XS650 - She's finished! new pic 5/19/13

Wahoo650

Coast to Coast
Well, Here's what I'm starting with. My 1976 XS650C that was a barn find I ressurected about 9-10 years ago. This bike was my return to riding after a 10 year hiatus (kids/house/jobs/ect). Put a set of cafe bars on it last year to make sure I'd be able to stand the riding position. Surprised myself, and really kind of like it. Plans right now are:

1) remove gauge cluster, run bicycle speedo only.
2) Fabbing my own seat with back half of old tank.
3) repaint tank/body work.
4) Fenderless
5) rear sets - may fab my own, adapt something from salvage/fleabay/cl.

I also harbor the dream of going vintage racing before I turn 50 (2+ years to go!) so need to keep it within the class I have in mind. I figure posting the start of the project will make me have to actually work on it and show some progress!

Yammer_4-24-04_side_view.jpg



Here's my daily driver - I refer to it as my Disco Bike, you have to love the late 70's/early 80's jap cruisers. But it's an awesome bike, good power for it's size, and will take me across country if I want.

1980XS850SG001.jpg


Thanks for looking, Matt
 
Re: My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

nice man you have a great platform there! and you have a daily rider so you can really get into the project bike !
 
Re: My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Hell yea going racing! Looks like a great staring base...the inspiration is easy with the internets and all... money and time well that depends on how fortunate you are. Start by unbolted everything you don't want/need on it....that helps to get the ball rolling. Maybe you could use the front fender and just pull a fg mold off it? Thats a sweet looking fender as is...but heavy. Keep posting the pics! Good Luck!
 
Re: My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

That is awesome!! mikesxs.net is a great place to get performance parts, cams, valves, pistons etc. they have it all.
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Well... here's my progress to date, need to find a camera so I can add a few pics:

1) Removed the dash and installed key into head light bucket. No warning lights at all right now, may add them into the bucket later. Will use a digital bike speedometer.

2) Modified turnsignals, shortened the originals- want to keep the "old" look, but clean it up a touch. Not entirely pleased with them at this point, so may change again later.

3) Removed front and rear fenders, started bending up a liscense plate/tail light bracket.

4) Scrounged up an old seat pan, cut the rear end out of an old spare tank to make a seat hump that will match the stock tank. Need to assemble and paint/upholster. Can't get myself to cut the seat tabs off and mount directly to the frame, I like the idea of being able to return it to stock if the feeling ever hits me.

5) Rebuilt the carbs yesterday and rejetted so I could put the old cocktail shakers back on it, barely baffled, sounds great if a bit loud- running better than ever. Has a bit of cam chain rattle, so I'm pretty sure that when I change the oil this week I'll find bits of the old chain giude in the sump- not good, but it'll have to do for now. If it breaks, I'll just have to rebuild my spare motor with a 750 kit!

Things left to do...

6) Trying to decide on how to set up some rear sets. Any of you others out there with a Yamaha 650 and rearsets- send me some pics! Will ride as is for now.

7) Of course will repaint eventually- have a design in mind, but it's a secret! Also, the aluminum is pretty sad looking, but I'm starting to like the unpolished- I just ride it look.

8) When I do paint it, will probably paint the pipes flat black at the same time, the chromes looking pretty beat on them.

9) Need to true the rear wheel, it's got a very slight wobble to it. I have a spare set of aluminum shouldered hoops I plan on re-spoking when time & $$$ permits.

My goal is to be able to ride it to the Mods vs Rockers rally in Cleveland the end of August. Should make it, but will probably be in rideable "mock-up" status which is fine by me, I really don't plan on spending a lot of time polishing it.
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Well, I sorted out the cam chain rattle- no signs of the chain guide in sump, so pulled the cam chain tensioner which looked OK, but was a bit gunked up, cleaned everything, adjusted tensioner, adjusted valves, all is well! I went ahead and put fenders/seat back on so I can get a good run on it to read plugs and fine tune before the Mods vs Rockers. The body work will have to wait. Don't have the blinkers on, didn't like the way I had them set up, just don't tell the po-po... I will be looking for a new set, will add as soon as I find some I like. Still no pics, wife can't find the camera which means she has it at work. i need to get my own!

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Well, the tanks in primer- have a paint scheme planned, was going to be a straight medium blue with white stripes- but I dig heavy metal flake soooo much. Since I'm sticking with spray bomb, I've been eyeing the Von Dutch heavy flake spray cans from Moon eye's. I remember a thread about it a while back, but can't find it w/search. Anyone try this stuff out yet? If I go that route, I'll post up some pics and feedback. Still on the fence on building a seat VS buying one from Mike's XS.

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Very little progress to speak of. Tank has base coat on it, been waiting for it to warm up a bit so I can finish it in the garage. For some reason my wife hates it when I paint in the house... Plan on picking up a welder in the next week or so. Then I can finish making a proper seat for it. I can get scrap sheet metal for nothing, and the welder is 1/2 the price of a complete fiberglass seat! Hope to have it finished in the next month- on the road by May. Thanks for asking, it helps with the motivation ;)

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Picked up a tail section from hotwingglass at Mid-ohio this past Friday. Started mocking it up Sunday. Was tough decision to start cutting shit off the frame, not to mention the rear hoop, but with each cut it got a little easier. Now I can't wait to get it mounted so I can paint it. Everything else is painted and waiting for installation. Had to change my paint scheme, now all one color, will post pics when it's all together.

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Sweet...another xs. I got my rearsets from ebay....they were spendy but super light and I had an ebay gift card to soften the blow. I'd go for brakes and suspension now that you know the motor isn't going to grenade. The cartridge emulators from racetech are supposedly phenomenal with progressive hd springs.

Get some more pics up.
frontendswap.jpg
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Another year has come and gone and Mods vs Rockers 2012 will be here before you know it - and I'm still not done :p.
I finished the paint - twice... Had the tank painted perfect and dropped it while wet sanding! I got pissed off, so now it's just metallic black like the rest of the bike. I bought a little welder from HF last fall and have the hotwing seat mounted. Still need to do a little welding/clean up on the frame where I hacked shit off. Installed a dual disc set up (free from a parts bike donated to the cause several years ago), need to get new lines ordered in the next week. Haven't decided on turn signals or not... Ohio motor vehicle code requires them but I want the trimmest look I can get, that and I'm still thinking about taking it vintage racing at some point. I'm going to give the aluminum the most basic brushing just to make it all look the same. I'll try and get a couple pictures this week. All I've got for digital camera is my crappy cell phone. I'm a cheap bastard and pretty much want the bike to show it.

I want to thank all of you that keep turning out great looking bikes for giving me ideas and keeping me motivated to eventually finish it. I want to have it on the road by the end of May- pray for me!

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated! Updated w/pics 6/16/

Well... after a lot of delays, I've got her this far. Should be on the road for Cleveland Mods and Rockers in a couple weeks.

RuffReddyltside.jpg


RuffReddydash.jpg


RuffReddyrearcloseup.jpg


Hotwing glass seat, no dash using bicycle speedo. Added factory dual discs (still need to install calipers). Trying to keep it cheap and period correct.

And I named her - Ruff & Reddy (after an old cartoon). Name fits- I built it to ride, not polish- no show winner here!

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Very nice. I found with that without a tach I wasn't really revving it up very much, and only getting so much out of the engine. With a tach installed I realized I was usually shifting waaaaaayyyy before I had to.


Now I ride a hell of a lot harder. Just an 1dea if you intend on racing it, you might wanna know what your engine is doing.

Looks nice.
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated!

Thanks for the input. I have no problems wringing her neck without the tach, but if it ever does make it to the track will definitely mount one. I left all the stock mounting points on the triple tree so I could reuse as needed. I'll probably drill the rotors for the track as well, but reallly like the solid discs for that early look. Ran her around the block yesterday- after sitting for 1 1/2 years she ran great.

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated! updated w/pics 6/16/12

hey wahoo cool bike man. I was a little concerned about that lucas tail light right on the hump but somehow it works. Who did you use to upholster the seat ? i am in cleveland area and like the result. Gonna have to come to that mod rocker thing and check it out. Sadly my bike won't be ready....unless i really put balls to the wall.
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated! updated w/pics 6/16/12

Bought the seat w/ pad and uphostery from Hotwing glass at mid-Ohio last summer. Here's the link to the one I have. He has others as well. Always has a table set up in the swap meet at Vintage days so you can see it before buying.

http://www.hotwingglass.com/seats/road-race-3.shtml

Matt
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated! updated w/pics 6/16/12

nice man that is a really great deal too for a fiberglass seat.
 
Re: XS650 - My starting point.... Trying to get motivated! Finished!

Well here she is basically finished, still need the braided brake lines for the front brakes and a little clean up here and there, but she will be at Cleveland Mods and Rockers next weekend!

RuffReddyfinishedltside.jpg


RuffReddyfinishedfront.jpg


Matt
 
Re: XS650 - She's finished! new pics 6/30/12

Nice man I love the look of the xs. I hope i can get my heap in condition to go next weekend gonna be close. I am painting right now.
 
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