Not another new guy!!!!

JAGUARGOD

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Hi, Kevin here...been riding since I was 16..now 57. Harleys were allways a fave for me. Had most of the models available til Evos came out. Cant afford that profilin. Got a bug for Honda singles and built some Z50's for my granddaughters. I have a few CL models for myself. Lately this xs650 craze has me excited. I WANT ONE. Found one about two hours away worth the money. My question is , would a 1981 XS be a good candidate for a chopper?
Dont know the differences in model years. Any pros or cons one way or the other? Any advice would be appreciated. Will try to put up a pic of my current ride. Thanks in advance...Ride it like you stole it!

By the way...diff between XS and TX...??????
 

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My question is , would a 1981 XS be a good candidate for a chopper?

Absolutely! :thumbsup: In my opinion, xs650s from the late seventies to early eighties are the best ones to chop. They have all the refinements that took place over the years with the forks, clutch, starter, etc, and don't have the classic look and feel of the early seventies bikes so they aren't worth much restored. Go for it.
 
Thanks for the replys , guys. I did find that post , and it was very helpful.
I am torn between a bobber style with an extended swing arm , which I think looks awesome (overused phrase) , and a weld on hardtail. There is a guy in Philly selling frames already done for $350.00 . The tc Bros hardtail is $219.00.
Sound good to me. But the easier quicker route would be the swingarm. put the link below if anyone is interested.



http://southjersey.craigslist.org/mcy/1456091443.html
 

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Thanks Ian...had alot of help with those...I can wrench a little , but my technical expertise is lacking. I depend on friends for some things. Hoping to get this 1981 XS 650 home this weekend. I really have the bug!
 
welcome to xs land..
Would like to pose a question to you about the $350 frames..
Why buy a bike with a title,then turn around and buy a hardtail(which looks like a TC hardtail) stock xs frame with no title?
Title services are not cheap so your $350 frame could end up costing $200+ more..
Think about exactly what you want you bike to look like at the end and weigh out all the options.
Just throwin' it out there as somethings to think about.
BTW that is a very clean shovel you got there..
 
thanks for that...and I understand what you are saying about the frame....just seems to me it would be easier..as in my case , I have no bike, to have a frame ready to accept a motor and just go with it when I get my hands on the right donor bike. no? Unless there are registration problems in the state you reside. I think in Delaware they use the motor numbers. Could be wrong.Besides I would have to depend on someone else to do my welding anyway...LOL....I am learning but dont trust my self yet.

Oh and the shovel should be clean , its at the end of a 2 year rebuild...motor ,trans , new wheels , tires , powdercoated frame and motor parts. All new except paint...if money holds out I will get that done this winter.
 
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You could get the 81 you want and assuming it has a title, have the guy that does those hardtails in your area hardtail your frame. Then you don't have to deal with a non-titled bike. I'm pretty sure every state titles these bikes off the frame VIN. Some old harleys were titled off the engine because they didn't have VINs on the frames.
 
Hey travis...the 81 I am looking at does indeed have a title and Im not sure that I will buy one those frames , just looking at alternatives.Thought if anyone was interested it might help them out. It was good to hear different opinions on it tho. I allways like to bounce ideas around to people smarter than me, and they are not hard to find here. So are the Yamahas titled by the frame numbers then? Or do frame and motor numbers hafta match?
 
Yes they are titled by the frame number. Most states could care less what engine is in the bike but you'll have to check with your DMV to make sure. Old bikes get engines swapped around all the time so I don't think it's anything most DMVs pay attention to. At least that's been my experience.
 
Welcome...I'm chopping an 81 XS myself. Titled by the neck number. TC bros makes a nice tail..many cool parts available...or lots of examples if you want to make your own parts.
 
Aha....so I hafta call Delaware motor v today and find out how they do it.

Glad you guys were there to talk to , thanks for the help everybody. Will see how this turns out....if I can get this bike this week or soon.:bike:
 
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