Bonanza Comfort Mods

[Minimichael]

The long and short of this is I'm looking for swingarm ideas...

I'm not restoring this. It's my crappy bike and I like it that way. Still, there's the matter of comfort...

So, I wrapped a layer of foam and pleather around the seat it already came with, and changed the mount so it's adjustable back or forth a bit. I also bought some 8" Michelin scooter tires with the idea that I will replace the 6" ones. Next I'll have to decide on rims hubs and sprockets...

But I also want to lengthen the wheel base by maybe a couple of inches by extending the swingarm somehow. I imagine some carefully drilled angle iron mounted to the existing mount holes can accomplish this. But I wanted to ask if anybody has done rear wheel extensions like this, and specifically on a soft tail bonanza. I really don't want to weld onto the existing swing arm fyi.

Anyone feel me on this? I'm 6'1 200lbs and pushing 58yo, so you might be able to imagine why I'm after this sort of modification. Comfort and stability. I love riding this little guy, but it's quite a small and stiff soft tail at the moment.

By the way I have the same michelins in 10" on my Ramrod and they roll and handle like an absolute dream!

 

[Triley41395]

The long and short of this is I'm looking for swingarm ideas...

I'm not restoring this. It's my crappy bike and I like it that way. Still, there's the matter of comfort...

So, I wrapped a layer of foam and pleather around the seat it already came with, and changed the mount so it's adjustable back or forth a bit. I also bought some 8" Michelin scooter tires with the idea that I will replace the 6" ones. Next I'll have to decide on rims hubs and sprockets...

But I also want to lengthen the wheel base by maybe a couple of inches by extending the swingarm somehow. I imagine some carefully drilled angle iron mounted to the existing mount holes can accomplish this. But I wanted to ask if anybody has done rear wheel extensions like this, and specifically on a soft tail bonanza. I really don't want to weld onto the existing swing arm fyi.

Anyone feel me on this? I'm 6'1 200lbs and pushing 58yo, so you might be able to imagine why I'm after this sort of modification. Comfort and stability. I love riding this little guy, but it's quite a small and stiff soft tail at the moment.

By the way I have the same michelins in 10" on my Ramrod and they roll and handle like an absolute dream!

I can't help with the swingarm part, but if I were 200 pounds I can tell you the first two things I would do. First I would change the rear shocks to something more suitable for 200 pounds or at the very least I would rebuild the ones on it they look completely compressed to me. Second I would add about 3 or 4 more inches of padding to that seat. Although not the best handling bike, my sears roper is the most comfortable to ride and the seat is thicker and has bigger shocks.

 

[Midyrman]

Consider extending your foot pegs to stretch your legs a bit. The extension is a piece of ceiling fan pipe and inside is spring loaded to keep the outer peg in place when down and in the up position. These particular foot pegs are Harley Davidson found on eBay but the concept should work with other types

 

[Skipp]

I use clamp on highway pegs in my trail horses…with the forward leaning bars it makes for a real nice ride….

 

[Minimichael]

Consider extending your foot pegs to stretch your legs a bit. The extension is a piece of ceiling fan pipe and inside is spring loaded to keep the outer peg in place when down and in the up position. These particular foot pegs are Harley Davidson found on eBay but the concept should work with other types View attachment 291543

I'd thought about this, too. The pegs are too far back as well and I'd like them forward a little more so I'm not leaning forward like I'm on a crotch rocket! Extending them out might add more comfort as well. Thx.

 

[Minimichael]

I can't help with the swingarm part, but if I were 200 pounds I can tell you the first two things I would do. First I would change the rear shocks to something more suitable for 200 pounds or at the very least I would rebuild the ones on it they look completely compressed to me. Second I would add about 3 or 4 more inches of padding to that seat. Although not the best handling bike, my sears roper is the most comfortable to ride and the seat is thicker and has bigger shocks.

Yes, the shocks are no more than 4 or 5" springs in those steel tubes, and they do very little to soften the ride.

 

[Minimichael]

I use clamp on highway pegs in my trail horses…with the forward leaning bars it makes for a real nice ride….
View attachment 291545 View attachment 291546

Those look great, Skipp! Very highway indeed... Thx.

 

[chipper]

4.5" stretch , I replicated the original swingarm to keep it looking right

 

[chipper]

I as well am 58 , I also like comfort

 

[chipper]

Consider extending your foot pegs to stretch your legs a bit. The extension is a piece of ceiling fan pipe and inside is spring loaded to keep the outer peg in place when down and in the up position. These particular foot pegs are Harley Davidson found on eBay but the concept should work with other types View attachment 291543

That will be very weak , I dont recommend a modification like that.

 

[Minimichael]

View attachment 291578 4.5" stretch , I replicated the original swingarm to keep it looking right View attachment 291578

Now that's a beautiful bike. Thanks for this photo. This totally confirms so much of what I'm already thinking, right down to the fresh set of spinners. I've been looking at the steel trailer-type rims but still have to determine if they'll fit right with these michelin S83, 3.5 - 8's.

I like the shocks, too. Does the extra reach change the feel of the suspension?

And is that your standard 212 clone you got there? Is it too fast? I have a gx160 I may rebuild for this, but right now I'm enjoying an old school flathead. The kids think the rope start is fun, and I don't have to worry too much about the bike getting out of hand.

4.5" sounds like a big reach to me, but I gotta say your bike looks great. Did you run into any particular challenges? Did you do the welding yourself? The bending? Same gauge steel as original? I'd love to see pictures of that fabrication...

Thx again Chip!

 

[chipper]

Now that's a beautiful bike. Thanks for this photo. This totally confirms so much of what I'm already thinking, right down to the fresh set of spinners. I've been looking at the steel trailer-type rims but still have to determine if they'll fit right with these michelin S83, 3.5 - 8's.

I like the shocks, too. Does the extra reach change the feel of the suspension?

And is that your standard 212 clone you got there? Is it too fast? I have a gx160 I may rebuild for this, but right now I'm enjoying an old school flathead. The kids think the rope start is fun, and I don't have to worry too much about the bike getting out of hand.

4.5" sounds like a big reach to me, but I gotta say your bike looks great. Did you run into any particular challenges? Did you do the welding yourself? The bending? Same gauge steel as original? I'd love to see pictures of that fabrication...

Thx again Chip!

Same gauge metal , I had a fab shop make them reusing the original axle tube , the use sheet metal brake and almost perfectly replicated the originals , she handles wonderful and hauls the mail with the mild build hemi , runs great on 1/8 mile go kart track, DO IT , lol

 

[Midyrman]

That will be very weak , I dont recommend a modification like that.

I wouldn’t advise standing on the pegs either. I’ve done all my standing on mini bikes before I could shave and weighed 1201bs. They are intended as foot “rests” and in my case to extend outside of a TC cover yet fold up and they do the job quite well.

 

[chipper]

I wouldn’t advise standing on the pegs either. I’ve done all my standing on mini bikes before I could shave and weighed 1201bs. They are intended as foot “rests” and in my case to extend outside of a TC cover yet fold up View attachment 291595 and they do the job quite well.

I'm glad they work well for .