My 72 XS650 Hardtail Sorta Build Thread

[YOURADHERE]

So a little back story as to how I came to own this XS. I first became interested in the XS a couple years back when bored at work, browsing ebay. My coloring book was full, so I had to occupy my time elsewhere. It was a hardtailed XS that caught my attention, so I read up on them and had no idea such a huge following existed for them. Over the next couple years I always kept my eye out for one but was never really serious about it. Fast forward a couple years....


So about a month ago my dad went out and bought a brand new, shiny Harley Street Glide. Not that I dont have love for the Harleys, but I told him I could build something way cooler for a fraction of the cost. The search was on. I looked EVERYWHERE. Ebay, Craigslist, local classified ads, under rocks, searching from Houston, TX to Mississippi, from far South Louisiana to Northern LA. It seemed everything I found was no. The ones I could find were junk, the ones that weren't junk sold QUICK. So I expanded my search a little, I figured I was willing to travel, what's a couple more hours?

Within 10 minutes of expanding my search I found one on Friday. The ad read...


"yamaha xs650 - $1000 "
"72 xs650 Bike looks, sounds, and runs great.Just about everything on it new or rebuilt, top end, forks, carbs, electronic ignition,ect. About the only thing that hasnt been replaced or rebuilt is the lower end and the front tire. It has developed shift problems. It is inspected and I have a clear TX title in hand. The price is firm and I will not answer emails with a lower offer."

However the ad had been posted for a couple weeks, surely it had been sold, right? I quickly emailed the guy and it was still available. We emailed back and forth over the weekend and I called him on the 4th. He had a guy coming to look at it the next day but he wasnt going to be there until the afternoon. I asked if he had a problem with me coming earlier and he said as long as I was there before the other guy left to head that way he was cool with it. So I jumped in the truck that night and headed up to Tyler, TX and was at his house at 7am. It was perfect for what I wanted. I had intended to find a stocker to build myself but this one already had most of what I wanted done and it was priced right. Hardtailed, sportster tank, spoke wheels, pretty fresh engine. I was so excited I forgot to even try to negotiate and just handed him the money. While we were loading up the guy that was supposed to come called. Needless to say he wasnt happy, oh well. The seller got his money, and I got my XS.

So my plans, hints the wording "Sorta Build". It's already got about 90% of the modifications I wanted. So my first intention is to diagnose and fix the shifting problem. Which, can either be as simple as a broken spring under the clutch cover or worn shift drum. When the motor is out of the frame Im going to paint the frame, fenders, and tank for sure. Although Im not 100% decided on colors. Kinda waiting on the pile of parts to get bigger before I get started. So far Ive got TC Bros forward controls and linkage, a nice fender mounted tail light, G&L Choppers battery box/oil tank combo, and a custom exhaust being built. Everything else will be decided as I go. On the list of possibilities...

Ditching the sissy bar....definately
Ape Hangers
white walls
black wheels
HID headlight
And various other smaller things as I go


It should be a fun project and Im really looking forward to it. I plan to take my time and not rush anything that way it's done right the first time.

And since I know everyone loves pics here's some as well as a start up video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PYWULMgWNs

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/100_0428.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/100_0427.jpg


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/100_0500.jpg


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/100_0503.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/100e0421.jpg


Here's the taillight being fitted...

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/IMG00044-20100715-1902.jpg


And here's what the exhaust will look like....


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/CIMG5512.jpg

[YOURADHERE]

Final goal is something similar to this....

http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx99/jimed/IMG_2639.jpg

[bens250ex]

that will be pretty sweet man

[Hondamaster5505]

It's pretty cool, but I never understood the whole rigid thing... I mean they ride like ****.

If I got through all that trouble making a custom chopper, you can bet your butt im putting some sort of suspension on it.

[YOURADHERE]

Oh it will without a doubt be a rough riding, vibrating hung o junk but it's more of a bar hopper/around town/bike nights/screw off bike then it is a "ride 200 miles in a day/touring" bike.

[toby400ex]

I was gonna sat get a different tank and shorten the forks, but you obviously already knew that. id love a bike like that. I had the luck of getting a free 72 Kawasaki H2 750 triple.....And sold that thing for $2800 on ebay. Deal of a life time.:blah:

[YOURADHERE]

I LOVE that tank (Harley Sporster tank) but HATE how it sits so high on the frame. I think I may cut out the current tunnel and try my hand at sheet metal and weld in a deeper tunnel....if that goes to crap new tanks are $80. If you look closely at my XS and the gold one I posted they're pretty much the same tank, just the gold one has a deeper tunnel. Also since mine sits so high it gives the illusion that the forks/front end sit high when in actuality the forks and front end on both are stock and unmodified.

[YOURADHERE]

Ordered the TC Bros Oil tank/battery box last week. Got a buddy to give me a hand today and in a couple hours here's what we had...


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/IMG00048-20100724-14571.jpg



Tomorrow I'll be ordering a different Sportster tank with a deeper tunnel to sit lower on the frame. Slowly but surely it's getting there.

[Canadian144]

Looks good, nice little "build" you got going here.

[YOURADHERE]

So my exhaust is finished and should be here Monday. Here's the pics the builder emailed me...he made them a little longer which is supposed to be better than the shortys. They should be here in a few days. Still trying to decide what Im going to do with them as far as chrome or black or heat wrapped.


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/CIMG5609.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/CIMG5611.jpg


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/CIMG5610.jpg

[YOURADHERE]

So a bit of an update(well not really)...havent made much progress the last couple weeks. We've been in the process of redoing our barn/shop as it goes from mostly barn/part shop to mostly shop/part barn and will eventually be one big *** shop. As you can see crap is still not straightened out. Should have a nice work space complete with tables and a motorcycle/ATV lift soon. I brought the frame over so I can work on it there rather than have to drive 20 miles to work on it.

So I put the tank on and confirmed what I thought, gonna have to cut the neck gussets out and weld in new ones. Also will need to put a new mount on the rear of the tank so it can sit further back. I was going to town with my Dremel tool cutting off the un-needed brackets until my last wheel broke. So instead I sat on it and made motorcycle noises.


...cut a few brackets out tonight that the original owner added in.


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC00680.jpg


I was bored


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC00681.jpg

[skyeryder]

looks good keep the pics coming

[WhiteZrider]

Should deff heat wrap the pipes..that would be the most badass look.

[YOURADHERE]

Did some crap over the weekend...cut out all the not needed brackets...then realized I had cutoff the mount for my brake light switch :doh:. Also started cutting out the neck gussets so the tank can sit lower. I havent smoothed the neck out and I'll be having some new gussets made and welded in soon. Heres some pics...





Before cutting the guessets...



http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC00680.jpg



After..the tank now sits a little lower.



http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC00686.jpg





And new tank > old tank...



http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC00687.jpg





Just an idea...might run with this.



http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC00684.jpg





As soon as I finish smoothing out the neck, weld in the gussets(or the other option shown above) I'll throw the motor in to weld on mount tabs for the exhaust and the frame will be done and ready for paint.

[ZeroLogic]

Any updates?

[YOURADHERE]

I ended up getting really busy and the project stalled for a bit but I started messing with it again a couple weeks ago. Im getting the frame back from the powdercoater Tuesday and will be dropping off more parts. I'll do a more detail update later this week.

[ZeroLogic]

Looking forward to that bro. I'm thinking about getting an Xs650 myself and making it into a hardtail.

This is what I really want.
http://www.xs650chopper.com/2010/12/gl-choppers-1981-650-soul-delivery/
:devil:

[YOURADHERE]

There's alot of sick XS chops out there...but alot of garbage ones too. Im not sure what fate this one holds...I'll either ride it a little and sell it off in the spring....or keep it over the spring/summer and then tear it down, redo somethings, add a DNA -2 springer and 21" front wheel....then who knows. It's not my only scoot...and Im kinda wanting a basket case Sportster to chop so I may fund that with the XS. Then again Ive changed my mind more times than I can count over the course of this build...time will tell.

[300exQuadracer]

I drink beer with the TC bro's about every Thurs night, they are locals, pretty bad bikes

[YOURADHERE]

They've got some good products and cool bikes. Anyway you can swipe one of their ripped fenders for me? :D

[YOURADHERE]

So progress has been a bit slow, been pretty busy lately. Got the frame back from powdercoat a couple weeks back but here's where it stands now.


http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/YOUR-AD-HERE/XS650/DSC01012.jpg

[ZeroLogic]

Looks pretty good, you keeping the tank white? What kind of hardtail is that?

[YOURADHERE]

Yea the tank will be white for sure. May do some kind of stripes or design. I just half assed rattle canned it for now to make sure I like the way it looks.

I finally found out the hardtail is from Black Widow Choppers. I dont believe they're in business anymore due to crappy customer service.

The motor should be repaired and back in the frame in a few days. As soon as the motor is back in progress should move a little quicker.

[ZeroLogic]

You rebuilding the motor?

I've been trying like hell to get a xs. Waiting on one guy to get back from vacation to let me know if he wants to trade for his.
I plan on building a bobber with a springer frontend and maybe rake it a few degrees

[YOURADHERE]

No not rebuilding. The guy I bought it from had rebuilt to entire top end. It later would jump out of 1st or 2nd or had trouble shifting. So I believe its a worn shift drum/shift forks. If that doesnt correct the problem then likely the shift shaft is out of adjustment. The guy didnt want to fix it so he sold it fairly cheap.