alfredo
1978 xs650 Special
you convinced me. i will just cut the back a bit and relocate the seat and springs. . .
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you convinced me. i will just cut the back a bit and relocate the seat and springs. . .
27 years young? You can do it for awhile. Take it from a dude with titanium rods and screws in his back, at 27 you can't see or feel it coming. At 50, it's a beeyotch. Like the high heels on a woman, hardtails look great. There are ways and methods to cusion the ride but in the end it's simply a rougher ride. Good luck and have fun with the build.
Two Wheel Mafia
www.twowheelmafia.com
It really not that bad.... I have no suspension at all, just the air in the rear tire. I Mean its not a 40 mile long crusier but as a bar hopper or 20 mile to work.... it fine.
You can take a few PSI out of the tire to give you a little more spring in your ride. I will hurt your MPG but we dont ride them to save gas anyway so.... Hope this helps.
You can take a few PSI out of the tire to give you a little more spring in your ride. I will hurt your MPG but we dont ride them to save gas anyway so.... Hope this helps.
Two Wheel Mafia
www.twowheelmafia.com
Frank The Tank
XS650 Enthusiast
- Messages
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xstwin, Is that yours? I agree it looks damn good!! I also like the one two wheel mafia posted though, the engine looks great and I like the wheels and white walls.
bassgoat1979
XS650 Addict
Just get a spring seat and try not to hit potholes. Hell even stock if you hit a bad pothole throw the tire up, I don't care what anybody says. The stock shocks arn't all that anyway. If you have average rough road, you'll be fine 100% with a hardtail. Were I'm at is hell, but mine will only have the suspension a old ironhead (short) So I'm not far off of a hardtail.. If you want it to ride like a goldwing or a desser, get one now, not a XS650!
bassgoat1979
XS650 Addict
You got the rods from riding a hardtail?
I don't think a hardtail looks very good on an XS650. On a bike that came that way from the factory is ok. Most of them are much older than any XS650.
The old bike had sprung seats. As much to keep from getting thrown off the bike as to be comfy. Back then most roads were just dirt tracks across the country.
Even with the fairly smooth paved roads we have now. We need the suspension even more. We travel much faster now. The suspension is used more to keep the tires in contact with the road.
Tire contact is what makes riding possible, so why make it a hit and miss proposition?
The old bike had sprung seats. As much to keep from getting thrown off the bike as to be comfy. Back then most roads were just dirt tracks across the country.
Even with the fairly smooth paved roads we have now. We need the suspension even more. We travel much faster now. The suspension is used more to keep the tires in contact with the road.
Tire contact is what makes riding possible, so why make it a hit and miss proposition?
tonyc
XS650 Guru
I am not purist at heart and I do alter my bikes I hope for the better. Better suspension, better charging system, better carburetor, and better looks.The last is very subjective. Your bike is yours and you should build what pleases you, I do!
Tony C.
Tony C.
Lets try to keep this thread about the poll question: "How is the ride after hard tailing an xs650 (really)?"
We have a couple of other threads where it would be more on topic for everyone to express their opinion on whether hardtail XS650s look good or not.
Yes I know the thread title is deceiving, but it's apparent from the poll question that "To hardtail an xs650 or not to?" was in reference to the rideability of the a hardtail and not about how they look.
We have a couple of other threads where it would be more on topic for everyone to express their opinion on whether hardtail XS650s look good or not.
Yes I know the thread title is deceiving, but it's apparent from the poll question that "To hardtail an xs650 or not to?" was in reference to the rideability of the a hardtail and not about how they look.
64% as a positive for hard-tailing
36% in the negative
You have had a month and with these figures you should be able to make up your mind
36% in the negative
You have had a month and with these figures you should be able to make up your mind
bassgoat1979
XS650 Addict
How many of the people that are adverse to hard tails ACTUALY road a hardtail. Honestly though, not just what you think it would be like to make a point. If you are scared to ride a hardtail make a bratslye with 10" shocks, I mainly did it becuase it was less money ($250 less) and I like how chrome springs look if you can get a nice ass on the bike. Won't be much differnt though. At least it won't be the dredded horrific hardtail of doom causing fatalitys and titanium rods in the spine! The are made by Satan himself to inflick pain on eveyone. Woah to those that build a hardtail.
Barb
XS650 Addict
I rode a hardtail, a 1948 ULH 80" Flathead Harley. It was too big for me, and I sold it, but I rode it, suicide clutch, tank shift, manual spark advance and all. It had the sprung seat with the passenger springs and the ride was reasonably comfy once you were moving, but the combination of rigid rear end and stock springer forks made for somewhat tenuous handling. Based partially on that bike, I voted negative on hard-tailing.
Funny---I remember when there were aftermarket rear suspensions being sold for people who wanted to modify their bikes to ride better....my, how times don't change!
Funny---I remember when there were aftermarket rear suspensions being sold for people who wanted to modify their bikes to ride better....my, how times don't change!
alfredo
1978 xs650 Special
Where did you get the shocks? Can you link me?
650Jarrett
XS650 builder
As far as the ride is concerned, that really depends on a bunch of different factors.
1. The farther front the seating position the milder the ride, and the the closer you are to the undampened end, the more you're gonna feel it. So stretched rear sections make for a "softer" ride, while raked out front ends will make the ride more harsh.
2. Type of seat. Is it padded? Is it sprung? How well does it match your rump?
3. riding posture. Are you upright? are you folded in half? Believe it or not, there are pros and cons to both sides.
4. Tire size and pressure. Nice fat tires with higher sidewalls aired down a bit are better than low profile rim huggers running 40 psi.
Overall, you're not gonna get a ride as soft as a sprung ride, ever. But even with a lightly raked front end and stock length rear, my sprung seat hardtail is comfortable enough to ride for about an hour and a half at a shot. My next one will be a stock front end and 4 inch over rear end, sprung padded seat and fatter rear tire running 22 psi or so. The only way you're gonna get any kind of real experience is to build it or find someone to let you ride their's. Strutting your bike is a false sense of what it'll really be like.
1. The farther front the seating position the milder the ride, and the the closer you are to the undampened end, the more you're gonna feel it. So stretched rear sections make for a "softer" ride, while raked out front ends will make the ride more harsh.
2. Type of seat. Is it padded? Is it sprung? How well does it match your rump?
3. riding posture. Are you upright? are you folded in half? Believe it or not, there are pros and cons to both sides.
4. Tire size and pressure. Nice fat tires with higher sidewalls aired down a bit are better than low profile rim huggers running 40 psi.
Overall, you're not gonna get a ride as soft as a sprung ride, ever. But even with a lightly raked front end and stock length rear, my sprung seat hardtail is comfortable enough to ride for about an hour and a half at a shot. My next one will be a stock front end and 4 inch over rear end, sprung padded seat and fatter rear tire running 22 psi or so. The only way you're gonna get any kind of real experience is to build it or find someone to let you ride their's. Strutting your bike is a false sense of what it'll really be like.
Ironsled77
XS650 GRAND HACK
cut it up. like above struts are a joke. brat style does not look like a hardtail with comforts....it looks like a softail with relocated shocks. one way to find out do it.
danxs650mass
XS650 Enthusiast
i just did mine with a tc bros hardtail with 4 inch springs on the seat and i love it i think my other bikes with shocks would take the pot holes just as bad i was suprised how good it goes maybe just the big springs on the seat
