Teledan's XT500 project

it looks fantsastic ride the goddam thing and enjoy it
unless you hate money and time,its a huge waste of both powder coating the frame and shit ,unless you are building it strictly as a show bike
and raise the front back up where it belongs
it doesn't look good dropped down more importantly may not handle good that way,never start out with the handling set to the squirley end of the range
 
xb33bsa said:
...and raise the front back up where it belongs
it doesn't look good dropped down more importantly may not handle good that way,never start out with the handling set to the squirley end of the range

Thanks! I will take that advice sir. I also would like to get a fork brace to stiffen it up a bit. I'd like to ride it a little without it first just so I know how much of a difference it makes.
 
Oh yeah, and I made up a little dust cover for the left side of the front wheel (where the other brake rotor would have been).



I need to get a pic of it on the bike but I think it makes the front wheel look so much more complete.
 
Here is a pic of the cover on the front wheel:



Also, I got her running! My CDI was bad though so I had to get a new one. I ordered one from Rex's Speedshop in the UK. They put out a great product.



I also made an exhaust hanger but I don't have a picture of that yet. I've still got a few more things to work out before I can get it on the road, then I need to clean up and paint a bunch of stuff.
 
Looking very good!

As far as a fork brace is concerned, I rode a Sportster without one and literally thought the bike was trying to kill me in turns. After slapping a brace on it tracked into turns super smooth and easy. It's a real fatass compared to your 500, but the point remains. A good brace goes a long way to improving performance!
 
Thanks guys!

What would be a good way to cut a piece of closed-cell foam sheet for a seat pad? I was thinking of using a jig saw but figured I would check to see if anyone had a better suggestion.
 
A lot of guys use electric turkey carving knives, blades are a little more rigid than jigsaw for sculpting. I'm sure either would work fine to rough out a shape

Edit: on second though, a jigsaw may eat up the foam and chew it up since it doesn't have dual blades to hold the material in place as they move in opposite directions. Turkey carver should work
 
do a quick rough cut with any long knife or a razor then smooth and shape with a flap wheel on a grinder. it makes a mess like a snow globe but every thing you trim with it will be nice and smooth
 
Thanks guys, I think I might try a coping saw to rough it out and then sand it smooth. We'll see how it goes.
 
teledan said:
Thanks guys, I think I might try a coping saw to rough it out and then sand it smooth. We'll see how it goes.

try a couple different cutting tools see what you like best but the flap disc on a grinder is the ultimate finisher!
 
I used a coping saw and it cut very easily but it is pretty rough so I will try the flapdisc to clean it all up. I rode the bike to work yesterday to see how it would ride, it ran and rode well. I will probably need to make a beefier license plate bracket.

Here's another pic of the bike just for fun :)

 
Bike looks nice man. Depends on the density of foam you've got, but I use a woodworking pull saw fine tooth to rough cut and a hasp to smooth the foam. Works well for me and a quick sand to smooth it over. Packing tape over it before ya glass. Flap wheel works but I don't like to risk pulling off too much material.

Edit: just saw you're making a seat pad. Yoga mat may be a bit more comfortable than closed cell.

Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
 
Thanks guys! I roughed out the pad with a coping saw. It cut real easily but is pretty rough so I will need to clean it up. It is the Minicell from here:

http://www.foamforyou.com/minicell_foam.htm
 
teledan said:
I used a coping saw and it cut very easily but it is pretty rough so I will try the flapdisc to clean it all up. I rode the bike to work yesterday to see how it would ride, it ran and rode well. I will probably need to make a beefier license plate bracket.

Here's another pic of the bike just for fun :)


I had my first plate in that location, it broke off got sucked under the subframe then launched off the tire and smacked right under my ass. second one I made a little sturdier and mounted it off the passenger peg and that shook its self apart again. my next one will have rubber spacers and hopefully that doesn't fall apart. I currently have my plate zip tied to my back pack :eek:
 
I thought about making a side-mount for it but I really like the narrower more symmetrical look. I don't like how the rear mount breaks up the side profile though. I think for now i will do another mount exactly the same but out of thicker material. Then if that doesn't work I may do a side-mount, probably off of the left shock somewhere.
 
teledan said:
I thought about making a side-mount for it but I really like the narrower more symmetrical look. I don't like how the rear mount breaks up the side profile though. I think for now i will do another mount exactly the same but out of thicker material. Then if that doesn't work I may do a side-mount, probably off of the left shock somewhere.

i like it back there too looks good only reason i switched it was because of the falling off situation.
 
It smells terrible but I cut the foam for my seat with a soldering iron. I have a Weller D550PK 120v gun style soldering iron that came with a flat looped tip. I use it all the time for cutting rope and not having a frayed end so I figured it would work well on the seat foam, which it did.

I suggest wearing a respirator and working outside though.
 
Its been a while but I picked up an EBC rotor recently for the front. I think it looks pretty good on that wheel.

 
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