First twin I have ever owned here :)

[Ianmon]

Hello everyone! Been stalking this site since last year when i acquired this '79 special II from my boss...sweet deal, it had sat for years in the garage and just needed some overhauling. Work done so far has been rebuild carbs, new battery, full tune-up, new handlebars, new front and rear sprockets, new tires, flush and re-fill front brake lines, and removed turn signals...all other work done is general maintenance. I am the 3rd owner and the bike had less than 5,000 original miles on the odo This is the 11th bike I have owned in my life and the first twin...also the oldest heheh...I was 11 years old when they made these and all the cool dudes rode these back then along with cb's and kz's etc.
I can definitely say I am having a blast with this one!!! Thanks to this site, Mikes XS over in tampa, and all the kick ass members here with a wealth of info It's been a relatively easy learning curve here. Attached are some pics of when i got the bike, some work being done and what she looks like so far...not sure where the build is headed but it's a fun as hell to ride right now! Thanks all...

 

[650Skull]

welcome and congrats on the work done and the good job. The bike looks real nice, the front brake hoses should be changed for a new set. Rubber is ok but it breaks down in time and the hose expands. Braided Stainless hoses are a faily permanent upgrade.

Those wheels are rare and getting rarer.

The 79 Special II Spoke wheels come out with Alloy 19"/16" rims so to have a completely original 79 SII would be worth keeping and the Value will only go up.
I would hate to see such a good example get hacked up and if you did want to change things around do so in such a way that the bike can be put back to original form. Store the parts well for later so they don't deteriorate.

The 79 SII Is what i call the last of the metal bikes, Metal side-covers and hinged from the side seat, give these a real bike feel and the later models got all plasticy and clip on seats.

My prediction is your bike will become a collectors item in the future. There is a consensuses that all Specials are game for the hard tail/sawzill, but i say there are some that are rare and should be treated as such

 

[Brassneck]

Welcome and yes, love the subtle changes you made. The new bars make the bike so much better!

 

[Ianmon]

thanks Skull and yep I am saving every single piece of hardware removed from the bike in small bags/boxes...even the goofy handlebars I don't think that i want to chop/bob this bike because I have never ridden one before and I'm not too sure I would enjoy it as much. I prefer performance and a ride that puts me more center of gravity when riding, hence the dirt bike handlebars i swapped. Maybe after awhile I might lean towards a more cafe style ride and i definitely want to try and lighten this thing up a bit...small changes like aluminum foot rest mounts and if i can find some carbon graphite or strong plastic parts like fenders would be good to lose the chrome ones...this bike is heavier than any other one i/ve owned and takes a little getting used to but it's not that much different from some others i had.

 

[Ianmon]

Thanks Brass I'm not doing anything too drastic to the bike...yet

 

[Brassneck]

Thanks Brass I'm not doing anything too drastic to the bike...yet

I too have a '79 Special II, and I went the same route with not trying to do anything that's permanent so I could always go back to stock (if I wanted). Thus, I haven't cut up the frame other than popping off the seat stand thingy, and removing the pucks on the neck to fit a different tank.

Granted, it would take a bit of work to get the stock look back, and I sold the rims so sourcing those would be a little challenging, however, I don't plan on going back to stock.

And if I ever sell it (I don't plan on it...made that mistake with my '78 standard back in the day) then the new owner will have a box of stuff with all the original parts (minus the rims of course.)

Good luck with your "vision".