Hardtailing

[ikon31]

Mate of mine has an old kawasaki 550 cruiser thing, can't remember what model exactly. It has twin shocks and he is wanting to give it a bit of on old school bobber look. I've told him best thing to do it make it a single seated and chop the back end down slightly with a new mudguard.

Having took all the parts off I'm thinking the back could do with lowering ever so slightly for the lines to look right. Now this means new smaller shocks of something else, or.... Is it possible to hard tail it, by simply replacing the shocks with solid struts?? I've had a look at the mot manual, it just says motorbikes don't need rear suspension. Any help would be great, hard tail is definitely a way he'd like to go.

[TerraRoot]

Recommend some solid struts, that way when the arse beating gets too much it's a simple swap back to shocks. A few drag racers do it whilst dropping the forks through the yokes to get a an easy and quick drag setup that can be swapped back in minutes for the ride home.

550, is that the one with the shaft drive?

[ikon31]

Yeah thought that might be the case, I'm sure he can take the ass beating... Ha, not funny seen he's not here. Maybe a springer solo seat.

Its not shaft drive, Ill find out what it is, I'm sure I'll get some pics up as we go along

[aniamlkwaka1170]

hiya guys.
by the sound of things,the bike in question is an ltd550. back wheel smaller than the front and a slightly stepped seat?... i used to have a couple.
i hope this might help shed some light on it.lol
Martin

[jonw]

Tell him to eat more pies.... that'll get the rear end down!!!! ;D

As with Terraroot, put soild struts in. Will be an easy conversion either way then. Espcially as it won't have a sprung saddle....