Just wanted to post a progress photo

JesseeS

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Picked up an 81 motor to throw in my bike while the 75 becomes the performance/glamour motor. the bike has Ascot exhaust with Harley mufflers (still need to add the baffles and packing), carbs are off to get jetted, changed the seat up, new shinko 712 tires, ss brake line throttle cable etc. Hopefully after the new wiring is installed it will start right up. It was running great before put in motor. Hope you all like it so far
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Hi JesseeS
nice "work in progress" photos. What's with the spotty-dotty headlight, eh?
Thank you. I chose the led off road light as I was unhappy with the stock sealed beam. I have used h4 halogen, and hid before and was never satisfied with the light output On those either. I don't ride at night often, but when I do, it's nice to see. due to the headlight being extremely bright I point it downward a bit more and run a flood beam. Even still the output it about 5x more. Led headlights are not exactly legal, but I have never been flashed by on coming traffic and have not been stopped for it.
 
Hi JesseeS,
perhaps I should have been more explicit. I am eff-nigh night-blind, what exactly is that light and where can I get one?
 
Sorry to be a nit-picker but I think that your front tire is a bit low....
 
Sorry to be a nit-picker but I think that your front tire is a bit low....
Hi Pete,
the tire is only low in the first photo.
Betcha he'd either pumped it up or installed a new tire when he put the front brake and the LED headlight on, eh?
 
Sorry to be a nit-picker but I think that your front tire is a bit low....
Not a not picker at all! In that picture I had just installed a new tube, unfortunately I'm still gettinf used to changing tires. I had ended up pinching it causing a leak. The second photo the tire is inflated with a new non punctured tube
 
I like to look of your ride with the powder coated mags. What seat is that and it appears you removed the rear section of the frame to accommodate. How did you mount your fender, did you use the shock mount bolts?
 
I like to look of your ride with the powder coated mags. What seat is that and it appears you removed the rear section of the frame to accommodate. How did you mount your fender, did you use the shock mount bolts?
Thank you. The rims are just painted (hence all the scuff marks around the sides of the rim) the old paint was so beat that when I end up touching these up they will look way better. The seat I grabbed off eBay, I think it was like $80. I cut the rear hoop off, as of now the fender is just stuffed in there. I'm not a welder by any means so I try to find bolt on solutions. How to mount up the fender is one of my next items to tackle.
I wish I had the 1975 stuff you took off.
I may still have some stuff I can dig through, although I'm not sure if any of it is worth having. I think the best item I have left is the stock seat.
 
Not a not picker at all! In that picture I had just installed a new tube, unfortunately I'm still gettinf used to changing tires. I had ended up pinching it causing a leak. The second photo the tire is inflated with a new non punctured tube

Hi JesseeS,
Besides that I can pick up a nail and get home on a can of fix-a-flat rather than attempt repairing a tube by the side of the road; the risk of tube pinching is yet another reason I like to run tubeless tires. And the reason I've learned to love the look of Yamaha's artillery wheels.
How come you got tubes in yours?
 
Hi JesseeS,
Besides that I can pick up a nail and get home on a can of fix-a-flat rather than attempt repairing a tube by the side of the road; the risk of tube pinching is yet another reason I like to run tubeless tires. And the reason I've learned to love the look of Yamaha's artillery wheels.
How come you got tubes in yours?
Luckily my mags are tubeless compatible that if I wish to run tubeless i can. In fact, I am tubeless in my rear tire, but have a tube up front. Reason being is that with the front, the tire would not seat on the bead, no matter what I did. I looked at the rim and it appears straight with no flaws I can see that would prevent it from seating. The PO actually had this set up as well, (tubeless rear tube front) maybe they had the same issue. I've always had tubes in all of my other bikes except one, and I have yet to get a flat on any of them. Knock on wood ha-ha I can't say it matters to me one way or the other, but changing a tube on the side of the road would be terrible. Whenever the front tire wears out I'll have the wheel checked by a shop and see if it was just the tire or if there's something wrong with the wheel. FWIW I ran these wheels for about a month before swapping them to this bike and they were fine
 
Luckily my mags are tubeless compatible that if I wish to run tubeless i can. In fact, I am tubeless in my rear tire, but have a tube up front. Reason being is that with the front, the tire would not seat on the bead, no matter what I did. I looked at the rim and it appears straight with no flaws I can see that would prevent it from seating. The PO actually had this set up as well, (tubeless rear tube front) maybe they had the same issue. I've always had tubes in all of my other bikes except one, and I have yet to get a flat on any of them. Knock on wood ha-ha I can't say it matters to me one way or the other, but changing a tube on the side of the road would be terrible. Whenever the front tire wears out I'll have the wheel checked by a shop and see if it was just the tire or if there's something wrong with the wheel. FWIW I ran these wheels for about a month before swapping them to this bike and they were fine

Hi JesseeS,
I hope that inflating the tube popped the tire all the way onto it's seat?
Next time you buy a new tubeless front, have the tire store install it.
They'll install the tubeless air valve, slather the tire's beads with special lubricant on install then shove the wheel in a safety cage and feed the tire a massive over-pressure to fully seat it if that's what it takes.
My XS11/SofA long distance rig has tubeless all round so all I need to carry is a can of Fix-A-Flat to make a temporary repair.
OTOH my XS650/Velorex city rig's sidecar has a wire wheel.
So I gotta carry a can of Fix-A-Flat for the bike plus tire irons, scissor jack, 12V mini-compressor, spare tube and a small squeeze bottle of dish soap for the sidecar's wheel.
 
Hi JesseeS,
I hope that inflating the tube popped the tire all the way onto it's seat?
Next time you buy a new tubeless front, have the tire store install it.
They'll install the tubeless air valve, slather the tire's beads with special lubricant on install then shove the wheel in a safety cage and feed the tire a massive over-pressure to fully seat it if that's what it takes.
My XS11/SofA long distance rig has tubeless all round so all I need to carry is a can of Fix-A-Flat to make a temporary repair.
OTOH my XS650/Velorex city rig's sidecar has a wire wheel.
So I gotta carry a can of Fix-A-Flat for the bike plus tire irons, scissor jack, 12V mini-compressor, spare tube and a small squeeze bottle of dish soap for the sidecar's wheel.

Hey FIT,
Yes the tube popped it all the way on the bead. I think I may go the shop route next time around, just for ease of use. I can see how carrying around all those items would be a pain in the ass. Generally my xs doesn't go to far that help is just a quick call away. Also how about that sidecar rig. I've always been interested in trying to set up a sidecar to this bike
 
Hi JesseeS
it's not difficult to put a sidecar on an XS650, at least it's got a frame, eh? I've built a BSA rig back in the UK and an XS11 rig, an XS750 rig and three XS650 rigs in Canada and none have failed yet.
Here's a string from a welding site that shows you how NOT to do it:-
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.ph...can-be-printed-here-anyways&highlight=sidecar
My son sent me the link when we were building his XS750 rig and you'll see where I chimed in on page 6 post #150 & page 7 posts 153 & 157
 
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Hi JesseeS
it's not difficult to put a sidecar on an XS650, at least it's got a frame, eh? I've built a BSA rig back in the UK and an XS11 rig, an XS750 rig and three XS650 rigs in Canada and none have failed yet.
Here's a string from a welding site that shows you how NOT to do it:-
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.ph...can-be-printed-here-anyways&highlight=sidecar
My son sent me the link when we were building his XS750 rig and you'll see where I chimed in on page 6 post #150 & page 7 posts 153 & 157
Wow that is a crazy thread. I am definitely going to have to do a ton of research. I dont think I'm looking for a full on sidecar, maybe more of a sidecar adventure type rig.
 
Hi JesseeS,
perhaps I should have been more explicit. I am eff-nigh night-blind, what exactly is that light and where can I get one?
Odd enough random fact. I drive a Mack concrete pump and the headlight out of one of those subs in perfectly. Lol. They have an HID version if you are so inclined and not afraid to drop a good dime. May help with the night driving legal thing
 
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