SAWZALL CREW... All hardtailed bikes please take a look inside.

[gggGary]

On Craigslist today.





1979 Yamaha XS650 roller built by the La Crescent High School Chopper Class. Custom built springer and goose necked frame, 45 deg. rake, Twisted Choppers handlebars, Lowbrow tank, Biltwell seat and hinge, Gasbox fender, Burly Brand shocks, 21"spool front rim with 5/8" axle bearings, all powdercoat by Premiere Powdercoating Inc. Needs a front axle. Call or text with any questions. No Calls Or Texts After 9:30 PM

If that got even one kid to think; hey I like wrenching and customizing more than f'n up my life with drugs or what ever..........

 

[jdizon]

Nice! Hard tail that baby

On Craigslist today.



View attachment 42585
1979 Yamaha XS650 roller built by the La Crescent High School Chopper Class. Custom built springer and goose necked frame, 45 deg. rake, Twisted Choppers handlebars, Lowbrow tank, Biltwell seat and hinge, Gasbox fender, Burly Brand shocks, 21"spool front rim with 5/8" axle bearings, all powdercoat by Premiere Powdercoating Inc. Needs a front axle. Call or text with any questions. No Calls Or Texts After 9:30 PM

If that got even one kid to think; hey I like wrenching and customizing more than f'n up my life with drugs or what ever..........

 

[nj1639]

I hardtailed a Triumph 500 back in the early 70's.....ah, youth.
All this talk and use of the word " Haters " makes me think of the radical LGBT crowd........fwiw.

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

Read my first post. I'm embracing the jokes being tossed out. Now if you other people would grow some thick skin and stop being overly sensitive when I speak my mind. Then we would be great. As for trying to act like a 60's biker instead of a poser with a pretend 60's bike. Wtf are you talking about. I'm no poser. I don't follow the herd like some people here. And my bike is not pretending to be a 60's bike. It's just a 78'.

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

That's a cool project^^. S

 

[Scrambled]

On Craigslist today.


View attachment 42585


1979 Yamaha XS650 roller built by the La Crescent High School Chopper Class. Custom built springer and goose necked frame, 45 deg. rake, Twisted Choppers handlebars, Lowbrow tank, Biltwell seat and hinge, Gasbox fender, Burly Brand shocks, 21"spool front rim with 5/8" axle bearings, all powdercoat by Premiere Powdercoating Inc. Needs a front axle. Call or text with any questions. No Calls Or Texts After 9:30 PM

If that got even one kid to think; hey I like wrenching and customizing more than f'n up my life with drugs or what ever..........

Ya, nobody that built and rode choppers back in the day did any drugs at all ........

 

[hard_y_rd]

Jesus guys, don't take it to heart. Just a thread. Hell, I wasn't into bikes until i seen a bobber. Don't know why i wanted to build one. Not like i'm a teeny bopper or anything. Guess i'll have to get it out of my system and build one. I'm almost 40. Not 40. Almost. It's just art.

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

I like to see fn's posts on his "my way" build, and like the bike. I had and rode a hardtail a long time ago. Bought cheap after the PO missed some finer engineering fine points and took out the crank. Rode it all one summer sold it the next spring. It looked a lot like the bike that beat out fn's bike at the hippy fest. Lots of chrome and bright blue custom paint. The Harley guys mostly tried to ignore it. Also had a stock 750 Commando that year rode it a bunch too. Both those bikes had some nasty cornering habits (and front brakes). I've ridden a bunch O different kinds of bikes and am still looking. Doubt I will ever have a "rest of my life" bike.

I don't mind some friction and heated threads now and then, we can only take so many "my battery died" threads..............

Now about hardtails. Here's what I think; you want a hardtail and understand what it is and isn't, more power to you, XS650's aren't rare, if cutting up some old dirt common bike gets you in the garage working with your hands, learning and "inventing" that's a great use of old iron. I'd be willing to bet way more XS's have been crushed or left to rust to death out behind the barn than have been hard tailed. But if I smell some newby that wants a chopper bobber because it looks so cool without understanding what a hardtail is..... I feel duty bound to rattle his cage a bit and least make him think about what he is and isn't getting. And he should at least know that a large segment "real motorcycle riders" do NOT think they are safe or cool to ride in the real world.

Same thinking applies to the hyper sport bikes that you can walk into a dealer and buy. The ZX14 comes to mind. A wonderful incredible piece of engineering that really has no business being on the street, it's just too damn fast. (yes I'd buy another one, I'm weak that way) It's like patrons with loaded Uzi's in the bar, bad things are just too likely to happen.

I will say I think the lounge is a better place for this debate.........


I rode this bike around the yard after "fixin' the 'lectrics" for the builder, scary as hell, it won a show at Sturgis. Builder had to ride it ten miles to the show to enter, he wasn't too thrilled about that.

Exactly Gary.

 

[neanderthal]

+1 here as well. Neanderthal, had heard of but did not know who Hunter S. Thompson was until I read your tag line after reading one of your posts. It made me curious so I have since researched him and he has many great quotes. Excellent choice on your part.
Yamimoto

yeah dude you should read some of his books, you may really dig them. smart man, thats for sure. he also wrote a book on the hells angles, rode with them for it. he bought a sports bike because he knew at some point he'd have to ride faster than them. smart man haha!

Neanderthal- I don't fly off the handle as you pointed out. I know who you are referring too. Lol. I recently got sick of all this and posted what I did in the bobber thread. But I read and spend a lot of time on these forums in hope that maybe I can help or learn something. But when I see the guys talking down or negetive to anybody who does something different is just getting old. They like to interject their point of view even when when hardtail isn't the main question. Lol. For example the top mount thread. And now the who do bobbers handle thread.
I will always speak my mind. And I don't feel it is right that these guys can bully noobs into their ideals. Just because they are longtime members or knowledgable members. I shall cut and post the negetive things being said in these threads.

cool man, glad you didnt take offense to this. as i said i have a hard tail and dig your bike as well. you should always speak your mind, but in some cases no one will budge and it just becomes hot air to them. for example top motor mount. keep riding hard

I don't follow the herd like some people here. .

no one on this form has an original idea, (i say that light heartedly) some of use copy the american bikes being built here and others steal all there ideas straight from japanese culture. either way there are so many tanks, hardtail tail light and so on options out there. we all have killer bikes though. lets start gang. the cocks, back patch can be a rooster clawing a xs650 motor.

 

[hard_y_rd]

If YOU built it, doesn't matter if it rode like a wheel barrow. YOU built it.

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

Neanderthal - I just like to stand up to these dudes then to keep quiet. I know nothing will change. Just like top motor mount. Lol. At the end of the day. Let's just ride!!!!! You have the right idea sir.

Fuck yea!!! The cocks. I like it. I shall find a sticker of a cock and slap it on my bike

 

[Scrambled]

Neanderthal - I just like to stand up to these dudes then to keep quiet. I know nothing will change. Just like top motor mount. Lol. At the end of the day. Let's just ride!!!!! You have the right idea sir.

Fuck yea!!! The cocks. I like it. I shall find a sticker of a cock and slap it on my bike

You do know what a cock slapper is, don't you ? LMFAO

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

Apart from my chick slapping my cock. ... ? Lol

 

[weekendrider]

no one on this form has an original idea, (i say that light heartedly)

True in the literal sense I guess. We all pretty much still use two wheels and that isn't original. We all pretty much use the same power unit again not original.
And John (being no longer with us RIP) isn't on the forum.
And he didn't care for hardtails, bobbers, trackers or cafe'd bikes.
His goal was to ride a stock appearance special. And I don't think there are any as special as his.
He modded that bike till the average 650 rider wouldn't know where to start if something went amiss and I'll venture to say he put on more miles in a year than most will if they own their 650 for a lifetime.
Let's see he pioneered the right side needle to bring the cylinder temps inline with each other.
Lower compression for less vibration.
Figured out the numbers to split the oil tube for a cooler and not starve the top end.
The mod to the throttle linkage for a quicker/shorter throttle throw.
He taught us that you can change the timing with a stock electronic ignition.
These are just a few of his mods. 650skull has most of them compiled in a thread here.
He'd be one of the first to answer a call for help and quick to tell you what he thought about your choice of styles.
I miss John because he was an original and the Rider site because it was no-holes barred site where he could speak his mind.

 

[neanderthal]

some do fully understand thats for sure.

 

[Fndirtygreaser]

Yup. John had lots of knowledge and always seemed to pop in and help. Even if he had just explained the same thing the day before. I actually retarded my timing due to smaller sprockets after looking back on that was the advice he offered. And bike runs great.

 

[gggGary]

"I miss...... the Rider site because it was no-holes barred site where he could speak his mind."

Perhaps that needs to be emphasized.

The guys who help a lot and call idiots, idiots are often the guys who work to make sure you have the right to be an idiot. Many rebels go about blithely unaware that they can only BE rebels because some stick in the mud actually grabbed the levers of power and beat back the "nanny state". You know, those that would swaddle you in bubble wrap and protect you from yourself.
Ask the Aussies who have to have $$$$ engineering studies done before they can ride anything that's not stone stock....

 

[nj1639]

It's been a beautiful April Morning.........sittin' on the fence just waiting.
Cheers to XSJohn, may his memory linger in these pages and in our hearts.

 

[650Skull]

It's been a beautiful April Morning.........sittin' on the fence just waiting.
Cheers to XSJohn, may his memory linger in these pages and in our hearts.

Yes he lingers in my hart and i regularly think of him.

Couldn't agree with a lot of his personal views but he had a way of making fun of issues and the people involved.

A true mechanic.

"I miss...... the Rider site because it was no-holes barred site where he could speak his mind."

Perhaps that needs to be emphasized.

The guys who help a lot and call idiots, idiots are often the guys who work to make sure you have the right to be an idiot. Many rebels go about blithely unaware that they can only BE rebels because some stick in the mud actually grabbed the levers of power and beat back the "nanny state". You know, those that would swaddle you in bubble wrap and protect you from yourself.
Ask the Aussies who have to have $$$$ engineering studies done before they can ride anything that's not stone stock....

Not quite 100% true, only if you want to cut or change the frame. Registration is cheaper by almost half if the bike is modified for a single seat rego. Have to have a compliance plate to show for that.

Almost every day there is some one asking questions about buying a welder for their project or how to, or many amps to weld up framing tube.

Usually the first 2 things that you learn in a welding course will be cause and effect on how heat transfers and what penetration looks like when welding. I remember when my welds i done were cut up to show me what porosity looked like and why that good weld i thought looked ok was just a piece of shit waiting to fall apart.

Litigation is the one and first thing that has eroded the taking of responsibility away from our selves. The US used to be the suing capitol of the world and now Aus is not far behind if not caught up.

Being a rebel and welding/altering frames without an engineers report is not being a rebel it is irresponsible and just plain dangerous because of those wannabes. Not saying it some can't do it, it just needs some accountability.

Look at all these unfinished projects for sale now. Welds may look ok but its whats underneath and the ability of the PO and we all know the PO was the best in his class

 

[Scrambled]

I agree with Skull , well put .