Topic: does anyone know?

[cb(r)]

I want to cut down the coils on my rear shocks.  74 cb 550.  How much can I cut off and still have a functional shock?  I am not worried about the actual ride just the ability to work as a shock..  can I cut them down to 10.5"  to 10"?  (distance from eye to eye)
would there be any other (cheap) shock options?

[ProTeal55]

$70 gets you a set of 11'' short shocks from http://HTTP://WWW.CRC2ONLINECATALOG.COM

I have them on both my CB750 and CB450 project..

[cb(r)]

thanks teal but I have short legs 5'5" tall. I would like to take ithe ride height down as much as possible.

[ProTeal55]

thanks teal but I have short legs 5'5" tall. I would like to take ithe ride height down as much as possible.

11'' Shocks with a cut-down/thinner seat and I think you should be ok.
You could always go with a lower profile tire out back to get the bike down alittle lower...

[ohiocaferacer]

Do some 11" short shocks with some rear shock lowering blocks......like I did on the CB500/4.

Hell.....I think that took it to about 9" of shock length.

[Steve F]

Just cutting the coils won't work unless you shorten the rod length too.  Too short of a spring or too long of a rod equals unsprung shock travel. 

[cb(r)]

Do some 11" short shocks with some rear shock lowering blocks......like I did on the CB500/4.

Hell.....I think that took it to about 9" of shock length.

thanks ohio. I have not checked out your site in a while.  the 500 looks very nice.  I think I am going to take your advice with teals.  11" shocks thinner seat and lowering blocks.  do you have any close ups on the lowering blocks?  did you buy or make the blocks.

[kuyarico]

$70 gets you a set of 11'' short shocks from http://HTTP://WWW.CRC2ONLINECATALOG.COM

Hey Teal,

Where on crc2 are you finding these for $70? I see some chrome ones for $90.

[ProTeal55]

They are in the "chopper" catalogue.
I guess the price went up since i bought my last pair..

[John C.]

cb(r)

A Cafe style seat might help with the getting your feet flat on the ground

[Rsnip988]

If you were to try the cutting idea, wouldnt there be a danger of the tire hitting the fender/seat area?  i dont know but i was just wondering...

[Roach Carver]

any method of lowering is going to increase the chance for intimacy b/w the tire and fender. I suspect that the shorty shocks are stiffer to prevent this ? PTEAL has em, he would know.

[8 Track]

There was a thread about this about a year ago.  Points that were brought up were the spring rate goes up, the rod should be shortened, shortening blocks increase spring rate and the person who modified his shocks was ultimately happy with his results.  Good luck!

[ProTeal55]

any method of lowering is going to increase the chance for intimacy b/w the tire and fender. I suspect that the shorty shocks are stiffer to prevent this ? PTEAL has em, he would know.

I have these 11'' shocks on my CB750, set to the softest setting , and am also running a 16'' HD wheel with a 130/90 rear tire, and have had very few tire to inner fender "love" sessions. I mean if you look you can see the tire has made contact with the stock inner plastic fender, but not anything I am worrying about. To prevent this you could always stiffen up the shocks to prevent travel/rubbing. I am gonna have to do this on the CB450 project because the way it is now the tire is gonna rub, and rub bad (look at the pic above to see what I mean)...