Weld-on hardtail recommendations

Santee also makes a weld on kit for 58-72 hydraulic brake drum bikes that can be ordered through custom chrome. The santee does not lengthen or change the ride height. Good luck.

I was looking a these too the other day. Why the cut off year at 72? Did the frames change that much from 72-73? I need to know.......

My understanding is that 73 is the year they went to disc brakes? I could be wrong...I guess it doesn't really matter if you plan to cut off the whole rear section anyway. The geometry from the seat post forward should be pretty much the same. I have a PM brake set-up that I plan to use on the new hardtail, but I think you have to weld your own linkage onto the lower struts to accomodate. Anyone feel free to chime in and correct my wild guessing.

justjeff said:

I was looking a these too the other day. Why the cut off year at 72? Did the frames change that much from 72-73? I need to know.......

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73 is the first year for the brake change but you can also use the drum brake setup to accomadate for the hardtail or just weld the different tabs to frame where needed.The frame is pretty much the same forward.

J&P is a dealer for Custom Chrome so the hardtail they sell is the same one. I'm sure there are others on the market, but I don't know where. You might check with V-Twin. You'd think Paughco would make a hardtail conversion, but I don't remember them ever offering one.
The hardtail will work on newer frames, you'll just have to cut off the drum brake mount and weld an anchor on for the disc brake setup.

I've found the cheapest weld-on hard-tail is at American Legends parts $127.00. I was told it was made by Santee. I welded one on my '73 shovel,
and have been slowly putting the bike together. Don't have alot of time to build the bike these days,but its coming together. Their web is www.legendsmcs.com Good luck

Danny F. said:

That Santee Hardtail section is still exact the same one as they offered in most catalogs way back in 1978 !!! I used them a lot, the rear length is same as stock, but it will lower your rear about 1.5"
Here some flics with that same Santee tail used on different bikes with frame front sections ranging from 1958 to 1976
Mast Pics taken around 1987 or so, exept the scalloped bike, it's my buddy's from a couple months ago...

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thanks for the pics. any close-ups of the welds? the upper weld points look easy enough, but i'm wondering how you deal with the connection to the thicker joints on the lower rails....it's not a clean 1" to 1" mating like on top.

I'm not a big fan of long bikes, but that red pan is the shit!
Who am i kidding, everything you touch is badass dude.
The black shovel is one of my all time favorite bikes.

Danny F. said:

That Santee Hardtail section is still exact the same one as they offered in most catalogs way back in 1978 !!! I used them a lot, the rear length is same as stock, but it will lower your rear about 1.5"
Here some flics with that same Santee tail used on different bikes with frame front sections ranging from 1958 to 1976
Mast Pics taken around 1987 or so, exept the scalloped bike, it's my buddy's from a couple months ago...

Click to expand...

I used the Santee weld on section on my 78 FLH. The lower welds are easy to match up also. You're right the joint is not going to be a 1" - 1" match but it looks good duee to the fact that you weld onto the casting like in the neck area joints. The hard tail sectrion comes witha heavy duty gusset that makes the lower weld a strong jucntion. here's a pic.....I think

http://www.ffbmc.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1173&d=1148621657

Fredo said:

I used the Santee weld on section on my 78 FLH. The lower welds are easy to match up also. You're right the joint is not going to be a 1" - 1" match but it looks good duee to the fact that you weld onto the casting like in the neck area joints. The hard tail sectrion comes witha heavy duty gusset that makes the lower weld a strong jucntion. here's a pic.....I think

http://www.ffbmc.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1173&d=1148621657

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Fredo, the link doesn't work.

wierd, it works when I click it. I am convinced that computers are a commie plot designed to melt the brains of free thinking Americans so the red commie horde can over run us as we "reboot"

hogtownhd said:

I was told it's a Santee, but I'm not sure exactly. The front half is a late 70's/early 80's FXR...

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Yea, that's a Santee...and the ugly bottom crosstube from the original swingarm frame is cutted left and right and replaced by 2" long tubes (between lower hardtail section and frame, that's how I used them always..a little bit more work but a major difference afterwards...) I also pulled up the hardtail a bit so the bottom line comes into a straight line from front to rear...(That's why I told ya before that it will lower the rear of bike about 1"-1.5" of course)

http://www.legendmcs.com/Frames-Chassis/hardtails.html

They sell these for $126 look like CC units (I think santee's have the gussets on the seat portion of the upper tabs). I know this is sort of an old thread, but I'm doing one on my frame in the next couple of weeks and I'll post pics and a little tech write up if anyone is interested.

Voneville said:

http://www.legendmcs.com/Frames-Chassis/hardtails.html

They sell these for $126 look like CC units (I think santee's have the gussets on the seat portion of the upper tabs). I know this is sort of an old thread, but I'm doing one on my frame in the next couple of weeks and I'll post pics and a little tech write up if anyone is interested.

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thanks for the link. yeah, i noticed that slight difference. also, the one in j&p has a slight bend on the top cross-bar that you mount the oil bag to, vs. this one which is straight. definitely post pics + tech info if you have time. thanks again.

Fredo said:

wierd, it works when I click it. I am convinced that computers are a commie plot designed to melt the brains of free thinking Americans so the red commie horde can over run us as we "reboot"

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probably works cauz youre signed in over there ..

rest of us get a message of "sign in or register" for FFBMC board ..

and on those hardtails, awhile back when I was shopping them there were 2 makes, and one had a sort of dogleg in the lower rail on the drive side .. and I was told that was the preferable one to use (other was straight) as is gave needed room for the chain's run ..

I just dont remember who made which one ..

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Dragon said:

awhile back when I was shopping them there were 2 makes, and one had a sort of dogleg in the lower rail on the drive side .. and I was told that was the preferable one to use (other was straight) as is gave needed room for the chain's run ..

I just dont remember who made which one ..

Click to expand...

If your run a belt or a wider then stock tire the dog leg would definatley be helpful. Most of the new frames have it, I know my paughco did. I hated the way it looked! Of course it was much more noticable on a rolling chassis with no fender or chain to fill up the gap.