Dave wrote on 12/25/21 at 14:33:06:


I was concerned about the tension but as I'm primarily looking for ground clearance not travel Ive got rubber bumper travel limits on the strut shafts. The tension range now seems ok.

This is mine after the 18" wheel conversion.

Armen wrote on 12/26/21 at 07:37:32:


That's a beautiful bike. I love the mid-set controls and clean exhaust joint, almost looks like a one piece. I found out too late that we have a 2 piece header pipe which will make my exhaust install a little more fun I'll be running the original 19" front and a 17" rear for more dual-sport/adventure tire options once my current tire wears out.

Did you delete the speedo/odo altogether or route it off the front? I'm using a 3.5 gallon tank and will need to relocate the odo.

I did a KOSO one piece speedo/Tach/ODO/etc.
Those shocks are crap. They started leaking onto the tire before I put a mile on the bike.
Once I finish the whole flog, I’ll pony up for real shocks.
I’ve proved to myself over and over that you get what you pay for in shocks.
The rear sets are from RYCA. RYCA isn’t doing Savage stuff anymore, which is a shame. The mounting bracket is a huge hunk of steel.
I had to mod the left side for more clearance.
Only about a million hours into this build.

Hey, ya get what you pay for. Years ago I figured I couldn’t tell the difference between a $400 and a $1,000 shock, so I bought a cheap shock for one of my bikes.  Only had damping and preload adjustment. Tried everything including different springs. Still crap. Ended up spending almost $1K for an Ohlins. Then I ‘got it’.
The idea that magically there is a wonderful really cheap shock is one of the enduring fantasies of broke bike builders.
Truth is, so many people have no idea what a good shock feels like. Worked on a million 70’s CB Hondas with all kinds of hipster mods and the original Craptastic shocks. Always suggested real shocks. Usually just got a blank look from the owners.

What jets would get me in the ballpark to begin tuning my stock engine with a K&N filter on a vm36 round slide and a fairly free flowing exhaust mounted on a 30 inch header? I've jetted several of the stock vacuum type carbs on other bikes but am new to the round slides. Thanks in advance for any info.

Finally getting some pics posted. This is the bike soon after I got it.

As one of you mentioned the belt tension on 15 inch shocks is excessive. I thought of a possible solution and would like some thoughts on it. If the belt were raised under the swing-arm to match the top angle so it is equidistant at 90 degrees from the swing-arm pivot point would the tension problem be removed? It makes sense and the mock up seemed to work but I'm still not sure if I'm missing something.