The problem will be obvious to some folks:



But for those whom the picture doesn't explain it: the shock is too long, and the rear axle bolt will hit on the muffler constantly if I were to force installation of the taller shock!

So... Since we should all know by now that: You can't always have what you want...

It seems I have several options:

1. Cut a few inches out of my header and attempt to gas weld (braze) it back together into a length that will allow the shorter exhaust system to clear the longer shock. (Hot, sooty exhaust may come out on something /somewhere I don't want it).

2. Take the decent sounding short Dyna/Sporty muffler off my chopper and put it on the road bike.  As the Supertrapp is just too long and ugly to put on the chopper: I'd then have and excuse to put the embarrassingly super LOUD turnout muffler on the Chopper.  

But the Supertrapp has got to go on one of the three bikes; because though it is ugly, it is the coolest sounding, not obscene loud, muffler I've heard!

Decisions, decisions... Sometimes I hate having too many options!  

could have an angled section added so it clears.

should be enough play in the system to shim out from the support bracket to get a little more clearance.

Nah.... there's more than an inch of interference (1-1/2" or more) so turning the axle bolt around (I'd already though of that) or just angling the muffler out isn't going to get it. I'd have to angle the muffler out to the side so far it would look kind of silly.

And my idea of taking a few inches out of the header probably isn't going to happen either; because there's only about 1-1/2" of straight pipe down there to remove, and I need it about 3"-4" I'd have to braze the inner and outer header pipes together before putting the manifold tip back on the header. It could get to be a big-ol-mess!  

I'll figure something out... Or have something to sell soon.  

What kind of a problem would it create to limit the downward travel of the swingarm? Or the extension of the shocks? Sure, you'd lose some of that travel, but youd still have the spring rate/damping of the better shocks. Maybe raise the upper mount an inch & build the seat to accommodate & limit the swing arm or shock extension the rest of it?

Bill, nice spot..

HEY.. Heres the DEAL,, turn that axle around & either put an angle on the end of the header to point the TRapp out, or put a Z bend on the header, to "step it out" far enough to clear..

That would be easier, I think..

Can you make it so the "step" is a shallow angle? Or is it important? How do you decide such things? Dont want to cause a restriction, but only got so much room to play with,,

Serowbot wrote on 11/11/09 at 17:42:34:


Tools? BIG hammer's? I got lots of tools, including hammers. I collect tools, including old farm hand tools. I've got tools people don't even know what they do... I inherited a barn full of them LOL! I have a two man buck-saw hanging in the barn; a scythe big enough to scare the grim reaper.  

Seriously... there's about 2" that could be hacked off of the straight part of the SuperTrapp.

For now I just put the "road bike" back together with its stock shocks. I've got too many other projects going right now to keep fighting this. It's going to have to wait till later.

I have to put some sod down in my back yard before it becomes a mud pit again! The shocks can wait till the dead of winter, my garage is heated... kinda.  

Can't really do that.  That nut is about where the disks are.  Whack it and the core will never come out.