Shenker
XS650 Member
Hey folks,
LONG time lurker, finally have some questions that I couldn't find previously answered on here. It was time to introduce myself. Skip ahead if you don't care to read my backstory.
I finally picked up an '81 XS650SH on a whim back in Sept. 2020 as a winter project after wanting and researching them for 10 years now, since I was 16 and gaining interest in bikes. The example I picked up was hardtailed and built in about 2008 (based on the little bit of paperwork I have) and has seemingly had a couple owners since. I got it running, riding, mostly functioning, but in desperate need of some refreshing.
The day I picked it up:
Last ride of the season (New wiring/lights all round, plate holder, fender removed, bars, cables, master cylinder, etc. lots of little stuff by this point):
Anyway, winter being in full swing it was time to dig further into it. It is pretty much gutted to the frame/engine on stands at the moment. The old sportster tank that was on it was beaten, dented, and horribly painted. I opted to go with Pandemonium's STR tank with rear mounted petcock, and sightglass bungs (non frisco mount) as I was already getting an exhaust from him, and I was trying to save myself from welding top mount bungs directly into the top bar. My issue is that the tunnel on this tank seems slightly narrower than the previous tank and it will not slide over the raised tank mount dimples in the neck gussets. The original tank mount ears HAVE been cut off. The metal below however is raised... about 1/16" too much on each side. Please ignore PO's old tank mount welds. I think even I can weld better than that lol.
Looking for opinions on what I should do here. My gut tells me I should order some new smooth neck gussets from Hugh's and live with my choices. But I'm torn on the possibility of just trimming the raised bit out of the stock gussets. I really don't want to modify the frame more than I have to.
LONG time lurker, finally have some questions that I couldn't find previously answered on here. It was time to introduce myself. Skip ahead if you don't care to read my backstory.
I finally picked up an '81 XS650SH on a whim back in Sept. 2020 as a winter project after wanting and researching them for 10 years now, since I was 16 and gaining interest in bikes. The example I picked up was hardtailed and built in about 2008 (based on the little bit of paperwork I have) and has seemingly had a couple owners since. I got it running, riding, mostly functioning, but in desperate need of some refreshing.
The day I picked it up:
Last ride of the season (New wiring/lights all round, plate holder, fender removed, bars, cables, master cylinder, etc. lots of little stuff by this point):
Anyway, winter being in full swing it was time to dig further into it. It is pretty much gutted to the frame/engine on stands at the moment. The old sportster tank that was on it was beaten, dented, and horribly painted. I opted to go with Pandemonium's STR tank with rear mounted petcock, and sightglass bungs (non frisco mount) as I was already getting an exhaust from him, and I was trying to save myself from welding top mount bungs directly into the top bar. My issue is that the tunnel on this tank seems slightly narrower than the previous tank and it will not slide over the raised tank mount dimples in the neck gussets. The original tank mount ears HAVE been cut off. The metal below however is raised... about 1/16" too much on each side. Please ignore PO's old tank mount welds. I think even I can weld better than that lol.
Looking for opinions on what I should do here. My gut tells me I should order some new smooth neck gussets from Hugh's and live with my choices. But I'm torn on the possibility of just trimming the raised bit out of the stock gussets. I really don't want to modify the frame more than I have to.
Last edited:
