My 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback just had 11 puppies last night (took her to the vet twice and was told she wasn't pregnant) Delivered all 11 effortlesslyBut, she is a first time mom and doing very wellMy concern is thatAre all puppies getting enough to eat b/c there is so many? Should we separate the puppies for feeding (3 or 4 at a time)? Also how do you keep up with the cleanliness of the area they're in ( b/c we were unaware that she was having pups, we have them in a big plastic baby pool with lots of towels/blankets[warmed in dryer] with plenty of room for dad too!) We have her on constant supervision so she doesnt squash them (however, she seems very aware they are there) A few more questionsIs daddy ok to be near pups (hes good with them, very gentle) and I heard that we should be feeding the mama, puppy food(can we also cook her some chkn breast and maybe whole grain rice and egg whites for protein and fiber?) Any other tips would be greatly appreciated:)
Cut off anything you don't want that isn't needed for operationOn my '79 GS425L: the bars were re-bent, the side covers, airbox, toolbox and battery box were all removedIn their place was a pair of Emgo pod filters and a garden tractor battery (on welded in brackets)The stock seat was removed and cut in half on a band sawSteel support was added to the seat pan to bring back the stiffness lost with the passenger seatThe seat was (obviously) re-covered in whiteThe tank and fenders were painted with black metalflake lacquer, the rest with high gloss blackNo chromeWhen on the sidestand, she sat at a 45 degree angle.
the easy fix for the shocks is to replace them with a piece of tube the correct lengthbolted to shock mounts top bottomGN400 was not a high performance bike so there is a fair chance the frame is made of mild steel tubing so can be welded with stick/mig/tigif the frame is chrome moly (that doesn't mean its shiny chrome) it will have to be TIG weldedso bolting in the tubes to replace the shocks maybe the best fixif you change the air filter you will most likely have to re-jet the carbiesbut you can check by pulling the plugs having a look at them.
It will be wickedly expensive to have it done in a shopBobbers are really rough to ride, and the frame would need to be really strong to avoid breaking up under loadAluminum welding is a specialty task, not like welding mild steelIsn't it a shame to mess up a collector's bike like a GN400? I always thought bobbers are best made from old garden tractors!
I would take the frame into a good (small) welding shop and tell them what you have in mindI have always found that a friendly enthusiastic guy with a plan can convince craftsmen to get onboard and help you out with your projectSometimes you will be amazed at how inexpensive it is too (other times not) I actually think you would be happier with the shocks and swingarmIf you lop off the frame right behind the top shock stud and box it in, it would look tough and actually ride decently tooEven the GN tank is pretty cool looking to me.
