1979 Yamaha XS650 Bobber Build

And, the winner is... Frisco bars!

2012-01-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Tried the drag bars and didn't fall in love with the look. So, on the second attempt, I tried the Frisco 7" rise bars and I'm in love. I installed both the internal throttle and internal clutch mechanisms to keep them as clean as possible when complete. We'll have to see how well the internal clutch operates. Worst case scenario, I put a jack-hammer grip over it and use a typical perch.

I found a master cylinder that has the buttons (horn and brake light) built in, so hopefully the only drilling will be to exit the wiring, clutch cable and throttle cable out the bottom of the bars.

Steering.... Probably the hardest decision yet.

2012-01-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Nothing defines a bike more than the handlebars that you choose. So, I had a really hard time with the direction I wanted to follow on this one. Apes make it look "Chopper". Drag Bars make it look "Cafe". So, I'll probably end up mocking both and see which one I like the best.

Here are the Gatlin-style risers that I went with. Should support both mock ups until I make the choice. The first set of bars should be here tomorrow or Monday.

A little more progress, both front and rear

2012-01-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

I opted for a slim rear fender. Capped it off with brass nuts what will also match the mounting nuts for the gas tank. It sits just about 1/2" off the tire and should do the trick. I still have to have a small bracket fabricated to keep the front of it from moving. But, it turned out pretty good.

For a headlight, I went with a new Bates-style halogen vs a vintage spotlight. A little glass spray tint and it gives it the vintage look, but with a present day bulb and wiring.

Electrical - Remote Control?

2012-01-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

So, here's where it gets interesting...

I decided to upgrade to a Pamco electronic ignition in lieu of the old points-type setup. One of the best decisions yet. Install was a snap and it left me with a single coil vs two and very little wiring to speak of. I also put in a PMA (Permanent Magnetic Alternator) since what I've read regaring charging on these old bikes is a horror. Again, very little wiring to support it.

But, the kicker is... Everything on the bike (Ignition switch, starter button and lighting) is controlled by a 4-Channel remote control unit. So, there's no key. And, the only button on the bike (on the handle bars) will be for the horn...

I had a friend send me a piece of mirrored stainless to support holding a simple enclosure that will contain nearly all of the wiring on the bike.

With that in-place, the enclosure holds a Ballistic Lithium battery capable of starting the bike at full charge. All of the other components (starter relay, fuse block and remote control unit) fit just perfectly inside. How clean is that?

So, other than a few wires running from the box (Pamco, Alternator and to the steering to support the horn, head light and brake light), nearly everything gets contained in a clean little box.

Fuel System - Please don't make me have to synchronize carburetors...

2012-01-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

For fuel, I decided on a 2-into-1 intake system from Joe WiseGuy and a Mikuni VM36. It's ceramic chrome and looks pretty nice. I upgraded his carburetor clamps to something a little more substantial, since there's not much else holding it on (and, it's a bit heavy). A fuel filter and some lines and it's just about done.

I didn't like the pink vent and drain lines, so I went with clear and ran a solid (heat protected) drain line down and out the bottom of the frame.

Ok, so it rolls around. Now what?

2012-01-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

With the front end back on, it's time to think about exhaust. I found a set of custom pipes on Ebay for $50.00 that looked like they had potential. The Seller threw in the baffles, clamps and some silver ceramic / VHT paint, so I guess he didn't see it... Because of the way the rear peg mounts were located, I knew they would have to be cut pretty short not to interfere with the rear braking lever.

The rear brake post/pivot actually turned out pretty decent. If I were to do it again, I probably would go with forward controls and eliminate a lot of effort. I wasn't sure of the comfort, though. And, it would have been too late to go back with the frame already painted.

I wrapped the exhaust in black and finished the ends with brass caps. You'll see little bits of brass accents as the build proceeds.

So, will all of the engine polishing and painting be worth the effort

2012-01-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

I spent the Winter painting and polishing the engine. All the time wondering if it will actually fit back into the frame without issues (which it did)...

But, before that could happen, the entire frame had to be stripped of any paint and prepared for painting. I decided on black vs any other color because I still hadn't (and still haven't) decided on a color scheme. Painting the frame green and deciding that's not the color the tank and fenders were going to be would be beyond difficult to address at some point. So, default black it is.

I was quite happy that the engine fit back in with no issues (good move on creating that ugly jig). And, neither the frame or the engine took any damage getting them back together again.

Starting to look like a bike again

2012-01-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

With the wheels polished, suspension was next. I was able to locate a set of polished front forks that had the fender mounts shaved off. I wasn't going with a front fender, so it would clean up that area pretty nicely. Also, I found a polished top tree clamp and front brake caliper, so the front-end starts to come together the way I imagined it.

With new old-school Avon tires, a replica Wassell-style tank and spring seat, I'm starting to get a really good idea of how the bike may look completed.

Those are some tired old wheels

2012-01-10T06:57:00.001-08:00

I decided to keep the original look of the wheels vs cast or aftermarket(Harley) wheels. But, keeping them meant that a total disassembly was in order. All of the interiors (bearings & seals) looked solid.

I removed and replaced all of the spokes, polished the rims and reassembled, making sure they still rotated true. It was a good decision, since I really like the way they turned out.

After a TON of welding and grinding, it's starting to take shape

2012-01-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

I fabricated a jig to hold the frame in-place before I started cutting off the rear supports and suspension. The last thing I needed was to get it completed and find that the motor mounts were just far enough off that the engine didn't slide back in without issues.

With the new hardtail installed, I can finally start to see how it may look completed in regards to it's stance. I took the frame to a local welding shop and had all of my welds re-inforced. So, I shouldn't have to worry about it coming apart on me at high-speed(fingers crossed).

I removed all of the tabs that weren't expected to be used and smoothed out many of the factory welds. I also added mounts to where I expect the foot pegs to mount.

I'm hoping that this was the hardest part...

Stripped down and ready to be chopped up

2012-01-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

It took about 6 hours and nearly everything was removed from the bike to get it ready to cut off the rear suspension in preparation for a hardtail rebuild. I was able to hook up with Elswick and they fabricated an extended (3"-4") and lowered (2"-3") weld-on hardtail for me. Took about a week and I was very impressed with the quality of the welds.

So, here's where it began - Just an old bike

2012-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

I picked up this 1979 Yamaha XS650 from a local motorcycle repair shop in the Summer of 2010. It had been sitting for about 20 years in dry storage. It seems the shop went through it and got it running good once again. But, the owner of the bike decided that he didn't have the funds to pay for the work, now completed. So, it sat in the back of this shop for another two years before they decided to put it on Craig's List to get rid of it. That's where I came in...

Less than $1000.00 later, I'm the proud new owner of an old bike with less than 6,000 original miles on the odometer. Though I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do with it, I had no idea how large of an effort (or how much fun) I had just signed up for...