How Do I Hardtail a Drive Shaft Honda Shadow?

Today on the blog, we’re addressing a common question: is it possible to weld a hardtail onto the frame of a drive shaft Honda Shadow bobber?

So you're ready to hardtail your Honda Shadow's shaft drive? What's the best way to do this?

Should you weld a hardtail onto the frame of your drive shaft Honda Shadow bobber? This is definitely doable, but you MUST keep a couple things in mind. 

First of all, DO NOT weld the frame permanently to the Honda Shadow’s shaft drive assembly. Doing this will cause issues down the road. For example, say you’re having trouble with your drive shaft (e.g. you need to replace the gearing or connections) – if you’ve welded your hardtail on, you’ll have to cut it completely off to address the issues. That’s no bueno!

Here’s the solution: BOLT ON your hardtail to the existing swingarm. BOLT – don’t WELD!

Again, you’ll want to make sure everything gets bolted to the swingarm, not welded. That’s the only thing to reconsider when you’re adding a hardtail to a shaft drive motorcycle. Just make sure nothing gets welded to the swingarm!

For more on this, watch this video:

If you’re considering hardtailing your Honda Shadow with a mono strut, then look no further!

Shop the TJ Brutal Customs Hardtail Mono-Strut for Honda Shadow VT600 VLX!

The TJ Brutal Customs Hardtail Mono-Strut is a component that replaces the mono-shock on your Honda Shadow VT600 or VLX600. It’s EASY to install and requires absolutely no welding.

First, some product details:

These hardtail struts are machined from solid aluminum and machined right here in the USA. Made with the builder in mind, you can leave these struts exposed for a clean, well thought out look.

Chamfered edges, straightforward design, quality finishes and solid construction let you know you are putting the highest quality parts on your Honda Shadow.

They are available in 3 finishes: machined aluminum, matte black and gloss black.

The 9.75 length is closer to stock height with just a touch of drop without sacrificing handling or steering dynamics.

The 9.00" length will drop your Honda Shadow about as low as it can go without requiring frame modification—and it will still maintain good physics and steering response.

These struts bring the swing arm closer to the rear fender horns/forward frame loop.

Installation is quick and simple. Here’s how to do it:

1. Remove the bolts from your Honda Shadow’s forward frame loop and the swingarm to pull your mono-shock out of place.
2. Use those same bolts to install the mono strut: you’ll see the bolt holes on each end of the mono-shock. You won’t need any spacers; these are made to fit directly on your Honda Shadow VT600 VLX.
3. The mono strut is not directionally sensitive so you can install it either way (it doesn’t matter).

For more on this, watch this video: