# My bike mods, gone rigid with mini-ape hangers



## DYI hunting (Mar 19, 2008)

Anybody else run a rigid motorcyle?  I ran a test drive yesterday and the ride was great, no nearly as bad as I expected.  And I love the look and how it opens up the back. 

I added 1.25 inch spacers to the front forks to keep the front from sagging so much.  My first set of homemade struts were 4 inches shorter than the shocks but still too long, I have to drop the back end another 2 inchs to get the fender as close as I can to the back tire.  And I still have to rewire all the switches from going to taller bars and replace the clutch cable with a longer one.  Once I finish the actual struts, I will have to try and get a professional looking paint job on them.

Just think, this is my daily driver.


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## DYI hunting (Mar 19, 2008)

Here it is unmodified, with only slash pipes, SE intake.


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## W4DSB (Mar 19, 2008)

buy a kidney belt that hard tail will shake thinks until they hurt!
(this is from past experience)


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## Ga-Bullet (Mar 19, 2008)

Had a Ridge Built Fatboy with a 200 on the rear.It Wasn't to bad if you didn't ride over 10-12 miles. Ride half a day and you'd Be ready. To find a Bar.


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## DYI hunting (Mar 20, 2008)

I am trying to persuade myself to go with a jockey shift/suicide clutch, but for now the more rational side of my personality is saying a loud NO.

Besides, I have a weeks work in fabracating 8 inch super low struts, running wiring through the bars, and installing new clutch/brake cables.  Also have to put the upper belt guard back on because as much as I love the open look, I don't like the idea of my wife's pants leg getting entangled in belt at highway speed.


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## Just BB (Mar 20, 2008)

More power to ya brother! I'd have to me a pillow to sit on ridin that one! Good looking bike


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## contender* (Mar 20, 2008)

Just BB said:


> More power to ya brother! I'd have to me a pillow to sit on ridin that one! Good looking bike



I agree!! I'll keep my shocks/springs.... As far as the suicide shifter, I'll pass on that one too. 
Nice bike though!!


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## firebiker (Mar 20, 2008)

*the apes I can appreciate, I've had them on several bikes before  and i prefer them for comfort but why on earth would you make it a hardtail   that things gonna ride like a over loaded wagon now.
if it was a chopper and lowered w/ solo seat bar-hopper (right on) i could see it.
i guess thats why i ride a Electra Glide now, I love the comfort.
if you ride further than the local watering hole, your gonna wish you never done it
keep your shocks you will need them for resale*


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## DYI hunting (Mar 21, 2008)

firebiker said:


> if you ride further than the local watering hole, your gonna wish you never done it
> keep your shocks you will need them for resale[/B]



That's the beauty, I can try it and switch back to shocks in about 15 minutes with no major changes to the bike and only be out $10.  I will give it a try for a while and if I can't handle it, I will go back.  I have always wanted an old hardtail, so this is my indoctrination into them.

Rewired the switches, threading the wires through 1 inch bars.  If I knew it was going to be half as stressful and time consuming, I never would have done it.  But they are finished now, all I have to do is bleed the front brake tonight and fab another set of struts 2 inches shorter.  It is my daily driver, it has killed me not riding it all week.

It should be an interesting weekend with new bars and no shocks.   Sure hope I did the wiring correctly, I don't want to have to walk.


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## DYI hunting (Mar 22, 2008)

A weeks worth of working on it in the evening, it is done for now.  Ran a 2 hour trip this morning, and the hardtail wasn't all that bad.  If the wife doesn't hate it, I think I am going to keep it.


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## puredrenalin (Mar 24, 2008)

That sounds awesome...cant see the pix at work, but I will check it out when I get home, rode a Iron Horse Texas Chopper, rigid...had a 330 on the rear, didnt care for it, but its all personal I guess...I ride a VTX 1800, shorter shocks on it, sometimes I swear Im ridin rigid!! Nice work man..congrats on your build!!


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## firebiker (Mar 24, 2008)

*it does look good Bro. !*


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## Back2class (Mar 24, 2008)

I have had one rigid. Won't do it again on a bike I ride more than a few hours a month. The apes look nice but the rigid conversion makes no sense, does not have the looks of a rigid or the low handling so as best I can tell all you have done is make the bike less comfortable and stable and gained nothig. However it is your bike and if you like it then that is all that matters. I would not sell the shocks though. Welcome to the world of custom HD's. When you are ready give me a ring, I have a polished case, ported head 88" shovel head motor waiting for a home.


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## DYI hunting (Mar 24, 2008)

spam4 said:


> best I can tell all you have done is make the bike less comfortable and stable and gained nothig.
> 
> When you are ready give me a ring, I have a polished case, ported head 88" shovel head motor waiting for a home.



I gained...the chance to learn how a rigid rides with the ability to go back to shocks if it doesn't work for me.  Plus the fun of building something different and tearing into a pretty much stock Harley and have fun.  This is not a final fix, just something temporary.  If I am going to stay rigid, I will buy a weld-on or a whole new frame.  The ride isn't all that bad, you just have to learn to watch the road more for dips and bumps.

And as far as the 88 shovelhead...I would be all over it if I could afford it, but nice shiny running shovelheads don't come cheap.


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## Back2class (Mar 24, 2008)

LOL! No they don't come too cheap. I one built a hardtail sportster myself. Now you have me thinking about doing another one.


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## lake hartwell (Mar 24, 2008)

I loved my hardtail to look at but that thing rode rough to me, back to apes and shocks. You are probably younger than I am.


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## FMC (Mar 30, 2008)

To each his own in the motorcycle world.  It's not a hobby that you can justify by any means, that's the fun of it.


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## mtnman (Apr 29, 2008)

i love my softail custom


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