XS500 Copperhead

[Jake in Stockholm]

Just bought someone elses flattracker-dream, which I believe is not the right look for the XS500 since the engine is a little to bulky. Turning it into a cafe on the other hand will make it quite nifty.
This will be a garage-diy-build with whatever I´ve got on the shelves involved. I reccon that if I spend more than 300$ on this or if it's not driveable by the beginning of april it's a complete fail and I will never buy a bike again. (there, I said it and have to deliver)

This is how it looked when coming home:

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

...lousy picture

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

Copperhead? Where the hell am I going with this..?

 

[Wahoo650]

I'm on board with where ever this is going... First bike was a TX500 back in the day, love that lump of an engine!

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

reshaping existing brackets for sidefairings and battery box...

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

...and then making them horizontal will make a good support for hidden electric stash. I want the frame tubing to be visible and the seat is not allowed to add any height. Will make a good butt-buster for sure!

 

[Pattheswede]

Hi Jake
Got one of those my self ... waiting, right now busy with another Yama. So please go ahead, I'll need some inspisration and ideas for mine
// Zäta

 

[L4NE4]

That is very cool, cant wait to see what happens with that copper.

Are you going to use that seat? If not PM me if you want to get rid of it

 

[deepwaterimports]

be great to use it for side covers or headlight ears or rear seat or tail light or on top of a guard for show or anything i would go to town.

 

[deepwaterimports]

some insperation for ya of things to do with that copper

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=33668.130

 

[gk45011]

I'm on board. looks like a neat project.

GK

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

some insperation for ya of things to do with that copper

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=33668.130

Now that's just depressing... please do not expect this to be on the same level. That bike is a work of art, mine's going to be more of an alleycat.

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

Now that I've got the attention from a few of you I need your opinion...
...please look at the two first pictures in this thread: I believe that the tank have a slight negative angle which makes the XS500 look a bit "tired", thererfore my plan is to raise the back by (something like) three centimeters and then re-use that angle on the seathump. Think it'll work visually or will the offset mess things up?

This is a three cm raise mock-up:

 

[YogiBear]

I think you should raise it

 

[L4NE4]

No question, raise it and make everything level.

 

[gk45011]

I think you should raise it

+3

 

[Pattheswede]

+ 4
As long you can keep a line at the bottomend of tank, seat and tail, you should absolutely go ahead.
Will give the piece a more agressive look

 

[sinbad85]

definately raise it as everyone has said....
looks great

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

I'm happy with the support on that one...
Realized when I was trying out angles on the tank that now there's room to hide a fair amount of the electrics between the tank and frame. Win!

Also realized that I need to change my fork seals allthough they were "just fixed". Dammit. Almost as boring as polishing the engine. Now I have an excuse to change the springs though..

 

[Jake in Stockholm]

Made a bracket for the tach in level with frame..