Recent content by cmj650

I have the original tank. I'm going to hold onto it in case I ever decide to change the look.

Ok guys, I don't want you to think I'm being stubborn. It is 80 and I don't think It's 79:) I wish it were, I like wire wheels better than mags. I was just trying to figure out why my registration, and pink slip say 79. Then I went to look at the wiring diagram for the 80 and it was...

Well, I always called it an 80. The build date is June/79 so that predates what was said above and the vin definitely points to '79 going by the docs on this site. I guess this was an in-between bike.

Hi guys, I'm digging into wiring on the bike now and have found strange things. The bike is a 1979 special. The code is 2FO on the frame an engine. The engine has a TCI ignition system. The closest matching wiring diagram is from a 1981 model. The tail light had dual bulbs which only comes up...

That flush cap looks great! I would love to do that, but I don't have the sheet metal skills required to do it right. As far as the seat goes... I have know idea what I'm going to do with that fiberglass pan. I made it just to see if I could. Since then I have seen the offerings from...

When I get it all back together and running I'll see how well it charges. I like the idea of a pma because you can kick it or bump start it with a dead batt. When I first bought the bike back in 2011, I wanted to build a cafe. My tastes have completely changed now. This bike will not be a...

Thanks guys. I think my solenoid was stuck. It would not click when I had everything wired up correctly and hit the start switch. I hit it with a direct connection to the battery and it clicked, so I wired everything back up and now it clicks with the starter switch. It's a little bit of a...

Update, when I disconect the blue ignition switch wire from the red and brown, the solenoid works as it should. I opened up the ignition switch to see how it's wired, and it is clear that the red,brown and blue should be connected together. But doing that gets me 12v on the ground side of the...

Ok, I think I need a little help. I've looked over the wiring diagrams quite a bit, and I'm stumped. I intend to build a custom wiring harness eventually, but I want to learn how the stock one is setup first. The bike had a hacked harness when I bought it. It did have a title, so not...

An 18" rear wheel would be really nice, so would spokes. I'm not sure if I want to lower the front yet. I'm planning on 14" rear shocks and dual sport tires.

This is just a mockup, but at least it's progress. I have a lot of plans for it. 2018:

November 2011: 1. Picked up poorly maintained XS650 Special for a few hundred bucks 2. Stripped it down with a ton of enthusiasm. 3. Life happened and the parts collect dust for 7 YEARS! July/August 2018: New House, new garage, and returned motivation. I grew tired of storing parts...

Any more build picks of the seat? How far in does the rear fender sit under the seat, I'm trying to figure out how much arch or wheel clearance is needed at the back of the seat.

I would really like to see more pics of the seat too. I have an '80 special that is stripped down to the bare frame right now an the rear hoop on mine look like it is much higher than yours. Did you modify it, or are they different year to year?

I used a 3lb engineers hammer, and a lot of patience. When I finally got it off I yelled out "I won", my 3 year old son looked at me like I was crazy.