My 72 XS Hardtail Sorta Build Thread

[YOURADHERE]

So a little back story as to how I came to own this XS. I first became interested in the XS a couple years back when bored at work, browsing ebay. My coloring book was full, so I had to occupy my time elsewhere. It was a hardtailed XS that caught my attention, so I read up on them and had no idea such a huge following existed for them. Over the next couple years I always kept my eye out for one but was never really serious about it. Fast forward a couple years....


So about a month ago my dad went out and bought a brand new, shiny Harley Street Glide. Not that I dont have love for the Harleys, but I told him I could build something way cooler for a fraction of the cost. The search was on. I looked EVERYWHERE. Ebay, Craigslist, local classified ads, under rocks, searching from Houston, TX to Mississippi, from far South Louisiana to Northern LA. It seemed everything I found was no. The ones I could find were junk, the ones that weren't junk sold QUICK. So I expanded my search a little, I figured I was willing to travel, what's a couple more hours?

Within 10 minutes of expanding my search I found one on Friday. The ad read...


"yamaha xs650 - $1000 "
"72 xs650 Bike looks, sounds, and runs great.Just about everything on it new or rebuilt, top end, forks, carbs, electronic ignition,ect. About the only thing that hasnt been replaced or rebuilt is the lower end and the front tire. It has developed shift problems. It is inspected and I have a clear TX title in hand. The price is firm and I will not answer emails with a lower offer."

However the ad had been posted for a couple weeks, surely it had been sold, right? I quickly emailed the guy and it was still available. We emailed back and forth over the weekend and I called him on the 4th. He had a guy coming to look at it the next day but he wasnt going to be there until the afternoon. I asked if he had a problem with me coming earlier and he said as long as I was there before the other guy left to head that way he was cool with it. So I jumped in the truck that night and headed up to Tyler, TX and was at his house at 7am. It was perfect for what I wanted. I had intended to find a stocker to build myself but this one already had most of what I wanted done and it was priced right. Hardtailed, sportster tank, spoke wheels, pretty fresh engine. I was so excited I forgot to even try to negotiate and just handed him the money. While we were loading up the guy that was supposed to come called. Needless to say he wasnt happy, oh well. The seller got his money, and I got my XS.

So my plans, hints the wording "Sorta Build". It's already got about 90% of the modifications I wanted. So my first intention is to diagnose and fix the shifting problem. When the motor is out of the frame Im going to paint the frame, fenders, and tank for sure. Although Im not 100% decided on colors. Ive already ordered TC Bros forward controls and a nice, fender mounted tail light. Also will be putting the front brakes back on and am highly considering a different exhaust. Im not sure if Im diggin the current one or not. Everything else will be decided as I go. On the list of possibilities...

Ditching the sissy bar
Ape Hangers
white walls
black wheels
HID headlight(can the XS's electical system even handle a HID?)
And various other smaller things as I go


It should be a fun project and Im really looking forward to it. I plan to take my time and not rush anything that way it's done right the first time.

And since I know everyone loves pics here's some. These are the ones the seller sent me, I'll be taking my own pics when I get a chance and getting a startup video. I'll also be taking pics as I progress.

 

[PhatTony]

Nice start, I wish I had found one that far done for my project but ehh, who cares, I love wrenching on bikes. Nice thing about the bikes is you don't have to take the top end off to fix the tranny. I just flipped mine to put in the Mikes 5th gear. Might want to think about that upgrade if you replace the whole tranny with a newer one. The 5th gear "overdrive" won't work in a 72.
Not in love with the sporty tank but to each his own, right?
Oh and Welcome to the board.

 

[YOURADHERE]

What all would be involved in swapping the tranny from a 72 to a 78+? Is it as simple as just swapping the gear sets and 78+ drum and shift forks?

 

[Dusty]

A Grand well spent.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Startup and Walk Around vid

 

[YOURADHERE]

A brief update....mainly just wait as the pile of parts gets bigger. The TC Bros forward controls are installed, just waiting on the linkage to come in(forgot to order it with the controls) My brake light came in and was mocked up on the fender. Also chopped the homemade sissy bar and turning it into fender mounts. Gonna order the TC Bros Battery box/tank soon(probably right after I post this) as well as additional signal/brake lights for the rear. Looks like I'll have a full free weekend this weekend so I'll get a buddy, a bbq pit and a case of beer and remove the motor and (hopefully) have a bare frame by Sunday. Also got a set of GordonScott's custom curved drag pipes being fabbed up. So...not much of an update...but more progress should be coming soon....I think...I hope.

Here's what the pipes will look like....

 

[DustyR]

I like the pipes you're having fabbed up. what's that cost ya?

 

[YOURADHERE]

They're $205 w/ those tips or $185 for just straight cuts.


Also, I think Im gonna order the G&L Battery box/oil tank as opposed to the TC Bros.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Ordered the TC Bros Oil tank/battery box last week. Got a buddy to give me a hand today and in a couple hours here's what we had...

Tomorrow I'll be ordering a different Sportster tank with a deeper tunnel to sit lower on the frame. Slowly but surely it's getting there.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Oh and it looks like I'll be redoing the wiring. The current harness works but looks like an electical disaster waiting to happen. It it possible to run wiring through the frame?

 

[inxs]

- you can and it looks clean but you really need to think of this before hardtailing as the plugs used to splice the rear in need to be hollow and its easier to fit the pull throughs before completing the frame

 

[YOURADHERE]

That shoots that down as the hardtail is already complete. Ive got a way of running the tail light wiring pretty clean and out of site without going through the frame. I guess just cleaning up the current harness and tucking everything in the TC Bros tank will clean up the look ALOT.

 

[62pyro]

Looks like a great start (finish?)Where do you get those pipes?I'm really liking the looks of them.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Gordon Scott Engineering is building them. He's a member here and seems to come highly recommended.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Pipes are done and on the way! Here's the pics I was sent from gordonscott. Still trying to decide what to do with them as far as chrome/black VHT/black heat wrap. Also ordered a new Sporster tank with a deeper tunnel so the tank will sit lower on the frame. Heading back to the storage shop this weekend equipped with a grinder and cutting wheel to strip the frame of brackets/mounts the original owner had added. Not being able to have this thing in the shop at home really blows.

 

[YOURADHERE]

So a bit of an update(well not really)...havent made much progress the last couple weeks. We've been in the process of redoing our barn/shop as it goes from mostly barn/part shop to mostly shop/part barn and will eventually be one big ass shop. As you can see crap is still not straightened out. Should have a nice work space complete with tables and a motorcycle/ATV lift soon. I brought the frame over so I can work on it there rather than have to drive 20 miles to work on it.

So I put the tank on and confirmed what I thought, gonna have to cut the neck gussets out and weld in new ones. Also will need to put a new mount on the rear of the tank so it can sit further back. I was going to town with my Dremel tool cutting off the un-needed brackets until my last wheel broke. So instead I sat on it and made motorcycle noises.

 

[stuntdouble]

Nice build. Keep up the good work and keep the updates comin!

 

[YOURADHERE]

A little better pic...cut a few brackets out tonight that the original owner added in.

I was bored

 

[XSLeo]

Who welded on the hardtail? Was it a certified welder? Do you trust your life to his welding? If not I might suggest you get the welds checked out by someone you trust.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Who welded on the hardtail? Was it a certified welder? Do you trust your life to his welding? If not I might suggest you get the welds checked out by someone you trust.

The previous owner was said to be a welder by trade. When I cut the neck gussets out to lower the tank I'll be bringing it to my buddy's father to have the new gussets welded in. He is a certified contract welder in the oilfield and I'll also have him look over the entire frame.