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I swapped a 2008 Triumph Speedmaster for this 650 you see below. It has had a restoration and major engine work done.
As it was soon as I rolled into my place 23rd Feb this year.
It was these headers that won me over to do the swap.
First thing I did was ditch those giant blinkers. And chnage the bars.
The CeeBee-6-Fiddy then went off to get a BratStyle seat made for it. Butlers Customs and CafeRacers in Newcastle did my seat for me.
Then that horrible tail light that looks like the docking bay of the Enterprise from Star Trek will come off. I have a nice period Lucas type tail light to mount.
Then I attacked the tail end.
The rear guard fought me the whole way. I drilled a hole in it and the chrome flaked off. I ended using the CL450 rear guard I had lying around. It was trimmed down to remove a rust patch.
Then different headlight ears. So I can lower the headlight. Which should change the lines of the bike.
Maybe I'm just getting older, but that was a pretty nice bike to begin with. I'm not sure you improved it. Those original side covers were pretty nice. Tin-snipped aluminum, not so much.
Isn't this a custom motorcycle forum? Why do I so often see people advocate keeping a bike original, and criticize customization? I'll tell you exactly what was wrong with those original side cover; Ross didn't want them on his bike, and that's all the reason he needed. I personally would not have made all the same decisions he made, but without anything constructive or useful to add, I kept my mouth shut.
On a side note; Beldrueger, if you own that beautiful custom in your profile pic, props. If you built that, major props!
Fair enough. I'm in favor customization, but I'm even more in favor of patient craftsmanship. I also like builds that work with the original style of the bike. Just opinions. That is my bike, rebuilt completely. The build thread's in my sig.
Cb650 isn't the most sought after bike on the planet, but that one was really clean and stock. Now it's just another hack job. I don't mean to be as rude as that may appear, but the fact is that it just lost probably 50% of its resale value and doesn't look so good.
And that may help you to understand why I stay away from clean stock bikes. I much prefer to start with a hack job or incomplete bike and it's not unusual for me to start with a pile of unrelated cast off parts. That way I never have to worry about purist or other dipsticks telling me I pooched a perfectly good bike.
Mini speedo fitted.
I hate wiring. Being colour blind does not help me.
I have no oil light. I have tested different lights and either LED or normal bulb it wont light up.
I know there is oil in the engine.
Original bars back on. The drag bars look great but after the long ride yesterday and the lane filtering my wrists have said no more with those bars.
Cb650 isn't the most sought after bike on the planet, but that one was really clean and stock. Now it's just another hack job. I don't mean to be as rude as that may appear, but the fact is that it just lost probably 50% of its resale value and doesn't look so good.
And that may help you to understand why I stay away from clean stock bikes. I much prefer to start with a hack job or incomplete bike and it's not unusual for me to start with a pile of unrelated cast off parts. That way I never have to worry about purist or other dipsticks telling me I pooched a perfectly good bike.
As long as he sees his bike and gets a charge out of it...all is good. Sometimes putting more money and time into something just won't bring the satisfaction. I have bike that could be world class...then maybe I won't want to ride them or be afraid of a scratch....that's just no fun. Some of these reactions might just be why I have never posted up a build....and never will. Like the way those pipes bend around in the front, by the way.
i like it although i am not a fan of brat bikes and cring at hacked up time capsools (its not hacked up anyway)you done a real good job making a custom to your liking without making the rear tire hit the seat,putting on pods cause all the sheep do it ,clubman's or drag bars.the front fender not butchered like most do ,good lord there is nothing more stoopid looking than a bobbed front chrome fender... ETC ETC ETC
my opinion its very well done, many others could take a lesson from it
- The brief was that very little was to be chopped off the frame if at all.
- The only things chopped off the frame were the seat hinge mount and seat locking mount. This was done so a narrow brat style seat could be custom made to fit the frame rails. The hinge bracket and seat lock can be welded back on in no time. Lick of black paint and no one is the wiser.
- The loop at the rear of the frame that the seat sits over has not been cut off. This was a thing I was dead set on retaining. This was a challenge for Liam, my seat maker. That way the frame does not flex. I did not want a curved rear loop welded to the two frame tubes like a lot of builders do. Does not suit the lines of this bike.
- The rear guard on the bike now is off a wrecked CL450 I have. I wanted to use the full size original 650 guard but when I drilled a hole for the taillight the chrome peeled off in a big circle. I have since found out that the original rear guard was a reproduction.
- All pasts taken off have been put aside. Just in case I want to return this to original condition.
- The 650Z here in Australia was not a common model nor was it well liked. The previous owner had been trying to sell it for sometime with no interest in it at all.
yeah , i noticed that it is not hacked up(like a said) not sure how others missed that... its an extremely well done custom in my hoe..... there shocking as it sounds i said it again
yeah , i noticed that it is not hacked up(like a said) not sure how others missed that... its an extremely well done custom in my hoe..... there shocking as it sounds i said it again
I had a paint man tell me that one of his Riddler award cars paint scheme was loved by one judge, hated by the other bc of color. My point? Everyone is a critic regardless of how perfect a paint job, custom fabrication work, etc. is to the owner it will always be loved AND hated at the same time. So who f(*in cares what the public thinks, do what you want to the bike-it is yours after all, right? I would have wrapped the pipes all the way to the engine to keep the 'look' you are after and maybe a slight enhancement in burning of exhaust, wrapping in the middle does not do much-other than hide pitted chrome. Here is where builds of the same bike will take on different characteristics.....you chose to keep only the speedo. I only kept the tach as I am more worried about shift points! 8)
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But it doesn't mean that everyone else will, for all sorts of reasons. We all like different things.
