the tail light. Yes, it's one of those receiver hitch covers. Also, the bags are on.

[lostsoul74]

right on, appreciate the compliment, heres a pic I originally found that made me decide to go into that direction.
As for chopped springs bottoming out??? no, not at all, just the opposite, thats why i use chopped springs over progressive lowering springs. cutting the springs increases it's tension and stiffness. I'll put it like this, I had my buddy, a very large guy... bounce up and down on the rear end during my trails, I had a pair of 11 inch harley lowering springs on at that time, I wanted the least fender gap with the most drop, without bottoming out. I could of gone with lowering links/fender struts, but i prefer the mechanical look of the springs over just a flat bar with holes in it ya know, plus I get a "little" give over a hardtail, not much, but in case you catch an unforseen pot hole at night, every little bit helps. On hte Harley springs, with him plopping his weight right on the rear fender area (which I figured would equate overall weight if I had a passenger back during the original chop before going solo), he had 1 1/4 roughly of drop when he bounced hard on it, with the chopped springs, he got just shy of 3/4. With me in my solo position, I maybe get 3/8 if on the extreme, which is what allows me a 1/2 inch fender gap, I wouldnt of been able to do that with factory lowering springs. And for those of you about to start talking crap about safety and what not..... well, i know dozens of guys that been riding them for years that would argue with you, and also the fact that your factory springs are better product then cheap aftermarket junk, that can sag and even break as I've seen.
Many people get confused when you say chopped springs and they think of bouncy or bottoming out.... no no no.... your thinking about the latinos in CA who torch their springs to drop them, heating and cutting are two totally different things. I do not ever recommend torching, and I usually dont even recomend chopping unless your particular needs require it like mine usually do.

oh yea, and heres the guy that inspired mine (hes a member here somewhere), and a different angle of mine once completed, still got to slap this whitewall tire on the back, paint the polished lip on the rear rim red, and put some red slash cut cherry bomb mufflers on to complete the bobber look, with white hand grips. Mine didnt come out as nice as his, but i paid 300 for the bike, and maybe got 140 bucks in mods on it. If you want a real rat bobber, i'll be putting some photos of a gs750 i got for 50 bucks that runs, rusty and crapy looking, i've sprayed muriatic acid all over it to produce more rust, and sprayed rust and balck to accent, and welded some chains around it to make it look like it just drove out of the swamp, i'm gona go with a solo seat with a 59 embroidered into it. I may even use a car tire as shes a chain drive and I always thought that was pretty cool when i've seen guys that have done it. I saw a pic once a long time ago with one that was done like that, it was utterly sweet looking, a harley i think. (now if i can just get moss to grow on the tank.. lol). If you need a different angle, let me know, hopefully it's hte pretty side as she slid about 200 feet a couple nights ago, easy cosmetic stuff, just waiting on the 30 bucks in parts to come in from ebay. My friends are starting to call me CrashTest lol. Pretty bikes are meant for show... not riding, i'm a rider, ride hard!!

I like that brake light you came up with, I'm using a belt buckle on my front where I dont have a trim piece to help hide all the wires.

[lostsoul74]

oh yea, hey Blue, can we get a better shot of your rear end (no gay jokes intended...), i'd like to see a better angle of your tail light you used. I like that thin LED style, I was thinking of grabbing a nightster fender as theres is already built in for a different project (maybe hte gs1100 i got for 300)

[Montreux_Blue]

It's actually a bulb brake light, this in an old picture, I'll have to take a new one to get a closeup. It was $10 on ebay. That was the PO's version of a seat, 2 mouse pads under vinyl. I've rigged up a sportster seat until I can come up with the money to recover the chopped original seat pan.







.

[lostsoul74]

right on, thanks man.

e

[Skin Krawler]

Got a head light yesterday from a junkyard. off a 79' xs1100. Had to trim the braket tubes by 10mm's ea. temporarly got the rear blinkers on to hold it place for.


Got a tech question for ya... I took off the gas tank 1/2 full. I drained the fuel by the petcocks. one only leaked fuel by going to "reserve". the other one only drains by going to "primary". shouldn't they both work the same?

[DiverRay]

If you take the petcocks off, you should see a "L" and "R" on them. It sounds as if they are both for one side, or someone put them together wrong. I should be able to take some pics and email them to you if you need it.

[lostsoul74]

2007 Vstar fender on XS1100

hey crawler, since i see the direction your going in, thought i'd share my latest find with you, heres a cheap 5 dollar fender off ebay off a 2007 Vstar. I'm sure you can find one for under 50 bucks somewhere, looks like an easy bolt on with very minor mods, (just got to bondo over old holes and drill new ones in to the old rails) should look great on your bike, still undecided if i'm gona put it on this one or not, changes the whole look and style of bike, and wouldnt really match my riding style, plus i'd have to do the whole custom forward controls with footrest in order to look right riding it. But it's definately an option for the look your going for.