SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB500/550
500 K cafe racer conversion - build thread
Ewan 500 K1:
Now not sure what effect the longer rear shocks will have will have on the bike's geometery and in particular on the front end rake and trail and thus handling. Folk on the US site have been raising concerns about effect on handling and particularly about the potential for rear end twithches and tank slappers.
I will now calculate the effects on the rake & trail once I have the bike togeather and see if I need to do any front end mods (should have done this before I took it to bits again ... but didnt realise the potential issue)
One thing in my favour is that the bent steering stem that has been on the bike for at least 17 years would have reduced rake and trail. I now have a new and straight sterring stem, so running with this and longer rear shocks might make me end up in the same place as when running with the bent triple T and standard rear shocks .. we'll see)
Alternative solutions posed if effect on trail is significant are:
a) rework the bike to remove the battery tray from the rear hoop to allow more clearance for the tyre . This would mean undoing the frame mods and electrical work already done ... not keen on that.
b) get longer frnt fork stanchions to counterbalance the lifted rear end
c) get a triple T / top yolk set with a greater offset than the standard to counteract the shortening effect of longer rear shocks on the rake an trail
d) get a steering damper
Views welcome !
Must get to bed ... been up all night reading about bike geometry, trail and rake which was all new to me :o
Ewan 500 K1:
Put everything back on the frame today to compare the original front end rake and trail with the rake and trail impacts of the new longer rear shocks. I was intending just to put the essentials back on to do this, but ended up putting everything back on .... as I'm swithering between black and silver for the frame. A few pics to follow
Ewan 500 K1:
With the old shocks and the old bent steering stem. First in sliver frame , then in black frame. Gone off the silver , think I'll stick with black
Ewan 500 K1:
new longer rear shocks in black frame and silver frame
Ewan 500 K1:
dont like the rear mudguard anymore ....
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