the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 12:53 am Post subject: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

This bike took me 2 years to build in my free time. I work at G&L Choppers and Rich (the owner) was kind enough to let me build it at the shop. I call it the "shop rat" because it (and I) have been hangin around the shop for so long. I made mids controls and a right hand shifter (with left hand clutch). Mounted the tank high on the backbone and went with some high biltwell keystone bars. leather grips and seat and turned some pegs out of aluminum. made the electric and battery box. electric box caps are nickel plated along with the shifter, mids and a few other things. I painted and wired the bike (both a first for me) and the pinstriping was done by a local guy, steve havens. I have to thank Rich for his advice and help throughout the build. thanks for checking out my bike.

you can check out a video here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHIdZCHVOM

josh

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 12:55 am Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

couple more pics. . .

Ken99 · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2008 Posts: 36

Man, that's a work of art. Congrats!!

Buddy78SX650 · Posted: April 8, 2009, 8:31 am Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Man I am really diggin your ride but I think that shifter would really be akward.... I'd probubly fall off just trying to get it in gear LOL.

Nice bike man I really like it.

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 10:13 am Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Buddy78SX650 wrote:

Man I am really diggin your ride but I think that shifter would really be akward.... I'd probubly fall off just trying to get it in gear LOL.

Nice bike man I really like it.

give yourself some credit man!!!! a monkey could do it, it's not that hard. try it on your bike. every time you shift, take your hand off the throttle and reach back to your right ass cheek;)

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 10:14 am Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Ken99 wrote:

Man, that's a work of art. Congrats!!

thank you!!!

josh

Retiredgentleman · Posted: April 8, 2009, 11:17 am Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Beautiful bike, great workmanship. Definitly a fun ride.

Ken99 · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2008 Posts: 36

calicruiser wrote:

Buddy78SX650 wrote:

Man I am really diggin your ride but I think that shifter would really be akward.... I'd probubly fall off just trying to get it in gear LOL.

Nice bike man I really like it.

give yourself some credit man!!!! a monkey could do it, it's not that hard. try it on your bike. every time you shift, take your hand off the throttle and reach back to your right ass cheek;)

He's right! I do that every time and I don't even have my shifter there!

Buddy78SX650 · Posted: April 8, 2009, 11:27 am Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Ken99 wrote:

calicruiser wrote:

Buddy78SX650 wrote:

Man I am really diggin your ride but I think that shifter would really be akward.... I'd probubly fall off just trying to get it in gear LOL.

Nice bike man I really like it.

give yourself some credit man!!!! a monkey could do it, it's not that hard. try it on your bike. every time you shift, take your hand off the throttle and reach back to your right ass cheek;)

He's right! I do that every time and I don't even have my shifter there!

LMAO I'm not even going to ask why Shocked

metalredneck · Full Member Joined: Aug 04, 2008 Posts: 308

Nicely done!!

engineer36 · Posted: April 8, 2009, 4:11 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

very, very nicely done

bryant · Full Member Joined: Apr 01, 2009 Posts: 86 Location: KY

that thing sounds good man. what all have you done to the engine?
looks great too by the way.

xs1961 · Posted: April 8, 2009, 7:35 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Luvverlyjubbly !

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

That's definitely the prettiest XS650 hardtail chop I've ever seen. I'm not bein' critical but just curious when I throw in a few questions:

1) Did you mount the hand shifter on the right with the hand clutch on the left -- instead of the hand shift AND a suicide clutch on the left -- just to be contrarian?
2) And, again being contrarian, did you paint it green to twist the tail of the old outlaw tradition that NOBODY rides a green motorcycle?
3) Which is all just to ask: Are question No. 1 and question No. 2 both expressions of the same impulse?

I only ask b'cos I'm with Buddy78 when I say I'd have to have a foot clutch and the shifter both on the left side.

Even so, it's still the prettiest job I've ever seen. It's a real slick putter, dude. Where do you put all the women?

VoodooXS · Posted: April 8, 2009, 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

awesome bike. love the right hand shifter

yamaha_dave · Posted: April 8, 2009, 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

Glad to know I'm not the only one with the RIGHT-HAND jockey shift...

LOVE IT!!!

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 11:29 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

bryant wrote:

that thing sounds good man. what all have you done to the engine?
looks great too by the way.

i painted and polished the motor. aftermarket headers from mikesxs and aftermarket mikuni carbs. new plugs/plugs wires, new coils, condensor and solid state regulator/rectifier. nothing major done to the motor and it runs STRONG!

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 11:35 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

jimmythetrucker wrote:

That's definitely the prettiest XS650 hardtail chop I've ever seen. I'm not bein' critical but just curious when I throw in a few questions:

1) Did you mount the hand shifter on the right with the hand clutch on the left -- instead of the hand shift AND a suicide clutch on the left -- just to be contrarian?
2) And, again being contrarian, did you paint it green to twist the tail of the old outlaw tradition that NOBODY rides a green motorcycle?
3) Which is all just to ask: Are question No. 1 and question No. 2 both expressions of the same impulse?

I only ask b'cos I'm with Buddy78 when I say I'd have to have a foot clutch and the shifter both on the left side.

Even so, it's still the prettiest job I've ever seen. It's a real slick putter, dude. Where do you put all the women?

first, thanks for the comps. i appreciate that! To answer your questions, I am not running a front brake so I need a foot on the brake when stopped on a hill so I chose not to run a foot clutch/hand shift with only a rear brake. (both feet can't be off the gound at the same time when stopped:)

I dont believe in superstition about the green paint and the limegold was my first choice and then it changed and I kept comin back to it so in the end it is that bad luck green!

women can go on the handlebars or the tank!

in the end I chose to build the bike the way I did to try to be at least a little different from the crowd.

later
josh

calicruiser · Posted: April 8, 2009, 11:36 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

yamaha_dave wrote:

Glad to know I'm not the only one with the RIGHT-HAND jockey shift...

LOVE IT!!!

yeah man, I dig it. it gets tedious sometimes but it's cool as hell so who cares!!! I only have about 4 hours of riding this way and so far so good. getting quicker by the day! I dig your scoot man! nicely done.

josh

yamaha_dave · Posted: April 9, 2009, 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

calicruiser wrote:

yeah man, I dig it. it gets tedious sometimes but it's cool as hell so who cares!!! I only have about 4 hours of riding this way and so far so good. getting quicker by the day! I dig your scoot man! nicely done.

josh

I just couldn't picture coming to an emergency stop with my left hand OFF the bars. I figured the right hand shift was a good compromise. And yes... It's cool as hell! Smile

By the way... I LOVE the chartreuse green and the pin stripes! When my brother was chopping everything from Schwinns to Harleys back in 72, he would have bought it on the spot. You nailed it with the styling! Too pretty to be called a "rat" though... Wink

And that SPRINGER front end ROCKS!

calicruiser · Posted: April 9, 2009, 9:46 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

yamaha_dave wrote:

calicruiser wrote:

yeah man, I dig it. it gets tedious sometimes but it's cool as hell so who cares!!! I only have about 4 hours of riding this way and so far so good. getting quicker by the day! I dig your scoot man! nicely done.

josh

I just couldn't picture coming to an emergency stop with my left hand OFF the bars. I figured the right hand shift was a good compromise. And yes... It's cool as hell! Smile

By the way... I LOVE the chartreuse green and the pin stripes! When my brother was chopping everything from Schwinns to Harleys back in 72, he would have bought it on the spot. You nailed it with the styling! Too pretty to be called a "rat" though... Wink

And that SPRINGER front end ROCKS!

thanks man I appreciate that! The shop rat thing has more to do with how long it hung around the shop than the style of bike. I am a shop rat myself so I thought the nickname fit. thanks again dude.

josh

blackwidow · Posted: April 11, 2009, 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: the "Shop Rat" 1978 XS650

calicruiser wrote:

This bike took me 2 years to build in my free time. I work at G&L Choppers and Rich (the owner) was kind enough to let me build it at the shop. I call it the "shop rat" because it (and I) have been hangin around the shop for so long. I made mids controls and a right hand shifter (with left hand clutch). Mounted the tank high on the backbone and went with some high biltwell keystone bars. leather grips and seat and turned some pegs out of aluminum. made the electric and battery box. electric box caps are nickel plated along with the shifter, mids and a few other things. I painted and wired the bike (both a first for me) and the pinstriping was done by a local guy, steve havens. I have to thank Rich for his advice and help throughout the build. thanks for checking out my bike.

you can check out a video here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHIdZCHVOM

josh

Is this bike on xs650chopper.com?? Mine is on their I think I seen this one looks real good here is a pic of mine

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650