Ryca
XS650 Member
Hi Folks
I just picked up my first bike ever. You could call it a barn score (minus the barn), A 1977 xs650d! The owner didn't have much memory as to the bikes running conditions, where its keys were, or why he hadn't ridden it since 1988 (a year after I was born)... but the price was right (free) ! It looks to me like he laid it down and never picked it back up (it has a broken clutch lever, bent peg, and a few bumps and bruises on one side).
The Goal: I would like to lighten this bike up, and build it out as a cafe/bratt. As its my first bike, I am not looking to harness every last drop of horsepower with engine overhauls, or get too crazy with the geometry, I am looking to build a reliable and clean looking bike. I would like to do as much of the work as possible, and spend under $1000. I would like to have the bike in running condition in the next month and a half ( and hopefully its never finished. )
The Plan: Thankfully I am mostly unemployed for the next month, so time is on my side! I know next to nothing about bikes so I recruited my Old Man to the team. He is pretty damn handy with a wrench, as motivated as long as I keep feeding him twix bars. I am counting on his guidance and garage to get these wheels turning. With me googling wiring diagrams and him trying to fit a square peg into a round hole I think we make a pretty solid team, you could call it a bonding experience ( assuming we dont catch the garage on fire ).
The Current Situation We are a few days into this thing, and finally we got something to write home about. Without keys it took some trial and error getting gas into the engine, and spark to the gas... And some more trial and some more error. We kicked it till we turned blue, then hot wired the starter. Got lost in a maze of wiring diagrams, snipping here and twisting a few wires there, a few bruised knuckles, some freshly cleaned points and she fired right up. If it wasn't for the cloud of smoke and spiders that came crawling out, i wouldn't have believed it sat for 26 years!
Now that its alive, I am proceeding to strip it down to bolts.
I have been compiling a tentative shopping list for the obvious things: new chain, seat, lights, bars, tires etc... and I have a few questions which probably sound obvious, such as:
What is essential to consider replacing at this stage?
Should I rebuild my forks?
Do i need new shocks?
Will lowering my forks a few inches improve or destroy the handling?
Is ditching my electric start with a PMA system a bad idea? ( Dad says it is, but dad is over the hill)
Is painting my wheels flat black, tacky?
( and the list goes on... )
I would love to hear from you all what you wish you had known before you started your build ?
Thanks for tuning in. Plan on hearing more from me as the month unfolds, as questions come up... I have familiarized myself with the search button and found a lot of great information already, don't hesitate to direct me to recommended reading. I keep pics up if people are interested.
I made a short video to waste some time, check it out if you want to hear the bike fire up!!
https://vimeo.com/119102168
I just picked up my first bike ever. You could call it a barn score (minus the barn), A 1977 xs650d! The owner didn't have much memory as to the bikes running conditions, where its keys were, or why he hadn't ridden it since 1988 (a year after I was born)... but the price was right (free) ! It looks to me like he laid it down and never picked it back up (it has a broken clutch lever, bent peg, and a few bumps and bruises on one side).
The Goal: I would like to lighten this bike up, and build it out as a cafe/bratt. As its my first bike, I am not looking to harness every last drop of horsepower with engine overhauls, or get too crazy with the geometry, I am looking to build a reliable and clean looking bike. I would like to do as much of the work as possible, and spend under $1000. I would like to have the bike in running condition in the next month and a half ( and hopefully its never finished. )
The Plan: Thankfully I am mostly unemployed for the next month, so time is on my side! I know next to nothing about bikes so I recruited my Old Man to the team. He is pretty damn handy with a wrench, as motivated as long as I keep feeding him twix bars. I am counting on his guidance and garage to get these wheels turning. With me googling wiring diagrams and him trying to fit a square peg into a round hole I think we make a pretty solid team, you could call it a bonding experience ( assuming we dont catch the garage on fire ).
The Current Situation We are a few days into this thing, and finally we got something to write home about. Without keys it took some trial and error getting gas into the engine, and spark to the gas... And some more trial and some more error. We kicked it till we turned blue, then hot wired the starter. Got lost in a maze of wiring diagrams, snipping here and twisting a few wires there, a few bruised knuckles, some freshly cleaned points and she fired right up. If it wasn't for the cloud of smoke and spiders that came crawling out, i wouldn't have believed it sat for 26 years!
Now that its alive, I am proceeding to strip it down to bolts.
I have been compiling a tentative shopping list for the obvious things: new chain, seat, lights, bars, tires etc... and I have a few questions which probably sound obvious, such as:
What is essential to consider replacing at this stage?
Should I rebuild my forks?
Do i need new shocks?
Will lowering my forks a few inches improve or destroy the handling?
Is ditching my electric start with a PMA system a bad idea? ( Dad says it is, but dad is over the hill)
Is painting my wheels flat black, tacky?
( and the list goes on... )
I would love to hear from you all what you wish you had known before you started your build ?
Thanks for tuning in. Plan on hearing more from me as the month unfolds, as questions come up... I have familiarized myself with the search button and found a lot of great information already, don't hesitate to direct me to recommended reading. I keep pics up if people are interested.
I made a short video to waste some time, check it out if you want to hear the bike fire up!!
https://vimeo.com/119102168