poorman9
XS650 Addict
Well guys, I've finally done it! I went for my first ride this weekend.
Back in March I signed up for an account here after buying a couple box of XS parts, a chopped frame and a torn apart motor. Since then you guys have been here to answer questions and offer support anytime I needed it, I want to personally thank anyone who has helped me out with this project, I'd still be staring at a pile of parts in my garage if it weren't for you.
So in the spirit of sharing, I've made this video. It's a time lapse of me rebuilding my topend (for the second time
) and my very first ride.
Now to the build info
I, like a lot of young guys had seen some cool looking bikes on the internet, like the ones from Wrenchmonkees and Deus Ex Machina and got inspired. I posted a want ad on craigslist for an 70-80 Japanese bike, and got this reply "Hey I have a 81 xs650 it's all disassembled but I have everything you need to put it back together.. If your interested in a good easy project bike let me know and make me an offer." $400 later I was the proud new owner of a heaping pile of parts.
It isn't finished, but it's getting there
Info about what you're seeing in that photo above: *
This is how it looked when I bought it
This is how to original owner once had it setup
It dosen't look that bad, but the things was not in good shape, the shocks were just about the break off the mounts, his "welds" were cracking, everything was rattle ran black, the fender had been cut with what looked like tin-snips...
Things I'm still working on:
As you can see I'm going for kind of a tracker/brat-style/dual sport look. If anybody knows a good way to describe this bike, please tell me, people ask, and I don't know what to call the style. After I got the car load of parts home, I started searching the internet for inspiration, other XS builds that I liked. I put together a document with of images and helpful text that I referred to often when making decision about style parts. I didn't plan on sharing it, but maybe it might help someone else out
MultiPage google Doc, with lots of XS images.
Now on with the Pictures!
Back in March I signed up for an account here after buying a couple box of XS parts, a chopped frame and a torn apart motor. Since then you guys have been here to answer questions and offer support anytime I needed it, I want to personally thank anyone who has helped me out with this project, I'd still be staring at a pile of parts in my garage if it weren't for you.
So in the spirit of sharing, I've made this video. It's a time lapse of me rebuilding my topend (for the second time
) and my very first ride.Now to the build info
I, like a lot of young guys had seen some cool looking bikes on the internet, like the ones from Wrenchmonkees and Deus Ex Machina and got inspired. I posted a want ad on craigslist for an 70-80 Japanese bike, and got this reply "Hey I have a 81 xs650 it's all disassembled but I have everything you need to put it back together.. If your interested in a good easy project bike let me know and make me an offer." $400 later I was the proud new owner of a heaping pile of parts.
It isn't finished, but it's getting there
Info about what you're seeing in that photo above: *
- 1981 XS650H*
- Completely re-fabricated rear loop shock mount and seat support
- Custom made seat pan and seat
- Custom battery box, with this 5AH small battery
- Custom Wiring Harness, here's my diagram
- Airbox Delete running K&N Pods
- Boyer Blue Box ignition (installed by PO)
- chopped $12, 6.5in trailed fender
- Junkyard shocks off some kind of big Harley, I'm measuring 14.5" from eye-to-eye (being 6'3", this ride height is great for me)
- Emgo Shorty Reverse Cone Megaphone Mufflers
- 19" on the front, 18" on the back on Kenda K761*
- Biltwell Kung Fu Grips
- 2-in-1 Tach Speedometer made for a Harley
This is how it looked when I bought it
This is how to original owner once had it setup
It dosen't look that bad, but the things was not in good shape, the shocks were just about the break off the mounts, his "welds" were cracking, everything was rattle ran black, the fender had been cut with what looked like tin-snips...
Things I'm still working on:
- Need to clean up and wrap the wiring
- Paint, Paint, Paint.
- Hate my plastic blinkers that I bought
- Temporary licence plate mount
- I've rewired all my switches to one control on the left, so I could find a cleaner looking throttle without all the stock button.
As you can see I'm going for kind of a tracker/brat-style/dual sport look. If anybody knows a good way to describe this bike, please tell me, people ask, and I don't know what to call the style. After I got the car load of parts home, I started searching the internet for inspiration, other XS builds that I liked. I put together a document with of images and helpful text that I referred to often when making decision about style parts. I didn't plan on sharing it, but maybe it might help someone else out
MultiPage google Doc, with lots of XS images.
Now on with the Pictures!
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Bratstyle is too chopper sounding, it's not a tracker though, and definitely not a cafe....hmm
