simple cafe

[Ratranger]

So I traded my 73 triumph spitfire for this 1980 xs650. It has a PMA and a mikes copy of the pamco, wiring is gutted and trashed, home made 2-1 that looks decent and it starts first kick.

Plans are 1st to rewire it. Headlight and taillight work, but no brake lights, turn signals, high beam or handlebar switches are present. So everything is ordered to make a full new harness, and swap to superbike bars.

2nd is to put a real seat on it. I got a stock seat coming from ebay that combined with a banged up tank will become a "cafe" style seat. At the same time the chrome rear hoop will be fixed.

I'm thinking I want to swap the mags out for spokes, I want an 18 or 19 in the back and since it has a drum mag just switching to spokes will be easiest.

Finally I'll fix up the suspension so it rides as good as new.

Should be a fairly simple project since there is no major fab involved, and it already runs.

 

[GLJ]

Should be a fairly simple project

I think I've read that here before.
Looks like you have a good bike to start with.

 

[Ratranger]

Yeah. But atleast this time I'm not starting with a basket case. My last XS started as a rolling basketcase, and took a year and a half to get sorta on the road, and another few months to get fully sorted.

 

[Superjet]

I like it Ratranger! Mine started that way too but plenty o money spent and time. We all love a project don't we? Looking forward seeing the final version you have in mind for it.

 

[Ratranger]

I'm planning on this one being a simple cafe. No EFI, no rephase, no major chassis mods. First thing is redoing the wiring, after that I'll move on to the other areas that need attention.

Here's my other XS. It got the works done to it, and rides really nice. But I'm not looking to go that indepth on this new one.

 

[Ratranger]

Minton mods and a 2" drop ready to install. Also pictured is the fork disassembly tool I threw together.

 

[ThatXS650Guy]

I'm curious to see what you think of the 2" drop. I did that to my '79 but I think 1" would have been better.

 

[Ratranger]

I'll find out, but I can always open the forks up and cut the spacers down. I'm lowering a spare set of forks that I couldn't give away 6 months ago. So atleast I have spares.

 

[Ratranger]

2" drop installed, superbike bars installed, half the adapter for a 19" rear wheel done. Slowly getting things done.

 

[Ratranger]

The chrome hoop has been replaced with a proper hoop. It is shorter than stock, but it already looks tons better. Hopefully tomorrow I can cut the stock for the 2nd wheel adapter, and maybe I'll start drilling the mags.

 

[Ratranger]

Just a few holes to tap and the 19" wheel will be ready to mount on the rear

 

[Ratranger]

1 down 1 to go.

 

[halfmile]

Goes with out saying that I really like this. Speed Holes!. The spoke in the 1:00 position is missing a hole?? Did you make a template?? Looks great.

 

[Ratranger]

The hole is there, I had to double check when I took the picture, but it's hidden by shadow. I did make a template, but I just used it to mark locations and then used the 8" manual indexer on the mill to make sure they all matched.

 

[highboy_coupe]

Looking good, did you get plans for a 19" rear adapter or just make it up as you went? Will you need a spacer for the disk too?

Grim

 

[Ratranger]

I found plans on here and modified them a little. I have a brake side adapter and a sprocket side. It is set up to take the stock rear wheel bearings, as well as stock sprocket. The changes I made were on the inside of the sprocket adapter. Here is where I found it http://www.xs650.com/threads/street-tracker-guys.158/page-3#post-2355. I can do a low tech drawing if the changes I made.

 

[highboy_coupe]

I found plans on here and modified them a little. I have a brake side adapter and a sprocket side. It is set up to take the stock rear wheel bearings, as well as stock sprocket. The changes I made were on the inside of the sprocket adapter. Here is where I found it http://www.xs650.com/threads/street-tracker-guys.158/page-3#post-2355. I can do a low tech drawing if the changes I made.

Cool, what were your reasons for the changes? Yes a drawing would be awesome as I've got to get some adapters made up soon and I need to make a file for a CNC machine

 

[Ratranger]

One side of the wheel is different from the other, and the tapered bit is larger diameter and longer than the drawing allows for as well as the sprocket side bearing being shallower. I'm not gong to run seals since I've got sealed bearings. But this puts the bearings full width and should be more stable than the version where the bearings are in the front wheel location.

 

[Ratranger]

Ok here is the drawing of the changes I made on the ID of the sprocket side adapter.

And a couple pics of them on the wheel without bolts or rotor. And a pic with a stock sprocket sitting in place.

 

[MaxPete]

VERY nice work Ratranger!