Just a Pic - Lots of Changes.

[OakBehringer]

Happy to finally have taken my scoot for a ride last night after dropping the forks 2", 11" HD rear shocks, new tires, powder coating the rims, tearing out the wiring harness, shortening the rear fender, replacing the handlebars, stripping the shit paint off from the PO, new headlight, new taillight, shaving the forks, new controls... the list goes on and on!

Now it's time to build a seat, electronics box, new mufflers...

 

[alfredo]

looking great. keep it up muchacho!

 

[OakBehringer]

Thanks Alfredo. I'm happy with the progress thus far. I won't be able to work on it for a couple weeks. It hurts. Really want to hammer out the seat pan.

 

[PHeller]

Looks swell.

A fiberglass seat pan with side cover overhangs would be kinda cool.

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[TeeCat]

Looking good, Oak! Maybe a pair of handmade sheet aluminum side covers with a few speed holes for accent?

TC

 

[Tayno]

Thats looking great.

What size tyres are you running? And whats the clearance like at the rear with the 11" ?

 

[b1broc]

Happy to finally have taken my scoot for a ride last night after dropping the forks 2", 11" HD rear shocks, new tires, powder coating the rims, tearing out the wiring harness, shortening the rear fender, replacing the handlebars, stripping the shit paint off from the PO, new headlight, new taillight, shaving the forks, new controls... the list goes on and on!

Now it's time to build a seat, electronics box, new mufflers...

holy crap man is that my advance rod i see there? nice bike man!

 

[OakBehringer]

Hahaha no, your advance rod went into a box for future mods. Right now the stock charging system and TCI is doing great. I'll probably put a PMA in this winter, for that I will need to buy a PAMCO, and for that I will need your advance rod.

Rear tire is a Shinko E240 Double Whitewall - only comes in one size: 16" MT90. Front is a 19" Avon Speedmaster. I think that only comes in one size option @ 19" as well; if not, I ordered the biggest. You can get both of these tires cheap and quick from MotorcycleSuperstore.com.

Clearance does not seem to be a problem at all with the 11" shocks. It took me a while to find sed 11 inchers, but it was worth it. 10.5" always looks too low and saggy to me. It's important to me that the seat remains level (at least for this "brat" style of bike). 2" drop in the front and ~1.5 in the rear seems to have achieved that.

Not sure what I'm going to do WRT to sidecovers. Probably nothing. I'm going to make a much smaller and sleeker electronics box that hopefully won't be something I want to hide. It will most likely be raw steel with some holes to match the headlight, tank, fender... etc.

Here's a shot from the front:

Need to cut handlebars a bit shorter, order brake line, find a new mirror, and I just ordered some cork bicycle handlebar wrap for the grips.

Thanks for the compliments. What a great little community we have here. I've been trying hard to make this bike look great and unique with making drastic changes, for two reasons: 1) I think it's possible without majorly modifying the frame and 2) my very n00bish TIG welding skills require that I don't get too far ahead of myself. Oh yeah, my girlfriend would kill me if she couldn't hop on the back, too.

- Adam

 

[PHeller]

The idea of keeping the frame relatively stock is a good one. I've been planning my modifcations with the same goal. The most difficult things to keep are the hinges and seat lock because they really interfer with any aftermarket or DIY seat, but many interested buyers consider the lack of such hinges and lock a "hack job".

 

[OakBehringer]

The idea of keeping the frame relatively stock is a good one. I've been planning my modifcations with the same goal. The most difficult things to keep are the hinges and seat lock because they really interfer with any aftermarket or DIY seat, but many interested buyers consider the lack of such hinges and lock a "hack job".

Not for me- luckily at some point the Specials went hinge-less; it's a tongue-and-groove type setup. I will, however, have to grind off the rear latching mechanism. Whatever, though, I'm not building this bike for the next owner. It's for me.

 

[birdog4549]

Happy to finally have taken my scoot for a ride last night after dropping the forks 2", 11" HD rear shocks,

Was the goal with the shocks to lower it a bit and still not bottom out. if so what shocks did you get exactly. Was lowering the front tubes easy? Did you use a kit. Thanks

 

[OakBehringer]

Was the goal with the shocks to lower it a bit and still not bottom out. if so what shocks did you get exactly. Was lowering the front tubes easy? Did you use a kit. Thanks

Yes, lower it, but not bottom out, and keep a level stance with the 2" drop in the front. I got from a fella who described them as "11 inch Harley shocks." I don't know if they are aftermarket or OEM. The eyelets were too wide for the 650, but I was able to narrow then easily with an angle grinder and file. I used some combination of the bushings and sleeves from the original shocks and the Harley shocks to get them to fit the 650. I think I might have gone to the hardware store for a little copper pipe to make a sleeve for the upper shock mounts. I don't remember. It wasn't hard to get the shocks on there. They fit fine now.

The fronts are lowered with Hugh's awesome lowering kits. Installing them was a breeze.

- Adam

 

[Pov76]

dig the wheels and tires

 

[Tayno]

Thanks for the answers on the tyres.

It looks like you're pretty switched on about achieving the 'bratstyle' look, I like where this is going. Head light is cool too.

 

[nj1639]

Yep, looking good. Clean and simple.

 

[OakBehringer]

Thanks for the answers on the tyres.

It looks like you're pretty switched on about achieving the 'bratstyle' look, I like where this is going. Head light is cool too.

No problemo. I'll get some more pics fo the headlight for ya in a couple weeks (lots of hectic family stuff happening, also I'm about to go out of town for a week). It's a neat piece, not sure how old it is, but it has some markings so maybe we can figure it out.

As far as "brat style" goes, I like that label/style a lot; but I also feel that, more often than not, people narrowly miss the mark, and "Brat style" ends up looking like "shit style." Maybe because people assume it's easier or cheaper to get at a simple, stripped down look.

Yep, looking good. Clean and simple.

Thanks. I like the simple look. I can think it through and get it done; an elaborate, intricate bike is beyond my current ability.

 

[OakBehringer]

Tax man gave me a huge return this year. After some unsuccessful attempts at making my own seat, I treated myself to a little Japanese craftsmanship.

Ordered from Brat Style in Japan. Hired a translator off craigslist for $15 to call them and place the order. Quick shipping, good product. Yeah it cost a lot, but it's better and quicker than anything I would have been able to make. Looks phenomenal.

Next up: building an electronics box.

Also, I need to get rid of those Harley shocks, too, waaayyyy too stiff for my scrawny ass. I think the rear end looks a little saggy, I might bump the length maybe a half inch.

 

[TeeCat]

I like it, man! Really coming into its own!

TC

 

[nj1639]

Yep, looks real good! Keep this thread going, looking forward to the changes.