College Budget 79 Special

So I got the seat painted, I'm pretty pleased with the finish. It was done outside, weather permitting with rattlecans...



Started putting up back together. As I was assembling over the past could weeks I was torn about a few things... The biggest was the wiring. The stock wiring is so bulky, but unfortunately, being a budget build, I was unable to lose or replace the stock battery like I originally intended. As a result (for now) the stock wiring is staying, although I did bypass and remove some relays and such. I mounted my Reg/Rec combo on the underside of the pan I made, above the rear tire.



So then it was time to take it outside. The plan was to get it all back together, cross fingers, say a prayer and ride to J&B Moto for their first, First Friday event last night. That didn't happen since it rained and rained and rained last night. The good news is I gave it some kicks with the ignition off to get some oil and gas flowing, turned on the bike and choke and it fired up on the first kick!!!



I put the old tank back on it for the time being as I finish the new tank. I ran into a few small snags, most notably not leaving enough room between the aluminum battery shroud and the carbs for the filters. I elongated the holes and I originally planned to fit brass washers for style so that should work out. The other was a bigger issue. Not enough room between the taillight and tire with the stock shocks on it.

So my options were...

1. Ride it anyway, destroy taillight.
2. Get longer shocks.
3. Use leftover sheet metal to made a new mount.

I'm sure you guys see where this is going...



Whipped that up this afternoon. You also can see the license plate mount I made. In the future I'd like longer shocks but for now it'll do.

So here is sits.



I like the exhaust as is, pending some cleaning, wrapping, baffling and extra strapping. My biggest complaints at the moment are the seat mount, which was designed anticipating no battery box and I need to rework the mount. Also, the front fender. I'm debating cutting it down or getting a smaller one but I'm definitely feeling painting it to match the tank and seat. I may also have to replace my front caliper, it's up in the air.

I still have a lot of cleaning to do but I'm super exciting it's outside and running! My last big expenses are going to have to be tires. The rear one is older than I am and the front one goes flat within a couple hours from 40psi.


On a side note, my roommate has been sorting out his Goldwing Café (It's not really a café because it's a monster but the style is spot on) which you can see in my pictures and we had to test his coils.

This worked...



I feel like we belong in a trailer sometimes, we have enough vehicles to litter the lawn.

I hope everyone is enjoying it finally getting warmer, I know I am.

~ Derek

Ooooooo, I LIKE it! Got any close-ups of that exhaust?

nice work, good paint job,

Looks good, man!

Downeaster said:

Ooooooo, I LIKE it! Got any close-ups of that exhaust?

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Thank you. The exhaust was a 2-1 of unknown origin that I bought from some guy near Gettysburg for $20. The "muffler" was pretty much straight through and had an ugly strap on it that attached to the top of the right shock.



So I cut it down to just the head pipes, the y-pipe was wide and oval and not really usable. The rest was just scrap.







~ Derek

I really like that seat pan, where did you find it? It looks like it matches the profile of the factory tank about the way I would want mine.

Ah. Thanks. From the original shot, it looked like it was siamesed up by the downtube.

Running it as a straight pipe or do you have baffle in it?

blackozone said:

I really like that seat pan, where did you find it? It looks like it matches the profile of the factory tank about the way I would want mine.

Click to expand...

I was custom made and mounted by J&B Moto in Wrightsville, PA. It was made to match the tank.

Downeaster said:

Ah. Thanks. From the original shot, it looked like it was siamesed up by the downtube.

Running it as a straight pipe or do you have baffle in it?

Click to expand...

Right now it's straight through. It's loud to say the least, it's got a nasty growl downshifting at about 2,500 that makes me smile. I don't mind it at all but if I was in any place more populated than I am now I'd have to do something about it. I'm most likely going to baffle it in the near future. It's riding alright but it's got a lack of power in the mid range. I need to better lubricate my advance rod and the carbs need tuned because there is also a big issue with the idle as well. It won't start and idle properly (on choke) without the idle screw turned in, which results in a 2,500-3,000 rpm idle when the bike warms up.

I found the leak on the bead in my front tire. The rim isn't banged up so far as I can tell but I don't really have the means to work with tires so it's most likely going to have to be done at a shop.




Someone sent me a PM requesting shots of my plate and light mount. They are just made from crudely cut and bent steel.





~ Derek

I can't believe I haven't update this in a month.

Where to start... How about the good news. I got a new job! Part of the reason I haven't gotten to updating. I moved back to the Philly area from Lancaster, which has some good and bad. The good is I now have a garage, the bad is it's my parent's garage. Thankfully they were excited to have me home again and the prospect of doubling my income sealed the deal.

So now the bike (When I got the job offer I bought a few things I had been holding off on due to finances).

When you need to pull the wheels off the bike for new tires but don't have a jack or lift?

Spare tire and a mini-palet covered with a towel!



Got a Bridgestone outback and got the leak fixed in the front tire. Well worth it.

I decided to ditch the XS Performance Pods I bought a long time ago and stumbled upon these 52mm stacks from Dime City Cycles. Limited filtration but it has enough for my needs and they look awesome.



This was the big purchase. I am finally able to ditch the aluminum shield and battery box I rigged up. Shorai LFX14L2-BS12. You can see the size difference and the weight difference ain't bad either.



Of course I mainly did it for aesthetic purposes, so I could hide the battery under the seat.



So now I'm looking at a newly exposed rat's nest of a cut down stock harness, and it's got to go! I'm in the preliminary stages of designing a fancy new harness just for my bike. We'll see how that goes...

Some of the non-pictured work includes properly lubricating the advance rod, setting the timing again and adjusting the valve clearances. This considerably helped with my tuning issues as I believe my timing was not set correctly before. A backfire later and I have some serious problems again. Turned out what was probably a pinhole in my left carb diaphragm turned into a tear. I ordered a new set from JBM Industries (who, this far, I would highly recommend) and got them installed. So far (limited riding) the throttle seems crisp and accurate, falling right back to idle. I'm quite excited to be able to log some seat time and see how the carbs perform. Right now they are stock pilots (27), stock needle setting (center notch), and a 140 main. That's with pretty wide open velocity stacks and drag pipes.

My new boss told me I'm to ride to work ASAP, he rides a FZR1300. I told him I would as long as he wouldn't dock me for being late if it broke down on the way, it is an old bike after all.

I hope everyone is having fun getting to ride as the weather gets nicer!

~ Derek

Nice man! As someone whos building in the kitchen, I know what its like to have an entire motorcycle spread out on the floor inside your house! Keep the updates coming!

Thanks for the update Derek. Love to see other people's ideas and solutions. I'm also a big fan of velocity stacks vs. pods. And the Shorai battery is a great choice. Keep up the story!

I feel like I get to updating this about once a month. The new job is going well, the bigger paychecks mean I have enough money to justify buying that fancy new battery and now some new rear shocks. Not a lot of money but at my previous job those two would have been about a 1/3 of my monthly income. Not so college budget anymore, but I'm still cheap and saving for a new car to replace my truck. 10-12mpg doesn't cut it on a 35 mile daily commute.

I got the Hagon Twins from David Quinn and I must say it was a pleasure dealing with him. 10 minute phone call on Friday afternoon and they were waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. They are slimline black springs, 360mm length.



Here's how it sat last week, that tank is still an eyesore. I've been putting that off in favor of improving other things.



And with the new shocks on...



No longer will my rear tire be bottoming out!

I also got a new chain, which I have to put on tonight and some more lighting to begin to pretend it's legal for the road. I've been riding with an unlit plate since I put it back together. I bought a small, waterproof LED assembly from superbrightLEDs and it should do the trick.


On a somewhat related note, we have a new XS community member, although he's putting off posting just yet. Brought the bike and pile of parts home from the previous owner (whom we promised a collective picture but haven't gotten there yet) last weekend. Thing runs like a champ and I'm incredibly jealous of how nice his clutch functions compared to mine. I might just steal it in the night...



I also got a new project but this one is going to be a big one...

99% complete KZ650 CSR




I will also add that the JBM Industries diaphragms are going strong, bike hasn't been giving me any trouble, I would also recommend his business. I up'd the pilot to 30s and kept the other carb settings and it's idling smoother than it was before. I'm still learning the ways of carb voodoo.


So for next month my goals are to cut down the front fender and paint it, clean, paint and wrap the exhaust (what little exhaust I have), get brass head washer bushings, double check my valve clearances, replace my front brake lines with a single unit and redo my headlight mount and maybe get some work done on that tank. I'm also looking for smaller gauges (about 2") to replace the monster stock ones but haven't made a decision yet, suggestions are appreciated. I still have a lot of little bits on this bike that need painted.

I will be riding to J&B Moto for their First Friday open house in all it's ugly glory, hopefully it runs strong! I would suggest if you like motorcycles and live in the area, take a ride down this Friday. J&B Moto First Friday


~ Derek

Stance is much improved with the new shocks. Keep up the good work!

If it were mine I'd paint and cut down the front fender, and probably paint the headlight bucket as well. The chrome on both looks out of place.

I'm originally from Marietta, so I'll have to check out that place in Wrightsville next time I'm home.

PHeller said:

If it were mine I'd paint and cut down the front fender, and probably paint the headlight bucket as well. The chrome on both looks out of place.

Click to expand...

I was already planning on the front fender, The headlight is also a great idea, it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it and then BAM! it stuck out.

I'm good with mechanical stuff but my aesthetics have always been lacking. I can build it to run but it's going to look like hell.

I unfortunately do not have any progress right now, I've been working and busy with other things recently. Coupled with the weather I'm lucky if I ride once a week.

However, I'm bumping this for a good reason, I'm looking for advice on a couple fronts. So, throw any and all input my way, even if it's miscellaneous.

1. Concerning the headlight. Black body, chrome front(?) ring? All black? Black and green front(?) ring?

2. I'm mocking up a complete rewire and I need to figure out my handlebar controls. I'm going to be replacing the key with an RFID module, so I'm looking at needing the following. Headlight Hi/Lo, Horn, Start, Kill switch or button. Headlight Off/Hi/Lo is fine. The member that directs to a reasonably priced solution, whether is be aftermarket, another bike's controls or whatever, gets a thank you and maybe something else if I can come up with something good. The less bulky the better. I already have some gauges picked out, 2" minis. Something creative? Go for it, I'm open to all suggestions.

3. Exhaust wrap. White? Black? Other? Exhaust. I like the look and sound of what I have now, I was just going to slash cut the pipes to match up, facing outward. Got something better with these pipes?

4. The tank is being worked on. I know, it's ugly.

5. Better set up/location for my taillight? I like my taillight, it's big and bright and on the rewire it's getting a strobe unit on a switch just for all the yuppy, suburbia drivers I have to deal with everyday. I do not believe it will fit under the tail, will most likely get trashed by the rear tire.

6. Anything else? Go ahead, I will take all constructive advice and/or criticism.

~ Derek

Well, I've run into an issue and I'm looking for suggestions/confirmation.

Here goes. Last week I rode to work, on the way home I noticed a slight lack of power pulling from a stop, a little chug which got worse as I got closer to home. Got home, bike sat for about 30 minutes and I decided it was time for a cheesesteak. Start it up, and I'm running on right side only. Well, I'm not going to let a good cheesesteak get cold, so I take the truck, grab dinner and sit contemplating problems and enjoying a tasty meal (American, with).

Anyway, I pull the plugs and low and behold, the left is completely fouled. I mean black, black. We now know why it's not firing. I pull the tank off, and notice that the left petcock (vacuum type) is dripping on "ON". AH-HA! Well, sort of. So change the plugs, pull the vacuum line, plug the barb on the carb holder and turn the petcock to prime. Fires up but still a rough idle. I'll be honest, the idle has always been "eh" because I've been putting off a good tune-up for a while. It was "normal" again, both cylinders but it's normal roughness. So I deduce that the petcock must be bad, allowing fuel to pass into the vacuum line, bypassing the carb float valve and causing a very rich mixture on the left cylinder. Right side plug was good to go. While I'm at it, I pulled each plug and tested spark against the block, both were a nice fat blue.

Fast forward to tonight. I set my cam chain tensioner, adjust the valve clearances and set my timing. It all was pretty close but I'll be honest, I noticed an immediate difference afterwards. I should have listened to those with bigger beards the whole time.

Anyway, here's the issue. Now, I haven't been able to take it out, thanks to mother nature and Budweiser. However, with the carb on prime and barb plugged, which seemed to resolve the issue prior to tune up, it idles much better but has a slight stumble revving. When I return the petcock to "ON" and put the vacuum line back on, it idles fine and revves strong. I don't trust it however, so unless one of you guys can convince me otherwise, I'm probably going to swap out for another tank I have, single petcock and see how she does.

Any other thoughts and ideas? I'll add, my carbs are clean, new diaphragms, floats set correctly. I'm running one up pilot, two up main and stock needle setting. Velocity stacks and short, unrestricted pipes. It was running well for a couple hundred miles prior to this past week and this problem, so I'm hesitant to think it's carb related but my beard is small.

~ Derek

The problem I had turned out to be a rotated slide. I did not put any superglue on them like JBM says wouldn't be a bad idea and one rotated on me, causing a massively rich condition. It has been rectified, thankfully. I've been riding around some, blew up a Shorai battery and replaced it. http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19487

Exhaust has been updated, slashed and wrapped. Still not baffled and probably won't be.



I cut down and painted the fender, no more big ugly chrome fender up front.




There's a show in the Philly burbs this weekend, anyone with old bikes in the area should try and come out.

http://oilypipes.com/vintage_flyer_2012.pdf

~ Derek

Looking great! Inspiration for this budget minded guy.

Looking good. I love low budget stuff, to me it's just more fun. anyone can spend a bunch of money and make their bike look cool, but it takes imagination to do it on a tight budget!

DLD1

The painted and cut down front fender really help. Like the color combo. But, I am a sucker for green. Nice work.