Newbie cafe build, Need some advice

[maximus]

Hi all, I'm a newbie and it was great to come across this community.
I'm a dual sport rider but have wanted to get into building a cafe bike for some time now – love what I see other riders doing to their bikes. I took the plunge about two months ago and bought a 79 XS650 that had been partially cafe'd. My plan is to tear it down during the winter and rebuild and learn as much as I can in the process. I haven't started yet, squeezing out as much riding time before the cold weather settles in. (I'm outside of Washington DC).

Well, about a month ago I came across a great deal on a mint 77 XS650 that I couldn't pass up, so I bought it and now I have two bikes to tinker with. Figure I could tear one apart and ride the other. My plan is to start tearing down the 79 and ride the 77 as long as I can or till my fingers freeze together.

I want to do a few minimum things to the 77 while I ride it. I'd like to put a pair of clip-ons and Dime City gauges and clean up the wiring a little.

The first obstacle that I've run into is how to clean up the ignition switch? How to best mount it without the original brackets and gauges? On the 79, the previous owner had done the same thing, stripped off the old gauges and installed Dime City gauges and it has a very simple enclosure for the ignition switch. I haven't been able to locate anything like it for the 77.

Any suggestions or advice on this would be helpful!
Thanks all!

Here is a pic of the bikes (79 on the left, 77 right)

The 79 gauges - nice and clean look

The 77 gauge teardown - HELP!

 

[79xs]

Your shop looks awesome...

I also live in Frederick Md, and ride dual sport bikes and have a 1979 xs650!

Its a bit off topic, but what dual sport bikes do you have? I have a 1978 and 1978 Yamaha xt500. I mostly ride around Michaux in PA, or head down into the George Washington National Forest south and east of Front Royal Va.

Other than the Frederick watershed, do you know of any good dirt roads near Frederick?

As for your 1977 ignition switch... its housing is identical to the one on your 1979 café bike... so all you would need to do is cut off the part of the bracket that mounts the stock indicator lights and gauges and add the mini gauges if you want to make them match. Bolt the brackets for the mini gauges to the 2 rear most holes on the stock bracket. I would bet that the ignition / gauge mount on your 1979 is just a cut-down stock one. I have seen people drill a hole in the headlight bucket o mount the ignition switch in, and it looked pretty cool.

What about the 1979 needs rebuilt, it looks pretty nice to me? Does it have compression and run?

 

[maximus]

Thanks! The shop is part of my home office/studio and I'm converting part of the space for the build.

Had a Yamaha YZ450 for a while, but just about killed myself on it over at Greenridge ORV trail a few years ago. Now ride a big dual sport, BMW1200GS. I ride a lot up in the watershed, Michaux and GWNF as well. There are some great dirt roads (and camping) over in WV near Seneca Rocks. Also Greenridge SF is still good. They closed the ORV trail down a few years ago, but still some nice dirt roads in that area. If you are interested in hooking up for a ride sometime I've got a nice 4-5 hour dirt road loop (about 90% dirt) mapped out that goes up through the watershed, Fort Richie area and Michaux that I ride often. The GS is not as nimble as the YZ450 or your XT, but it gets around good on the dirt roads.

The 79 runs well, has a oil leak on the lower seal. I want to clean up the wiring, mount the battery up into the seat, etc.

The two ignition switches look similar but the one on the 79 has a very simple housing on the bottom of it that attaches under the top fork clamp. The top fork clamps look a little different with the 79 having two middle extensions that the ignition attaches to. The 77 doesn't have this. (see images)

I thought about cutting the stock bracket but its got a metal top and plastic bottom, don't think it would give me the clean look I'm hoping for, or like the 79 has. Putting it in the headlight bucket is an interesting idea - might have to explore that idea some more.

Let me know if you are ever interested in hooking up for a ride or tinkering on the bikes. I need all the help I can get.

My GS, got a little dirty on a trip in Moab, Utah.

 

[79xs]

Now that you posted more photos, I see what you mean. I assumed that the bracket on your 1977 that you showed in post #1 was just cut down and used on the café 79... but the top triple trees are actually different...

Check out this style of switch, they were used on 1970's-90's Harleys:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IGNITION-LI...78-85-FXR-82-UP-SPORTSTER-78-93-/251378640444

The end of the ignition switch is threaded, and the top 'ring' screws onto it like a nut. To mount it, you just drill a hole in a flat-ish piece of metal on the bike, stick the end of the ignition through, and secure it by screwing the top ring on. It would be very easy to install a switch like this into a headlight bucket, headlight mounting bracket, or side cover on an xs650.

PS: Cool GS. I also do 4-6 hr loops through the watershed and Michaux pretty often. If you haven't ridden on Hawbottom Road in Middleotwn, check it out. Its dirt with some nice big ruts a rocks. Its usually folded out too, from all the water draining off of Gambril and the Watershed. Its only a mile or two long, but sometimes I ride it back and forth several times, because its so much fun.

Maybe you should put some scrambler pipes and DOT dual sport tires on one of those xs650's... I have been thinking about going that route with mine. The xs650 is pretty fun on dirt roads too...

 

[C-Los SD]

I had the same issue and wanted a low profile key switch. I used a generic Honda CB switch and made a little bracket for it of out plate aluminum. Hard to see in this pic, but pretty easy to do.

I'm over in Odenton if you want to take a closer look. An option is get a top clamp on ebay that has the mouting holes.

 

[C-Los SD]

Or another route is to use a early model 70-73 stock gauge bracket. The Dime City gauges will fit on the stock bracket.

 

[maximus]

C-Los,
That is one sweet looking bike. From the pics on your photobucket it looks like you completely tore it down and rebuilt. Impressive. Would love to take a look and pick your brain.

 

[maximus]

That's not a bad look either, pretty clean. I think I like your Honda CB solution.

 

[C-Los SD]

Thanks, you are welcomed to come check it out. Just send me a PM.

Carlos