1983 honda nighthawk 550

[HenryinVa]

Id vote for this! That there is some wild a$$ exhaust man!

[teamnaptime]

thats insane !!!!!!!!!!!


here is one idea i have been kicking around as well... just not sure how feasable it is with my motor... let alone having hot pipes right on my leg








i think that is just amazing work...



we'll have to see what will work and what wont. but i know i would LIKE to have two on each side of the bike. whether its 4 individual pipes or a 4 into 2 set remains to be seen..

but whatever it is.. i hope it comes out looking half as nice as these above..

[teamnaptime]

i also want to do a slight amount of rake on the front. not a lot like a massive chopper. but just enough to give a little gap so you know its custom.

i've been reading the honda chopper bible from back in the 70s and one of the methods for raking ... rather than cutting the top tube and heating the lower tubes.. especially for the 300 and 450, is to simply cut a wedge behind the neck.

they show methods for cutting a notch out of the top, and then leaning the neck back and closing the gap and then welding.

the other method is putting a cut in the bottom and then bending the neck out, and then filling the gap with three pieces of steel.

i'm wondering if any of you have used these methods?

the book says that cutting a notch from the bottom gives more of a gooseneck look, but it can be easier to get the neck off center.

they say cutting the notch from the top makes for a smaller neck appearance, but also makes it easier to keep the neck inline.


since i'm not building a 70's crazy raked chopper, im thinking i dont really need the gooseneck look. im more concerned with keeping the neck inline.


any input?

[teamnaptime]

sorry if im asking too many questions too quick before even getting started.. i just really want to try and have a handle on what direction im headed before getting started.

not to mention, im one of those guys who trys to learn as much as i can BEFORE taking each step, so i KNOW its been done properly.

especially when my life and that of my daughter, and other drivers on the road around me, depend on it. i dont like to rush into things without fully knowing what im doing, and know that i could be putting my or other peoples lives at risk.

[HenryinVa]

Yep, Im with ya there. Choppers handbook is the proverbial bible of building. I would do the top pie cut in your case too.

Your starting out right by educating yourself with as much info as possable. Its allways best to learn from others mistakes. (It doesnt cost ya anything!)

[Alleydude]

Originally Posted by teamnaptime

here is one idea i have been kicking around as well... just not sure how feasable it is with my motor... let alone having hot pipes right on my leg

That's a bit "over the top" for my taste!

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you put a lot of thought into this build, and that is a good thing. Unlike Henry, that BUILDS FIRST, then stops to think about it...

Whatever you decide, thanks for taking the time to write it all out and share it with us. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Keep us posted!

Again...

[HenryinVa]

Originally Posted by Alleydude

Unlike Henry, that BUILDS FIRST, then stops to think about it...

Tell us what ya really think Ken. I mean, dont paint a rosey picture here or anything. Just tell us what ya REALLY think!

[teamnaptime]

now now boys.. play nice :-) lol


well. i had a yearning to do SOMETHING to get started...

so i went out and started lowering.

i have wanted to keep the softtail rear but wasnt sure if simply using shorter shocks would make the bike low enough or if i would have to relocate the shock mounts..

well, the shortest shocks ive been able to find online have been 10" which os only 3" shorter than the stock shocks and i knew that wouldnt be low enough but i wanted a visual.

so i pulled the shocks and dropped the bike all the way down onto the fender. it only put the shock mounts at 9" on centers. and that was with the tire smashed up against the airbox and the fender. so i thought that maybe 10" WOULD be good enough afterall.

but, i still needed a visual...

so i grabbed some scrap angle iron i had layin in the garage and made soem quick and dirty struts on 10" centers. well..... it tunred out pretty cool. dropped the bike 2" which looks like a lot more than it is.



so, i went ahead and moved the fork tubes up two inches through the trees and lowered the front as well.

i LOVED the new stance.. but the kickstand didnt work anymore. lol.

so i puleld it from the bike, and cut a few inches out of the shat, and welded it back together.. now its all good.





except its still not as low as my truck



lol

so as i was standing there looking at the ike and admiring the new stance.. i wished i had not lowered it last night because today was such a nice day i wished i could ride.

so my buddy said, so go ride.

i figured, alright cool. i guess this is as good a time as any to find out if i like a hard tail or a strut rear end.. so i took the bike out for about an hour long ride.

now granted i had the strut rear and no suspension on the seat so i was prepared for a really really bumpy ride... not something i was looking forward to, and exactly why i wanted to keep the softtail..

well.... after riding around for an hour i was convinced... hardtail is NOT that bad afterall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


todays ride was enough to help me decide to go ahead and either strut the rear end or somehow make it a hardtail.

i'm not sure that i can do a conventional hardtail because of the shaft drive being part of the swing arm.. but i saw i na post from liljoe where someone did sort of a strut/hardtail.. i think i might try it..

[teamnaptime]

well, my bars came in yesterday, so of course i had to head out and put them on last night.

i like them.. but they are definately not made for my stock controls and grips

the straight ends on the bars are too short for the grip and choke and clutch componets on the left side. once everythign is clamped down as far in towards the center as possible, the grip actually hangs off about an inch and half.


on the right side, its the same, the throttle and grip hang about an inch and a half off the end of the bar.

its not so noticable on the right side, because the throttle has that stiff plastic, but on the left side though, there is no backing on the grip, so if i grab it naturally, my pinky slopes off the side.

i'm thinking i can put a slug in the end and a shot extension piece ..

it'll be temporary until i get new bar controls and whatnot to clean up the bars anyway.


anyway, here's some pics.


started stripping the bars, and remembered i should be taking pics


just a little naked


and all mounted back up. i like them, but like i said they are a little short side to side for all the stock controls and grips.

its also pretty cramped with all the stock stuff and makes it a little difficult to see the instrument cluster. which i think i'll probably be ditching when the goin gets goin anyway.

[HenryinVa]

I like 'em!