New guy. Thanks for any all future advise or help

[Ngreen]

well im new to the forum. First and formost hello and thank you for any future advise/help/interesting comments.

A little back story.

Ive been riding bikes (dirt bikes) since i was 4 and im now 20. never worked on them or did anything like that (m dad isnt into any of that so i didnt have anyone to teach me) but as the shop bills slowly shifted into the area of things I am responsible to pay for, I have been trying to learn everything I can from whoever I can. I recently bought my first street bike (obviously an xs 650) and have just been tinkering around with it for the last few weeks. Thought id throw up some pics and see what ya'll think about it.

here she is the day i got her, one week after i got it and when I found the tank I want. Let me know what you think and any suggestions on where to go next!

 

[angus67]

love the tread plate on the tank! goin with a drop seat?

 

[Ngreen]

im still deciding. That was the original plan. I bought a set of shorter shock and cut the seat rails off (not pretty but im still learin ). However the guy that i bought the tank off of has a really cool hardtail is willing to sell me as well. I wasnt going to hardtail because I wanted it to look different, but this one is pretty unique.

Any advise on how to bend the seat rails to make a drop seat? i have considered buying the kit but id like to save money wherever i can so I want to use the old ones. I just dont know how to go about bending them. im at a stopping point now. I need to decide what i am going to do with the rear end of the frame before I continue to much further. Now I just sit in the garage and stare it thinking of ideas

 

[I am Carbon]

Welcome Ngreen too the world that is XS looks perdy good from here. check out this thread you might get some ideas. this build is some good work. "My 81' "Bratt" build" by Hombre Verde

 

[angus67]

if i were you, I would't hard tail this one if you are seriously considering buying your guys hardtail.
The kit is nice, but a little spendy right now.
If you ar'nt a big guy, try rebel shocks, or savage shocks. savage shocks are cheap on ebay. and imo , they dont have those wierd holes around the bottom of the shock.

 

[Ngreen]

I have a set of shocks off of a virAgo. They aren't as short as rebel shocks but they will handle a 240 lb guy a lil better I think. I just have to iron out the details on the seat rails. Why is it that you advise to go that way vs a hardtail if you don't mind my asking.

 

[angus67]

if your asking me why i pointed him towards keeping the swingarm, its because he posted he might get his friends hardtail. I figured he might like two different riding bikes?

 

[Ngreen]

Oh ok I understand what you meant now. I'm not planning on buying the whole bike. He built his bike last winter, rode it all summer, just saw a pic in a magazine he wants to build so he is now planning on cutting the back of the bike off and rebuilding the whole thing from the main frame and engine. I am interested in just buying the rear section of the bike and welding it onto my bike? I assume that would work fine so long as I take the time to prep everything before the welding begins? Assuming the hardtail is properly built and everything am I correct in this assumption? Like I said I'm new at this but the theory works in my head...