Hello everyone!! I'm starting this thread as my first build, last year I picked up "friends" failed project, he graduated from university and ended up moving to Miami and no longer had the space to keep the bike, he said if I picked it up I could have it and all the aftermarket parts he had bought. I didn't know him too well, but he was an awful builder, the bike sat outside for months and I can only take his word that it ran before he ripped the electronics off and started taking a grinder to all the tabs and footpegs. I'm currently a junior in university and live in Tampa FL, so I've mikes xs and dime city in my backyard. Honestly, the bike is a little more than a box of parts at this point but I would love to bring it back to life. I'm going cafe as my father is from England and the idea of simple and fast is a good one.
Now more on the bike. It's a 1979 xs 650 special II, I have most of the stock parts and some extras the PO had from before, as I had said he had taken a grinder to it and removed most of the tabs, the oil looks fine and I assume he was the one to change it so who knows. I do not have the stock exhaust pipes/muffler but a set of speedster pipes from Hugh's handbuild, I want to go to a 2 to 1 system and am willing to trade. I've got a 12v 8cell antigravity battery and the whole mikes xs charge system, so that's the perm magnet alternator, reg and rect, and the entire pma ignition system. New universal led signals and taillight, as well as a headlight without the housing. The PO also had retro tires put on the mag wheels, but I want to swap those out for spoked and modern tires.
Right now I'm currently trying to get the electrical system worked out so that I can start up the bike I've been following some diagrams I found on here but I need to replace a cell on the antigravity, but that shouldn't be too difficult. Next up on the list is the fuel system, the tank is rusted on the inside, but nothing a little rust remover shouldn't be able t take care of, I've heard of a liquid epoxy that can be poured into the tank as well to prevent any more rusting. I also need to rebuild the front and rear breaks aw well as the master cylinders which are disgusting, the brake lines seem to be new but since they sat outside so long they've got rust on the banjo bolts. Then its time for repairing the frame and so forth.
I doubt anything will ever go to plan, it is my first build first bike I've owned personally, I have my license and such but never owned a bike.
My main question is there anything that I should do that I mentioned earlier, I was told it was a good idea to switch to progressive springs and tapered bearings or I've seen that many people will swap out the front end entirely.
Also, i did not pay for any of the parts listed above
Many thanks in advance for any advice.
Now more on the bike. It's a 1979 xs 650 special II, I have most of the stock parts and some extras the PO had from before, as I had said he had taken a grinder to it and removed most of the tabs, the oil looks fine and I assume he was the one to change it so who knows. I do not have the stock exhaust pipes/muffler but a set of speedster pipes from Hugh's handbuild, I want to go to a 2 to 1 system and am willing to trade. I've got a 12v 8cell antigravity battery and the whole mikes xs charge system, so that's the perm magnet alternator, reg and rect, and the entire pma ignition system. New universal led signals and taillight, as well as a headlight without the housing. The PO also had retro tires put on the mag wheels, but I want to swap those out for spoked and modern tires.
Right now I'm currently trying to get the electrical system worked out so that I can start up the bike I've been following some diagrams I found on here but I need to replace a cell on the antigravity, but that shouldn't be too difficult. Next up on the list is the fuel system, the tank is rusted on the inside, but nothing a little rust remover shouldn't be able t take care of, I've heard of a liquid epoxy that can be poured into the tank as well to prevent any more rusting. I also need to rebuild the front and rear breaks aw well as the master cylinders which are disgusting, the brake lines seem to be new but since they sat outside so long they've got rust on the banjo bolts. Then its time for repairing the frame and so forth.
I doubt anything will ever go to plan, it is my first build first bike I've owned personally, I have my license and such but never owned a bike.
My main question is there anything that I should do that I mentioned earlier, I was told it was a good idea to switch to progressive springs and tapered bearings or I've seen that many people will swap out the front end entirely.
Also, i did not pay for any of the parts listed above
Many thanks in advance for any advice.
Attachments
Last edited:
). Again, welcome to the party! Best regards and wishes!
