Sonnylynnvick75
XS650 Young Gun
Chattanooga Cafe build (myrtle)
Let's start from the beginning, I'm 21 years old in Northwest GA, I had been racing motocross for 11 years. I got a phone call from a family friend last May who told me his dad had passed away and he had a motorcycle in the garage. The son had no idea about it nor did he want it and asked me to come take a look. I went over the following Saturday to find an 81 xs650 special maroon in color with 18k miles. I took it home for $200. I got it home and began to get it in running condition. Then, June 15th of 2012 I had a horrible wreck while training for a race in northeast Alabama. Long story short, I was in and out of a coma with a grade 4 concussion, fractured skull and eye socket. I healed up and in mid July I began to strip the xs down to a cafe racer with clip on bars and a motolanna seat. On August 1st, my 21st birthday I took my first ride on my bike. I had a ring stuck in the right cylinder causing it to leak oil, loose cam chain, couldn't get it to run worth a flip but I was in love. I rode to Deal's gap, trailered it to panama city beach in October and rode it, I was in love. My dad mentioned selling the xs to buy a new one but as I thought on it, I thought of all the old guys who always said "I'd give anything if I had held on to my first bike", so I decided to rebuild the bike from the ground up starting this past May. My plan is shaving the frame, rebuilding the engine with 2nd oversized pistons, 34mm mikuni tm flat slide carbs, cam chain and guide, valve job, electric starter delete, etc. and having everything done in superb condition. Myself and my Grandpa(former suzuki dragbike mechanic) are doing all the work on our own except for the boring, valve job, and paint.
Hope you enjoy.
Here is a similar bike when I first picked it up
The bike for the first ride:
Here we are about to head out for deals gap
Here's an action shot on the tail of the dragon
Before stripping it down
after tearing it apart
Dropping everything off at powdercoat
Frame, headers, and accessories including fenders will be gloss black, tank will be powdercoated vintage yamaha yellow and I'm putting the Kenny Roberts speedblocks down the side, Wheels will be spoke chrome, Should look good. I pickup from PC next Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, I will be reassembling the motor.
If you have an Instagram you can also view the thread at #chattanoogacafebuild
Let's start from the beginning, I'm 21 years old in Northwest GA, I had been racing motocross for 11 years. I got a phone call from a family friend last May who told me his dad had passed away and he had a motorcycle in the garage. The son had no idea about it nor did he want it and asked me to come take a look. I went over the following Saturday to find an 81 xs650 special maroon in color with 18k miles. I took it home for $200. I got it home and began to get it in running condition. Then, June 15th of 2012 I had a horrible wreck while training for a race in northeast Alabama. Long story short, I was in and out of a coma with a grade 4 concussion, fractured skull and eye socket. I healed up and in mid July I began to strip the xs down to a cafe racer with clip on bars and a motolanna seat. On August 1st, my 21st birthday I took my first ride on my bike. I had a ring stuck in the right cylinder causing it to leak oil, loose cam chain, couldn't get it to run worth a flip but I was in love. I rode to Deal's gap, trailered it to panama city beach in October and rode it, I was in love. My dad mentioned selling the xs to buy a new one but as I thought on it, I thought of all the old guys who always said "I'd give anything if I had held on to my first bike", so I decided to rebuild the bike from the ground up starting this past May. My plan is shaving the frame, rebuilding the engine with 2nd oversized pistons, 34mm mikuni tm flat slide carbs, cam chain and guide, valve job, electric starter delete, etc. and having everything done in superb condition. Myself and my Grandpa(former suzuki dragbike mechanic) are doing all the work on our own except for the boring, valve job, and paint.
Hope you enjoy.
Here is a similar bike when I first picked it up
The bike for the first ride:
Here we are about to head out for deals gap
Here's an action shot on the tail of the dragon
Before stripping it down
after tearing it apart
Dropping everything off at powdercoat
Frame, headers, and accessories including fenders will be gloss black, tank will be powdercoated vintage yamaha yellow and I'm putting the Kenny Roberts speedblocks down the side, Wheels will be spoke chrome, Should look good. I pickup from PC next Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, I will be reassembling the motor.
If you have an Instagram you can also view the thread at #chattanoogacafebuild
