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tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Cheers Wes, all credit due!!
Yeah the seat fits great, I haven't yet welded on any mounts so when its all tight it will sit flush.
Thats crazy about the BMX! I literally 2 days ago pre-ordered a T-1 Barcode. Have always wanted one since about 2000 and this will be my first. Cant wait.
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tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Looking great, real nice build you have going there. Thanks for sharing.
About the seat, how do you mount it to the frame? Or Weston could chip in?
So Wes made the seat fit perfectly onto the stock frame as long as you cut some of the mounts off, like the seat lock etc.
The seat has essentially 2 nuts mounted into the pan, which bolts thread into, all I have to do is make some tabs and weld them to the frame in the right place to accept the bolts.
Will post pics when I have done it.
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tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Looking forward seeing some pics
Thanks @vsop-dk ill have em soon
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
So I managed to get a few hours in today, We are having some beautiful weather here in the Bay Area, it was tempting to take the other bike out instead. I feel very sorry for everyone living over in the east coast at the moment.
Main order of the day was sorting the battery box. I've kind of been racking my brain about how to get this to mount in a way that works, looks nice and that I can do with my limited skills, and am pretty happy with the result.
My first go went terribly, I made a template out of card of the space, then cut some 16G into the shape with flaps, that I planned on bending up into place, and welding the gaps. It was a nightmare. I am cutting everything with a hacksaw so nothing fit as it should. Here is the monstrosity that i threw away:
The next plan was to cut the base, then make the sides separately and weld them into place after bending them. I also had a nightmare bending the last version, so a dremel was used to 'score' the inside of the bends which made it much easier.
Here is the template:
And here is what it looks like on the bike. Its a little deeper than I would like, but its as deep as the battery is so fits everything:
The wiring needs tidying up a little but its all in there. Starter solenoid and all! Really happy. This was also the first time I have welded so Im pretty happy with how it came out. (Im not showing you my ugly welds though!!). The bottom will have some rubber mat on it anyway so that should never be seen. Next is to paint it.
Oh also I solved the upper mount suspension bolt deal. It was that hideous nut that holds the stock grab bar on that is about 3 inches long. I had some advice from people on the forum here to use washers to fill out the space where the grab bar was, then bought a new bolt to replace the old one. Looking much neater. One of these washers will be replaced with a turn signal bracket, but heres how its currently looking.
Oh also took delivery of the Tires. Cant wait to mount them but I got some more wiring to sort out first.
Main order of the day was sorting the battery box. I've kind of been racking my brain about how to get this to mount in a way that works, looks nice and that I can do with my limited skills, and am pretty happy with the result.
My first go went terribly, I made a template out of card of the space, then cut some 16G into the shape with flaps, that I planned on bending up into place, and welding the gaps. It was a nightmare. I am cutting everything with a hacksaw so nothing fit as it should. Here is the monstrosity that i threw away:
The next plan was to cut the base, then make the sides separately and weld them into place after bending them. I also had a nightmare bending the last version, so a dremel was used to 'score' the inside of the bends which made it much easier.
Here is the template:
And here is what it looks like on the bike. Its a little deeper than I would like, but its as deep as the battery is so fits everything:
The wiring needs tidying up a little but its all in there. Starter solenoid and all! Really happy. This was also the first time I have welded so Im pretty happy with how it came out. (Im not showing you my ugly welds though!!). The bottom will have some rubber mat on it anyway so that should never be seen. Next is to paint it.
Oh also I solved the upper mount suspension bolt deal. It was that hideous nut that holds the stock grab bar on that is about 3 inches long. I had some advice from people on the forum here to use washers to fill out the space where the grab bar was, then bought a new bolt to replace the old one. Looking much neater. One of these washers will be replaced with a turn signal bracket, but heres how its currently looking.
Oh also took delivery of the Tires. Cant wait to mount them but I got some more wiring to sort out first.
CoastsideXS650
Princeton Motor Works
I saw you had some small crash bars on the original bike you got? You planning on using them?
Maybe I could convince you to let them go to me. I'm in San Francisco. PM me and let me know if you still have them.
Maybe I could convince you to let them go to me. I'm in San Francisco. PM me and let me know if you still have them.
Nice work on the box, and shock mount. Looks much better.
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Thanks Brassneck, and thanks again for the fuelling advice you gave the other day on another thread. Ill be digging into that Petcock this weekend to find the problem
you bet, that's what this forum is for. And post back on the petcocks...curious to learn what the outcome is.
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
So update!
I got the new tires mounted on the painted wheels, they are BIG. Shout out to Paul at P&M Motorcycles in Petaluma for mounting and balancing them without scratching the paint and without judging me for putting huge tires on my bike! Seem like great guys there.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/p-and-m-motorcycles-petaluma
Also got all of the rust and oil and crap off of the brake hardware and chainring, so mounted it all back up to the bike. Fits with no problem and I actually have more clearance than I thought I would, even with the larger tire.
Here is how shes looking currently, I also painted the battery tray, and I think that will be the task for the weekend is mount that with all the electrics fitting in a non-messy way.
I got the new tires mounted on the painted wheels, they are BIG. Shout out to Paul at P&M Motorcycles in Petaluma for mounting and balancing them without scratching the paint and without judging me for putting huge tires on my bike! Seem like great guys there.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/p-and-m-motorcycles-petaluma
Also got all of the rust and oil and crap off of the brake hardware and chainring, so mounted it all back up to the bike. Fits with no problem and I actually have more clearance than I thought I would, even with the larger tire.
Here is how shes looking currently, I also painted the battery tray, and I think that will be the task for the weekend is mount that with all the electrics fitting in a non-messy way.
tom4130, thats one nice bike you got there. Great inspiration for the NeXT build. drool nice batterybox and nice welds if thats first time.
just two questions, as nonno asks whats the battery? coulkd you shoot a link and allso what dimensions are your battery case?
NeXT, what mufflers are those and what are the sound? are they loud or semi loud or more silent? Thanks
nice batterybox and nice welds if thats first time.just two questions, as nonno asks whats the battery? coulkd you shoot a link and allso what dimensions are your battery case?
NeXT, what mufflers are those and what are the sound? are they loud or semi loud or more silent?
Thanks
Hi Tom,
no fenders is up to you but the XS650 front fender also serves as a fork brace to help the flexi-forks stay in line.
A TKAT brace works wonders for that.
About the brakes, the stock fabric lines are way past their best-before date.
New ones are better, upgrading to stainless lines is better still.
And drill the brake disks full of holes, that really does help to keep the pads scrubbed clean.
no fenders is up to you but the XS650 front fender also serves as a fork brace to help the flexi-forks stay in line.
A TKAT brace works wonders for that.
About the brakes, the stock fabric lines are way past their best-before date.
New ones are better, upgrading to stainless lines is better still.
And drill the brake disks full of holes, that really does help to keep the pads scrubbed clean.
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Thanks everyone for the kind words and advice,
@nonno, yeah I'm happy with it so far with the ANS tire on the rear. I actually have the firestone champions on a Harley that I have and they are great tires, apart from we have a lot of grooved toads here in California, where the grooves follow the direction of the road, and the Champion tires are a nightmare on them, the tread gets caught in the grooves and it feels like the bike has a mind of its own. I have actually gotten used to it now but it was a bit of a scary experience when I first got onto the grooved roads.
The battery is made by Battery Tender, ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F9LPJ8S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and I got it for a great price ,and it has 240CCA rather than 120CCA of some smaller batteries, so it can turn over the engine on electric start more easily.
@vsop-dk thanks man, I can assure you the welds on the inside of the box aren't pretty at all! I am not with the bike right now and won't be until the weekend, but I can get you some dimensions then. Basically it is the size of the inside of the rails, and just a little deeper than the battery (I think about 3 inches deep) but I will get you some info.
@Fredintoon, yeah man thanks for the thoughts. I will be looking at mounting a rear fender on the rear for sure, and perhaps a brace on the front. I am aware of the potential flexing problem. Yeah i have stainless upper cable on the front brake, but have not yet addressed the flex in the rear brake, so that may be getting the stainless treatment too.
About drilling the brakes...I have a drill press, I have not yet had the time to get to this, but its definitely something I am meaning to do. Any advice on this? The brakes are THICK, I will surely need to get a load of drill bits as it looks like they will wear quickly.
Thanks again man.
@nonno, yeah I'm happy with it so far with the ANS tire on the rear. I actually have the firestone champions on a Harley that I have and they are great tires, apart from we have a lot of grooved toads here in California, where the grooves follow the direction of the road, and the Champion tires are a nightmare on them, the tread gets caught in the grooves and it feels like the bike has a mind of its own. I have actually gotten used to it now but it was a bit of a scary experience when I first got onto the grooved roads.
The battery is made by Battery Tender, ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F9LPJ8S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and I got it for a great price ,and it has 240CCA rather than 120CCA of some smaller batteries, so it can turn over the engine on electric start more easily.
@vsop-dk thanks man, I can assure you the welds on the inside of the box aren't pretty at all! I am not with the bike right now and won't be until the weekend, but I can get you some dimensions then. Basically it is the size of the inside of the rails, and just a little deeper than the battery (I think about 3 inches deep) but I will get you some info.
@Fredintoon, yeah man thanks for the thoughts. I will be looking at mounting a rear fender on the rear for sure, and perhaps a brace on the front. I am aware of the potential flexing problem. Yeah i have stainless upper cable on the front brake, but have not yet addressed the flex in the rear brake, so that may be getting the stainless treatment too.
About drilling the brakes...I have a drill press, I have not yet had the time to get to this, but its definitely something I am meaning to do. Any advice on this? The brakes are THICK, I will surely need to get a load of drill bits as it looks like they will wear quickly.
Thanks again man.
fox23
XS650 Addict
Build looks good so far man, I like those counter balance seats.
Find a friend with a CNC drilling machine and get him to do your rotors. I got the father-in-law to do mine on his and even then it takes forever. If you tackle it with a drill press just make sure you dimple all your hole locations, get lots of Rapid Cut and maybe a couple spare bits.
Find a friend with a CNC drilling machine and get him to do your rotors. I got the father-in-law to do mine on his and even then it takes forever. If you tackle it with a drill press just make sure you dimple all your hole locations, get lots of Rapid Cut and maybe a couple spare bits.
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Thanks fox23. Yeah i may have to end up doing it by hand with the drill press. The CNC machine is a huge plus but my friend base is lacking in the engineering field! Good call on the Rapid Cut, that may elongate some life. Thanks man
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
NeXT, what mufflers are those and what are the sound? are they loud or semi loud or more silent?
Forgot to reply to this man, They are Emgo short reverse megaphone. I think they are some one size fits all style mufflers, they came with some shims for different sized headers. They will be louder than stock for sure, although they do have baffles in them which should reduce the sound a little. I have not started the bike yet as I still have some electrical and engine work to do but I will post a video when I get it going.
tom4130
XS650 Enthusiast
Made myself a little list of stuff to do before its ready for the road. Ordered some small turn signals that I am hoping will arrive for the weekend so I can get most of the wiring out of the way. If not I have some frame work to do so all is not lost.
Check front wheel axle (Think I forgot to torque before I left)
check petcock for blockage / vacuum working
Flip the headlight bracket to uninvert it
wire speedo
turn signal wiring and mounts
clean ground for starter on handlebars
seat mounts fabbed and welded
rear fender cut and mount
license plate and brake light wired and mounted
drill holes for ignition on battery box
sort out throttle sleeve sticking
bleed brakes (especially rear one)
remount rear brake lever a notch higher
buy, cut and mount rubber inside battery box
New Oil
Cam chain clearances
Valve clearances
spray frame and smooth scratches from build.
mount miirrors
Check front wheel axle (Think I forgot to torque before I left)
check petcock for blockage / vacuum working
Flip the headlight bracket to uninvert it
wire speedo
turn signal wiring and mounts
clean ground for starter on handlebars
seat mounts fabbed and welded
rear fender cut and mount
license plate and brake light wired and mounted
drill holes for ignition on battery box
sort out throttle sleeve sticking
bleed brakes (especially rear one)
remount rear brake lever a notch higher
buy, cut and mount rubber inside battery box
New Oil
Cam chain clearances
Valve clearances
spray frame and smooth scratches from build.
mount miirrors
