Has anyone hard tailed a v-max as a kit?

[AdieP]

Hi I am in Australia and the design regs over here are killing me...
Amongst some other more decorative mods i am after doing, (and i know this will wind some of you right up) is a hard tail.
Apparently this is frowned upon by the licensing authorities over here due to the size and weight of the bike. I am hoping to address some of those issues citing precedence.
Has ANYONE fitted, knows of, or is in the process of getting something like that engineered?
I know there are wide arse kits around, but i dont want to go wide, or monoshock.
ANY suggestions???

 

[davesax36]

There's a pic on optimal carbone in the galleries, and I'm sure the same pic was on here a couple days ago. So there's at least one out there.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[jedi-]

I have hard tailed a few bikes here in NZ. For a scratch build we need to get the bike certified and then go thru compliance. If the rego is still alive on a stock bike
it is sometimes easy enough to hard tail it and just do nothing, say nothing.
We have here in NZ a "warrant of fitness" test every six months to check lights, brakes, tyres, wheels etc general safety stuff but in general terms the testing station knows little about modifications, frames , bikes in general etc. Unless you open your mouth a drop yourself in it, well they think everything is ok and you are on your way.
In Australia you don't even have a WOF so unless you get pulled over by a smart cop who knows you messed with it- then why not try it unless of course you are making something radical which will need to be certified.

 

[AdieP]

Thanks Jedi, it will be quite different, im hoping. I want to explore legal ways first, then consider my "alternatives".

 

[AdieP]

Just tried to get onto the site you mentioned Dave, wouldnt load any pictures will try again tomorrow.

 

[AdieP]

Does anyone know if the venture frame will fit my needs? That was the fore runner to the max i think, but the back end was mono. Not 100% sure, but that may be a way around it.

 

[one2dmax]

To get the same effect of a hard tail you can simply install "Struts". These are the same thing that you use when installing a wheelie bar on the Vmax. I had a set of struts on the Vmax for probably 3 years and never took them off. Made it not handle as well of course and also made it not get as much traction. Was pretty fun "Flat Tracking" it around corners and making people think you were going down as you slid that beast around! The ride isn't as bad as you'd think but a bump will make the back of the bike really jump hard (with that feeling going into the bike too).

We also "hard tailed" a big tire bike (which the tire acted as a shock somewhat). On that bike we used dual nitrous bottles with brackets welded on as the "shocks". Should have pics around here somewhere and I know there are pics on our facebook albums of this.

 

[PATMAX]

No help with a kit but when running my Pingle Wheelie Bars, solid tube struts replace the rear shocks resulting in the same effect, Hardtailed.
What's your laws about wheelie bars or as Pingle calls them, traction enhancers.

 

[Sharky]

Are you planning a proper hard tail chop as in rear subframe removed and new solid frame rails ?
If so find a good local engineer that has been authorized to inspect and mod plate bikes.
Your local transport dept should be able to give you a list of certified engineers.
Then talk to them til you find a good one.
I did this in Qld and found a bike loving hot rod driving engineer...

 

[AdieP]

Hi Sharky, yes i am looking to rework the back substantially, i want to keep the same geometry, but remove all the "gubbins" reduce the fuel tank capacity move the electrics and fit a sprung saddle and new fuel tank.
I am looking at the Engineered route, but have heard (word of mouth) that the licensing people just wont allow it, even in principle, as the bike is too new to use the lack of ADR rules (pre 74 i think) in my favour and too powerfull to change substantially.
That why i was wondering about the Venture frame which had the v-max engine and a monoshock swing arm, i might be able to work around that or at least use it as a viable precedent in my discussions with the Licensing folk.

Thanks to the guys with the "strutting" suggestions, i have looked into that also, but it wont give me the freedom to move stuff around wher i need to.

 

[Sharky]

Theres plenty of hard tail harley choppers out there....maybe start with one of the places that builds them for advice ?
And dont listen to heresay....find out from the transport dept yourself.