So what's the plan? Ride the wheels off it... winter transformation... a little of both?
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Just Ride.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
First part of the plan will be to get it titled and plated in QC. That's going to require some mods to pass the mandatory inspection. At a minimum, it will need a rear fender, front fender, conventional running/brake light, chain guard and quite possible larger indicator lights. Then we'll ride the wheels off it to see where it's at. I don't think that I'm going to transform much as I rather like it as it is. Time will tell.
I looked at the original posting for that bike, theres way more money in parts alone than he was asking for it...just that M-Unit stuff alone.
It looks like a lotta fun.
I'd sure like to hear a sound clip of those mufflers...
I'll see if I can oblige... it is very subdued (downright quiet) at idle and in the lower rpm range. Those are "Quiet-er Core" cone / reverse cone Cone Engineering mufflers.I'd sure like to hear a sound clip of those mufflers...
Believe it or not, I haven't really taken it for a test ride yet. I tend to agree that it will be a whole lotta fun. It is certainly very smooth and response at lower revs. Ride report to follow...I looked at the original posting for that bike, theres way more money in parts alone than he was asking for it...just that M-Unit stuff alone.
It looks like a lotta fun.
Ride report... Our XS650s can be night and day different. My 750 tracker is "exuberant " while my more sedate Red Bike is "willing and eager".There is night and day difference between the two.
I could well imagine. My 77 D feels like a heavy slug... its just plain clunky, especially compared to my XT350 with its supermoto set-up and incredibly smooth-shifting tranny. In all fairness though, the real issue with the 77 is that the clutch is heavy, slips a little and the tranny finds a false neutral between gears. All that makes for an uninspiring ride. The new bike (it's an 80) has a wonderful clutch / tranny and is a joy to operate, by comparison. Just serves to show me what the 77 could be with a better clutch and shift mechanism adjustment.
What kind of clutch is in the new bike?
Other than the big bore kit, what mods have you done to the tracker?
The tracker got a fender, brake m/c, line and caliper rebuild, SS regulator, wiring clean-up, bars and risers, longer shocks, tires, polishing of cases and covers, added restriction to quiet the pipes, foam pods and laborious rejetting. The track admittedly needs fork work and seals and Minton mods will go in this winter. The Red Bike also has longer shocks but the difference between the two may come down to the trackers softer sagging front end and the Red Bike's slightly higher and slightly wider bars. The Red Bike's thin seat is only a little higher than the tracker perch. I am a firm believer that ergonomics play an important role in my perception of handling and I am considering higher wider bars also.
I'm told by the seller that it is a Barnett clutch with EBC springs, actuated by a one-piece pushrod. It's actuation is very smooth and progressive.
Hung an illegitimate plate on it and took it for a test spin. What a revelation! Smooth and progressive clutch and power delivery. Tranny shifts up /down very smoothly, not clunky at all. Pulls revs readily but may have a bit of a flat spot when the throttle is cracked around 4500 rpm. Springing is stiff but not uncomfortably so. Significantly faster than my '77 D. I think its a keeper!
I attended a bike meet in Toronto today. It was hosted by a ”boutique” motorcycle shop. They said they expected 500 bikes to show and it would be one of the biggest meets in Canada. I’m guessing more like 350 showed up It was held in the Distillery District, an area in the heart of Toronto that produced beer and liquor back in the late 1800’s and had limited operation for other products through to 1987. Wonderful place to walk around - cobblestone streets, great old buildings and displays of old equipment and tools. There was a wide range of bikes present. I’d say over 50% were Harley’s. The rest was a mix of everything else, but I’d say less than 5% of the total were vintage bikes, so I’m glad I took the XS. Here’s a few pics of some of the bikes I saw plus a 10 ft high drill press and giant manual brake press. Interesting day
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Can someone ID the old black Harley? 1940?
Not expert enough to spec a single year, but appears to be a WL45 dates 1940-1952
Good collection of bikes. My favourites - the H-D flathead and the Scott Flying Squirrel. Used to meet old men who had owned a Scott back in the day and notably every one of them raved about the bike. Often said to have been well ahead of its time.