XS650 Build Round 2!

[andrsn]

I built an XS650 bobber/chopper thing a few years back. Ups, downs, turnarounds... Got a swamp creature looking bike and a rigid frame off the local Craigslist and spent a winter and a spring piecing it all together. Came out as I intended more or less, but as the project progressed, so did my skillz and by the end of it there was so much I wanted to redo or change that I essentially decided to start over. So, with only 50 miles or so on the bike I took it apart to try and make things right or at least, less wrong.

I'll try and document things as I go, can't promise I'll be done anytime soon, but I'd love to ride this thing before the summer ends.

 

[andrsn]

This is the bike more or less as it was after the 1st build, don't really have any decent pictures, just one after it was siting in the garage for a summer with a flat tire

 

[andrsn]

For the "Exteme Makover" I'm gonna go with a board tracker style frame, 18" wire wheels, girder fork, split under spine mounted tank, leaf spring seat, some rabbit ear retro bars and one billion other little things...

I'll just stop blathering and try and post a ton of photos, cause everyone prefers to read 1,000 words at a time anyway.

 

[scabber]

Sounds like a pretty ambitious project. The bike you took apart looked pretty good. I would fix that tire and put it back together and ride another 500 miles.

 

[lowerc]

I would ride 500 miles......... and ride 500 more

 

[angus67]

most fall into the category of skills and eyecrometers improved during a build.
That's why most have many builds. My first bike turned out fine, as did yours, But looking back I know I can do better now. I re-wired my bike three times before it wasn't a laughable mess. It ran each time, but it made me think of spaghetti all the time.
What about it do you want to change?
Frame looks fine, a little crowded, but fine. Keep the exhaust? Change tank and mount high? Taller bars? what appeals to you about others that has you swinging to V.2?

 

[andrsn]

I liked the bike the way it was alright, but I wanted to build something more custom/handmade. Something that is really mine, more vintage looking, more unique, and using minimal over the counter parts. I enjoy building and fabricating as much as I do riding, I've got newer bikes that will always be more reliable, this build and the others I do are just fun hobbies.

Here is the frame when just the bottom rails were bent and first fit up. took a lot of measuring against the old frame to get things where I wanted them. a little more rake and a little more stretch, and a little more drop! but nothing extreme

skip ahead, spine tube has holes drilled where the under spine tank will mount. the spine took forever to shape because I want the profile to match as closely to the tank profile as possible

got the head tube slotted for its future social security number...

blamo, frame is all tacked together. don't think this took a weekend, i'm just getting up to speed on the build. might still shorten up the rear, with the motor on there and the chain mocked up it seemed like it may be stretched a little too much, but i'll mess around with it more to make sure its where i want it

finally got a respectable milling machine. bought it from a friend just 6 blocks away. took 4 hrs to move it 10ft. but it is soooooo sweet. To be honest I love rebuilding and refurbishing old machinery at least as much as i like building bikes.

made the first part of the seat support

little shot of the motor mounts, easier to appreciate them when they don't have stuff bolted to them, but i can't locate the pile of 10 that i made a few weeks ago. hopefully they turn up so i don't have to make more.

new, shorter steering stem for the girder forks. triples are also done, i'll take some pics soonish...

neck gussets being drilled out

neck gusset mockup, maybe the theme of the bike will be: Why is there a hole here?

I like where I had the reg/rec located before but the piece of sheet metal this replaced was pretty sorry looking. Starter motor? Psssh, talk about dead weight! this thing will gladly take its place...

 

[andrsn]

Almost have the new triples/steering stem ready to go. Fit it up and it seems good, but i will need to make a little spacer and do some small adjustments before they're 100% complete. good enough to put in the fork jig and start making my girder forks though...

gonna run some harley poly urethane bushings, not sure what type of bars i'm gonna go with. maybe some rabbit ear type bars

installed on the neck, everything feels smooth

 

[NewestOnTheBlock]

everything looks like its going good so far.

andrsn, I'm really digging that exhaust in your first post, the curved pipes. Did you build that or get it somehwere?

 

[andrsn]

everything looks like its going good so far.

andrsn, I'm really digging that exhaust in your first post, the curved pipes. Did you build that or get it somehwere?

yeah, they are a cool set of pipes. i got them here:

http://www.xs650exhaust.com/index.php?p=1_9_Curved-Drags

 

[scabber]

Now it makes more sense for the new build. I'm impressed nice shop and fabrication skills. The board tracker look is a fine platform for your build. Looks like you have been busy. Frame looks good.

 

[pat_in_the_hat]

dang man. Im liking that frame.

Im not guna lie, im really jealous of that mill and a lathe

 

[andrsn]

This a few weeks old because i'm terrible at posting to my own threads. Mocked up the frame with wheels to take some measurements for the girder forks i'm building and may be able to finish up this weekend. Frame is also done now except for various mounting bungs and what not...

 

[4x4FAB]

Lookin good! What kinda tube roller you using? I think a roller is next on my tool list.

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[Lester]

impressive work on the frame!

 

[reelop19]

I haven't seen those axle plates before. What are those?

 

[bobber_xs]

sick build wow

 

[andrsn]

I'm bad at updating this thing. Got the girder forks all jigged up and tack welded. I ended up swapping out the outward facing pieces of tubes to get more of a vintage look vs. the big curved tubes you see here (which look a little too modern the look i'm trying to get on this bike).

 

[andrsn]

Finally got a roller! Pushed it outside the garage to step back and look at the lines. I like the forks better with the straighter tubes in the front. They look wavy in the photo for whatever reason, but I swear they're straight in real life.

I wish that front wheel wasn't rattle canned black, but it was a cheap find in good condition.

I took some rack/trail measurements once everything was together and realized its gonna be a little tighter handling bike than I wanted, but i'm gonna push forward with it and see how it rides before I start changing anything. I'm sure it'll be fine for around town and small trips at lower speeds.

 

[fredintoon]

Finally got a roller! Pushed it outside the garage to step back and look at the lines. I like the forks better with the straighter tubes in the front. They look wavy in the photo for whatever reason, but I swear they're straight in real life.
I wish that front wheel wasn't rattle canned black, but it was a cheap find in good condition.
I took some rack/trail measurements once everything was together and realized its gonna be a little tighter handling bike than I wanted, but i'm gonna push forward with it and see how it rides before I start changing anything. I'm sure it'll be fine for around town and small trips at lower speeds.

Hi andrsn,
I too am envious of the lathe, the mill and that you have space to put them.
BTW, while Webb girder forks had straight tubes, Druid girder forks had curved ones so yours will look fine whatever shape you make them.
If you are worried about the front wheel trail, you could use the same eccentric bushing design that adjusts the rear wheel to adjust the fork link length?