Chopper conversion

[The Lone Rider]

I've noticed this

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/photos/a-96833429/p-39606102.htm

and this

http://www.400ccm.ru/images/catalog/32-_c133_p1.jpg

as well as a few other Honda Steeds and the only real difference I notice is just longer forks.

Could I just stick on some longer forks on my Magna and it will run fine etc.. but be more chopper looking?

[Waylander]

Basically, although the angle of the neck would have to have been changed aswell otherwise the bike itself would be angled up twords the front.

Choppers are all about modifying your bike into what you think is cool. Be prepared for the handeling to go to shit with the longer forks though.

EDIT: actully on that one it looks like it's got new trees. The steering stem has a different angle to it instead of the frame neck.

[The Lone Rider]

Is there an easy way to adjust the angle? I suppose it depends on the bike.

I dont mind the bike being angled up a little bit :D I was thinking of just getting slight longer forks.

[Waylander]

Is there an easy way to adjust the angle? I suppose it depends on the bike.

I dont mind the bike being angled up a little bit :D I was thinking of just getting slight longer forks.
You could get new tripple trees that have the rake in them as I said in my edit. Not sure of who would have them down your way but there are a few places up here to get them.
Chopper shop here in the BOP, AMPS in Auckland, Wellington Motorcycles, Or tht place in Hamilton on Te Rapa I can't think of the name of at the moment(Not Road and sport though they might have them aswell)

I'm sure there's a chopper shop around somewhere down there.

Or if you don't mind spending a little bit more (or less depending on how good you are at shopping around) you could just order some from the states.

[The Lone Rider]

Ah, looks like it might be pricey. I just put an offer on a house today so maybe not a good idea just yet.

Damn, I really want to customize my bike beyond what was already done when I bought it (rear rack and sissy bar back rest).

[Waylander]

Severl mods you can do to it that arn't that expensive mate. Handlebars, grips, indicators, fenders and so on.

How long do you intend to stay on a 250 though?

Most people wait till they have a bigger bike before they start modding unless they are going for either higher resale or they are going to keep it for longer than just enough time to get a full liscence.

But like I said earlier, it' all about what you want with your ride so it's your choice.

[The Lone Rider]

Only thing I'd like more then a 250 magna is a 250 magna or other bike that looks exactly the same but not 250.

Something like a harley, I simply can't afford. But the magna I can keep all my life. I dunno why people reem 250.. I can burn the road hard and no problems even with a passenger. It's only a little slow going up a really really steep hill but I can still keep going 100k in a 100k zone going up a hill with more careful selection of gears while I'm going.

I've been looking and grips... but no idea what can go on and what can't. I'm a very try and see if it works person :D

I'd like some new flame grips, flame mirrors, and bars are fine as are (and frankly they look welding onto the forks or something.. not ones that run through bar grip riser things)

[Waylander]

Mate I'm not baggin 250s (Well only sportike 250s) Hell I've got a Honda Rebel I want to chop.
If you're happy with it then by all means go for it.

For grips, you just have to make sure it can fit a 7/8ths bar unless you're gonna upgrade to the harley standard 1inch bars. They also hve to be the right length for your throttle sleeve or come with one with the right size and shape cable attachment else the throttle will play up a little (either be loose or really tight)

Grips, mirrors, indicators and stuff like that you my even just look for minichoppper parts on trade me. Got some eagle grips from a guy in Auckland and they look sweet enough I'm even considering putting them on my VMax instead of the rebel. Look like these (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Parts-accessories/Other/auction-96631803.htm) except for the end bit. Mine are just plain.

[The Lone Rider]

The dealer I got the bike from said they were 1" bars, and I used calibrated testing tools from work and it measured 1"... I'm pretty sure I didn't measure it wrong.

I have no idea about right lengths for throttle sleeves and such. That is why I said I am a try and see if it works person. Unfortunately not many people or shops let you take home parts and try to fit them (or at least I doubt it)

Ta for the help though. I'm bad ass on my bike either way :P (Just look in my profile biatch)

[Waylander]

Basically it just has to fit inside the grips and have the right number of places to hook a cable in. IE, if you hve two throttle cables it needs two spots nd the right distnnce appart. A good way to do that is just compare the ends of the sleeves. If they are the same then good as gold. For the length just measure the inside of your grips and get or cut the sleeve a little bit shorter than that.

I'm a try and see modder myself. I've swapped the bars out on my Vmax three times trying to find ones that are a little bit lower but still have clearance from the tank, unsuccefull so far.

[The Lone Rider]

Grips could be 7/8 as I've gotten out a ruler and looked and 7/8 and 1" is still pretty friken similar. Using the calibrated test gear isn't my role at work so I might not have measured them right.

[bmz2]

dude ,think about what you want out of a bike , to chop a small bike is not the best option , look around in a year you will find good factory custom bikes for a good price ,kaw vn900 custom great looking bike , you could be spending alot of money and no resale,trees could set you back $1000 min and racked trees are not the best way to go,neck of the bike should be angled, frame should be close to level as possible . wait and buy a custom

[The Lone Rider]

Nice try, Kawasaki VN900 looks like ass :D

I was asking about further changing the bike I have, as it's already custom.

[Macktheknife]

Actually you can just use extended forks to get the look but there will be an impact on handling and they are kinda pricey.
To modify the angle on the neck you will need to recertify the bike as this is a structural modification, low volume cert required. So if you want to do it, you have to be prepared to lash out some serious cash and make sure you do everthing you want to before certing it, this is why most people only do it on larger bikes that they intent to keep.
There are planty of other things that can be done that improve the look but are not so costly.
Where are the pics of yours?

[The Lone Rider]

Actually you can just use extended forks to get the look but there will be an impact on handling and they are kinda pricey.
To modify the angle on the neck you will need to recertify the bike as this is a structural modification, low volume cert required. So if you want to do it, you have to be prepared to lash out some serious cash and make sure you do everthing you want to before certing it, this is why most people only do it on larger bikes that they intent to keep.
There are planty of other things that can be done that improve the look but are not so costly.
Where are the pics of yours?

Yeah, I was thinking I'd just get slightly longer forks to give it a inbetween chopper/cruiser look. What do forks go for?

Didn't think of the re certifying the bikes... but duh! :shit:

What other ideas have you got?

I found these, in going with the "grips from a mini bike" idea

http://newmanz.co.nz/shop/product_info.php?cPath=152&products_id=505

I had some custom chrome flame decals made for the bike but I couldn't get the fuckers to stick smoothly and in the end I took them off. There was a lot of crying that night :(

I got pics of both my bikes I've owned in my photo gallery, as well as some in my attachments, and profile.

[The Lone Rider]

I hooked up with Jerms today and went for a drive. His magna has aftermarket grips, mirrors, and suspension. Also has custom exhast. He says Just Motorcycles in CHCH has some things so I might go there and have a look. Seems they might know magnas a bit and can help pick out some bits for my bike

[surfer]

The other way to go is to buy someone elses project and finish it off how you want it to look. People often either run out of money or lose interest in their project or life comes along and they have to sell it to fund something else. check out trademe for some offers.

Alternatively you could start from scratch and start to give your bike the chopper look but you seriously might want to consider a gruntier engine than a 250. Either buy a kit for extending the front forks with triple trees so no welding involved, check out the internet. I know there was a german site that was doing this but there are some good USA sites too. Also shop around for best price. Or chop your frame up or get someone else to do it for you and start from there.

As Mack the Knife says you need to consider the cost of certifying your bike. Plus there are the cables to make longer, electrical ones are easy but you need to have a look at where to source your speedo and clutch from and the cost of this. Then there is the repainting of the frame if you have had that altered which mans stripping the whole bike down.

It will change the handling and this really depends on the length of the forks that you intend to use.

It is good to know what you are getting into before you start, so do some research. There are more than a few people on this site with chops. Talk to them a bit more.

[surfer]

I hooked up with Jerms today and went for a drive. His magna has aftermarket grips, mirrors, and suspension. Also has custom exhast. He says Just Motorcycles in CHCH has some things so I might go there and have a look. Seems they might know magnas a bit and can help pick out some bits for my bike

Apparently this is the first step in the chopper process; customising your bike with after market parts. Then after a while you get bored with this and want to make more of an individual statement about what you ride.

Enjoy.

[The Lone Rider]

I want to make my pipes loud like Jerms ones now. But I don't want pipes like his. Straight pipes don't get me off. Anyone know Magna exhasts?

[wolf.47]

Only thing I'd like more then a 250 magna is a 250 magna or other bike that looks exactly the same but not 250.

Something like a harley, I simply can't afford. But the magna I can keep all my life. I dunno why people reem 250.. I can burn the road hard and no problems even with a passenger. It's only a little slow going up a really really steep hill but I can still keep going 100k in a 100k zone going up a hill with more careful selection of gears while I'm going.

I've been looking and grips... but no idea what can go on and what can't. I'm a very try and see if it works person :D

I'd like some new flame grips, flame mirrors, and bars are fine as are (and frankly they look welding onto the forks or something.. not ones that run through bar grip riser things)


Hey, Have found it very hard to find metric after market parts for jap cruisers ah, but anythings possible, its just giving it a go and having a bit of know how, i got the have a go part write, but getting other people to mod your bike is expensive.

[The Lone Rider]

Yeah, right now I want to work on the sound of the bike first.

After fiddling with the muffler cans, it sounds like crap now.. so I'm hoping I could take the bike to a metal worker and get them to make me essentially what will be two hollow stainless steel pipes that will look like drag pipes.. and I will ask that it be done in so they fit on the bike in the same fashion the stock cone shaped pipes fit.

Hopefully I will get something similar to what it sounds like without any muffler on at all lol. And I'll hang onto the stock ones for WOF times. And it should look fairly cool have diagonally slanted drag pipes

[surfer]

Yeah, right now I want to work on the sound of the bike first.

After fiddling with the muffler cans, it sounds like crap now.. so I'm hoping I could take the bike to a metal worker and get them to make me essentially what will be two hollow stainless steel pipes that will look like drag pipes.. and I will ask that it be done in so they fit on the bike in the same fashion the stock cone shaped pipes fit.

Hopefully I will get something similar to what it sounds like without any muffler on at all lol. And I'll hang onto the stock ones for WOF times. And it should look fairly cool have diagonally slanted drag pipes

Go to a place that makes exhausts. They should be able to make some mufflers (without baffles) up for you relatively cheaply to clip onto your header pipes. Then it is a question of finding a local place to get them chromed if this service is not provided by the exhasut place.Failing this you should check out the after market parts supplied for Harleys as they may fit onto your bike. Not sure of anywhere in Christchurch area so can't help you.

You may also need to play around with the jets as shorty mufflers may require a bigger jet in the carb.

[The Lone Rider]

You may also need to play around with the jets as shorty mufflers may require a bigger jet in the carb.

No idea what that means ^



Just got back from one muffler place and they said nope they can't.. but they gave me the name of another place so I've just popped home to look them up then on my way over. Update soon :D

Ouch, harley mufflers are fucking expensive.

[The Lone Rider]

Update - Just been to Mr. Muffler and he reckons for just under $100 he can make me some stainless steel pipe ends with brackets to mount on the bike etc..

The brackets would be coated with a zinc covering to keep from rust and he also mentioned that there is a "Chrome" spray that could be used "although I don't know how authentic it looks"

I've told him I just want some nice shiny pipes with brackets.. and that the whole thing not rust through.

He also said chroming, when done properly, can be amazingly expensive so thats why I've gone with the zinc coating and stainless steel pipes.


Any ideas? And what is playing around with jets?

[surfer]

Zinc or chrome spray is just that, it is a can of spray. You can get it from Repco. Clean up the metal and spray it on. It is worth investigating the cost of chroming though as the finish is much nicer.

Jets are the things inside the carbueretor that regulate the amount of fuel that flows from the petrol tank to make up your mixture vapour that then goes into the piston to be ignited.

Shortening the exhaust pipe like you are proposing to do means that the mixture would probably be a bit on the lean side (not enough petrol in it) and require a bigger main jet to compensate. A bigger main jet is one with a bigger hole in. Buy a bigger main jet, don't make the hole bigger in your existing jet.

You will know if you need a bigger jet as your bike will pop or backfire in a major way everytime you decelerate and may even run erratically.

[The Lone Rider]

I'm gonna try and locate somewhere that has bits of stainless steel so that the brackets can be made from that as well.

I won't be shortening the exhaust pipe. It will be slip on mufflers that go exactly the same as my current ones, and they will be the same length. Only difference is the new custom ones will be hollow with no baffles or muffling and wont be coned shaped.

Whats involved in rejetting? Is it something I could easily do without pulling everything apart?

[surfer]

If after your modifications your engine runs erratically, backfires a lot it may well be running lean. you can also check the colouration of the spark plugs. See what happens after the modifications, you may be alright.

It's a case of taking the carbereutor apart and replacing the main jet. Have a look in your manual as to how it all fits togther. It is not a difficult job.

When I did this I got the next size jet up and tried this. Not very scientific but it worked for me. Mind you I also changed the air box for K&N style filters which affected the mixture as well.

I am sure that there are others here who could better inform you of doing this so you get the right sized jet for your modifications.

[The Lone Rider]

Thanks, makes a little more sense. I'll have to get the pipes made first.. then see how I go. I'll probably just take it into a shop and get them to do it.

This presents one more problem though - come WOF time I will want my old ones back on. If the jets are bigger or smaller, there runs the possibility of the bike not running well enough for me to get it to the place to take a WOF lol

[xwhatsit]

The new jet would be undoubtedly bigger. So when you put your old pipes on, the engine will run rich. Rich is way better than lean, as running lean will overheat the engine and can cause problems. Running rich just might cause it to be low on power, maybe a small amount of black smoke if it's really rich, excess fuel usage.

[The Lone Rider]

Cool thanks

Just been talking to a friend who drives pocket and pit bikes. Here's my ideas shown in these attached

First pic shows the cone muffler ends that can just be taken off by undoing a screw on each under the bike as they slide on and off.

The next two show what I want.. two stainless steel pipes that will slide on and off like the cone ones. Just they will have no baffles.

[Waylander]

Cool thanks

Just been talking to a friend who drives pocket and pit bikes. Here's my ideas shown in these attached

First pic shows the cone muffler ends that can just be taken off by undoing a screw on each under the bike as they slide on and off.

The next two show what I want.. two stainless steel pipes that will slide on and off like the cone ones. Just they will have no baffles.
Perconally I think you should have them a little closer together than that. Maybe have them run paralell to each other at the same angle asthe lower one.

[The Lone Rider]

I don't think they will be too spaced from each other. Gotta remember that it is almost like replacing the end pieces with more of the exact same - they just will be thick pipes rather then cones.

Also I can't run them straight without

1. Modifying the piping that the slip onto
2. Making the stock pipes no long able to slip on when its WOF time.

[Jerms]

Nah, mine still looks better :bleh:

[The Lone Rider]

Nah, mine still looks better :bleh:

You should see mine now... a flaming beauty.. especially when my new mirrors arrive in 12 days :love: