Anybody have PHOTOS of XJ550 CHOPPER/BOBBER projects?

Wanted to go with a hard tail on this but almost nobody will even touch frame mods for me and since I can't weld at all I am going to keep it soft. Just wondering if anybody can give me ideas on going with a soft tail on this bobber project. But the bottom line: I am not going to have one with stock rear shocks. haha. Well... if i saw what it looked like and really liked it I'd do it. Any ideas would help but photos... especially progress photos would really help. Remember tho...xj550 maxim. The reason being, the rear on this bike stands apart a lot more than the other xj models.

 

Check my earlier posts. There is a youtube video where a kid took pipe and welded on mounts to replace the rear shocks, making it a hardtail. It was lowered 6 inches.

 

tube not pipe. please not pipe.

 

why not pipe? depending on the pipe schedule, they are structurally and cosmetically the same

 

nossir

 

I am not sure what exactly was used. It was round and painted black.

I am guessing because pipe is brittle? Is that the reason?

 

gas pipe from lowes is what i've used for years. unbreakable

 

The deal is, pipe is meant for holding internal pressures, and tubing is meant for not only holding internal pressures, but certain types also have structural soundness (DOM tubing, for example). That being said, I personally have no problem using pipe. Most people who want to bicker about using it will not even know enough to use DOM tubing, so they're using welded tubing anyway. As long as you use steel pipe, not the cast, or "black" pipe, you should be safe. Pipe generally has much thicker walls anyway, even 3/4" sch 10 pipe has a wall thickness of about 1/8th inch and an OD of just over 1". I would challenge anybody who claims 3/4" sch 40 pipe isn't as strong as 1" 1/8th wall tubing to prove it with a demonstration. I've been doing both structural fab and pipe welding for almost 20 years now, so it's not like I'm typing whatever looks good on paper. The only scenarios I've ever seen where a pipe has failed structurally was with black pipe that was put in a bender, which is a bad move anyway.

 

I found a website www.lickscycles.com that sells a 10" lowering strut that will fit the XJ. They retail for about 80 bucks and are already powdercoated. Just a heads up. Good luck!

 

I found a website www.lickscycles.com that sells a 10" lowering strut that will fit the XJ. They retail for about 80 bucks and are already powdercoated. Just a heads up. Good luck!

 

I found a website www.lickscycles.com that sells a 10" lowering strut that will fit the XJ. They retail for about 80 bucks and are already powdercoated. Just a heads up. Good luck!

 

here you go...




http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Harley-S ... 4cece35d7c

 

Ha ha. You live in Gilbert too. My dad lives there and was just talking about that to another person. Anyway, thanks for the link but I am just going to keep the shocks. I love the look of struts but I would imagine them being a lot rougher on the ass... especially for my woman. Changed my mind on bobbing it anyway. Just giving the bike a full makeover.

 

HELL CHUCKLES JUST CHOP THAT SUCKER UP. ELIMINATE ALL THE HEAVY CRAP HANGIN ON EM AN THEY REALLY SCREAM. AN LOOK GOOD.

IT AINT THAT HARD, JUST NEED THE INITIAL BALLS TO DO IT.

MADE MINE.......AN IM NO ROCKET SCIENTIST. :roll:

 

That is one bad ass chopper! For now i am just making a personalized custom restore out of my 550. I am going to wait til I am done with this one and my woman really wants to see me go for a hardtail chopper. But what you've done there is absolutely amazing! Hooolly shnikeys!

 

Here's my 81 xj 550

 

finally finish mine
did have ape hanger but was not nice to ride for me

 

I have been working on my xj550. I really love the bobber look but have a woman who likes to ride with me. So I did what I call a two person semi bob. I will post more pics later, these are all I have access to right now. I have since changed the handle bars out to drag bars and it looks sick. Let me know what you think of the back end. This is my first time with pics so bear with me

 

That is awesome. I posted this thread a long time ago when i was planning on bobbing out my 550. Now I am just restoring it to a point and customizing it a little. I have never had the chance to make a project out of a car or a bike and always wanted to. So since I love motorcycles so much and would much rather ride than drive I am doing this project. But that definitely makes me want to copy at least that.
I am eventually relocating the battery and all electrical in that area and having the void that used to be the airbox covered in diamond plate.
How did you do that seat mod?

 

Here is mine, I'm getting ready for a rebuild, going with a 6" stretch, drop-seat hardtail with an fj1200 rear wheel diff. bars and some forward controls.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee30 ... 107401.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee30 ... /xj004.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee30 ... ing004.jpg
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee30 ... =xj009.flv