XV750 - "The Rust Bucket" - #500x500 Challenge

treitz

Over 1,000 Posts
Hey crew. Just picked up this XV750 for a little 500x500 challenge we have going in the Portland area next spring. The goal is to spend less than $500 on a bike, then all go for a 500 mile weekend ride. So, here's the ride. I'll document progress and also how much I spend on it here for fun and also just to keep track.

What I have...
- XV750 - non-runner (but titled)
- Tires - probably good enough

The plan...
- Get it running (and reliable enough for a 500 mile ride... hopefully)
- Make it look cool (just because)
-- Going for a solo seat + sissy bar + cargo rack treatment. Sounds weird, I know, but I have a vision.

What I need...
- Battery
- Headlight
- Seat
- Metal (hopefully rusty metal)

Spent so far...
- $200 (bike)
 

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Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

yessir, I can digit.

Do like bert Monroe and fix dem tires with shoe polish and have some fun =)

Im looking forward to watching this project
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

So obviously the goal here is to get the thing road worthy for the least amount of money as possible, but I can't bring myself to doing it without a creative / stylistic vision in mind. Maybe I've put too much thought into it, but I really like the direction my mind is headed. However there is one big question mark... suicide shifter. Do it, or don't do it?

Stylistically, and just for the hell of it, I think it's a great idea. But for a 500 mile ride, much of which may be twisty, is this a really bad idea?

I've never ridden a bike with suicide shift, so I don't know really know what I would be getting myself into. Looking for personal opinion.

and if it makes a difference, I was planning on mounting the clutch lever to the shift rod rather than going with a foot operated clutch. Just FYI.

Something like shown here: http://cdn.xs650chopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/craig-pics-001.jpg?cf890d
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

man, im gonna be the Debbie downer on the suicide clutch and say no. (obviously opinion only)

As a rider, how many times in ONE RIDE do you have to simultaneously grab a handful of clutch and brake to get stopped. Beit for a cell phone jockey, a chuckhole or what have you.

Bikes are cool, suicide shifters are neat, but going home at the end of the day is cooler.

Your brain gets conditioned after some time at the helm that when you need to react fast, you have BOTH HANDS on the bars and you pull the levers without having to think about it.

It also just doesn't seem like fun to me to be riding twisties and having to grab ahold of the levers to shift instead of the bars. Again, just my opinion, and I have never claimed my opinion to be fact =)
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

hurco550 said:
man, im gonna be the Debbie downer on the suicide clutch and say no. (obviously opinion only)

As a rider, how many times in ONE RIDE do you have to simultaneously grab a handful of clutch and brake to get stopped. Beit for a cell phone jockey, a chuckhole or what have you.

Bikes are cool, suicide shifters are neat, but going home at the end of the day is cooler.

Your brain gets conditioned after some time at the helm that when you need to react fast, you have BOTH HANDS on the bars and you pull the levers without having to think about it.

It also just doesn't seem like fun to me to be riding twisties and having to grab ahold of the levers to shift instead of the bars. Again, just my opinion, and I have never claimed my opinion to be fact =)

Haha I appreciating you presenting your opinion in such a gentle way. Lol. Honestly, safety and practicality are leading me down the same path, just thought I'd post it up on here in case someone chimed in and said "do it! it's so fun and you won't regret it!" then I'd think about it... but I think your opinion will be echoed.
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

Totally on board with the over all concept - but NOT the suicide shift. Bar hopper bike (gotta wonder about the logic here) maybe, but generally there are way too many occasions you really REALLY want to change gear without taking your hand off the bars. (I personally take one (or both) hands of the bars all the time, but can't get my head around doing so to pull the remote clutch and shift gear in anything but a very casual circumstance) Plus, having such a long lever on a modern trans seems like trouble waiting to happen. You have a massive amount of leverage on a pretty spindly axle, plus quite a lot of throw as a result. Seems like a pretty ungainly scheme and an easy way to have a small mishap turn into a big problem. Of course the dangerous aspect goes without saying. Have to admit it sounds really cool though, and an easy thing to convert back to "normal" if it doesn't work out.
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

I'm on the same page you guys. In my mind this thing becomes a "bar hopper" after the 500x500 ride... so maybe I'll mess around with the idea then. To your point, it's not an irreversible modification by any means. Hell, I'm sure someone could rig up a 2-1 clutch cable so that it could have both! hehe
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

treitz said:
I'm on the same page you guys. In my mind this thing becomes a "bar hopper" after the 500x500 ride... so maybe I'll mess around with the idea then. To your point, it's not an irreversible modification by any means. Hell, I'm sure someone could rig up a 2-1 clutch cable so that it could have both! hehe

HAHAHA there ya go, clutch handle on both anddddd leave the foot shift on and just weld a bar up from it so you could hand or foot shift lol


BOOM
 
Re: VX750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

Alright... I FINALLY got around to touching this bike. Pulled the carbs off real quick to go through. Going to start by ordering a battery, cleaning the carbs, and cleaning out the gas tank to see A) if I can get it running, and B) whether or not it needs any wiring attention.

Notes:
- Externally - the carbs appear to be in great shape.
- Internally - Carb #1 was super clean, carbs #2 was super gunked up with old gas.

Questions:
- There are these two air intake hoses on the frame running into top side of the carbs. Is it safe to assume this is a channel for air into the diaphrams via the air filter box? Never seen anything like this before.

Challenges:
- Bike didn't come with a key. Guess I need to track down the identification number on the ignition and see if I can order one before busting the gas tank open with a screw driver :)
 

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Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

Quick update...

• Carbs are cleaned and back on the bike.
Starter is dead. No big surprise here... just trying to decide if it's worth trying to rebuild, or if I just buy a new one.
• Replacing fluids as we speak.
• Going to start testing electrical soon. Had to order a missing solenoid. Oh and the dead starter doesn't help.
• Chatted with the local rat rod experts and they have some crazy ideas. This thing could quickly spiral out of control. So first things first, see if it'll run!
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

on the gas cap, it's very easy to access the mechanism with a simple 90* pic to get it open, then you can just remove the lock cylinder with two phillips screws and pull all the tumblers out and reinstall....then any key or screwdriver or popcan tab or a coin should be able to open it. lol. I remove the tumblers even when I have the matching key.
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

focusinprogress said:
on the gas cap, it's very easy to access the mechanism with a simple 90* pic to get it open, then you can just remove the lock cylinder with two phillips screws and pull all the tumblers out and reinstall....then any key or screwdriver or popcan tab or a coin should be able to open it. lol. I remove the tumblers even when I have the matching key.

Right on. I've heard the removing tumbler trick before, but didn't realize the locks were to easy to pic. I have some 90* pics, so I'll give it a shot!
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

here's where I learned it many builds ago

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23824
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

What do you all know about starters that I don't know? Here's the story...

I tried jumping the starter on this bike like I have many before. Brand new 12v battery straight to the starter wire and I got nothing. Bypassed the starter wire and went straight to the post on the starter with jumper cables and got nothing. Removed the starter, bench tested, same results. So I concluded that the starter was dead.

Ordered a brand new 4 brush starter from eBay. Completely installed it and tested it - the exact same results. Mind blown.

Tested with brand new 12v battery AND a 12v jump starter pack. Both to the starter wire, as well as directly to the starter post. eBay seller promises product is brand new and was tested prior to sale.

I'm baffled to say the least. Can you think of any other tests I should try before sending it back?


Edit: The starter is fine. The battery I bought is apparently bad, or doesn't have enough juice to turn it over. Weird because I bought the same battery for my first XS850. Regardless, on to the next thing...
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

Wiring.....

Alright... so I started digging in to wiring last night and I've hit a bit of a wall. I know that you are probably going to tell me to do the simplified wiring, which I may end up doing. I just wanted to see if the stock harness was intact enough to save me the time.

I hooked everything up with my GOOD battery. New ignition switch, new (used) solenoid. And here's where I'm at...

I have 12 volts to my ignition switch, and 12 volts coming out of the ignition switch when turned on. Check!

I have power to and from all 4 fuses (lights, ignition, etc.)

I have power to and from the kill switch (red/white).

I DO NOT HAVE POWER TO THE STARTER BUTTON OR TO THE SOLENOID (blue or red).

So I started working backward to see where the power stops. I think I tracked it down to two relay's... but I'm not sure.

Starter relay - Power to one red/white, no power to the other red/white
Starter cut out relay - Power to one red/white, no power to the other red/white

Any input appreciated!
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

Ditch the starter. Have a friend push you to start it.... if you did a diesel conversion, you wouldn't even need an ignition.... glad I can help =). Seriously though, I don't have much to add as far as the electronics. Sorry.. maybe Matt will chime in soon
 
Re: XV750 - Rat Bob - #500x500

There's a guy on the Virago Tech forum who outlined a simplified wiring diagram. I may end up going that route. Just wanted to see if this stock harness was going to be easy or not first. Looks like not.
 
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