XS in OZ

R

Razar

New Member
Hi Guys,

Just had a look around and thought you may be interested in what I'm doing with a bunch of old yamaha XS 650 bits and pieces I've collected. I didn't realy start with a whole bike, mostly because I didn't want to mess with something original.

I'm going for the classic triton look. This started out as a practise build for my next project which will be a real Triton. I picked up a slim line featherbed awhile ago and am still looking for a t110 motor and all the stuff to go with it.

So far I've done everything myself except chroming, powder coating the frame and the rebore on the motor. I'm keeping the engine stock except for porting and 34mm Mikuni's.

The wheels have been cleaned back from rough, painted metal flke black with the faces polished, new wheel bearings, laced up with butted stainless spokes from Buchannans.

The forks have been stripped and polished with new seals and progressive springs. Tapered rollers in the steering head. Billet clipons from a YZ250? Folk gaiters. Double floating lightweight discs with Suzuki SV650 calipers and modern master, SS braided lines. The mudguard I made. It will have mini speedo and micro electronic tach so I have blanked off the tach drive on the engine.

Swept back pipes I made up from some mandrel bent 1 1/2 SS tubing and rolled up cones stuffed with stainless wool and straight through baffles.

Rearsets were made from second hand folding pegs with sh gear lever. I made the conecting rods and brake pedal and lever and rod to back brake out of Stainless steel.These are mounted on the pillon peg hangers,which have been altered.

I've chucked the battery box, air cleaner, center stand, lots of tabs and tidied up the frame which is out getting powder coated in satin black at the moment.

Ive built a single racing seat out of aluminium that will have the battery and the electrics up in the duck tail. I've also made an aluminium tank. It Hasn't been polished yet as you can see from the photo's. I'll have it like modern bikes with no real rear mudguard, just the underneath of the seat and the numberplate mount hanging down.

The main things I have left to do is reassemble it on the finished frame, finish off the engine (which I am doing whilst the frame is away) And wire it up, includeing doing an electronic ignition mod.

These photo's arent quite up to date. I'll post more as I put it back together
 
Wow... you sure know how to make an entrance!

I'm sure there will be more than few people clamering for specifics on this one, the XS is a popular bike here.

Love the seat and tank work. The opening for the brake lite looks great.

Welcome and well come!
 
Nice to see a craftsman! Do elaborate on how you fabricated the silencer. That sounds very interesting. I'm considering doing the same for my CL350.

Also, can you talk a bit about how you made the tank? This is something that I too increasingly consider making.

Finally, I too love the seat. I'm considering making a buck for one very similar to yours so I can produce the seats for sale. I just need to standardize on a taillight. I've made a couple seats similar to that one, but they require too much welding--which means too much finish time. I must simplify to make it economical.

--Chris
 
I need a set of those swept-back headers! Would love to hear more about them - maybe I can get a set made up locally.
 
Thanks for the interest. I'll try and cover some of your questions.

The seat is pop rivited together. The individual pieces were easy to fabricate, except for the ducktail cover. I made the mistake of using 2.5mm al because I had lying around. Made the shaping a bit dificult on the home made english wheel that I used at the time. I've since bought a decent one that I used to do the tank. See pics I've made the rear and brake light myself, casting leds into clear fiberglass resin. Hopefully these will pass inspection when I go to rego the bike.

The exhaust is made from 1.6mm 316 stainless. I got the big bends done for me at a bending shop, the other bends are off the shelf items 90 deg. cut down to make the right bend then welded and polished. All the tube I picked up at the scap yard. Old dairy pipes. The mufflers are 1.2mm sheet rolled into cones and tig welded, I then welded ss pipe pieces over the ends of just a comercial baffle I got from a muffler shop. These slid through the narrow end, welded. The big end I cut some discs from 1.6mm sheet and slid them over the other baffle end and just tacked them on. I stuffed the cones full of SS pot scourer pads. From what I,ve read, and talking to muffler guys, this is a better option than fiberglass packing which evidently blows out after awhile leaving behind a nasty cloud of glass fibre particles, and needs to be repacked. I have no idea how they will sound, probably fairly loud. I can't wait to hear them.
 
Back again. I had to shut off the computer as my battery bank ran low. I'm back on the generator now.

The shifters are fine, I made the pipes first as I knew I would have to work around them. They were the most important design feature.

The battery mock up is the right size for the glass pack battery I will be using. I'm trying to keep everything as minimalist as possible. Some people go with no battery or tiny battery, but I intend to chuck the kick start lever and its bits thus saving weight and not having to worry about it hitting the rearsets etc. I'll makeup a plug to fill the hole in the engine side cover. I'm using the highest cranking amp battery I can get that will fit the space. Will use big cables etc. Probably work out some way that the headlight will only go on when the engine is running.These things have a bit of a rep for weak starters, but I think if I can keep up the voltage and the amps to the starter, all will be well.

The tank is made from 2mm aluminium sheet (don't know the number). The buck was the first thing I bought for the project. I loved the shape. I modified the underneath a little to better fit the xs frame. It will mount on sponge rubber tube on the top rail and a couple of bits where it contacts the frame at the rear. It's held down by a SS strap that rests on a rubber strip that fits in the well, tensioned by an adjustable clip down thingo. I have a beautiful polished alloy Monza cap for it. (50mm)(sorry about the metrics).

The actual fabrication has taken a lot of time. I've never done this before and I've had to teach myself to weld aluminium in the process. The seams have all been welded at least twice as I have been hesitant to go for lots of penitration, and when they have been ground back I found that the bead was just sitting over the join. But I think I'm getting the hang of it now. I've enrolled in a night school course to try and improve my technique. I will be pressure testing it before I get into the sanding and polishing, just to make sure all the welds are tight.

To actually shape the pieces, 7 plus filler tube, was a combination of english wheel work and beating the crap out of it with various hammers, till they fit the buck. I watched various clips on u tube and looked up other sites on how to do it all and just went ahead. The big thing that one has to do is to keep anealing the aluminium to keep it workable. I just put the bits on the stove for a while untill they were hot enough so that a drop of water flicked onto it would skate over the surface. Just remember that aluminium is fairly cheap and to buy a ready made tank is not. You can afford to chuck the odd piece.
 
That was your first? :o

Life is so much more interesting when you never assume you can't do something isn't it ;D
 
I'm working on an XS650 and would like to have a seat like the one you are designing. LMK if you will make more for sale. Sweet build, just keep the pics coming...
 
Yeah Dan, this whole project is a first for me. I guess the most challenging things have been lacing up the wheels and making the tank. The engine may also be one as it's only half reassembled. I've only ever rebuilt an old single cylinder deisel generator engine before. Successfully fortunately.

But that's the fun isn't it? Turning a pile of old crap into hopefully something good. Anyway, thanks all for the good feedback.

Oh yeah Cretin I could probably do one for you, You would have to let me know how you wanted to mount it. For mine I didn' cut the loop on the sub frame so it's a little tricky to get it on and off. Anyway if you want to discuss it email me ed1@tadaust.org.au.
 
I read a bit of your blurb(it;s late) your mention of building a triton,,well I Canada a racer built a yamando..xs 650 stuffed into a commando frame,, too bad I don't have the pics,,brilliant build and it went like snot!!!!!!
 
The frame is back from the powder coaters.

While it's been away I've been assembling the engine. I'm in the middle of porting the head, the bottom end is all together and the pistons and barrels are too.

I've started assembling the bike now so I'll post pics and give a description of what I've done as I go along.

This pic is the frame, trimmed of footrest mounts center stand battery and aircleaner boxes and all other unsightley bits and pieces. Tapered roller bearings in the steering head. Bronze bushes, spindle and sleeve in the swingarm. The shocks in the pic are cheap standins. I'll put some good ones on when it's finished. Powder coated satin black.
 
Fitted the rear wheel today. New bearings and seals.New brake shoes. SS spokes from Buchannas. I laced up the wheel.SS fittings where possible. Rechromed brake lever and adjusters. Lots of polishing (see old wheel pic) 520 chain conversion. Saves alot of weight.
 
Well, I'm with everyone else, you do very nice work. Very impressive! You have to be happy with the progress. I really like the simplicity of the whole thing. I like how you made your rear sets. You may consider doing a write up on them. I'm starting to see my pattern here..."I like... I like... I like..." ;D Great job!
 
CanadaDan said:
Wow... you sure know how to make an entrance!

I'm sure there will be more than few people clamering for specifics on this one, the XS is a popular bike here.

Love the seat and tank work. The opening for the brake lite looks great.

Welcome and well come!
Click to expand...

Ditto that tank is AWESOME,I would live to build something like that for my Hodaka Ace.
 
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