How DO ThEY DO THAT?

P

Pat383ram

Active Member
On a frame that is not a hard tail, If you put big tires and only have an inch or so of clearance between the back tire and the back of your seat how does it not chap your ass when you hit a bump? Any ideas as to how this works? I have a pic here to help explain. Thanks everybody.
 

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  • bratstyle cb400 1.jpg
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And very lightweight riders. Those Japanese fellas hardly ever tip the scales above 150.
 
Hahaha... True.

On the last incarnation of my cb350 I was running CB750ss shocks and with me on it (175-180lbs) theres was no more than 2" of movement out back.
 
haha west virginia memories! tearing around those grassy hills while the rest of us are swimming with catfish haha
 
Weld a bar the length of the shock on the opposing side of the shock, to which you cannot see in the picture, to make the bike rigid. The bar will be hidden from view but still make the shocks look functional.
 
or you could be like me and just not care if it hits you...which is the more likely answer to the question. I don't doubt all the answers here are correct, but if we were to evaluate 10 bikes that look like this, I would bet that 9 of them just let the fender get hit if they ride over a bump too big. Personally, I mounted my fender on my swingarm so the tire can't hit it, but if I hit a pothole the fender comes up and hits my seatpan.
 
but if we were to evaluate 10 bikes that look like this, I would bet that 9 of them just let the fender get hit if they ride over a bump too big
Click to expand...
Or, 9 out 10 get rolled out of an enclosed trailer and never get ridden.
 
that is also a possibility, but judging from what the Japan scene looks like, I imagine all those bikes get ridden.
 
So.......you like welding grenades then? Clears a few things up........

To answer the OPs question: most all shocks have some kind of external bump stop that lives in the shock shaft. Though it may appear in the pics that there's more travel than clearance, chances are good that the bumpstop significantly cuts that effect. In the case of the bike that's shown above, while the shock 'looks' like there's 2-3" of free travel, there's probably only 1", translating to something around 1.5" at the axle.

As well, if you note the arc of the fender vs. that of the tire's radius, it could well have a floating upper mount allowing it to shift a bit if the tires does indeed come in contact.

The Japanese builders are a clever lot and while it's easy for some armchair experts to dis what they can't do....these guys turn out 'something from nothing' so often they've created their own art form.


Caf'd Out said:
Weld a bar the length of the shock on the opposing side of the shock, to which you cannot see in the picture, to make the bike rigid. The bar will be hidden from view but still make the shocks look functional.
Click to expand...
 
Well, im not an expert by any means. I was just givin my two pennies worth. If i was trying to make a rigid bike that looked like it still had functional shocks thats the idea that would come to mind first. Much respect for the Japanese scene and what they do. I was actually very inspired by their work that I saw on bubblevisor.blogspot.com.
 
Oh hey...shit....there was supposed to be a smiley after that 'grenade' bit...Hehehe....but seriously, welding on shocks and really any sealed vessel is pretty dangerous. Don't get blown up.....I hear it sucks....
 
I have rebel shocks in my xs650. I think they're 10.5in cant remember right now. Anyways I mounted my fender to the frame and it sits pretty close. I had it close all last summer before I put on a new fender this winter and it never hit then so I mounted it just as close again. The shocks are much stiffer than the stock shocks but still are a comfortable ride. I still haven't rubbed up on the fender yet and I've hit some pretty big bumps. Anyways here's a picture for reference.
P1020644.jpg
 
Caf'd Out said:
Weld a bar the length of the shock on the opposing side of the shock, to which you cannot see in the picture, to make the bike rigid. The bar will be hidden from view but still make the shocks look functional.
Click to expand...

Your kidding right...?


EDIT: I see Lee already addressed the ridiculousness of doing this.
 
maxypants said:
Stock shock location/swingarm. Just did some work to the seat pan rails and modified the mount.
Click to expand...

Looks excellent mister!

I've been considering doing something similar.

Lou
 
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