Build write up in detail (ex-Just saying hi)

[Radradratorius]

New member. Couldn't find a designated forum to post this, so thought - the lounge will be the most appropriate.

Hello from UK!
Originally from Lithuania.

Fell inlove with an xs650 engine at first sight.
Still don't have a full motorcycle license (last test is booked on 25th of this month), so never had a full size machine - still riding a little learner legal 125 (bobbed up by myself), but feverishly looking for my first one, and don't want it to be anything else, but an xs650.
Favorite styles - cafe racers and bobbers, so I'm planing to try and combine both into the build when my project finally starts.

 

[I am Carbon]

Welcome to the site Radradratorius
You have come to one of the best places for the XS650 on the web.
My bike was kind of a trackabobber before I chopped it.
So pix are always a good thing.
Have fun and ride on Man!

 

[Radradratorius]

Is that Lituanica hanging in Your garage?

 

[Radradratorius]

no, it is obviously not only similar looking plane

 

[I am Carbon]

It is a 1939 Stinson Reliant I built from scratch.

 

[Radradratorius]

Looks quite similar to Bellanca CH300 that was flown over Atlantic Ocean (USA to Europe) by two Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girenas in 1933. Was easy to mistake it for the same plane at the first glance - it was also same color.

Obviously Stinson is much newer and much more solid then 1929 Bellanca

 

[Radradratorius]

Yesterday went for a 10 hour round trip to bring home my very first and very own 1981 (logbook sais 1980, but I trust the serial number a bit more) xs650 H - a US import since 1997. Well, more like what's left of it... good things - frame (has been already cut up for a rigid conversion) and engine have matching numbers, engine itself turns nicely with a lot of compression and it did not leak a drop of oil all the way back. I got most of the electrics in the box with it, couple of old school spoked wheels with a spare brand new front tire, a set of springer forks and a non registered hardtail frame believed to be built for a Triumph (the guy got that with the intention to cut it up for the rear end, but I don't really like it a lot, so if someone knows someone who knows someone who wants a rigid Triumph frame - do let them know you know someone )

I bought a peanut tank a bit earlier, so obviously - just had to try it on today

Then decided to see if I can get the engine running, as the guy said it was in good working order when he took it out for the project. Unfortunately there is some sort of electric problem, as I only managed to turn it on starter - there is no spark. Next time I go to the garage I'll take the tester with me. Most likely will be making completely new wiring loom in the future, as I will not need the most of the existing one, but for now - would still be nice to actually hear it running.

 

[Radradratorius]

........

 

[mikehants]

You are better off just ripping the wiring out and starting again.
Starting to fault find/ repair an existing system is the road to madness .
You'll be amazed how simple you can make it. There are plenty of simplified diagrams to use.

I've also got a pair of mag wheels spare if anybody wants them.

Good luck mate,

Mike, (Gosport, Hampshire)

 

[Radradratorius]

Thanks for the advice, but it's a bit to late now - yesterday found couple of corroded connections and traced couple of broken cables, cleaned up the connectors, rejoined the cables, but it was getting dark, so came back to the garage this morning - and it was worth it

 

[Radradratorius]

wow it's been a while !

Yup - it's the same bike.
If You lucky to be on Facebook - here's the link for more on it

http://facebook.com/radsloft

 

[Brassneck]

wow it's been a while !

Yup - it's the same bike.
If You lucky to be on Facebook - here's the link for more on it

http://facebook.com/radsloft

Wow...great job...love the detail in all of it. Especially the leather!

 

[Radradratorius]

Ok, so now when I'm out of work and have nothing to do except of some little ideas that i'm working on (leather work mostly) I decided to turn this thread to a detailed build story to sum it all up and put an end to it. I might not be able to do it all in one go, as most of the things where made by hand so deserve a mention, but if You get bored - tell me to shut up

After the step 1 (checking if the engine is operational at all) it was the time to rebuild the frame, as it was already chopped when I got it. Roger Allmond at Allmond Cycle Design kindly agreed to help me with it, so there it was - another couple of lengthy trips and this is what we got:

Time has come to replace the neck bearings with coned ones and after that was done I thought it would be nice to have where to sit on it as it would definitely make it easier to work out the positioning for everything else after. So in came some 3mm steel plate. I got quite inspired by the Mesinger seats and really wanted to make something similar - plus it looked quite a bit more complicating to produce than most custom leather solo seats around, and I do like a bit of a challenge, plus - my main aim when I started this build was to LEARN things. Did you hear the saying "the harder the learning - the better you get" (or something like that)?

oh how helpful it would have been to have a plasma cutter...

I forgot to mention - most of the works where happening up in my loft (well - it ain't even mine really - I'm renting the flat). I had to put the floor down there also, as it was only beams and insulation originally. I also had to improvise quite a lot on tooling, as there was none. Here is an improvised plate folder made of two worktop off-cuts and a piece of timber. You sandwich the plate in between the worktops and give it a bit of a lift with the timber. Then pull the plate out a bit and lift again.

Repeat that till you get nice and equal curve:

then it was time for the hinge and brackets.

I wanted my hinge to be rubber and oilyte bushed so it reduces vibration and minimizes the play and wear.

Ok - that's enough for now - got things to do. I'll come back to it soon.

 

[Radradratorius]

........

 

[theDQG]

Just about fell off my seat when I saw that pic of your finished bike. What a beautiful machine! Very tasteful. Love the pipes.

 

[Radradratorius]

By this time I realised I might need some spacers. "Kursaal Klassics" in Southend kindly provided me with the details of someone who can turn them for me, which he did, and also suggested someone who had some front end parts. And he certainly did have most of it. By the looks of it we had it all... Oh I wish it was that way... - all of the parts were actually from different models of xs650 so almost nothing came together the way it supposed to.

the forks and triple tree were older model (34mm), all the rest was newer (35mm fork diameter), so I still needed the brakes and the top yoke. For time being I came up with an idea:

and it worked. I also sourced a cheap peanut tank - this one came of an ajs 125 bobber.

...but it had an unusual for a peanut tank fitting system, so some brackets had to be welded on

With the tank on (oh I should've known better - who pays less - pays twice, but I will come back to that one later) - was time to clean up and reseal forks.

oh the rust...

chain tensioners in place

I found this stand foot online, but only after buying it I realised it to be for the wrong side. Some remanufacturing had to be performed.

Spring pin moved to the other side

and a bit of edge grinding

Bingo! Nice and flush

You take two that don't fit and make one that does

Harley footpegs and some heavy duty hand made steel to hold them solid (with a bit of oilite bushing for future brake pedal)

Brake pedal

brake cable oilite bushed also

I just don't know why, but sometimes I choose the hard way... maybe just to see if it could be done

same technique for the rear end of it

rear brake anti roll bar

after the rolling chassis was time to make it rideable. next step - servicing the engine that stood for 10 years... and oh no - what's this

heatproof, oil resistant silicone... why not

why not

another traitor - sprocket seal... this one got executed

after it got rideable - time for pretty things - start of the electric box

got these headers from the same guy who failed to supply me with the right stuff for the front end - no charge. Originally these where 2 into 1, but for obvious reasons - had to be chopped

...and back to the electric box

stainless steel braded brake lines... oh yeah

...aaand back to the box again

back to the exhausts... we will need some of the old steam extractor grill

and two solid brass curtain rail elbows

stir them together...

while it's rising, why not to enjoy the strong solid grinder cut front light bracket

back to the steaming hot stuff - let's wrap it up so it don't get cold to quick

shove them into the ovens

enjoy hot

Ok, think it's enough for today - next - we are baking the seat

 

[Brassneck]

Great narration... and fun build. Nice job!

 

[YamadudeXS650C]

SUperb build !
Love your fabrications and use of raw materials.
It has a bit of a Steam-punk feel to it.

 

[Radradratorius]

And we are back!
I know I said we gonna bake a seat next time, but I only said that cause I saw some pictures with a seat in them coming up next (my pictures are sorted by date, so I can follow the sequence of events easily). Now I noticed - what I saw coming up was the pics of my first attempt, the fruits of which I later scrapped... but - someone might still find that helpful (if a quicker way of making the seat is preferred by one that is), so here it is:
Hammerite painted and foamed. Nice and soft foam by the way (I replaced it later succumbed to longer life of a closed cell foam)
Also someone might notice - I trimmed the plate a bit more on the sides, as it was uncomfortable to put my feet on ground while sitting in it - the edges were digging into my legs so they had to be cut off. ALWAYS PUT ON AND CHECK BEFORE NEXT STEP!

... and then we scrapped it don't worry - we will come back to it

let's carry on
Number plate time.
Found a piece of alluminium plate in the local scrapyard for £1 ($1.25). cut, curved, drilled it. Had to adapt my hydraulic tube bender for that, but it did the job nicely

another £1 piece of ally, a bit more cutting and grinding

and VOILA:

Back to the front end problem... Originally we had older forks and newer disc and caliper. I bought a brand new caliper of older type, so now it fits the fork, but the disk wasn't dished out enough, so back into the spacer making we go. Harder (magnesium) alloy is chosen for this one

with that sorted time has come for electrics
came up with this.

after what went back to manufacturing pretty things
a 50x50mm cube of alluminium drilled through with 25mm drill bit

there is a song in Lithuania that keeps repeating "ta puse per puse" (that half in half) - a good reminder that you don't have to go to space to find the infinity

 

[Radradratorius]

SUperb build !
Love your fabrications and use of raw materials.
It has a bit of a Steam-punk feel to it.

Thanks, guys, theDQG, Brassneck, YamadudeXS650C,
Yes - brass does have that effect, and I'm happy that it ain't to much steampunk - that was exactly the plan - to have just a hint of it.