Just thought I'd show my project

[Lashdrew]

So I picked up a XS650 Special on a trade. It had been sitting in a shed for 15+ years. Plus I always liked the look of cafe/brat bikes. Here she is In the first week I had it. I have never done anything like this before.

So I am lucky enough to have a roommate who went to school for custom paint and body to show me how clean up all the rust prime and repaint the frame. Now the polishing of the motor and wheels that was just a real pain....not to mention putting that motor back in by myself

Making the seat pain and starting on the seat. Bending wood is a B and a total pain in the A

New tail light on and new turn signals on the way

Got the seat done today and got it mounted and started cleaning the carbs.

So this has been my build so far. I'm going to need some help with no battery/kickstart only. Wiring I've seen diagrams but I always still see a battery in the pic. Working on a budget is hard. Either way tell me whatcha all think....

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Welcome to the forum, Lashdrew.
Great job on the build.
Having troubles with the thread creation and pic uploads?

 

[zeroxs650]

Looking good, like what you did with the seat. Most of the aftermarket seats are so thin yours looks good with more cushion. How did you mount the tail light?

 

[weekendrider]

like what you did with the seat.

Plus 1 and the shortened fender. Did you roll the edges of the cuts?

 

[Lashdrew]

Looking good, like what you did with the seat. Most of the aftermarket seats are so thin yours looks good with more cushion. How did you mount the tail light?

See I looked at a lot Amazon, Ebay, etc. After I made the bottom of that sweet took it to an upholstery shop and pay the same price as I would for a universal seat. Still 2 inches that just like the rest of them but fits my bike specifically. About the tail light...I actually took the axle mount and recycled it by drilling holes in it to mount to the frame and seat pan

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Lashdrew and welcome,
nice-looking build you've got going there.
Although blacking out the head & barrels?
I remember painting my BSA's cast iron top end silver so folks would think it was an all-aluminum engined Goldie, but that was then, eh?
I'm agin' going apeshit on a PMA/Capacitor conversion because there's nothin' wrong with the stock system.
Read all the posts from folks that spent a fortune on parts to do the conversion and all the trouble and woe that ensued for them thereafter.
If you do go kick only you won't need that horkin' great stock battery but you can surely stash a smaller one someplace it don't show too badly?
And when you get around to pods, there's Unipods and there's several other pods that'll fit but don't work too well.

 

[Lashdrew]

when you get around to pods, there's Unipods and there's several other pods that'll fit but don't work too well.

Yea, obviously I'm not putting the the air box back on it even tho I KNOW IT'LL RUN BETTER WITH IT... I've read a lot on pods and velocity. I live in west Texas it's basically a sand pit so velocity stacks are out of the question and from what I read RamAir foam pods and UNI foam pods seem to have good responses. Care to chime in I'm about to pull the trigger on one or the other

 

[weekendrider]

As fine as the sand is you might consider the dual layer uni-filters. The single layer are pretty porous. Not saying the sand would make it through but it may tend to collect more, clog easier.
http://www.unifilter.com/clamp-on/

 

[Lashdrew]

Weekendrider I like your thinking