1972 xs650 restomod? [PDX, OR]

rudf0rd · Jul 30, 2013

Hey guys,

So I've been meaning to start a thread up here. I've gotten the board's opinion on the paint for my bike here: http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27624

So, yesterday I actually fired the bike up and my only real issue is an oil leak in the right hand case filter! Very cool. I'll add some picture below for building up to where I'm at now. It's been a fun build that's gone somewhat smoothly.

Currently I'm waiting on a brake line and clutch and throttle cables. I'm going to finish up the wiring this week and hopefully get everything wrapped up.

The pics.
- - - - - -

What it looked like when I bought it.

New hoop welded in and "extra" stuff taken off.

New seat pan with upholstery.

Got my modified triple trees back from classified moto

Pulled the engine for rebuild put the front back together.

Generic tear down pic.

Found where to put the speedo (30 seconds).

Started stripping a heritage special tank. Needed the smaller tank for better for clearance.

Engine back together. Forgot to take pics of the clutch basket spring that had been sheared off and was rattling around in there...

Tank back on.

Engine and battery back in.

Lectrons arrived!

Better shot of the headlight

Carbs in and rectifier temporarily placed.

Coil and fuse box

Someone needs a new clutch cable and the new controls look much better.

jsmith1107 · Jul 30, 2013

Nice job, where did you get those carb float bowls? Those are very cool.

rudf0rd · Jul 30, 2013

Those are the stock float bowls on the lectrons.

RockingThePartyDJ · Jul 30, 2013

I'm liking what i'm seeing, loving the direction your heading. and I know i missed the paint poll but the last one looked the best IMO.

I have 2 questions for you;

One = what triples and forks are those and what mod's did they have to do to use them?

Two = what did you do with the original tank do you still have it and if so is it for sale?

rudf0rd · Jul 30, 2013

Thanks! And yeah I'm going to be doing something pretty similar to the last paint scheme.

To answer your questions:
1. The front end was a couple things. I ebay'd the front end off an rmz250 (triple tree, forks, caliper). I then had classified create the franken-tree which is part rmz250 and part xs650. Then I shortened the springs (still need to take about 1 to 1.5 inches out). Since the stock wheel on the rmz250 is way too big for my application, I found a smaller supermoto wheel that had a similar spoke wheel look. The wheel is from warp9. And.. I just did the back of the napkin math for how much it cost..

$250 rmz parts on ebay + $450 classified swap + $470 warp9 wheel.

The rest of the stuff like clipons and controls (off a zx10) are extra to the swap. You could do risers and use drag bars, or something like that, and keep a lot of the stock components/controls. Let me know if you have any other questions.. I'm happy to share.

2. The original tank is junked. I tried to make that one work so the back of the tank mounts are all gone, etc.

rudf0rd · Jul 30, 2013

Just got off the phone with Kevin at Lectron. He's sending out an off the shelf cable to try. Lectron is a great company to deal with, btw.

rudf0rd · Aug 5, 2013

Got the wiring completed this week. The Acewell "cluster" was great to work with and the controls off the zx10r were also good.

Currently it's kick start only because the starter sounded like it was dying when I tried it. It only actually flipped two times. Does anyone know if the 72 starter is weaker than a later model? I know it had the decompression cover that went with it, which I removed. Will it not work without that valve cover?

I also changed the ignition to use a rfid chip rather than a key. Everything was pretty straightforward except that DEI 611T latching relay. As it turns out, the dipswitch that controls the default state (open or closed circuit) was flipped from the documentation. Soooo that was confusing for a bit. Thought the small voltage leak when flipping the kill switch was setting off the signal wire for the relay.

Next step is going to be placing all of the electronics in their final position, then shortening and creating a harness.

Anyway.. here's the pics.

LED tail light. Very bright. This is it on as a running light.

Acewell fired up for the first time.

Shop dog was hot.

Current state of the wiring rat's nest.

RFID control module hanging on the left, switching relay on the cement next to the rfid antenna.

Also, I have an rfid chip in my hand, so no need for keys to start the bike.

Got these turn signals off of amazon. They're the best quality part I've ever ordered from China!

First time trying this out. Dipping the electronics in polyurethane to weatherproof them.

jsmith1107 · Aug 6, 2013

I bought the same blinkers---the quality is really good if you ask me.

rudf0rd · Aug 6, 2013

I fully agree. I was pleasantly surprised when I got them.

rudf0rd · Aug 7, 2013

Got the throttle cable in from Lectron. Fit like a charm. Kevin @ Lectron helped me out and found a cable for something else that would fit my custom application. Saved me quite a few $$$.

So started the bike up and flipped the throttle a couple times. Damn that exhaust is loud. I'm looking at how to make baffles for the exhaust. That will be a task for when the frame is out getting powdercoated. The exhaust is the HHB speedster pipes.

poorman9 · Aug 7, 2013

Subscribed because RFID chipped human. Oh and PDX.

RockingThePartyDJ · Aug 8, 2013

Loving your build, keep up the great work.
I want some more info on the RFID? Is that one you would get put into your dog? LOL JK
Also that 1st tank even though you may have cut stuff of it let me know if you wanna sell it. and really curious about the Polyurethane it seems like a great idea

rudf0rd · Aug 9, 2013

Ok so no picture update time (I'm still making the wiring harness).

DJ, you can have the tank if you pay for shipping. PM me your email address and I'll get you some pics next time I'm at the shop. It has been seriously messed with though (welding, etc).

As for the rfid, ha.. I actually did implant the same way they do with dogs, yes. It's pretty much a big ass needle and a friend with a steady hand. But the chip is different. The dog chips have a coating that grafts with other tissue to lock the chip in place. The variety I used from here will not bond.

The hardware:
- Rfid kit from ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RFID-Reader...=US_Car_Keys_Transponders&hash=item564b60d241

- latching solid state relay: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009WP0D6...hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_e46pja11f_e

My wiring is very similar to this, but I only have one main relay. The other in that diagram is for the security system in that specific bike I believe.

Now the bad news. That polyurethane for sure did not work. It didn't harm anything, but it didn't solidify either. Put a nice shine on it though.. So I'm now going to try an epoxy that is meant for potting electronics. Just got it in yesterday, but won't have time to actually try it until Monday.

rudf0rd · Aug 27, 2013

So... Still wiring.. I'm slow.

One more day or two (I spend like 4 hours at a time) and I'll have the harness complete.

In the meantime, I found some ridiculous filters. I'll probably throw them on for fun, but won't really run them. They look wayyyyy too restrictive.

Also threw in a picture of the weather pack terminals I'm using for the connectors. Really simple once I got going.

The goods:

The UNI pods (will run these)

The weird 60mm filters I found online (will run these once)

Weather pack connectors for the handlebar controls

motorshag · Sep 26, 2013

How did you decide which Lectron to put on the bike?

rudf0rd · Sep 26, 2013

motorshag said:
How did you decide which Lectron to put on the bike?

I did some searching on the forum and Hugh recommended this set up. Also if you just call Lectron, Kevin was super helpful.

motorshag · Sep 26, 2013

Nice. I did some lookin. They aren't low in price are they? Did you like how they set up? Easy?

rudf0rd · Sep 26, 2013

I can't attest to actual ride yet, but the bike fired up immediately with no messing around with them. Even with my messed up timing.

I just put the pods on and had to adjust for that, but they're super simple to adjust.

And yeah, they're definitely expensive. Brand new from Lectron, they're $650 for the pair. But they're simpler to adjust than others, and I'm terrible at carbs (at least that's how I justify it, ha).

motorshag · Sep 26, 2013

That's about what I figured. But worth it if you plan on riding the bike a while. Got to tell you, I love the fork set up, and the triple tree layout. Very very cool. Got me thinking about what I will do. Was that process hard to do?

rudf0rd · Sep 26, 2013

Haha.. probably the simplest part since I just paid classified moto to do the swap. I found all the parts on ebay then sent classified the xs triple and the rmz 250 trees and they sent me back one complete franken-tree.

After that I just shortened the springs and put in some PVC spacers (still need to cut another inch).

Oh the wheel I wanted to use to match the spoked rear wheel wasn't cheap either.. All in all, I think it cost about $1200 or $1300 for the new front end. That includes the swap, the rmz250 front end including caliper, the wheel and a new tire.

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