My 1978 XS650 Special project bike

kenb · Posted: May 27, 2008, 9:33 pm Post subject: My 1978 XS650 Special project bike

Hello folks,

The search is over, and I just brought my 1978 XS650 Special project bike home tonight. I just bought it a couple of hours ago, it's complete, it runs, and by this time next year it's gonna look pretty sharp. It looks a little bit worse for wear from having sat in the back corner of a barn since the summer of 2000, but I'll be out there tomorrow to clean it up a bit so I can see how it looks under all that dust.

Before I start tearing it down to start cutting it up, I think I might consider doing whatever it takes to get it to pass a safety inspection right now while it's still in stock condition. I've heard that some guys have had a difficult time passing inspection after making modifications to the frame on their project bikes, so it might be best to jump through those hoops now before I make any changes.

Although the final design is still an open book at this point, the basic idea floating around in my head right now is a sort of bobber/cruiser hybrid. I'll settle on the final look it's going to have a bit later on, but first I have to get out there and take a few dozen measurements off the bike so I can get it plotted in AutoCad. Once I get the stock layout set up in cyberspace, I can start moving things around on my computer screen first to experiment with the ideas I have.

So there you go guys, I've got the bike, I've got some ideas, and I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna have more than a few questions to ask for the next few months!

Here's how the bike looks tonight.

Ken

Retiredgentleman

Great bike to start your project.................I guess thats my favourite year since I own one too. If you have any specific questions just ask away, and good luck.
The fuse panel above the battery is probably in bad shape................best to cut the wires and replace all four with inline blade type automotive fuses.

Finksies

Nice looking bike to cut up, cant wait to see what u do with it.

paintmegone

cannot wait to see what you come up with on the rear monoshock.i am also going that routh with a shock off a roadstar.

kenb

paintmegone wrote:

cannot wait to see what you come up with on the rear monoshock.i am also going that routh with a shock off a roadstar.

Lot's of research left to do on that, I plan on talking to a few people who have done it first to see what they have to say about it. After it's all said and done, I want to be sure that I end up with a bike that rides and handles well enough that I don't regret making the changes.

What it's all about for me is capturing the hard-tail look, without having the hard-tail ride that goes along with it. I love the neat and tidy look of a hard-tail, but I'm pushing 50 and I know that my previously damaged spine won't be able to tolerate sharing the bumps with the back wheel for any length of time. The thrill of the project is a big part of it as well, as I've been looking for a challenge like this for quite a while, so the extra effort isn't going to feel like work to me.

Having said all that, it's still possible that I might get talked out of doing the monoshock thing, we'll just have to see what people say over the next few months.

Ken

xsjohn

Why not put it back stock ........and see if you like it.....these are getting more valuable in original condition....and there is getting to be less of them non-wacked....xsjohn

kenb

xsjohn wrote:

Why not put it back stock ........and see if you like it.....these are getting more valuable in original condition....and there is getting to be less of them non-wacked....xsjohn

It's likely going to remain that way until until the snow flies this fall, but I'll definitely be doing something with it over the winter. I've been into metalshaping for a few years now, and one of the main reasons I bought it was to make a custom tank, fenders, and associated bodywork for a motorcycle. Think of me as one of those Orange County Chopper types without the bondo, as everything I make for it will be ready for paint in a bare metal state with no fillers of any kind.

It should also be noted that this bike is a high mileage unit (64K), has suffered lots of neglect, and is in really rough shape all over. The tank is really rusty inside, the seat is ripped, the chrome is faded, the swingarm bushings are shot.....and the list goes on. This is a bike that really needs tearing down to the frame and starting over anyhow, so I figured it would make a good candidate for the kind of project I have in mind. I actually passed up on a couple of nicer XS650's before I bought this one, because I didn't think it would be right to start cutting up something that was in such nice shape with so many miles of riding left on it.

y goal is to make something unique (but not stupid looking) that's easy to look at, as well as being easy to ride for a 5 hour tour down winding country roads on cool fall afternoons. It's going to be quiet, neat and tidy, and hopefully, people are going to ask me where I got it once it's done.
I guess you could also say that it's as much about the build as it is about the bike for me, as I'm going to be tested on all of my talents and skills with this project. I'll be drawing on my 10 years experience as a welder/fitter for the frame work, my metalshaping skills for the tank and bodywork, and the rest of my handyman stuff for the rest of the job.

Well, I've gotta go see if Yamaha got those back-ordered carburator parts in yet. More later.

Ken

pumps

Coming from another guy with a not so great back...

I'm not sure of the model...I read about it in my Cycle World mag...lets see.
Uh the HD FXCW Rocker. They mounted the fender of the swingarm to get the LOOK of a hardtail but it does have some suspension. Can't remember the details but it might be something to look at to see if you can get some ideas from it.

kenb

pumps wrote:

the HD FXCW Rocker. They mounted the fender of the swingarm to get the LOOK of a hardtail but it does have some suspension.

I just googled the name and had a look at it. That's the general idea I'm after, and there are actually a few variations out there that accomplish the same thing. The tricky part will be coming up with a design that won't be too much of a headache to put together. Thanks for pointing that out, it's another possiblity I can have a look at before I hit the drawing board.

Ken

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650