Topic: Shorter shocks, kickstand problem

[kine8282]

I just bought 11' shocks for my 750K8 to lower it but i've read on the forum that I'm gonna have a problem with my kickstand. I know that I can bend it or cut it but instead on ruining a perfectly good kickstand can't i just buy or trade for one that wokrs better with my shorter shocks? any suggestions?

[shoemanII]

i'd bend the one you have to fit then look for one here ("parts wanted") or evil-bay, in case you go back to OEM length.

when i ran shorties on my "F", the bike was nearly vertical when on the side stand. 
bobp

[ieism]

Or you could put a longer fork on it

I would buy a secondhand kickstand and modify that one.
Maybe it will also be kinda hard to get it on the centrestand? Any thoughts on that anyone?

[Ecosse]

granted mine is a 550 but with 2" lowering blocks approximating the same drop of shorter shocks (stock are 13" i believe) i do have to sometimes watch how i park my bike- on a hill for instance. but i have retained the original kickstand.

you could just get a spare kickstand and hack one of them. can't comment on the center stand as mine has been removed due to the header.

[mark]

....
Maybe it will also be kinda hard to get it on the centrestand? Any thoughts on that anyone?

no maybe about it. Centerstand use requires actually lifting the bike onto the stand.

I am considering cutting a thin wedge out of the kickstand bracket, pulling the stand out slightly, and welding up the cut.

[Really?]

Yup, takes a bit more to get it on the centerstand with shorty shocks.  It should a be a bit mor3 interesting when I get the 16" rim on it.  I am sure the 3 inches it is down already in the front do not help any, lol.

[chrislib]

Ya, the ctr stand is the biggest drawback of lowering. It`s near jewel dropping territory, you have been warned,lol.

[PxTx]

My experience is with lowering blocks on 750's but I figured I would share some words on encouragement.  I did not mod the side stand on any of my bikes.    They have all sat uncomfortably verticle and I've always wanted to bend a side stand to help this but never got around to it.  Despite not addresing the near verticle stand, in the last 15 years of lowering various CB750's none have ever fallen.

I don't understand people who struggle with getting a bike up on the center stand.  I guess it is all in technique.  I can put any of my lowered 750's on the center stand with one hand, and little effort.  The only thing that changes in my technique/effort over a stock heigh bike is slightly more push when stepping on the center stand to begin the pivot of the bike onto the stand.

I love the ride and look of the CB's slightly lowered in the rear.  Good Luck!

[Really?]

Stay away from the kickstands that you mount to the frame.  Have read a few posts on here where they have slid around where it was mounted and fell over.  Well, unless you want to use one of those, your choice. 

[kine8282]

I found some affordable shorty shocks 11.40 (Eye to Clevis) at www.cyclexchange.net. I'll let you know how they work out

[Grumpol]

I don't understand people who struggle with getting a bike up on the center stand.  I guess it is all in technique.  I can put any of my lowered 750's on the center stand with one hand, and little effort.  The only thing that changes in my technique/effort over a stock heigh bike is slightly more push when stepping on the center stand to begin the pivot of the bike onto the stand.

I love the ride and look of the CB's slightly lowered in the rear.  Good Luck!

Reckon you could show us your technique?
I struggle to get my standard 750 onto its center stand

[PxTx]

I would be more than happy to put up a small youtueb vid on how I put my bike up.  Timing is not great right now, so I'll try and do this after the holidays.

For ref on the side stand, here are to poor pics through glass.

[Ecosse]

PtTx, that's about what my 550 looks like on the side stand w/lowering blocks. So far no big deal. Sometimes a bit inconvenient though.

BTW: factory handle bars?... what kind of headers? Nice bike- like that blue.

[PxTx]

The blue bike is one of those reliable bikes I will never get rid of.  I'll ride it for hundreds of miles at a time, then it will sit for a year or so, just to do the same thing.  It's great, as long as I've got enough juice to toot the horn she'll fire off with the kick no mater how long it sits.

Anyways, I had some cruiser bars and swapped them over to the ones you see there for vanity sake.  I thought they were CB400 bars when I went to put them on, but I ended up having to dremel out some holes to run the wiring.  Don't know why I thought they were 400 bars, it was too long ago now for me to remember.  Admitedly, these bars are a little rough after about 150 miles.

The bike is a K3 with a K8 tank, and the stock seat moved back half way on the hinges.  I had painted a 1970's Chevelle years ago, and had some leftover pain and did this for the bike.  I'm glad you like it.  I do have some more correct tins I am looking forward to swapping in the future.

[HondaMan]

Or you could put a longer fork on it

I would buy a secondhand kickstand and modify that one.
Maybe it will also be kinda hard to get it on the centrestand? Any thoughts on that anyone?

Chin-ups and pull-ups. They make the bike lighter. 

[katmol]

Great looking bike. I've got a K4 I building up and was want to put a '78 tank on it.
Any trouble getting the '78 tank on that K3? How did you mount the seat back?

The blue bike is one of those reliable bikes I will never get rid of.  I'll ride it for hundreds of miles at a time, then it will sit for a year or so, just to do the same thing.  It's great, as long as I've got enough juice to toot the horn she'll fire off with the kick no mater how long it sits.

Anyways, I had some cruiser bars and swapped them over to the ones you see there for vanity sake.  I thought they were CB400 bars when I went to put them on, but I ended up having to dremel out some holes to run the wiring.  Don't know why I thought they were 400 bars, it was too long ago now for me to remember.  Admitedly, these bars are a little rough after about 150 miles.

The bike is a K3 with a K8 tank, and the stock seat moved back half way on the hinges.  I had painted a 1970's Chevelle years ago, and had some leftover pain and did this for the bike.  I'm glad you like it.  I do have some more correct tins I am looking forward to swapping in the future.

[PxTx]

Tank pops right on, but depending on your fuel valve config, you might have to adjust some plumbing.  Once you throw the tank o and take the seat off the hinges, what you;ll have to do become pretty obvious.  What I did is kind of a hack solution, but it is totally temporary and reversible, which is what I wanted.  Basically if you set the seat on the frame, it will line up with the rear half of the hinges.  Throw the pins in,ad it will work.  I then unbolted the seat latch and moved that back to just the rear latch bolt.  It too lined up, closed and is how I am presently riding.  Total time to mod is about 10 min.

[mystic_1]

Pretty ingenious,  PxTx.  Got any pics of that arrangement?

Kine, try a kickstand off a smaller bike like a 350 or 550.  They are slightly shorter, IIRC, and should bolt right on.

mystic_1

[Really?]

Pretty ingenious,  PxTx.  Got any pics of that arrangement?

Kine, try a kickstand off a smaller bike like a 350 or 550.  They are slightly shorter, IIRC, and should bolt right on.

mystic_1

Can we get a confirmation on this (anyone)?  Also, how much shorter? 

Just need to get something going on this for the K5.

Thanks for the possibility thrown out there Mystic!

[mystic_1]

Back in March I sold what I believe to be a CB350 twin kickstand to jjwaller.  It measured about 7.25 inches from the centerline of the pivot bold to the ground.  Stock CB750 stand was a couple of inches longer.

Here's some pics:








Here's a pic of jj's CB450 kickstand, measured 8.25 inches:




and here's the original thread:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=31855.0;all

cheers
mystic_1

[Really?]

Thanks a lot Mystic!!!

[goon 1492]

Dang mistic I was just gonna mention how someone needs to fab some short versions of kickstands to sell people that have short shocks but you did even better than that.

[Really?]

I wonder what the curved one is for.  The pics I have seen on ebay so far are all straight for the period cb350, cb450 and cb550.  Some of those pics on ebay are not the best so I could have missed something.

The cb500 seems a bit curved but not like that one you have in the pic and not as much as the cb750 one you have there.

Wonder if that one was pounded in a vise for that bend.

There might be a specific year or model k/f where it is different.

This is so kewl!

[bert96]

It would be cool to have something like that,

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp;jsessionid=NZKLQ0NGZEH13LA0WTISM4VMDK0OWIV0?store=Main&skuId=582973


The price is  !

[PxTx]

It would be kinda cool, but I bet you would have more people griping over the price of these simple pieces than you would those who would actually pay that much for them.  No intended dig on anyone in particular, just a reoccurring theme I've noticed.