Yello Mello Chopper

[westonboege]

So I got excited a few months ago when i heard about another xs buildoff. I shy'd away from the one last year because timing was tight and I am halfway across the country from where it takes place.

I keep seeing buildoff threads and I got excited and joined as a builder and sponsor. This means that ill be putting it through about 800 miles on the way to Ohio in August. I cant wait!

I picked this frame up recently. Pre 74 frame. Still thinking about what im gonna do with it, but its gonna be dumb. Hahaha...

Enjoying watching all the threads... should be a rad time for sure though...

 

[westonboege]

Got the frame all stripped down. Time to get a hardtail and cut the rear end off..

 

[Gene]

Awesome to see you joining in on the build-off. I've followed a couple of your threads and you build some great looking bikes

 

[westonboege]

Thanks man... this one should get nutty... moar choppah!

 

[Maurice]

Cat likes the R75

Wish you wouldn't cut it, I like your "standard" builds.

But I'm sure it'll be stunning.

Good luck!

 

[westonboege]

Haha... cat photobombs everytime...

I have plenty of the 'standard' builds... this one might be for myself anyways... plus its a good excuse to build some new parts... hahah

 

[westonboege]

I got an email the other day that my hardtail was in the mail. So i decided to order a few parts and start to see how this thing is going to come together. Been swapping out parts to figure out what i want to use/make.

Used some mini apes, but i wanted them narrower than they were. So i cut about 2" out of the center, drilled, lugged, and welded up the seam. Looking better i think.

 

[westonboege]

Well i finally got my hardtail in the mail, but they didnt send any of the gussets. I got the David Bird hartail, and im not crazy about the triangle gussets that they suggest to use anyways... so I might just make a custom attachment point at the bottom part of the frame.

First things first i rough cut the frame apart.

 

[jdizon]

The apes definitely look way better narrowed. Look forward to seeing more progress on this one.

 

[westonboege]

Thanks man. Should have some fun stuff to figure out on this build. I want to run a jockey shift with a foot clutch. But i need to figure out how to make a lockdown for the foot clutch...

 

[westonboege]

I got the frame cleaned up to the point where i could start fitting the hardtail. Im not using the David Bird gussets because they didnt send any with my frame. But I dont think i wanted to anyway.

It looks like the only reason they put the gussets there is so that the side to side tube that holds the end of backbone doesnt move. I can lug the bottom frame rails. Fill the outer tubing so that it is flush with the rest, and weld in a new crosstube for the end of the backbone that will reinforce the hardtail joint as well.

Looks good in my head. Just have a few more hours of fitting and cleaning before i can stitch it up...

 

[JP50515]

Is that an XT500 hiding in the background? If so please post a pic! it looks immaculate! Also....i'm still extremely jealous of your setup!

 

[westonboege]

haha... it is an xt... I just had it out in the 'blizzard' doing some snow-nuts...

Thing is a monster... Its on the 'project' list too.. .hahaha

 

[JP50515]

Where did you find one in that shape?! Let Me know if you ever pull that tank off and wanna sell it!

 

[JP50515]

Ha took me THREE years to find one...(SR,XT, or TT) for a reasonable price here in MN. And this is what I got.....Had a seized up engine...however I hit a gold mine of just broken in race parts in that engine! The dude had it set up as a 550, cam'd beast of an engine. 11:1 comp and 103 race fuel at a minimum.....I'm dropping it back to 9:1 but keeping all the other mods.


You can kind of see where i'm going with this build at this point. I have no heated space to work tho...so lets just say the seasonal depression has never been worse! haha


I still can't believe the condition your's is in. It's not stock but its close and looks great!

The middle pic is the day I bought it lol!

 

[westonboege]

Nice JP50515! Thats a total score with those parts! Lookin like the project is comin along nice!

Mine was dead stock when i got it. Had a torn seat but came with a new seat cover, so i replaced that. Had a ratty stock exhaust with a supertrap on it.

I replace the exhaust and put some smaller bars on it. Then i replaced the rear sprocket it try and keep the front wheel down.

I plan on pulling mine apart and totally rebuilding with minimal mods. Probably just a new seat and some frame clean up.

Im still on the hunt for a good SR tho... damn fun bikes.

 

[JP50515]

Same...Mine has SR 2J2 valves and clutch. Plus a late stage XT (aka SR) crank. so it's basically a beefed up SR engine. I like how the unpainted SR engines look though. I have yet to ride this thing but I hear they are wheelie monsters. I have 6 sprockets that came with mine ranging from 21 tooth to 52! hahaha i wanna throw it on and see if its even possible to stay planted! Anyway...my new piston shipped today so I'm getting excited...too bad people stole ALL of the electronics except the coil off my bike before I got it...lol


Is it truly a beast? Define beast for me...the anticipation of three years waiting is killing me! Also...what do you think about it as an adventure/roadtrip bike with long jaunts on the highway?


Oh...and on a side note to hit home with the forum.....is it just me or does this "SR 650" send chills down anyone else's spine? It looks freaking production first of all...secondly the XS engine in the SR frame sounds like the perfect concoction of power to weight....honestly I think that combo would be deadly in race application!

 

[westonboege]

I finally got the frame cut and fitted together the way i wanted. I didnt receive the triangular gussets or the top gusset with my frame, and i didnt like the way either of them look judging by the pictures ive seen online. That being said this hardtail is build top notch by David Bird... Pure quality.

I cut off the frame rails closer to the front of the bike and got rid of the stock crossbar that connects the backbone to the bottom rails. I bent a piece of tubing to connect the backbone to the lower frame rails. Then i lugged and welded up the lower rails. Made a patch piece to fill in the low spot. I will still make a triangular gusset for the top of the hardtail, and will most likely either make a gusset or weld the foot peg mounts in a way that will strengthen that joint even more.

 

[Irish_prick]

found ur thread...lol I really like the way u put the db hardtail on. I like the db tails but hate the way the bottom looks on mine.

 

[deadchef]

i really like your bikes! looks like quite a bit of drop in the rear. quality stuff here. can't wait to see it finished!