Another salvaged XS back on the road in bobber form!

[Patches]

Some of you may remember that I purchased 10-12 of these bikes in non running condition. Here's another one. A friend of a friend commissioned me to build him a bike. He lives in Colorado Springs and has not seen the bike in person yet. He'll be picking it up in a week.

Everything was done in house at my shop, from paint and powder to fabrication. The bike was built in my spare time on nights and weekends.

The guy it was built for picked the color, bars, forward controls, fake oil bag and the rest was left to open interpretation for me to do whatever. I wanted to try some things I have never done before like lathe turning the fork legs, paint work, and doing the radioshack rectifier and Chrysler regulator. We were on a strict budget but I think it turned out well.

The bike come a long way from sitting in a back yard for years to what it is now.

Starts on the first kick, and I think he'll be happy with it.

There are going to be some white panels airbrushed on the side of the tank by one of his buddies in CO.
Enjoy!

 

[XSJoel]

Nice work man. Mind telling what kind of budget you were working with?

 

[Patches]

Nice work man. Mind telling what kind of budget you were working with?

PM sent.

 

[inmotionphotog]

Wow, what a tidy build!

I'm sure your mate will be thrilled with his ride, nice work.

Cheers

Steve

http://inmotionphotogxs650.blogspot.com/

 

[Cornish Pixie]

Nice build, like the detail work on the wheels.

Your buddy should be well pleased with it.

 

[TeeCat]

Wow... HANDSOME ride! NICE job! Your mate should be thrilled!

TC

 

[retiredgentleman]

Yes, looks like a great build.

I hope your friend plans to put a front brake on it. It would be totally unsafe at any speed over 50 km/hr (30 mph).

 

[cros36]

nice build man.
come on RG. it has a disk rear brake, thats way better than the drum rear alot of dudes are just fine with riding with. plus the lowers have already been shaved. let us stupid young dumb kids play.

 

[atomic22]

Bike looks awesome. Very nice job.
Do you have any before pictures?

 

[thelowlife]

The wheels are tits!

 

[retiredgentleman]

nice build man.
come on RG. it has a disk rear brake, thats way better than the drum rear alot of dudes are just fine with riding with. plus the lowers have already been shaved. let us stupid young dumb kids play.

I'm all for having fun, and the bike looks to be well done, except for the missing front brake.

I could ask this question. Would you let your wife, son or daughter drive a car or truck with no front brakes? Would you let them drive a bike with no front brake? I certainly would not.

In a real emergency stop, the weight transfers to the front of the bike and that's what saves your ass. I hit the rear leg of a deer this summer while on my bike. He cut across in front of me, and I almost T-boned him. I had both front and rear disk brakes locked up in order to barely miss that animal. Without a front brake at all or with a drum front brake, I might have spent months in the hospital, or worse.

Just my opinion, but safety comes first with me.

 

[Patches]

Sorry, no front brake. He wanted it that way. I agree, it's not the safest choice, but looks wise, I don't think you can beat it with those wheels and the shaved and polishe fork legs.

The rear brake caliper and master cylinder have been rebuilt to make sure they are 100% with stainless line, and that's about the best I could do.

I have a little XS bobber with a rear hand operated drum brake that I've put thousands of miles on without incident, but again, I agree a front brake is safer. It's a form over function thing, no doubt. But by the sounds of things this bike is only going to cruise to the Dairy Queen and back.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I am starting in on a new build for myself and it is going to be a georgous little bike heavily influinced by the builders at Falcon cycles.

I have a ton of pic of this black bobber being built but I figured there was no need for a build thread with all of the others floating around. Instead I'm just going to put all of the pics on a CD and give them to the soon tone new owner.

 

[cros36]

I'm all for having fun, and the bike looks to be well done, except for the missing front brake.

I could ask this question. Would you let your wife, son or daughter drive a car or truck with no front brakes? Would you let them drive a bike with no front brake? I certainly would not.

In a real emergency stop, the weight transfers to the front of the bike and that's what saves your ass. I hit the rear leg of a deer this summer while on my bike. He cut across in front of me, and I almost T-boned him. I had both front and rear disk brakes locked up in order to barely miss that animal. Without a front brake at all or with a drum front brake, I might have spent months in the hospital, or worse.

Just my opinion, but safety comes first with me.

in all honesty this is just a friendly debate. i dont believe in a higher being or any of that shit, but in this instance RG it wasnt your time to t-bone that deer. if you ran only a drum rear you most likely would not be at that place at that time anyways. maybe the fact that you run two brakes made it possible for you to be at that place at that time.

at least this is what i use on my wife. now that the bike that ive been building and working so hard on is actually on the road and im riding (besides a charging issue) shes getting all worried about me. but what i tell her is the day i dont ride because she doesnt want me too could be the day that i get in the minivan and get t-boned on both sides by cement trucks. if i would have waited and started my bike and got my helmet on and went over the bike could have made me show up at that intersection a little later and i would have just rode through it.

its all about how you look at it. and really, i ran a drum only rear for about two rides....fuuuuuck that. i like stopping.

 

[Yamaha_chop]

Front forks look pimp like that I must say!

Everyone has to go with what they want in a bike.

Me personally a bad experience with my first car means that all of my vehicles have above average braking capabilities.

 

[bluebikerblan]

Hey Patches....What's the Running/rolling rescue count up to now? Blue