Recently I purchased an 06 vulcan 1500 so the wife is going to get her license and ride the 99 vn750, but it is almost too tall for her. I know to lower the front just loosen the clamps and move up the forks. But does anyone have a suggestion on a rear shock and spring to use. I am looking for about a 2 inch drop.
DREW

Progressive sells lowiring springs for the rear, Some new seats will lower it a little. My Corbin droped my seat a intch. Hope that helps

moving the forks is not necessary. Progressive sells front springs for the fork that will lower it. i have a corbin seat and that dropped seat height, so between lowering the bike with new front and rear springs and a corbin seat, you can achieve a seat hieght at about 26 inches.

ride it safe J

Scootworks has 2 rear suspension lowering kits (1¾" & 2½") , but they ain't cheap, $276-$286 w/shipping
They are complete rear shock kits. See them HERE (http://207.126.53.131/swcart/shop.cgi/page=partskawlower.htm/SID=1168782923.10396), about 1/2 way down the page.

Scootworks has 2 rear suspension lowering kits (1¾" & 2½") , but they ain't cheap, $276-$286 w/shipping
They are complete rear shock kits. See them HERE (http://207.126.53.131/swcart/shop.cgi/page=partskawlower.htm/SID=1168782923.10396), about 1/2 way down the page.

Those are the Progressive rear springs. If you want to upgrade to progressive front yes get the front lowering springs, if not you can just lower the tubes. You will get lower with new springs though. up to 3 intches on the front.

Those are the Progressive rear springs. If you want to upgrade to progressive front yes get the front lowering springs, if not you can just lower the tubes. You will get lower with new springs though. up to 3 intches on the front.

So that price is just for rear springs, or a complete shock set?

The rears are a complete spring and shock, the front is just a spring.

Thats cool I got her to sit on it for the first time yesterday and her feet didnt touch the ground
DREW

A less expensive way to go would be a set of THESE (http://www.sweetboots.com/devious/demonia/knee/Neptune-100.jpg).
And looks pretty cool too! :motorcycl

EDIT: You might need to do some brake and shift lever adjusting after the install (overstall??) of these.

yeah , i can just see any women wanting to wear those boots. lol she can say she going to a Trekie convention as a Klingon. Joe do yourself a favor and spring the $$$ for the springs. it'll be cheaper than a divorce she will want, once you tell her she has to wear those boots. LOL

ride it safe J

buget.... you can just move the front forks lower in clamps, and for the back you can get shorter shocks, i wouldnt recomend anything more then 1-1.5"s with out scootworks lowering kit. you can also redo the seat to pull another .5" out of it.... that hopefully will do it for you.... just on the front forks make sure you lower it the same as the back...

http://www.mawonline.com/default.htm
Cheapest place I found the Progressive shocks and springs. I just lowered the rear of mine 2 inches. I did the rear first so I can match the front, which allows for different heights. I'll do it before spring.
I am 5'8" and my Mustang seat raised the height a little.
Rear shocks part# 4124233c
Front spring kit # 101553
No clearance problems riding 2 up.

Better get the front springs from MAW quick if ya want them from there.
They're on close out (but not on sale and with no returns)

Check out Hagon Shocks. They have really nice prices and the shocks can be custom made for the rider's weight, riding style and height requirements at no extra charge.

http://davequinnmotorcycles.com/cgi-bin/webc/HAGON_TWIN_SHOCKS.html

If your handy and want to save money turn the back rigid. Remove the rear shocks and replace them with a solid 1" rod or 1" square tubing doesn't matter as long as its strong enough. Its does make the ride stiffer but not that much and you can let a few pounds of air out of the rear tire. This is what I'm going to do for my wife and if she does really learn to ride and/or continues riding, then I will consider spending money for new shorter shocks.

If your handy and want to save money turn the back rigid. Remove the rear shocks and replace them with a solid 1" rod or 1" square tubing doesn't matter as long as its strong enough. Its does make the ride stiffer but not that much and you can let a few pounds of air out of the rear tire. This is what I'm going to do for my wife and if she does really learn to ride and/or continues riding, then I will consider spending money for new shorter shocks.


ha ha ha, and people say the seat is uncomfortable now on long rides......

You can also try like the guy in the picture below (pic found online - unknown owner)...clever idea, much cheaper, reuses stock shocks, and would probably only cost 20-30 bucks at a local machine shop to have the brackets made and a can of spray paint. Already planning on doing it to mine...just for looks though...

256

257

There was a guy selling those brackets on Ebay about 6 months ago.

Interesting. Looks like that bracket was welded onto the swingarm on the right side. Wonder what he did on the other side? Makes that bike look like a different bike though, huh?

I made a set of these brackets for mine,a little time with a jigsaw and a good blade.Then some finish smoothing with a file and grinder and they work great.you can get real trick with the design too if you want.They don't have to be welded to the swingarm.they mount to the old shock mount and axel.very solid when all together.Lowered mine 2" with no clerance issues.

I tried shorter non adjustable rear shocks, but bottomed out too much. I have since put the originals back on, but did lower the front tubes one inch.
Also remember lowering will change the kickstand angle, and also the center stand will be harder to deploy. You can over come the centerstand problem by first getting the rear tire on a 2" x 6" or so, and going from there.
Good Luck,
Mohycle

Hey B-Man, I'm also planning to make a set of these brackets in S/S. It would be very helpful to see a couple pictures of your job.
Since you are a new member and have such a nice looking bike, I will also recomend you to put your pictures on the gallery of photos.

Thanks,

Bengie (kawabengie)

Hey Bengie thanks for the complement on the bike!!I'm going to try to post some pictures right now.Keep in mind this was my first try and they work perfect,but I'm getting ready to make a new set.A buddy of mine is going to let me use his plasma cutter to cut out the new set,so they are going to be a little more trick.He also has a powder coating set up so they will be powder coated chrome.

P.S. Got the pictures posted.only had one of the brackets I hope it helps and good luck!!!

does anyone know the lowest you can go on the rear end with out any clearance issues? Thanks for any help on this

That depends on if your talking about keeping the shocks or going ridgid??
Personally I didn't want a ridgid,So after some research and seeing some other Vulcans lowered I came up with 2" is about as low as I could safely go.I also figured in riding two-up sometimes.

Thanks I dont want a rigid either but I would like to drop 4 inches if possible without bottoming out, I dont plan on rideing 2 up unless necessary the wife wants a trike so I am figureing on solo rideing my sled!

Well I took a look at mine today,If your going to ride solo you could probably get away with 3".That would put your tire up inside the fender aways.You might have to adjust your shocks up to keep it from bottoming out on the fender though.

BMan, you're bike looks awesome. That's basically the setup I have been thinking about doing since I got mine a couple of weeks ago. It's almost creepy how similar it is. Anyway, I was wondering if you had an extra lowering bracket you could trace and scan in for me or maybe give some dimensions on. My dad's a P.E. (Professional Engineer) and I'll have him draw it up in AutoCad and post it up here on the boards. That way people can just take the .dxf file straight to a shop and they can take that directly to a cnc machine or plot out the correct shapes. I'm thinking about doing the same thing for a bracket to mount Mapam universal forward controls too. Let me know if you're interested.

I was also looking at making some brackets. I like the ease of adjustment on the stock rear shocks. Right now I have the Progressive 2" lowered ones.
Clearance has not been an issue, even riding 2 up, about 300lbs combined. I also have a 170/80 rear tire, 110 front. Picture is stock tires. I have the front progressives yet to install. I am debating lowering the front or not. It handles fine with the stock front height, and I can restore the stock ride height if needed.
http://www.jkcycles.net/photogallery/Bikeweeks/051007/DSCN3077.jpg

Hey Chiron,Thanks for the complement on the bike!!!Got your PM will do that this week!!!The shock mount is moved back about 3 inches which dropped the bike like 2 inches.I did 275 mile trip today two up with shocks set at 2 and combined weight of the two of us at 300lbs no bottoming out and bike road great!!!

BMan, credit where credit is due. Hopefully my bike will look as good when I eventually get it done. I'll look forward to getting a PM from you a little later too.

That 275 mile trip sounds like fun, and it's good info to boot. I myself am kind of a big boy at close to 290 lb's and probably will rarely if ever ride two up. But, I figure progressive rears at stock height but with a bracket is probably better than shorter shocks at normal height because there's more travel I'd think. I wonder if anyone could speak to that issue?

Sorry I didn't read all the posts so i may have missed something but can anyone tell me where to find a set of the rear lowering brackets that allow you to use the stock rear shocks and yet lower the bike a good 2 and 1/2" inches.

They have to be fabricated.No one produces these for our bikes.

Chiron...It would be great if you could post the info or .dfx file ...my email is w.mike.c@gmail.com if you have any info you could share about the gauge steel and type of steel it would be great aswell. Thanks for your help.:p

Hack, I'm checking with BMan on this now. BMan, 'ya got a PM. I'd like to use the dimensions and such of BMan's bracket since that is already ride tested. It'll be a little while before I get my bike up and running.

*aside* I put a new MF battery in it and fired it up the other day to test out the stator, yup it's definitely bad. But now the bike won't even turn over with the new battery on full charge. Not even so much as a click when I hit the starter switch. Anyone got any ideas? */aside*

Regardless, I'll have my father draw it up in AutoCAD and sign off on material type and thickness too. I can see about having him output any other file formats if needed to boot. Also, if anyone has any homemade forward control brackets, let me know, and I'll see about doing the same thing as with the lowering brackets.

Sorry for the wait guys It's been real crazy around here the past week or so!!! Going to try to get one of the brackets off today so I can get it scaned and off to Chiron so his father can convert it to AutoCAD For anyone who wants to use it.

LOL! Wow BMan, you responded to the thread before I even got the PM off! Ladies and gentleman, THAT's fast.

P.S. No worries on the delay, life comes first. I've been busy too. Buying my first house. :D Can't wait to have my own garage!

Having you own garage is GREAT!!!Having time to get out there and use it is a whole nother story!!! I'm still trying to work on the forward controls with a friend of mine that's made a few sets for his harley's so hopefully soon on those too!!!

I was looking at using a set of Mapam "Universal" forward's as a basis. That German (AME I think) company that makes the chopper front end kits for the 750 also have a set of forward controls, but they are more $$ than the Jardine set. There's a photo here: http://www.chopper-kit.co.uk/kawasaki-chopper-kit.htm
small pic on the right hand side of the page about halfway down. I lost the url for the actual manufacturer in Germany though. I'll tackle these brackets first, then move on from there.

***UPDATE***

Mechanical and structural engineering isn't necessarily my thing, but it is my Dad's so I'm gonna kinda sum up what he said when I talked to him about it over dinner tonight. I'll try not to be too wordy.

Basically he had two major questions: "Whats the bolt hole inside diameters supposed to be?", and "Is the rear axle long enough to hang a 1/2" of material to and still be safe?" (1/4" thick bracket per side)

As for the first question, in the interest of safety for all, we're going to take a shock off my bike and measure inside diameter of both the stock swingarm mount and the actual shock and compare it to what the manual says the bolt should be. This will tell us if there has been any bolt hole elongation and if so how much. My bike is an '86, so if it's gonna happen, it would have happened on this bike by now.

As for the second, maybe BMan can tell us if he had any issues with the axle not being long enough or any changes in nuts or washers he had to make. We're gonna measure three or four times as well to be certain for safety. Once we have all of that he said it would take him about 20 minutes or so to draw it up. He's gonna output both, an AutoCAD .dxf file as well as a Solidworks 3D part file. The best part? The Solidworks file format should be directly supported by most CAM/CNC programs as direct input. :)

Hack, I forgot to ask tonight, but I will be sure to ask about any material requirements and such. When the final design package is done, we will post it along with documentation.

Whew! Hopefully not too long guys!

He's gonna output both, an AutoCAD .dxf file as well as a Solidworks 3D part file. The best part? The Solidworks file format should be directly supported by most CAM/CNC programs as direct input. :)

Hack, I forgot to ask tonight, but I will be sure to ask about any material requirements and such. When the final design package is done, we will post it along with documentation.

Whew! Hopefully not too long guys!

Heck with worrying about it being too long. Sounds like you and your dad are properly looking into this and it'll be some great info.
Wonder what kinda money the shop I work at would charge me to get some of these made. I'm a CNC machinist, but run lathes, not mills, otherwise I'd try to sneak some in now and then :smiley_th

Best of luck on your investigations, Chiron. :beerchug:

Good luck with the job. I'm standing by for when you can start mass producing them.

*aside* I put a new MF battery in it and fired it up the other day to test out the stator, yup it's definitely bad. But now the bike won't even turn over with the new battery on full charge. Not even so much as a click when I hit the starter switch. Anyone got any ideas? */aside*

Hmm, I missed this one...
Have you checked that all the cables, at the battery and frame and starter solenoid are tight and clean?

I had this same problem when I got my engine plugged into the bike. I forgot to put the tranny in neutral. It's just one of those small things that slip your mind.

I had this same problem when I got my engine plugged into the bike. I forgot to put the tranny in neutral. It's just one of those small things that slip your mind.

Ah, good point there too.
My bike has a bad safety switch on the clutch lever. If I'm in gear and pull the clutch in, it wont do anything when trying to start. I HAVE to be in neutral. I probably should see if cleaning the switch let's me start in gear with the clutch pulled in.

As for the bike not starting, I gave it a quick once over and couldn't find anything wrong. No loose or corroded connections at the frame, battery, and solenoid, and it's in neutral. I'm wondering if I just blew something. I'll properly go through it and test everything when I start the tear down and rebuild as soon as I'm in the new house.

I asked around at a couple of the machine shops around here and the estimate I was given to have it made out of 1/4" mild steel plate was right around $50-$60. According to my Dad, probably the best way to have it made is to have someone with either a laser cutter or a water jet cut it out. I'm not really looking to mass produce them. But, after everything is finalized, if enough people want them, I may arrange for a group order from a local shop.

In the interests of getting the thread back on track ;) I have a plan for my rear shocks. I chopped the rear frame just behind the first sissy bar mount holes and made a custom seat, relocated lights, etc. and now I want to lower the rear a few inches. I priced Progressive shocks at 11.5" but even on eBay it's more than I want to spend on my '86 junker.

My plan is to cut the shock springs. I'll compress them with some hose clamps or whatever then use an angle grinder to cut the coils at the top to lose about an inch. I don't want the shock bottoming out but less coils means stiffer shocks so minimizing the risk. Also the passenger seat is gone and I never carry luggage so that helps too. I'll up the air a little to be safe.

What I'm hoping is that at full stock length the springs are compressed by at least an inch so that after I cut 'em they won't rattle loose when the bike's on the center stand or I hit a big bump. Oh yeah, I bought some used ones from eBay for $20 to try it on so if it doesn't work or is too stiff for longer rides I can swap back. I may look stupid but... oh wait, never mind.

Anyone ever tried this? I did see a web site advertising a "shock shortening" service but I can't find it. I tried to find out if all they did was cut the spring but I guess they sussed I was trying to get info to do my own and never replied.

Oh yeah, to answer the question on shaft length, I doubt you have a 1/2" to play with. I put a steel side mount license plate bracket on mine and ditched the washer to get the cotter pin hole visible. The plate must only be 1/8" thick.

I also reversed the axle so the nut is now on the right behind my single side Cobras. Now when I get to the rear wheel removal section of the manual where it says "remove the exhaust" I get a free pass. :D

I'll have to remember the axle reversal trick. Thanks for the heads up on the axle length too. I may end up having to make or locate a replacement axle that is slightly longer.

I would HIGHLY recommend against just cutting the spring. That completely destroys the integrity of the spring and the shock. I myself am not a mechanical engineer, but I have seen what can happen when a shock fails because of fatigue/overheating due to cutting a spring and it's not pretty. Just my $.02 though.

I understand I'll damage the spring if I cut it with a torch but I should be able to do it with a cut-off wheel. Apparently it's a common practise for modifying car ride height. I'll also grind the new end flat to spread out the load. Looking at the shocks I don't think I can take them apart which is a bummer but I think I can do it in place easily enough.

in my experience with kids that cut their springs on cars, they don't undrstand how dumb it actuall is. If you ever notice a slammed civic or other ricer car that stiffly bounces uncontrolably, that is due to cutting springs because it changes the spring rate.

Yeah I know it'll change the spring rate. I mentioned in my first post that it will assist in making sure I don't bottom out. I've run the general idea past a number of mechanical engineers at my work and none have any concerns. I really just wanted to see if any one had done it on a bike.

Remember I only plan to take a little off. The kids who slam their cars usually overdo it. If it's too stiff I can let all the air out too. And if it doesn't work I'll just put the original ones back on.

OK,got the new lowering brackets finished up and on the bike today!!! Used 1/4" steel plate for them.Three things that had to be done for this to work:1-The shoulder on the swing arm around the axel shaft hole needed to be filed down flush. 2- the castle nut for the axel had to be filed down slightly on the inside shoulder.3-the top of the shock will need to be shimed out to compensate for the plate.

sweet. glad to hear you succeeded

That's awesome BMan! I've made notes about the steps you had to take to put them on the bike. Is it possible that any photos are on their way?

Work had to take precedence this weekend for me, so I wasn't able to help out my Dad with the measuring. But it looks like he got what he needed. Here's what was in my email this morning:

Bill,

I have a template laid out in Solid Works. I will bring it home tonight
and we can make a mockup out of plywood. If you can get some 6061-T6 or
2024-T6 aluminum alloy plate, 1/4" thick from First St. Recycling, I can
drill the holes here on a mill (so they are accurate) and probably cut
out and finish the profile by hand.

Dad

If this template fits and clearances are good, I'll look into getting a final set made out of steel and see about writing the install up, taking some pictures, and posting the whole kit 'n kaboodle.

Didn't get any photos while making them because of trying to watch the kids and get them done at the same time.But will get some pics of the finished brackets and post them.

That's cool, I actually meant photos of them on the bike. Even without kids to watch it can be a pain to stop and remember to take photos while making things. Can't wait to see it.

Pics of the new brackets are posted in the gallery.

BMan, I saw the pics of the new brackets, and they're nice. I like the angles and the sharp, pointy corners. They look sweet. I also saw your new handlebars. They definitely give a different look to the bike. Took me a second to get used to it, but I think it looks good. Interested in selling me your old handlebars from highway hawk??? :)

Anyway, here's the update on the bracket drawings and such. My Dad and I went out and took off the shocks and measured and generally futzed around. The one thing he was concerned about was the fact that when the brackets get installed, there would be a misalignment between the top and bottom shock mounts. The bottom shock mount would be 1/4" further out than the top and considering it's a motorcycle suspension, safety comes first. So he's changing the design so it's actually two plates that have been welded together which moves the lower mount back into the proper vertical plane. I'm thinking I may have him make two drawings, one for a welded part and one for a single piece milled part. Photos of prototype should be coming soon if his guys at work can get them made today.

Sorry old bars are gone already.The new bars really look different but work real well for me.I had to shimm the top of my shocks out to compensate for the brackets.Either way would would work out though.

Ok everyone, here are two bracket designs, one flat and one slightly recessed to keep the shock's plane of movement stock. The flat one should use some washers at the top mount to shim it out about 1/8". This will significantly lessen the degree of offset angle when using the flat plate. The recessed plate won't need it since it keeps everything straight. These are PDF measured drawings that are templates when printed out and CAD/CAM files later today or tomorrow.

Here is his email (verbatim):

Bill,

The two drawings are attached. You should tell anyone who you send this to that:

1.Use it at your own risk.
2. Don't use any other material and don't use thinner materials.
3. The hole sizes will be close, so make sure they are in the right location.
4. Use a 14mm shoulder bolt to attach the lower eye of the shock. Make sure to use a Grade 8 bolt. The length of the shoulder should be calculated as follows:

Shoulder length = (thickness of the bracket (1/4") + length of the hole through the lower eye of the shock)/0.03937
This calculation will give the length of the shoulder in millimeters.
If this comes out to a non standard length, round up to the next standard length.

For example, if your particular shock's lower eye hole length of 1 3/8".

Shoulder bolt length in inches =0.250 inch (1/4") + 1.375 inch (1 3/8") = 1.625 inch (1 5/8") Just divide by 0.03937 to convert from inches to millimeters, as follows

Shoulder length in millimeters = 1.625/0.03937=41.28 millimeters

The nearest standard length shoulder bolt would probably be 14mm dia. by 45 mm long. In this case, I would buy a couple of 14mm flat washers to take up some of the excess clearance.

The above is an example and SHOULD NOT be taken as the correct length of the shoulder bolt. That depends on each particular bike.

Hope this helps

Dad

Btw, my Dad rawks!

Tell your dad thanks for all the hard work!!! He did a great job!!!! And he definitly ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!

Your right you Dad does rawk!

I've been wanting to do this and just haven't had the time to design the brackets. But since its been done I'm going to make a trip out to the shop and machine me a couple of them.

He does have his moments indeed! :D Anyway, like we said, do not change the material type or thickness, and use grade 8 hardware. Also, the CAD/CAM files are on their way so you can just take it straight to a machine shop if you want. It's all at your own risk (have to say that). However, if you do change materials and such, please, be safe!

He said that for the flat plate, the best way to do it would be take the steel plate to someone that has a waterjet. They can cut it fast and accurate probably while you wait. The offset brackets definitely are a little more trick, but would require either hogging it out on a mill, welding two plates together, or a precision punching bender.

If there is enough interest I may see about a short production run of one or both sets since we know someone with a waterjet here in Ohio. Once I get my bike torn down and start to rebuild it, I'll post a lot more information. In the mean time, feel free to message me.

P.S. I'm working on getting a set made for me too. Our plywood template fit without issue, but that was revision 1. This is revision 2. If anyone has any fitment issues or suggestions for the part, please let me know so I can document and/or revise the part.

That was awesome. I brought the schematics to a machinist and he was amazed at the accuracy of the scale drawing. He is going to make them for $50.

Nice job your dad did indeed :smiley_th

If the laser cutter at work wasn't so busy right now, I'd see if they could squeeze a few sets in.
Although, with the CAD/CAM files, I might be able to get the nightshift guy to do it (if he has access to loading the files to the laser's computer :hitanykey )
I'll be sure to let ya's know if I can get any made.

He had a problem with the AutoCAD file. For whatever reason, the version he used initially won't load into AutoCAD R14. So I'm gonna post the DWG files here and say that I can say with fair certainty that the newer versions should be able to open it (Like AutoCAD 2000). I should have an updated file later this evening.

Tanz1983, that's awesome! But then again, to be honest I don't expect anything less from the man that measured everything down to about 1/100th or 1/1000th of an inch prior to remodeling the kitchen.

BTW, he said he's glad everyone likes 'em. I'm looking into getting a set made of stronger aircraft grade aluminum. My Mom (aerospace and materials engineer) and Dad were talking last night about the type of aluminum to use. It would definitely be more expensive, especially for the offset pair. But, think about how trick they would be anodized (if the grade of aluminum can be anodized and still retain strength).

Ok, I had my brakets made and put them on. There were a few mods I had to do for the flat brakets. I needed to fab up some 3/4" spacers for the shock bolts and I had to bore out one hole to make it big enough for the axle. The holes in the pic are about 1/8" too small for the axle. All in all, they work great.

:mad::mad::mad:Oh, Thank You So Much!!!!!!!! Now I have no excuse not to lower my bike. Who needs crack when your addicted to your bike? Seriously, Thank you and thank "Dad".:rockon:

Tanz, was the actual measured diameter too small, or was the scaling on the pdf print out too small? (I've had this issue) When we made my template set, it seemed fine. But, sometimes when you're actually making something versus following a drawing, it's easy to forget that you made an adjustment. Your feedback is exactly the kind I like to hear. I'll double check the drawings and the measurements.

I have noticed that on the offset pair that there is a small gap between the bracket and the swingarm. A single washer should be able to take up that clearance without a problem I think. However, version 2 will be worked on in the next month or two.

Everyone please keep in mind, these are the first versions of these, with revisions to follow. Hopefully they'll be done and fitted/tested in time for the winter "mod" season.

P.S. GoUglyEarly, I showed my Dad the thanks from you and everyone on the forum. He said you're all welcome and he was glad to help. I personally think he was happy to do something he's good at that's NOT work related.

The hole was too small. When I printed out the schematics, everything was to scale. They work great.

The collars that the axle goes through has a .677" bore, and if I remember right, it isn't very loose on the axle.
(according to the parts fiche... COLLAR,17.2X25X74 (this is the longer one))
17.2 mm = .6771" inside
25 mm = .984" outside
74 mm =2.913" length

Thanks guys! I'll see about getting the drawing corrected in the next week or so. I'm moving this weekend, but I'll see if I can't get the 'ole man to update the drawings. :)

I'm thinking of looking into how much a small production run would cost for a kit with everything needed to lower the rear 2" (washers, brackets, etc.) with either the flat plate or the bent brackets. This would obviously be done after everything is corrected in drawings and such. Do you all think there would be a decent demand for these in 1" and 2" drops, flat and bent brackets?

After these get done and bugs worked out comes the forward controls. :)

\Do you all think there would be a decent demand for these in 1" and 2" drops, flat and bent brackets?



Sign me up....I've got enough work to do on the bike and this would save me some time....

ya I would buy them...no joke

if I don't make them first.. :p

count me in for a set............machinist in hospital

i would love to purchase a set from you man....
count me in ....thx in advance.

My wife would love the addition of these to her new ride...

Sorry guys but you might have to download the drawings and take them to a mach.Shop and have them made up.Haven't heard from Chiron in a while so not sure what's up there.Good luck.I'd make them up for you but time is real tough now with the wife working days me afternoons and watching the 2 yr old.

so, to clarify. the 2 bolt holes need to be 0.563'' in dia and the axle hole needs to be 0.677''

am i correct?

thanks!

Hello everyone. Sorry I had to take a hiatus. Too many life changes all happening at once. I had made a couple of sets, but somehow they seemed to disappear on me. So I'm making some new ones and doublechecking hole sizes and such. I'll see about getting the drawings updated though and how much it would cost to have someone make a batch of them.

At any time feel free to PM me guys, I still get my mails from here forwarded on.

Count me in for a set if no too pricey :rockon:

Does anyone know of a good machine shop in the Dayton-Cinci-Columbus, Ohio area that can handle 6061-T6 or 2024-T3 aluminum or alternatively cold rolled steel plate? The place I had talked to near me isn't calling me back. I guess I'm not a big enough customer.

Chiron

The shop I used to work at could easily make them. But they started to get money hungry when they expanded and management changed.
If we could get enough people to place an order in the 5 figure range they'd probably do it :BLAM:

Well I've called around and I'm taking the measured drawing and a usb stick with the cad files over to a shop tomorrow to get an estimate. I'll let you know what I find out.

It's great to see this post still going!

Look forward to hearing about what you come up with...maybe I can build you a little website to sell them through a paypal account?
Might be worth your time.

Lol..either way great to hear from ya!

No one in town seems to want to make these for me. Which is weird since Dayton has hundreds of machine shops. But no one wants to touch it unless I want hundreds of them. Weird. I just don't think I'm talking to the right places yet.

The Hack, I've thought of that. But to be honest, I don't think there's that much demand for them to be honest. That why I'd just like to finish this project and maybe do a group buy or something. What do you guys think?

I'm going to try and see if my local shop will help out. I'll let you guys know what kind of price I payed. I might just get them to crank me out a set today if possible.

The Hack, if you want and if they have some leftover you could go with aluminum. I checked with my old man and he said that if you go aluminum to go with either 6061 T6 or 2024 T3 aluminum and to ask for random length. That way you won't have to pay for an extra cutting charge. Let me know how it goes for you. I'm still trying to find a machine shop around here.

does anyone know where I can get rigid struts for the rear. I have an 86 750.

any luck yet getting these brackets made?

No, no go on this so far. Around here everyone either wants a run of 50 or 100 pair minimum or they want a DoD AF charge number from the air base next door. Plus I've had a family emergency and some work type stuff going on. I'm calling around to people today and making the rounds to tool shops talking to people who might be able to tell me where to go. Maybe I'm just making this too damn hard lol.

Once I find someplace though, they'll prolly get a good bit of business from me since I also have a triple tree set on the drawing board and updated lowering bracket drawings. I have a few other custom toys in the works too, but I have to find a shop first.

At this point, does anyone recommend ANY shops, ANYWHERE that might be interested in working with me? Initially it will probably only be onesy-twosy things, but could end up being a lot more. Right now, I'm unemployed so cost is a factor, but I can probably make it happen even if it is a little more costly.

BTW, anyone know off the top of their head if the stock triple trees have any rake in them in addition to the frame neck rake? Just curious since it will save me some time pouring through hundreds of pages trying to find out. Thanks again!

the stock triple trees have a little bit of rake to them...but not much...I don't know the degrees in which they are made stock....don't know if that helps....I might know of a shop that could help us...i am going to call a guy i used to work for way back in the day and see if he still does custom manufacturing...if he still takes custom orders we should have no problem getting these parts made. I will get back to all of you on this tomorrow.

I think I have found some people to work with. I posted an ad on craigslist asking for some help and have gotten several pointers to shops int he area that do just what I'm wanting. It's the 4th, so I'll reply and make some calls on Monday and talk to some people.

I'm gonna see if I can't talk my dad into taking a look at the trees over the long weekend. My only concern as far as those go right now is that my stem looks welded and not pressed in. So that might require a new part to be made.....sigh. We'll see how it goes. I hope everyone's 4th is awesome!

Yes the stem is welded on and not pressed...now there is a work around....most of us can use power tools... a saber saw and Dremel can machine that right down to what ever size we need it to be to press into the top triple tree bracket.

I'm taking my triple trees and stem over to my father this afternoon/evening for him to look at. The neck has an angle of 32 degrees according to the Kawasaki service manual. We'll see about taking a measurement off of the tress.

The plan is to take some measurements and then my father is going to do an analysis. Based on what the numbers show, a triple tree set may or may not come of it. Safety first.

any updates on the trees?

There's been some delay on the whole trees thing. I got my frame back from powdercoating and then immediately had to leave for NYC for a week. I think the trees may end up being a winter project. Especially since I can't find a machine shop that'll make the brackets for less than $200. I do have a lead on a local family owned shop that makes parts for off road dune buggies and such. So I'm going to talk to them this week about that.

So my plan right now is get the thing rolling and running again this week. Then I'm going to take some measurements. I'm gonna have to make a table or something of combinations. Since lowering the rear of the bike and not touching the front end changes rake and trail angles.

My father is concerned about changing the trees without first doing some serious analysis & number crunching. Especially since the alloy of aluminum we'd use has a yield load thats within 15%-20% of failure load.

At any time, please feel free to pm or email me directly with questions and I'll answer as quickly as possible. My email is chiron at 3nnui dot net.

How does lowering affect handling and steering, if at all? I have a 1990 vn750, and an 5' 6" tall. I love this bike but am a little intimidated and fearful riding in stop ang go or rush hour traffic.

Rick

At first it does feel a little different to what one is used to. That is due to the angle change at the fork. It doesn't take long to get used to it.

Ok guys, so I'm putting my bike back together and my dad went and got me some 6061 T6 from the recycling depot and we started taking measurements. That pdf & Autocad file(s) are off by as much as .024" in alignment and such. So....off comes the final drive and axle and re-taking measurements. Depending on how things go, I may make a few extra sets since I'm hurting for mortgage money (unemployed, PM me if you need a IT guy in the Dayton/Cinci/Columbus, OH areas).

But what I'm looking for now is resources that give measurements for axles on other Vulcans besides the 750. It would be nice to find another bike with the same size axle, just longer so that no changes to the axle bolt or swingarm have to be made. Unfortunately the microfiche at Ron Ayers doesn't give lengths or sizes of axles. Anyone know where I can find this info??

any updates? I would like to get a set of these brackets...

Those are the Progressive rear springs. If you want to upgrade to progressive front yes get the front lowering springs, if not you can just lower the tubes. You will get lower with new springs though. up to 3 intches on the front.

I tried to find the part# to this springs but unable. Does anyone have the part#. The front lowering springs.

Thanx.

A less expensive way to go would be a set of THESE (http://www.sweetboots.com/devious/demonia/knee/Neptune-100.jpg).
And looks pretty cool too! :motorcycl

EDIT: You might need to do some brake and shift lever adjusting after the install (overstall??) of these.


I thought those boots were a good idea actually, i dont think they look goofy,Who is going to be looking anyhow, they may start a new trend trekie, i would definantly run it by her, What a great idea for more foot height. Will need to move the shifter a few clicks, :beerchug:

I thought those boots were a good idea actually, i dont think they look goofy,Who is going to be looking anyhow, they may start a new trend trekie, i would definantly run it by her, What a great idea for more foot height. Will need to move the shifter a few clicks, :beerchug:


I am being seriuos here. What i want is the # to the springs not boots.

dont know if this helps at all... http://www.progressivesuspension.com/prodSearchResults.aspx?yearID=2006&makeID=41&modelID=452 (sorry if this isnt what you were lookin for)

Thanx. I found that, but I was not sure if that was what I needed. I am going to give them a call.

springs on order.

Thanx for all the help.

Those are the Progressive rear springs. If you want to upgrade to progressive front yes get the front lowering springs, if not you can just lower the tubes. You will get lower with new springs though. up to 3 intches on the front.

Did you install the front progressive springs?? Did you use the small springs or did you go with the long spring only??? Thanx.

So, after a long hiatus, unemployment stint, family health issues (cancer, death, new nephew, broken back), and preparing for a wedding (lil' sisters'), the finality of this whole ordeal is that the brackets should work just fine. I can't find anyone to make or manufacture them. The measured drawing should be pretty accurate, but I busted the top shock mount on my bike. My father was able to repair what was left enough that it will work fine with shocks, but there is no longer enough stud length to work with lowering brackets. *tears* I had to go with a set of lowering shocks from Progressive only. At some point in the future, I may drill out and replace the shock mount somehow and revisit this, but I don't expect it to happen anytime soon. At this point, I just wanna finish my bike and get out and ride. I have had way more setbacks than I ever expected when I started this project bike.

All this being said, anyone please feel free to take the files and run with it. I can even re-send you copies of the files in whatever format you need. If you are a machinist or can find one to make them for you, go for it. I would recommend either cold rolled steel plate or previously mentioned 6061-T6 or 2024-T3 aluminum. I even have some aluminum stock that's about 8 or 10 feet long and 4-6 inches wide that is the correct thickness if someone wants to come and get it.

If you do the lowering plates, I would highly recommend getting a longer axle so you don't have to worry about loads/forces/etc. This would purely be a piece of mind thing. However, there is a guy on eBay that will custom make you an axle for ~$60. That's a hell of a deal. The specs and data for the stressproof steel seem to make it the perfect material for this. His store is here: http://stores.ebay.com/ROAD-6-CUSTOMS

(just for the record, I am in no way affiliated with him)

As for triple trees, after careful examination of stockers, it could be done. But you might just be better of going with trees from another bike or just welding on a harley neck/tube and going there. I would think that about 5 degrees would be about as much as would be prudent with the stock neck. That's just my opinion.

I'm sorry I have been so flaky when working on all of this guys. Life seems to hate me. :blah: Family and work have to come first. Feel free to contact me here: chiron at 3nnui dot net