Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

cross over parts from other wings, hondas, or any other parts sources that can be used on our wings.

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ole496
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Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#1

Post by ole496 »

I stumbled across this conversion kit and thought it was worth posting. I searched for this in the forums and did not find anything like this discussed before.

http://www.lowridersbysummers.com/twt/17/index.html

This is expensive but I think it might be worth the money. The conversion kit alone is $150 bucks for what you see in the picture. The spacers, etc. custom made are $75 by themselves. So, the Harley type shocks included come in at about $75 bucks/pair which is the same money as some cheap-o chinese shorty shocks with an eye to clevis design. But your options are severely limited going with eye to clevis shocks in the aftermarket world.

I like this conversion kit because there are a multitude of available HD and other aftermarket eye to eye shocks in almost any available length. I'm looking at getting some cheapy 11" Midi shocks for around $80 bucks that really aren't very well made. With this kit I could upgrade or switch out shocks anytime in any style or go back to stock with nice, well chromed used shocks I can find almost anywhere.

Could these be made in a garage using solid, locally found material and still be safe for less money?

Is this not worth the money?

What do you guys think? This guy is local here in the Twin Cities to my surprise and I'm yet to contact him, but I'm interested.
1976 GL1000 "Double Nature" https://youtu.be/IK0YS2uuZtc
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas Edison
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ole496
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#2

Post by ole496 »

I exhanged e-mails with Tommy on his kits and he assured me it was a bolt on replacement option. I also checked out his builds online and did some reading, the guy is a genius and won many, many bike shows. His builds have been in numerous magazines over the years. He's also quick to respond to e-mails and very nice. So...I pulled the trigger and supported a local guy and bought the kit.
1976 GL1000 "Double Nature" https://youtu.be/IK0YS2uuZtc
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas Edison
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ole496
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#3

Post by ole496 »

Tommy is semi-retired and his shop online is no longer there. He still does some work on the side and has a small shop right around the corner from his former stomping ground. I stopped in there today and met him in person...heck of a nice guy. He had two of his bikes in the garage, one a v-twin he's repainting and the other was a vintage cb chopper that was all decked out. He had the parts all ready to go. The kit consists of the shocks, a spacer with internally threaded bolt that fits inside the rubber shock mount and a bolt and nut for the bottom. It fits perfectly and I could not be happier. It allows me to switch out any shock eye to eye at a later time and these shocks are very nice.
1976 GL1000 "Double Nature" https://youtu.be/IK0YS2uuZtc
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas Edison
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ole496
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#4

Post by ole496 »

Image

Image
1976 GL1000 "Double Nature" https://youtu.be/IK0YS2uuZtc
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas Edison
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#5

Post by tk1971 »

Looks good, but kinda pricey.

Here is mine with the cheap lowering shocks and a shortened side stand. In this configuration, I didn't have the strength to put the bike up on the center stand.

Image

I ended up getting more comfortable with the bike and putting the stock shocks/sidestand back on.

With my 78 GL1000 back on stock suspension, I can easily get the bike on the center stand. I'm about 5'6" - 5'7", weigh about 150 and I can't flat foot my Wing.
FAIR is the only four letter "F" word I know.

Rides a 78 GL1000
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bladredhead
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#6

Post by bladredhead »

ole496 wrote:Image
i don't like this approach. the bracket on the final drive is aluminum and not meant to be loaded with a cantilevered stud, and the stud is putting threads into shear.

it is not "best engineering practice" as they say... it'll probably last a good long while, but when it fails things could get ugly in a hurry
Broken 1976 gl1000... and a few others
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#7

Post by davhj »

bladredhead wrote:
ole496 wrote:Image
i don't like this approach. the bracket on the final drive is aluminum and not meant to be loaded with a cantilevered stud, and the stud is putting threads into shear.

it is not "best engineering practice" as they say... it'll probably last a good long while, but when it fails things could get ugly in a hurry
I'm with you on this one, I switched out the swingarm on my CB750 with one from a "F" model to have a rear disk brake setup and had to make spacers for the top shock mounts to have the shocks parrallel and the top shock studs started to bend upwards like you said to much canterleivered out wards.

Especially on the wing way too far out.

Dave
Dave,
1974 Honda CB750
1975 Honda GL1000
1977 Honda GL1000
1990 Sea Ray 350 Express Cruiser
2000 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic
http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=46946 (My Preservation Restoration)
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#8

Post by bonestock3 »

So im understanding i could use this set up on my 79 (rear discs) and not have the same issues? I def need to lower this thing and shortening the stocks isnt an option
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1979 GL1000 - Avomew
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Re: Eye to Eye Rear Shock Conversion Kit - Lowering

#9

Post by bonestock3 »

so i take it that on my 79 with the disc brakes out rear i shouldnt have a problem? what about handling what are the adverse effects of that?
Bonestock©
1979 GL1000 - Avomew
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