Rlauchard
XS650 Addict
I've been on this site now for 2 years come this Christmas. I've come a long way working on my bike, but I've never put all of my work into a single build thread to document any of it...so this is it.
Background: I was a 36 year old father of two when I decided that I was tired of sitting at work all day not making anything (I work for the retail brands Macy's/Bloomingdale's) , then sitting in front of the TV at night passing time. It was time to learn something, so I decided to learn about motorcycles. I found this bad boy sitting on a renters porch with wee little kittens climbing all over it.
I talked the guy into giving it to me for $450.00. He said it ran, but the main fuse was popping and he didn't know what to do with it. I took a chance, purchased the bike and dragged it to my tiny room just off my garage that the previous owner used to store his trash cans.
It turned out to be a 1981 XS 650 Special, SH model. The thought from me was that this would be fun...the thought, or rather hope from my wife was that I'd fail miserably and not put myself in danger. And so....it began....
Background: I was a 36 year old father of two when I decided that I was tired of sitting at work all day not making anything (I work for the retail brands Macy's/Bloomingdale's) , then sitting in front of the TV at night passing time. It was time to learn something, so I decided to learn about motorcycles. I found this bad boy sitting on a renters porch with wee little kittens climbing all over it.
I talked the guy into giving it to me for $450.00. He said it ran, but the main fuse was popping and he didn't know what to do with it. I took a chance, purchased the bike and dragged it to my tiny room just off my garage that the previous owner used to store his trash cans.
It turned out to be a 1981 XS 650 Special, SH model. The thought from me was that this would be fun...the thought, or rather hope from my wife was that I'd fail miserably and not put myself in danger. And so....it began....