[Colemanfu]

Hi guys - I'm back. I was around when Jimbo 1st started makeing the famous shield but forgot my password and got locked out???? Excited to be back on the new site - got a ton of quality info back then and enjoyed seeing what everyone does with thier ride.

As long as you got your knees in the breez - right?



Got this bone stock 98 TW about 5 years or so ago and saved it from a very rusty life on the beach. As soon as I got it I started messing around. I had to repaint the frame - used a product from Eastwood - Corroless rust stabilizer and some black sign painters enamal. Then did a few little things to punch it out some.



I use it as a commuter, around town kind of bike - never off road. It's just a toy but I drive it to work more than my SUV. I started bicycling the 8 miles to work and joined a "9 week bike to work challange". The poor TW has been collecting dust between the rare ride here or there.

The bobtail all started with a replacement battery and the fact that I do not need as much storage on the TW anymore. I ran a cut down milk crate with a HD Fatboy rear seat as a back rest, highway pegs made for a very slick setup. I guess it's backpack city for me!



Here's the before bobtail. Your typical TW commuter.

And here is the bobtail TW.

This is just the next phase - some time down the road I'll yank the air box and cut and grind all the tabs to clean up the frame.

 

[Rainman]

Looks good. What kind/brand of taillight is that?

 

[530-TW]

Looks good. What kind/brand of taillight is that?

X2

 

[Colemanfu]

I used an old scool biker trick to show off the rear tire more. I removed the stock rear light and replaced it with a LED kit from Baja Designes. It cleans up the rear end a bunch. Very popular kit with guys makeing dirt bikes street legal.

https://www.bajadesigns.com/NET/C-MCYCLE/MOTORCYCLE+PRODUCTS



When I removed the subframe I lost the origional turn location so just put em on the side of the tag holder.

 

[jontow]

Let me start with: I don't mean to hijack this thread at all, but didn't feel that my unfinished work warranted its own thread, and there aren't many bobtail threads here on the tdub forum

For what it's worth.. I attempted a similar mod last night when I had a few minutes.. I wanted it completely reversible, in the event that I didn't like it.

Now that my bracketry is mostly built, I'm not sure I like it, but I figured I'd post it here so people can see another option.. the pics I took are awful, they were on my phone in a dark corner of my garage, but instead of using aftermarket components, my goal was to retain the stock taillight + signals.



I'm not sure I'll make the side panels for it or even finish up the bracket, I got as far as mocking up the turn signal location and quit for the night.

If anyone is interested in more detail, better pictures, or heck, even the bracket itself, let me know. Seems like this is a better candidate for a pure offroad or pure street bike, mine's too dual sport and carry-groceries-on-the-back for it.



Cost to build: about 1ft of 1/8" thick 1.5" or 2" wide angle iron, and about 1ft of 1/8" thick 3/4" or 1" wide aluminum flatstock, plus an hour or two of shop time. Re-uses the OEM taillight, signals+stalks, wiring, and license plate bracket: loses the frame extension and the drop-down semi-fender/semi-mudflap.

 

[Rainman]

I used an old scool biker trick to show off the rear tire more. I removed the stock rear light and replaced it with a LED kit from Baja Designes. It cleans up the rear end a bunch. Very popular kit with guys makeing dirt bikes street legal.

https://www.bajadesigns.com/NET/C-MCYCLE/MOTORCYCLE+PRODUCTS



When I removed the subframe I lost the origional turn location so just put em on the side of the tag holder.

I like the look, but is it D.O.T. approved? I've seen a lot of nice looking tail lights on TW's but I can't find one that is actually street legal. I want to clean up the rear of my bike by tucking the tail light underneath the rear end more so the light isn't so vulnerable.

 

[srs713]

I always want to see what kind of rooster tail a bike like that throws up on a wet street. It could be a real tailgater deterrent.

 

[Colemanfu]

No hijack - I wanted this to be a place for bobs.





I don't know what is need to make tail light DOT legal but the it has a ton of red LED's and is much brighter than stock. If they sell it to make bikes street leagl I don't see the problem? I live in HD heaven (Daytona Beach FL) and you should see some of the bikes/scooters/gas powered 2 stroke bicycles on the road - I think my little TW in not even on the radar. In florida turns are not even required???? yup no turns?????



The rooster tail from the bobtail is yet to be seen - we have not had rain in 3 weeks. I bet it won't be that bad - shoot I don't even run a front fender - just put a bandana between the forks when I have to ride in the rain. As long as it's a warm rain ha.

 

[jontow]

Here's a few pictures of the bracket (without turn signal provisions) that I built, if anyone's curious:

 

[srs713]

Last weekend I saw a bike that had an interesting license tag setup... it was hanging by two wires from the inside of the rear fender. The bottom of the tag was dragging on the rear tire. It bumped and bobbed along as he drove over the rough street in front of me.

 

[sorethumb]

I hope that bobbing the tail turns into a "gateway mod" for going full naked custom! Nice pics of the bracket, btw and both bikes look better in my opinion.