Hamburger
XS650 Member
Hello everyone!
I've been lurking for a while already but now it was really time to sign up and ask you guys for information about my latest acquisition.
I've had my first XS650 some 25 years ago, foolishly sold it and fettled 2-stroke Yamahas in the meantime. I thought it would be nice to have another XS and imported a standard one from the US, as most of the early ones in Germany seem to be chopped up or modified.
But then I figured out it would be even nicer to have one with a lighter frame, (maybe to do some vintage road racing again) but as you will know, aftermarket frames for an XS650 are quite rare. In Germany Manfred Rau made two spine frame bikes in the 70ies and they did not even surface again yet.
So I turned to the more common (in the US that is) flat track frames and as a friend had been racing an XS in the 90ies and was in touch with Shell Thuet for some performance parts back then I concentrated on his frame kits and wondered if they'd be working as a road going bike.
Then a bike described as "Shell Road Racer" turned up in Denmark being offerd for sale with the following story:
The bike was built for someone in the US by Shell Thuet in the 80ies being one of two so called road racers built by him. The bike is said to have been entered in some racing events (what class?), proved unsuccesfull and was then outfitted as a road bike featuring a standard engine, the racing engine being set aside on a round blue painted engine stand. The son of the owner sold it off to Denmark where I bought it from.
Closer inspection revealed that it looks like we have a slightly modified Shell dirt track frame including a EPM/Magni rear wheel with the typical Grimeca rear brake assembly that you find on some of the Shell dirt trackers. Front end looks like 80ies Kawasaki to me with the front wheel consisting of the typical Kawasaki-inner welded to a Sun-USA outer rim. Strange brew!
Front brake were 4-pot Lockheeds.
Body parts (unsure about fairing) are made to measure by First Klass Glass who are known for their dirt track glass parts.
The racing engine is stamped a low 447-number but seems to feature an older head with four 3-bolt valve covers reading YH 38 inside. Rockers have been ground blade-like to save weight, the blueish valve springs look like Kibblewhites to me showing alloy retainers too. Valves are standard size, head looks ported.
The barrels have 743cc imprinted and are 80mm bore with matching Shell pistons. Crank has 140mm Shell rods. Some race igintion sits on the left side of the crank.
Carbs are missing, exhaust is a custom made 2-into-1-system featuring ca 3"long inner sleeves in the headers.
It's obvious that the racing engine has not been running much.
I'll be in the workshop again today so can shoot some more/better pics if requested.
So what did I buy? Does anyone of you recognize that bike? What about the story of Shells effort in building road racers?
Cheers from Hamburg/Germany,
Nils
I've been lurking for a while already but now it was really time to sign up and ask you guys for information about my latest acquisition.
I've had my first XS650 some 25 years ago, foolishly sold it and fettled 2-stroke Yamahas in the meantime. I thought it would be nice to have another XS and imported a standard one from the US, as most of the early ones in Germany seem to be chopped up or modified.
But then I figured out it would be even nicer to have one with a lighter frame, (maybe to do some vintage road racing again) but as you will know, aftermarket frames for an XS650 are quite rare. In Germany Manfred Rau made two spine frame bikes in the 70ies and they did not even surface again yet.
So I turned to the more common (in the US that is) flat track frames and as a friend had been racing an XS in the 90ies and was in touch with Shell Thuet for some performance parts back then I concentrated on his frame kits and wondered if they'd be working as a road going bike.
Then a bike described as "Shell Road Racer" turned up in Denmark being offerd for sale with the following story:
The bike was built for someone in the US by Shell Thuet in the 80ies being one of two so called road racers built by him. The bike is said to have been entered in some racing events (what class?), proved unsuccesfull and was then outfitted as a road bike featuring a standard engine, the racing engine being set aside on a round blue painted engine stand. The son of the owner sold it off to Denmark where I bought it from.
Closer inspection revealed that it looks like we have a slightly modified Shell dirt track frame including a EPM/Magni rear wheel with the typical Grimeca rear brake assembly that you find on some of the Shell dirt trackers. Front end looks like 80ies Kawasaki to me with the front wheel consisting of the typical Kawasaki-inner welded to a Sun-USA outer rim. Strange brew!
Front brake were 4-pot Lockheeds.
Body parts (unsure about fairing) are made to measure by First Klass Glass who are known for their dirt track glass parts.
The racing engine is stamped a low 447-number but seems to feature an older head with four 3-bolt valve covers reading YH 38 inside. Rockers have been ground blade-like to save weight, the blueish valve springs look like Kibblewhites to me showing alloy retainers too. Valves are standard size, head looks ported.
The barrels have 743cc imprinted and are 80mm bore with matching Shell pistons. Crank has 140mm Shell rods. Some race igintion sits on the left side of the crank.
Carbs are missing, exhaust is a custom made 2-into-1-system featuring ca 3"long inner sleeves in the headers.
It's obvious that the racing engine has not been running much.
I'll be in the workshop again today so can shoot some more/better pics if requested.
So what did I buy? Does anyone of you recognize that bike? What about the story of Shells effort in building road racers?
Cheers from Hamburg/Germany,
Nils
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Quite expensive, but absolutely necessary when your leading a race and you want to keep an eye on the bikes behind you. Note that everything in the mirror is upside down when fitted that way, but you'll get used to that immediately.
