Tracker build series (First set)

[dondlhmn]

Finally got it done. Rode it yesterday to see what makes funny noises/doesn't work right, etc. It still needs graphics and I think maybe it will get them this weekend....gonna be a sort of banner looking black and white checkered flag strip that starts up by the gas cap and goes back to the wide spot on the sides of the seat pan...will get wider and slimmer as it goes I think. Turns out that I don't really like the right hand exhaust header too much and will probably re-make that sometime so that it is tucked in closer to the left one, but still the same length. It rides and runs great...already have had lots of good comments and a couple of guys wanted to buy it or to have me build them one like it!

It started out as a 1981 H model SX650 so, anyway, here are a few pictures (turns out that I could only post 12 pics in this set, so see the second set for more if you are interested) along the way as I built it:

Starting point!

 

[dondlhmn]

More, since you can only do 12 at a time!! Pretty much the second half of the build and showing how it looks pretty much all done except for the graphics! This was my winter project. I did find some surprises along the way, one of which was an oil filter full of "glitter" that came from the broken/worn out front cam chain guide (after about 9500 miles on the engine). The front disc is off of an Aprilia; the front caliper is a Triumph 955i part; The front fender is a cut down Bultaco part; the muffler and the front master cylinder are KTM parts; the headers I made myself out of stainless steel 16 ga mandrel bends; seat base is Omar's; carbs and filters are parts I ordered from here and there; carb spigots made by me and a buddy named Don Lee; chain guard made by me; Fork brace is from TKAT and modified by me for use as a fender mount; wiring is all made up by me, headlight and the little fairing are Moose Racing, turn signals are all from a local Motorcycle place and I put LEDs in all of them; fuel tank is a stock Yammie Special (1981 H model) part; PAMCO ignition and PMA plus wheels and spokes and lots of other small stuff from Mike's XS, frame paint (Austin Tan) done by me, Yellow parts painted in Ferrari Yellow by a guy named Robert Watts here in Reno and lots of other small stuff. I haven't added up all the costs yet and don't know if I really want to know what the total is !!

 

[racerdave]

Nice. How about a full size pic of the right side?

 

[dondlhmn]

OK..here is the right side. Since I took this picture and looked at it a little, I noticed some wires ANNOYING ME ( just above and to the rear of the air cleaners and I have moved them to be out of sight since the pic:

 

[5twins]

Very nicely done. Just a couple small potential problems I see. It appears you've used the stock rubber/metal washers under the outside acorn nuts on top of the head? That may come back to bite you in the future and cause head gasket leaks. It's pretty much S.O.P. to replace them with copper or brass washers. Also, poising the breather filter over the carbs like that may not be a good idea. It could make a mess if any oil comes out. Better to extend it back on a hose to either over the air filters of down behind the motor.

 

[dondlhmn]

Yep...When I put the top end back together, I "just figured" that he gasket kit would have those copper washers in it, but NOT! I have to get hold of a set and, luckily they are all outer studs, so putting the new washers in there will not be a trick at all. As for the filter and the hose, the original plan was to install it like you mention, but when I got to diggin' around in my parts stuff, it turned out that I didn't have the right filter with a spigot on it like I wanted/needed and so I wound up temporarily using what you see on it now. It IS on my list of stuff to change.

 

[dondlhmn]

After I posted my last one, I went out to put together all the receipts for ALL the bucks expended on this project...it was WAY more than I thought I had spent! Also, when I got to digging into the receipts I found where I did, in fact, purchase the filter I wanted for the crankcase breather, so I went on a crusade in my shop to find it...AND I DID...installed it on the end of 9 or 10 inches of hose so it is now between and partly below the carb float bowls. Now I just hope no oil accumulates in the hose/filter, because if it does, it will probably drool out onto the top of the tranny area of the crank case.

 

[pregrid]

Nice job, love those shocks.

 

[dondlhmn]

Nice job, love those shocks.

Thanks. I ordered and then received a set of HAGON shocks and I intended to put those on, but then these Hammerheads sort of fell out of the sky into my lap and then I found a set of NOS rebuild kits for them on FleaBay, so I bought those and overhauled the shocks since I had no idea what kind of a life they had had nor how worn out they COULD be.

 

[Street Tracker]

Cool build dude keep us posted

 

[dondlhmn]

Today, being that it is Good Friday and I have not much else to do, I put up a couple of sets of pictures in the albums section here. Links are (one for the build and one for the finished bike):

http://www.xs650.com/media/albums/1606/

and

http://www.xs650.com/media/albums/1605/

 

[pregrid]

Nice job, beautiful bike!

 

[dondlhmn]

Nice job, beautiful bike!

Gotta like your icon..a little photoshop work??...here are my helpers:

 

[pregrid]

Gotta like your icon..a little photoshop work??..

Nope, that's an actual picture of me. Haloween is a hoot at my house.

 

[dondlhmn]

Just for the fun of it, here is the project I did LAST winter....not a Yamahahahaha, but it IS still a 650 (well, just a little over!) The donor bike was a 1970 Triumph TR6 that was found out in the weeds at a friends place. Tank is an early 1950's BSA and I put a NOS Smith chronometric speedo it it. I made the oil tank, the exhausts, the seat pan, the rear fender loop, the headlight mounts and etc. The seat "spring" is an air actuator that I bought at Grainger and put a Schreder valve in it so the pressure can be set for the rider's weight. The hard tail is something I bought at the San Jose All Brits Show several years ago just to have "in case" I wanted to build something like this. Forks are 6 inch over that I bought from a supplier in England. Carb is a pre-monobloc AMAL (just 'cause I sort of like them). Seat was covered by a guy that does SUPER work and used to work for Harrah's auto museum (Bob Abney) here in Reno. Frame, headlight,rims (the stock ones) and all frame doodahs are black gloss powder coat done by Alltizer's in Mound House, NV and the tin was painted by my buddy Don LEE in my driveway one AM (YES..IN THE DRIVEWAY!!) with 3 stage Black Diamond paint, which is a Cadillac color. I built the wiring harness and the lights are all LED, but since it is a 1970, it does NOT need to have turn signals. My buddy calls it a RAT/BOBBER/CHOPPER and he kind of mumbles it and says it really fast so you can't tell what he actually said. A neighbor named it for me...."The Naked Lady"...which I kind of like!!

 

[pregrid]

Very cool. Beautiful work!

 

[Street Tracker]

Nope, that's an actual picture of me. Haloween is a hoot at my house.

and you say with such a straight face!

 

[pregrid]

....................

 

[dondlhmn]

OK..5twins...here are the brass washers that are going on the outer studs to hold things together....I couldn't get my hands on any locally and having them shipped in would cost more than the darn parts, so I jsut made some...about 15 minutes on the lathe and....SHAZAAM!!...done!

 

[5twins]

Very nice. Boy, I wish I had one of those, lol. I might have a little project for you.