I plan on lowering my 95 GS500E a little more than what she is now, but was thinking of making her into a sportbike version of a hard tail. Basically taking out the shock under the seat and replacing it with a strong solid piece of steel. I realize the ride will be a little harsh but I wouldn't need to worry about any rubbing issues, etc....

Thoughts on this idea?

I can't imagine that being very fun to ride, but to each his own! 

Curious to know what this will accomplish apart from making the rode rougher.

Is this something for like drag racing or something?

.... a little harsh?!! ... umm. .. I hope you've ridden something hardtail before?!  ..

it's one thing with a cruiser style where you are mostly back on your bum cheeks. .. with the more forward lean (not supersports forward thankfully) you just might start bumping much more delicate 'equipment' ?

If you really just want a stiffer ride, bang a katana shock in there and preload it right up to 7! It'll be pretty firm but still have some vibration damping!

Whoops, forgot.... the katana shock raises ride height a little.   But seeing as you lowering anyway your different length dogbones should still take care of it!

Most Id10t rednecks who replace rear shocks in cruisers give this retarded excuse "Less sheite to go wrong".
They forget these important factors.
1. Shocks on a cruiser rarely blow, and if they do, they just leak oil and look fugly, don't strand you in the middle of nowhere.
2. Shocks help everything be smaller, thinner and lighter. Like fenders, axle holes, swingarm plates, all the rest. Its about energy dissipation. The shock travels 1" for a bump say. so it loses that energy over that 1" and results in heating the suspension oil and its own body. Now to have to dissipate energy over 1/100th of that ". If it had to dissipate a bump over 1" it will experience a lot less stress than if it had to over 1/100th of an inch, and if it was truly 0 it would be infinite.

Turn that into the GS. You have a linkage and a shock that travels 1/10th the travel of the wheel. You hit that same bump that compresses the cruiser shock by 1", you're already @ .1" you'd be dissipating that energy over.
Turn that into a rigid, and you go clean to 1/1000 th.

You'd easily tear sheite up, starting with the shock/linkage fittings on the frame and swingarm. AKA, stuff that if it breaks, not only will it leave you stranded 100 miles from home, you cant even fix it if you did get it home.

So, sorry, Hard tail's are retarded on cruisers, and even more so on the GS style mono shock bikes.

So, why look stock and stupid, when you can look retarded If that's your outlook in life, go for it. Just don't cry to us when it tears off the bolts and shears off the clevises and brace bars. Cos we just gonna say "we told you so".

Cool.
Buddha.

Buddha is on the right track - the GS frame just isn't made to be hard tailed  (especially not with a solid bar replacing the shock). If you do that, you WILL destroy something...... and it won't be when you expect it.

Besides, what's the point? Some people enjoy riding a back breaker for the simplicity, some for the thought it looks cool, etc. You would be losing on both of those - you won't be simplifying anything, and nobody will know it's a hard tail and think it's "cool".

Personally i don't see the point,but whatever keeps u happy.

BTW, I love this statement when it comes to rigid bobber looking bikes.

"gets a lot of looks" - ummmm .... so does a 32 car pile up on the freeway, or a burning building ... that doesn't mean squat.

I'd like to see this statement - Gets no reaction ... sometimes even after I point it out to people that know bikes in a bike ad on craigslist.
Or, They usually notice something else, like the seat or the pipe.

Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: The Buddha on May 11, 2016, 05:56:08 AM
BTW, I love this statement when it comes to rigid bobber looking bikes.

"gets a lot of looks" - ummmm .... so does a 32 car pile up on the freeway, or a burning building ... that doesn't mean squat.

I'd like to see this statement - Gets no reaction ... sometimes even after I point it out to people that know bikes in a bike ad on craigslist.
Or, They usually notice something else, like the seat or the pipe.

Cool.
Buddha.

It won't even get any looks. The GS mono-shock is concealed beneath the seat and between the arms of the swing-arm. No one will see it unless you point it out. The premise alone makes little sense.

If you want to do a hard tail, go buy a cruiser. The GS is a "sport bike". You're playing Russian-roulette with your life. As its been stated above, when it shears off of the frame, and it WILL, you could be in for a ride in a hearse.

If you really want it lower, search the forums for options that have been discussed already. There's a lot of wisdom on here, take advantage of it.

I was talking about general retards on Craigslist.

GS - yea and we're already bashed the OP into not doing it I think.
Cool.
Buddha.

Eh, looks like it was just a hit and run.

Quote from: lucas on May 11, 2016, 09:27:36 AM
Eh, looks like it was just a hit and run.

Forum trolls. . . ugh. . .

Yea this retarded ass POS -

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/5575356442.html

The instant "I crashed and have no clue about riding or fixing" look.

Cool.
Buddha.

Huh?  What's wrong with that bike?

I didn't get it.  Maybe that says something about me

Thanks for the candid input, I will take all into consideration.

Thank you.

Quote from: lucas on May 11, 2016, 02:36:03 PM
Huh?  What's wrong with that bike?

I didn't get it.  Maybe that says something about me

Generally the difference between done right and cobbled together is all in the details and finish. Exposed wiring (or complete lack there of to T/S'es and stuff) and the retarded side hanging tail light, license plate crap, exposes fasteners, and other crapola covering up stuff, like that retarded bag hanging off the side.

Yes we spent 2000 hours modifying the bike, and we forgot we have to put a license plate and tail light on it. Ooooo what do we do, what do we do ... OK lets just put it on the axle nut. Yea ... that's the best.

This bolt isn't as bad as this one -
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/5546871829.html

What a POS. A turn signal for the tail light ... yea dumbass.
And a savage is just about the easiest bike to mod to a bobber and make it look right. I did a cheater chopper a few yrs ago. I'll put a pic of it later today.

Cool.
Buddha.

Haha I guess I like crappy bikes, cause I like the second one too! 

Oooo then you'd love this.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/5584169418.html

Did you notice it still has its functional rear suspension.
And the seat is sprung.

Yea ... not a hard tail, a double softail.
And best of all ... its an automatic - look on the right for transmission. And for that, its just 3 grand. What a bargain.

Cool.
Buddha.

This atleast has the $$$ going for it.
http://lynchburg.craigslist.org/mcy/5543172900.html

And I have made decent $$$ by buying these POS'es and turning them into stock, and selling them on craigslist as an easy bobber conversion, and when they buy it, I'll tell them I would buy the body work off you when you bob it.
With in days I have got the body back. That was this beautiful powdercoated off white, I managed to get the body back and slap it on the bike I am finishing.

Its is a lot more profitable to sell a stock bike and a dream and let their dream turn into a nightmare on their watch IMHO.
Taking a stock bike and murdering it out or bobbering it or whatever sends a clear signal. I cant ride and I cant repair and I have no common sense ... buyer beware. Its the instant I crashed and forgot to fix it look, Crashing optional.

Cool.
Buddha.