I don't know what style it fits into other than my own, so I just call it "Mjölnir"

I've been riding and working on this a lot lately, and I'm way overdue for a detailed update, but I'm going to save that for a little later when I'm more "done".

For now, here's a snap my buddy took of me last weekend. We rode from Austin to Leakey, Texas (about ~180 miles, give or take) and rode the Three Sisters/Twisted Sisters on Saturday.

I dropped to a 32T in the rear, and now this thing cruises at 80mph like a dream. I was so glad to have my light nimble bike when we were out on the twisties... I was having waaaaay more fun than my friends that were on bigger Harley's.

The front end that is pictured deserves a mention, as I have it to thank for my level of fun... Swapping to a 35mm front end allowed for proper alignment of the Brembo caliper, so I finally have enough clearance to run new brake pads. I've never had sintered brakes before, and after spending a day using them heavily all I can say is "damn." Pay no attention to the chrome front wheel. I robbed it off of a barn find I'm kinda working on at the very last minute when the wheel I originally planned to run (a 21") wouldn't work.

A little more work, and more detailed update and photos soon, I promise!

XobCtSn.jpg
 
Airwolfie said:
Looks like you had fun! :thumbsup::D

So you running a stock front sprocket with a 32 at the rear?
Click to expand...

Yeah, 17/32 and opted for 520 sprockets and chain this time around.

Also since I was travelling with others that actually had gauges, I was able to calculate my mileage... I got 60mpg both travelling straight on the highway in 5th, and during the day of twisties. That day I was running through almost all the gears, but heavily in 2nd–4th.

Psyched.
 
the_nutt said:
- - - I got 60mpg both travelling straight on the highway in 5th, and during the day of twisties. That day I was running through almost all the gears, but heavily in 2nd–4th. - - -
Click to expand...

Hi nutt,
the photo sez it all:-
Simplificate and add lightness
Have you ever weighed that machine?
Weight reduction really helps in getting better gas mileage.
 
fredintoon said:
Hi nutt,
the photo sez it all:-
Simplificate and add lightness
Have you ever weighed that machine?
Weight reduction really helps in getting better gas mileage.
Click to expand...

I tried one day to get an idea of what it weighed with my bathroom scale, and no matter how I did it I always came to about the same thing: 330–350lbs. I'm want to go to a scrapyard or something soon and sit it on their big truck scale to get the real weight though.
 
Great build thread, and great bike, Nutt! My first contact with an XS650 was in 1977, down in Del Rio. Texas sure has some great riding weather, but some wicked long-ass roads though!
 
the_nutt said:
I tried one day to get an idea of what it weighed with my bathroom scale, and no matter how I did it I always came to about the same thing: 330–350lbs. I'm want to go to a scrapyard or something soon and sit it on their big truck scale to get the real weight though.
Click to expand...

Got a how-to for that:

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35926

As much as yours is stripped down, that 330-350 lbs is quite believeable.

Higgy said:
Texas sure has some great riding weather, but some wicked long-ass roads though!
Click to expand...

I'm glad the_nutt got the "Twisted Sisters" run in before the El-Nino hit. Some areas out there recently got over 6" of rain.

You might've heard that we've got "miles and miles of nothing but miles-and-miles"...
 
I kind of miss ol' Del Rio. Charming little town back then. Probably a gang-infested nightmare now.
 
TwoManyXS1Bs said:
Got a how-to for that:

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35926

As much as yours is stripped down, that 330-350 lbs is quite believeable.

I'm glad the_nutt got the "Twisted Sisters" run in before the El-Nino hit. Some areas out there recently got over 6" of rain.
Click to expand...

Ha! That's actually the thread I followed to do my weighing. Small world.

I want to go back to the "Twisted Sisters" soon. Those roads are too much fun.
 
Thanks to the amount of fun I had on the pavement of Three Sisters, and the realization that my bike and I aren't on dirt 98% of the time, I decided to stop trying to make this heavy thing with no clearance a dirt bike and make it more fun for the riding I'm actually doing.

Updates:
- KC headlight
- HHB fork brace
- I built a new 18" front wheel
- Avon Road Rider tires - 120/90 rear, 110/90 front
- New 14mm master cylinder - smaller, and with an electronic brake light switch
- Serious upgrade from the stock/heavy XS brake rotor

Just doing figure 8's in a parking garage for an hour last night was so much fun. Really psyched on the setup. Hopefully I get around to wrapping my new seatpan this week..

970NdU8.jpg
 
I like the way you think mcnutt! what width rims? did you use the mikes 18" ss spokes? I'm about to pull the trigger on a pair of the mikes 2.5x18 rims to do a matched pair front and back So any info on the rims and spokes you used and how it went would help! How are you liking that front brake? any comments about what you have done with suspension so far?
 
gggGary said:
I like the way you think mcnutt! what width rims? did you use the mikes 18" ss spokes? I'm about to pull the trigger on a pair of the mikes 2.5x18 rims to do a matched pair front and back So any info on the rims and spokes you used and how it went would help! How are you liking that front brake? any comments about what you have done with suspension so far?
Click to expand...

Both rims are the 2.5" WM style from Mikes. And you're right, I used the 18" front conversion kit from Mikes as well.

Lacing it was straightforward and not really any different than when I built the rear wheel. To tension and true it, I bought a balancing stand from Harbor Freight for ~$30 and used a dial gauge to get it straight. The axle of the balancer wasn't as wide as the balancer arms, so I drilled a couple of holes and tightened a piece of all-thread through them to bring them together.

Da976Qm.gif


I'm absolutely loving the matching wide rims, wheel sizes, and fat sticky tires. No more second-guessing dual sport tires I never use! haha

The Brembo caliper is great. I ran it with the stock XS2 front end, MC, and disc before this setup as well. With the stock master cylinder there wasn't much play in the brakes, but they also didn't feel too touchy while working SO well. The new master cylinder and rotor combo are feeling really nice (and look tech as fuck).

Suspension wise, the rear shocks are Hagons from David Quinn. Highly recommend calling him and talking through suspension. I rebuilt the front forks and installed emulators with stock weight oil. Its all pretty stiff, but not so much that cruising around town isn't enjoyable. I have a 1" HHB lowering kit that I'm going to put in the forks soon. That should help even it out a touch, as well as increase the perceived headtube angle.
 
Thanks the nutt! I am REALLY lichen this. I did that rim on a rear last year the spoke hole alignment fought me pretty hard, I ran a couple thousand miles without problem but there is some bowing on the rear spokes. Your fronts look great! The mikes emulator, or the real deal?
 
gggGary said:
Thanks the nutt! I am REALLY lichen this. I did that rim on a rear last year the spoke hole alignment fought me pretty hard, I ran a couple thousand miles without problem but there is some bowing on the rear spokes. Your fronts look great! The mikes emulator, or the real deal?
Click to expand...

I've been running the rear for almost two years with no issues, and just re-tensioned/trued it when I mounted the new tire over the weekend. It was out of true, but not bad at all (especially since that's the first time I re-tensioned it since I built it :doh:).

Here's hoping you and I don't blow out any more spokes; though I guess that's kinda what we get for not springing for Excel rims, haha.

I didn't even know what emulators were until I scrolled past them on Mikes and Googled. I went ahead and ran those from Mikes to try them out and see if they worked better than the 50 weight oil I had in there. Needless to say the ride quality has improved dramatically. I'm really happy with the Mikes emulators. This might be my inexperience with suspension talking, but I can't tell where they fall short of Racetech ones, if they do; and I can't really argue with $60 vs $200 for a fun project that isn't a full-on race bike.
 
I have too say, you are the only one you have to please . so if you like the way you have built your bike stay with it , but I will say it look's great stay in the wind .
 
Protip: don't reuse gaskets, skip doing a shakedown run, and immediately embarkon a 50-mile round trip. Oil will mist everywhere and make right turns "interesting", haha.

Checked the oil during the trip, and when I got home and the level was never low; so it was just a mist making things difficult.

HxB9P6E.jpg
 

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