1980 XS650 Cafe Build

mattylmbr said:
Baby’s first time standing on her own in her new shoes!!

Welp - been a minute since I’ve posted - but got hung up in some other things and had a longer than anticipated wait on some things related to the bike.

Got the frame back from the fab shop today. They fabricated and welded on a seat pan - cross braces for the Tuffside seat - and spacers between the pan and seat - as well as the rear hoop. I’m very pleased with the work from Urban East over in Lorton, VA on the frame. Great guys - check em out if you are in the DC Metro area.

Also - dry fit the Progressive suspension 490 series shocks - and finally got to see the stance - which is exactly what I was going for.

Pondering using the Cognito swing arm extenders - but - kind of like how it sits for now. The extenders would allow to run a wider rear tire - and extend the wheelbase - but again - not sure I will go that route at the moment. And liking the 120 up front and 130 in the rear look to be honest (could get up to a 160 by extending the swing arm).

So - let’s call it progress.

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Hi matty,
about the tire width, no matter what's done to the swingarm, you can only run a wider than 5" tire if you offset the rear wheel to allow the sprockets to line up.
 
gggGary said:
Like that shock design. Is the idea that the shock rod is long travel and is effective through the extended spring range?
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Adjustable preload (on the threaded body) as well as rebound and dampening.

From Progressive:

A true sport performance shock at heart with an unbelievable low cost, the new 490 Sport Series Shocks feature a high-pressure monotube with deflective disc damping technology, hand threaded preload and a rebound adjustment to dial in the ride. This technology coupled with a linear rate spring allow for consistent feel through the damper stroke and the ability to withstand extreme temperature ranges and heavy loads. An engineered jounce bumper with a built-in metal cup also help smooth out and control bottoming. From pounding pavement around town to hammering around the tarmac on your next race day, the 490 is the perfect choice for your performance demand! Every shock is hand-built, tuned and dyno’d in our facility in La Palma, California and come with a lifetime warranty.
 
gggGary said:
except hitting the shock LOL
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I'm going to start w/ the stock length swingarm and 130 width rear tire and see how she rides.. Extending the arm, wider tire, front offset sprocket, etc. etc. etc.. to just have a 150 or 160 instead of a 130 rear tire seems like too much damn work anyway.. Lol
 
Been a minute since I have posted and project got shoved aside for a bit. But - officially back at it.

Got the frame, swingarm and a bunch of other bits back from powder coating earlier in the the week. I will start getting her roughed back together over the next 2 weeks, then time to tackle the motor. Which frankly is the scariest part for me as a first time build.

Have definitely learned a lot so far and some things I would have done different already but overall happy with the progress.


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Been a while since I posted, but have been getting some work done when I can. Got her roughed back up, got some headers yesterday, half assed the wiring together to see if she still runs. Sure enough, second kick she lit right up. I am happy with the retro mod look coming together how I wanted, and thinking I will probably leave the patina/rust look on the tank for now, either ceramic coat or wrap the headers, and go with stainless cone engineering mufflers. (Thoughts on headers?)

Also, I unfortunately have a leaky gasket, even after properly torquing all of the bolts/nuts. How much of a bitch to replace that one gasket??

Feedback appreciated, and the required parts list is finally shrinking down.

Cheers!

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I love the direction your build’s taking Matty! Not dissimilar to Cognito Moto’s XS650 build, one of my absolute favourites and what I’m drawing inspiration from for my bike.

I’m watching this thread with great interest.

Daniel.
 
That's your head gasket. In order to replace it the engine has to come back out. There is a bolt directly under the spark plug. Did you re-torque it? If it's been a while since the engine has been run I think I would wait until you have a few hours on it before deciding to replace the gasket.

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GLJ said:
That's your head gasket. In order to replace it the engine has to come back out. There is a bolt directly under the spark plug. Did you re-torque it? If it's been a while since the engine has been run I think I would wait until you have a few hours on it before deciding to replace the gasket.

View attachment 147710
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When I re-torqued the rest of the bolts, I did those as well. However, if there is a chance it may “seat” better after a few hours, I will definitely go that route before pulling her back out of there.

Thanks!
 

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