I'm finally getting around to my next build. My fist bike was a lightly restored stock 1980 xs650 Special, next I built a 1979 Special Bobber ("Red Rocket"), then I did a frame off full restore of a 1978 Standard model ("Green Goddess"). Going with my pattern, Stock-Custom-Stock-Custom, I'm building a 70s style rat chopper. To start, I'm calling her FrankenChop. Frakenstien: because it's being built from a bunch of different year xs650s, other bikes, and custom parts. Chop: because... well.. you can guess a chopper.
In the 70s chopper style, it will have an extended springer front end with long pull back handle bars, goose necked, drop seat hard tail. I also plan to have forward controls, with a suicide shift/foot clutch. Of course, a tall sissy bar and some Captain America style exhaust. Not your modern wide tire chopper, but the stock 18 rear and a front 18 inch drum brake wheel from an xs400.
Rat, because I don't plan on spending any money on fancy paint and powder coating. Bare steel, maybe some rust, and I have a Hodaka Ace chrome tank for it.
One of the doner bikes is a 1972 xs650 I picked up a couple of years ago for $200.
It may look good in the picture, but was a real mess. The motor ran like a top and I put that in my bobber. Under those bent and cut side covers was a real crappy cut out and welded in battery box. I'm really only using the titled neck and rear wheel off this bike. The rest was sold on eBay.
As for the engine. Well, I had two bad engines to work with. One a 80 with a bent valve and the other was a 79 with a holed, rather exploded, piston. I was strictly planning on using the 80 engine, but when I split the case I found some knocked off teeth on the gears.
Last weekend I actually got started on working toward building the engine. The Case, jugs and head are off the 80 engine, but the transmission gears are out of the 79.
Yes, that's a Cat Litter bucket the second pick. It made a great stand when the bottom end was upside down. I spend a lot of time yesterday (had MLK day off) checking out blow up pictures of the bottom end, reading and making sure it was put together right.
As for the top end... A couple of years ago I picked up a Weisco 750 kit off of eBay. I had a local machinist put the sleeves in and clean things up for me.
Piston Pic
I also spend last Sunday porting the head with my Harbor Freight dremel tool a variety of different grinding and flapper wheels from the local tool store. Of course, I also lapped the valves.
Oh yeah, I'm also doing a battery-less PMA setup, and probably a Pamco ignition system.
Like a lot of build threads we see on here, it will go on for a long time. I work full time, plus have a second part time job and two kids. So finding long blocks of time to work on this will be challenging. After I get the engine done, I plan on taking my frame off to some local builders for some welding.
In the 70s chopper style, it will have an extended springer front end with long pull back handle bars, goose necked, drop seat hard tail. I also plan to have forward controls, with a suicide shift/foot clutch. Of course, a tall sissy bar and some Captain America style exhaust. Not your modern wide tire chopper, but the stock 18 rear and a front 18 inch drum brake wheel from an xs400.
Rat, because I don't plan on spending any money on fancy paint and powder coating. Bare steel, maybe some rust, and I have a Hodaka Ace chrome tank for it.
One of the doner bikes is a 1972 xs650 I picked up a couple of years ago for $200.
It may look good in the picture, but was a real mess. The motor ran like a top and I put that in my bobber. Under those bent and cut side covers was a real crappy cut out and welded in battery box. I'm really only using the titled neck and rear wheel off this bike. The rest was sold on eBay.
As for the engine. Well, I had two bad engines to work with. One a 80 with a bent valve and the other was a 79 with a holed, rather exploded, piston. I was strictly planning on using the 80 engine, but when I split the case I found some knocked off teeth on the gears.
Last weekend I actually got started on working toward building the engine. The Case, jugs and head are off the 80 engine, but the transmission gears are out of the 79.
Yes, that's a Cat Litter bucket the second pick. It made a great stand when the bottom end was upside down. I spend a lot of time yesterday (had MLK day off) checking out blow up pictures of the bottom end, reading and making sure it was put together right.
As for the top end... A couple of years ago I picked up a Weisco 750 kit off of eBay. I had a local machinist put the sleeves in and clean things up for me.
Piston Pic
I also spend last Sunday porting the head with my Harbor Freight dremel tool a variety of different grinding and flapper wheels from the local tool store. Of course, I also lapped the valves.
Oh yeah, I'm also doing a battery-less PMA setup, and probably a Pamco ignition system.
Like a lot of build threads we see on here, it will go on for a long time. I work full time, plus have a second part time job and two kids. So finding long blocks of time to work on this will be challenging. After I get the engine done, I plan on taking my frame off to some local builders for some welding.
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So I started over again, pulling the clips and pins out again, put the the pistons back in the sleeves and assembled again the right way. With some work I got the jugs on. Next the head. 
