Do Bobbers handle?

[RatyXS]

Okay in the interest of fairness I'll post this and a disclaimer to follow .
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/4421505092.html

attachments as i expect the ad to go away ...

This is a complete one off ground up build
It retains both brakes with the stock 16-19" wheels (although the rims have been drilled on the spokes as a detail)
The front forks have been lowered (correctly) but the front travel has been severely limited (I doubt the total travel exceeds 2") and the rake extended as a compromise to level the bike . The tree offset remains stock .

Visibly anyway this is a complete thought and execution front to back , top to bottom . Actually one of the better examples I've seen as far as attention to detail and compromise between form and function .

I might add that most that I have seen and continue to see are abortifacts . I was in Independent service for nearly 25 years and saw a little bit of everything . Some I wouldn't ride , others I wouldn't even work on . "but can't you just ..."? and I was already walking away .

Look, from my obvious leanings toward a better mousetrap evident from many posts here and elsewhere I can still make concessions to craftsmanship and attention to detail even if I wouldn't ride let alone own a motorcycle like this .

I'll only make one more stab at the sawzall crowd . There are only just so many of these bikes left . I consider cutting up a perfectly good frame to be a sin . The only reason you got this many words out of me this time is that the above example is a constructed frame and not a weld on hard tail of dubious manufacture and installation . If you're going to ride without suspension , if you're going to piece together some Fong Bro's me too contraption , if you really feel that your vision of two wheeled rolling art includes the XS 650 then please , by all means have at it . Just leave my classics alone and start from scratch . You even have a better chance of accomplishing what you want from a blank sheet than you do cutting up what is fast becoming a limited resource .

~kop

In this case I am buying every stock XS I see up, chopping the fuk out of it

 

[neanderthal]

no respect anywhere anymore. what happened?


on a side note, kopcicle did you build that bike? diggin the hell out of that rear fender. whats it from?

 

[Flyer888]

my my such haters of the sazall crowd. I personally don't have any interest in riding a factory stock 650 but can appreciate those who own them and take great pains to restore and keep them stock.
if someone else wants to cut one up and make it a project bike ( as I do ) more power to them. I rescued mine from rotting away on the back side of a barn for a whole $50. Seems to me that some of these bikes or at least part of them are being rescued and brought back to life rather than left to rot by the "sazall" crowd. : )

 

[RatyXS]

my my such haters of the sazall crowd. I personally don't have any interest in riding a factory stock 650 but can appreciate those who own them and take great pains to restore and keep them stock.
if someone else wants to cut one up and make it a project bike ( as I do ) more power to them. I rescued mine from rotting away on the back side of a barn for a whole $50. Seems to me that some of these bikes or at least part of them are being rescued and brought back to life rather than left to rot by the "sazall" crowd. : )

EXACTLY.

 

[grizld1]

Guys who impair their machines for the sake of making a fashion statement aren't worth arguing with. There are motorcycles to ride, and there are fashion accessories to pose with. Given the basic steering head and swingarm upgrades, decent shocks and tires, and proper setup of the forks (cartridge emulators, correct spring selection, fork oil, and sag setting), the XS650 can handle very nicely indeed. In case you think I have nothing better to compare it to, my old Yamaha shares the barn with a 2003 Suzuki SV650, also with upgraded suspension.

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

I'm just going to embrace it. SAWZALL CREW ! Fuck the haters. Ride what you like.
Thanks for the cool name. Now let's round up these hooligans. ..

 

[barelycompetent]

The OP was asking for opinions on how different styles handled, and I believe he has heard from both sides quite a bit, especially the haters. The bottom line here, ride what you like, build what you like and do you really care what anyone else thinks about it? Why has this evolved into a mud slinging pissing contest on who is right and who is wrong? Theres no need for name calling, theres no need for labeling one group or the other. Arent we all a group of XS650 enthusiasts? Just cause I disagree with some people and I ride my "properly" set up hardtail to hell and back doesnt make me wrong, it just makes me different. Haters only hate cause you dont agree with them. Enough said on my end, Im going to get back to wrenching on my 650, and riding the hell out of both of my bikes, cause thats all that really matters to me.

 

[Flyer888]

It's a fact that some people are very narrow minded and can't understand why everyone else don't share their views on the "way things should be".
Seems to me this Form should be a place where everyone who has an interest in 650s can get together and discuss problems and solutions, show off their rides, etc. and not be slammed because of what they want to build or ride.
The rider who started this thread is probably wondering what the hell happened - when all he did was to try and get a few opinions. : )

 

[XSLeo]

I just read through this thread. Most of the people who responded that have bobbers, hard tail or otherwise only respond with terms like handles fine, handles ok.
This indicates that they don't handle good or well.
Comparing an XS650 or any 40 year old bike to a more modern bike is foolish.
I don't hate bobbers, or choppers. I do have opinions on them. Most of what was said by the haters as well as the lovers are opinions.
And why is it that those who choose to cut up a bike refer to those who disagree as haters and those who like stock bikes don't?
Leo

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

Some people have shown hate and disgust to someone chipping up a bike. Now if you don't fall into the category. Then you are not a hater. You seem not to care for for a chopped bike. But don't talk down about owning a hardtailed bike

As seen time and time again people who have chopped bikes don't come in to threads and talk shit about people who have stock bikes. I can care less what you ride. So then the purists can't refer to us as haters. We just don't give a fuck!!! As opposed to the purists. They very much show their opinion on chopped bikes and it's almost entirely negetive(hating).

 

[barelycompetent]

I have to agree with FNdirtygreaser on this one. I didnt come into this thread name calling, or throwing around a bad ass ego, I merely stated my opinion on my properly set up Harley bobber. What I have gotten in return is alot of negative comments. I even stated several times that no one opinion is right or wrong. If it makes anyone feel any better my XS650 has suspension, and is a cafe style, and it handles very differently then my hardtail. I never said my hardtail is a canyon carver either, what I did say is I have ridden it several times to the tail of the dragon, and too Sturgis several times, just because its a hardtail doesnt stop me from riding the hell out of it, or riding it in the twisties. It does NOT corner like my 650 does, never said it did, but it does handle and ride well, IMO. It does this because it is properly set up IMO. Im not name calling, and Im not trash talking anyone here, I see the beauty in stock bikes, cafe bikes, hard tail bikes, peoples creations, every bike, doesnt matter to me. If you really go back and read this thread you will see ALOT of negative comments directed at those of us who ride bobbers and hardtails, not the other way around. Again my 650 is a cafe with suspension if that makes anyone feel any better. We are all enthusiasts of these bikes, and the knowledge on this site has helped me tremendously, I just dont see the need to be so negative to people that dont hold the same opinion as you.

 

[DIRTY DOG]

I have to agree with FNdirtygreaser on this one. I didnt come into this thread name calling, or throwing around a bad ass ego, I merely stated my opinion on my properly set up Harley bobber. What I have gotten in return is alot of negative comments. I even stated several times that no one opinion is right or wrong. If it makes anyone feel any better my XS650 has suspension, and is a cafe style, and it handles very differently then my hardtail. I never said my hardtail is a canyon carver either, what I did say is I have ridden it several times to the tail of the dragon, and too Sturgis several times, just because its a hardtail doesnt stop me from riding the hell out of it, or riding it in the twisties. It does NOT corner like my 650 does, never said it did, but it does handle and ride well, IMO. It does this because it is properly set up IMO. Im not name calling, and Im not trash talking anyone here, I see the beauty in stock bikes, cafe bikes, hard tail bikes, peoples creations, every bike, doesnt matter to me. If you really go back and read this thread you will see ALOT of negative comments directed at those of us who ride bobbers and hardtails, not the other way around. Again my 650 is a cafe with suspension if that makes anyone feel any better. We are all enthusiasts of these bikes, and the knowledge on this site has helped me tremendously, I just dont see the need to be so negative to people that dont hold the same opinion as you.

AMEN BROTHER

 

[jayel]

I have to agree with FNdirtygreaser on this one. I didnt come into this thread name calling, or throwing around a bad ass ego, I merely stated my opinion on my properly set up Harley bobber.

OMG! YOU CHOPPED A HARLEY!!!

jayel owner of a STOCK XLH1100 except for the windshield, front safety bar, saddlebags, tour seat, extra lights ect.

 

[barelycompetent]

OMG! YOU CHOPPED A HARLEY!!!

jayel owner of a STOCK XLH1100 except for the windshield, front safety bar, saddlebags, tour seat, extra lights ect.

Actually it was custom built this way by a professional shop in 2009. It is a Harley Evo motor, bone stock, that is in a custom USA Choppers hardtail frame, sooooooo I guess technically it is not a titled Harley, I just call it one for the ease of it, but it does have the heart of a Harley lol.

 

[nj1639]

How well do bobbers (Brat style) handle?

The original post. Says nothing about hard tails for fuks sake.
All those that have ridden Brat style please post your experience in the handling, as I'm curious too. Talk about off topic and hijacking........bunch of squabbling hens.

 

[grizld1]

OK, without attitude, here's the bottom line. When you lower a Brat bike and drastically reduce fork travel, you're faced with a choice--either put up with the forks constantly bottoming out, which disrupts handling, or install springs so stiff that compliance (the ability of the wheel to track the road surface and keep the tire hooked up) suffers badly, also disrupting handling. The same choice is involved in the rear with short shocks from machines like the Honda Rebel. You simply can't have your cake and eat it.

For those who want to develop a basic understanding of what a motorcycle suspension system does and how to tune it, find the Total Control Training site and get a free download of the 8-page Suspension 101 handbook.

 

[retiredgentleman]

The original post. Says nothing about hard tails for fuks sake.
All those that have ridden Brat style please post your experience in the handling, as I'm curious too. Talk about off topic and hijacking........bunch of squabbling hens.

I agree totally with nj1639. A guy asked a simple question about Brat style bikes. Brat style bikes have a swing arm with rear suspension, so the thread should have stayed on that theme. Poster #3 became super defensive, and started talking about hardtails...................hijacked the whole thread, and the thread went down hill from there. Perhaps an apology would be appropriate.

 

[RatyXS]

^^ either way, the person before him said '' they are not safe '' Now a brat style, even a bobber has rear shocks, frames normally not hard modified.. Choppers are generally hard tails. So was the OP or the 2ND poster aware that is what a bobber was ?? Then we have other folks from the ole peanut gallery saying blah blah blah hard tails are not safe and some even irritated that people were doing such things to these majestic machines. Not one person with a hard tail or bobber or brat said any negativity untill some one said '' not safe '' which is an opinion..

 

[retiredgentleman]

^^ either way, the person before him said '' they are not safe '' Now a brat style, even a bobber has rear shocks, frames normally not hard modified.. Choppers are generally hard tails. So was the OP or the 2ND poster aware that is what a bobber was ?? Then we have other folks from the ole peanut gallery saying blah blah blah hard tails are not safe and some even irritated that people were doing such things to these majestic machines. Not one person with a hard tail or bobber or brat said any negativity untill some one said '' not safe '' which is an opinion..

The OP clearly had Brat style as his question. Post #2 was just stating his opinion of Brat style bikes, and that was just fine, as these forums are all about opinions. The fact remains that Post #3, chose to go defensive and through out the word "hardtail", similar to waving a red flag in front of a bull, which started a chain reaction, and was totally unnecessary.

 

[RatyXS]

Tell me the diff in overall running gear on a Brat or a standard bike ??