My oddball XS, looking pretty in black

Hey guys, figured I'd show a few pictures of the bike outside with the new paint. Don't have the powdercoat done yet, still want to finish testing out the suspension bits first. Overall it rides really nice, very predictable. Tuning is ongoing, haven't been able to go into boost yet, but I'm getting there. Enjoy the pics, tell me whatcha think, good or bad.











terrible background I know. Ah well, I should have some new videos pretty soon.

My least favorite part is the actual headlight and how it plays into the front end. But you absolutely KILLED it! That thing is like nothing ever before all around!

progress looks great. maybe update the XSOTM thread w/ your new pics?

just f**king well blows me out to look at this bike, as far removed from an xs as you could get. I keep looking for something recognizable and can't find it, even the engine is hidden for the most part. Love it and envious of your engineering skills

Thank you very much guys. I worked very hard for a long time on this bike so it's nice to hear such positive comments.

Turn left: Thanks for letting me know, I didn't even realize I was nominated this month! I updated the thread.

XSJoel said:

My least favorite part is the actual headlight and how it plays into the front end.

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I'd probably have to agree with you on this one. The headlight was something I struggled mightily with. And this was the best I could come up with. I'm happy with it, but overall if I could have used a different headlight assembly altogether I probably would have done it differently. The light is nice and bright though

Yamaha_chop said:

I'd probably have to agree with you on this one. The headlight was something I struggled mightily with. And this was the best I could come up with. I'm happy with it, but overall if I could have used a different headlight assembly altogether I probably would have done it differently. The light is nice and bright though

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Well I can't say much, because I tried finding something for an SV I had to replace a botched "fighter" headlight and there is honestly nothing out there. I like the front fairing. But we are talking aesthetics when the real beauty of this bike is in the engineering.

I don't care what kind of style of bike a person likes- bobber, cafe, chopper, etc. I don't see how anyone can look at this bike and not be blown away by the engineering, vision, and the time commitment it has taken to get from where you started to this point. This coming from a guy that still has a bare frame sitting on the floor waiting for re-assembly. Good job.

Truth:

Engineering and skill aspect, amazing. I have a ton of respect for you and this build.

You did something really special with this bike for sure..BUT

Its tall, busy, and seems somewhat ridiculous for a bike that you actually want to ride.
But whats with the tail? The riding position looks goofy, uncomfortable as hell, and seems like it would not perform even close to its potential with that setup. You built one hell of an engine, and then put it in a frame, that the logistics just dont line up.

I know im not the first to think this, as I have showed a few people the build, and have gotten the same feedback. I looks like a R1 street fighter with a lift kit, and I truly think, with a bit more engineering, you could have one hell of a performing bike.

I dont mean to disrespect the build or you in anyway, cause clearly, you have some serious skills. Just thought I would lay down the truth.

Anyways, kudos to you, keep up the great work. Take my comment however you want, But i think once you have the engine dialed, you will realize the frame isn't cut out for it, and will do a bit of re-designing.

@Tron post#8, the first time I saw this bike fully assembled in his build thread it looked tall to me as well. After watching Yamaha_chop's video I realized that it was a good fit for the rider. If you are going to this extent with engineering it only makes sense to tailor the fit. Production bikes seem to be a one size fits most application. Take Jason Disalvo, at 5'3", for example. His AMA superbike looked a bit goofy in the pits but certain provisions were taken to make him comfortable on his bike.

YOW! Just shows where you can take these with a bit of imagination.......Not my style of brew but kudos to ya.

Tron said:

Truth:

Engineering and skill aspect, amazing. I have a ton of respect for you and this build.

You did something really special with this bike for sure..BUT

Its tall, busy, and seems somewhat ridiculous for a bike that you actually want to ride.
But whats with the tail? The riding position looks goofy, uncomfortable as hell, and seems like it would not perform even close to its potential with that setup. You built one hell of an engine, and then put it in a frame, that the logistics just dont line up.

I know im not the first to think this, as I have showed a few people the build, and have gotten the same feedback. I looks like a R1 street fighter with a lift kit, and I truly think, with a bit more engineering, you could have one hell of a performing bike.

I dont mean to disrespect the build or you in anyway, cause clearly, you have some serious skills. Just thought I would lay down the truth.

Anyways, kudos to you, keep up the great work. Take my comment however you want, But i think once you have the engine dialed, you will realize the frame isn't cut out for it, and will do a bit of re-designing.

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Thanks for the input! I'll go over a few of the things you mentioned. First and most importantly is my build philosophy. I'm the type of guy that goes for a certain aesthetic, and if functionality has to suffer a bit to achieve that, then I'm certainly willing to do so. That being said, I wanted to build a bike that looked super aggressive. The bike is tall, but I built it to fit me and it's actually really comfortable to me, although that could be because my background in riding is from supersports.

As far as performing to its peak potential: I decided early on that I wasn't going for maximum performance, simply because there's about a thousand bikes currently available for purchase that would out accelerate and out handle this bike all day long. (although in the limited riding time I've had so far, I've been very impressed with the handling characteristics of this bike.) So again I focused on a certain style and built what I needed to get the bike I wanted. My goal in building this bike was just to see if I could. And in the process I've developed so much more respect for the factories that undergo all their development and put out such a finished product that functions so well.

This is merely a statement bike, and a personal challenge to myself. I'm planning on buying a stock-ish bike for daily riding and long trips.

Overall, I can definitely see where you're coming from, but that's the beauty of bike building, we all get something different from it, and everyone's aesthetic is slightly different. Will I re-engineer the bike down the road? Possibly, no idea right now. But if I do, the goal probably won't be to make it more comfortable or perform better.

nj1639 said:

YOW! Just shows where you can take these with a bit of imagination

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This was another main goal of mine. I used to build stuff for cars, until I got into bikes and saw that you really can build anything you can imagine.

I want everyone out there who feels that they can't get involved in this sort of thing to realize that there's no limitations, regardless of your skill level, finances, time commitments or anything else- you can do this. Jump in with both feet and really put your heart into it. You might be surprised with what you can do.

Great answer yama chop.

You are totally right about the performance part. If thats all you wanted, you could just go by a used r6 for 3 grand.

Anyways, excellent work, and excellent reply!

Dude you're gonna spend more time fending off the gawkers and answering questions than you will riding that beauty!

CrAzzzy SWEeeT!

hi ,,, that looks super cool!!!!!! regards oldbiker