Fishtails and Mini Apes

Just thought I would post some pictures to see what yall thought about my bike. You can look at the way it looked before the fishtails and mini apes in my gallery.
Let me know what you think

 

Turkey, very nice. i really like the lines of it. i think it looks good either way. you did an excellent job, i know you are proud of it. that seat, did you fab it yourself or were you able to bye it. it looks really good on your bike. good work.

 

Yeah Turkey, where did you find the seat? Your bike is bad a$$!!!

 

Nice. I've never been a big fan of drag bars with high risers. The apes are definitely cool. The apes and fishtails go very well with the bike. Very nice work on the seat. Sweet!
I hear a lot of debate on open pipes. How does yours sound while riding? Are they far enough back that they're not too loud?

 

seat headlight and grips kick ass. and no stock gauges!!!

 

Wow, I'm Flattered, didn't expect that much good complements.

I made and covered the seat myself. Fiberlass pan that I made by putting painters tape over the frame, tank, and fender. Then put aluminum tape over that and waxed it with about three coats, then layed fiberglass over it. I found that method through google.

lol, speedo came off ebay, probably $15, Just a mini universal yamaha spedo. I had to cut the threaded part off my old speedo and rig it onto this one, but it works and reads correctly. Grips are fake chrome, plastic grips from ebay, but you can't tell it.

As far as the pipes, I rode it for the first time today with the fishtails, and it seems alot louder than it was, I guess they sortof act like megaphones, and they are upswept a little. I wear a half helmet most of the time, and the wind noise usualy drowns out the exhaust at highway speeds. I think it sounds alot different with the fishtails than it did, little deeper, didn't seem to me to have as much top end kick today, but I was also just on the street in front of my house.

The only thing I'm not happy with is the engine. I wish I could get it to look better, I guess I could paint it? Bead blast it? I tried to polished the crap out of the covers, and some of the casting imperfections started to show.

 

Here is a side view. I had originally planned on raking it, longer forks, and a different tank, but I chickend out, and money ran out. Looks like it is too short to me, but the pipes make it look better. Do yall think it would be worth it to cut the neck, rake a little and go with some 4" over tubes?

 

Sure, it'd be worth it. You"ve done a really good job with your mods so far. You've got a pretty good eye for what makes a good looking bike. If you think it needs some rake, by all means, rake it. When I think apes and fishtails, I think long bike. But, that's just my opinion. I cut my bike in half last week and am in the process of making it a true rigid, so my idea of what's worth it may not be the same as someone else's.
As for the motor, there's always hi temp paint.

 

I think a black engine would look great with the red.

 

Sweet looking bike turkey, where did you get the mini apes? and did you have to extend the cables/wiring/hoses? I'd love to get a set, but the cost of the cables and stuff to go with them kills me

 

I found them on ebay. The only thing I had to change was the front break line, and when I put a new one on it with the drag bars, I bought one that was a little long on purpose because I thought I would eventually change them. If the bars were any taller at all I would have had to change the throttle and the clutch, but they just are long enough. I beileve they are about 9" tall, so it's not like they are really that much higher than the stock bars.

 

ok some questions, how did you mount the rear fender.. where did you get the head light, where did you get the grips... umm the exhaust... is that called fish tail? and uhh cant think of anything else, did you document this build or not?

 

oh, where did you get the rear fender from?

 

Turkey, could you post the link to the seat making site? Thanks

 

I googled the seat making site, and didn't come across it. It isn't too hard though. I'll open a new forum soon and explain the process, and take some better shots of the seat. Like I said I am planning to build a new one that is more comfortable (don't know when I will get around to it) but if and when I do I'll get some pictures of how it's done.

I didn't really document the build.

The rear fender is mounted in between the two rear frame rails. It is a Fat Bob bobtail fender made to fit a sportster. It is the perfect width to sit between the bars. I just drilled through the bars and put two bolts on each side, and one through the fender on the cross bar under the seat. I spent alot of time lining it up right before I mounted it. I am a little anal about a fender fitting a tire. That's what I hate about alot of newer bikes, the fenders don't look right. If you look at the side picture, the radius of the fender follows the tire.

The grips, headlight, fender, exhaust... everything but the bike came off of ebay. I guess it should be called the Ebay bike. The front fender is just a cut down stock fender... actually it is a fender off of a virago. I sold the original on ebay because it was in really good shape, and I hated to cut it up.

pipes are pauncho upswept fishtails made to fit harleys with 1 3/4" pipes

I put the pipes together with an adapter that goes from 1 3/4 to 3 inches(I believe it was 3 inches). I just heated, beat, and welded until I streached the 3 inch section to fit over two head pipes. I hammered it around the head pipes until it was sort of a 8 shape that the head pipes would fit into. Then mounted it on the bike and lined up a section of 1 3/4 pipe to run along the frame and welded that on. It wouldn't look good if it wasn't wrapped. I still have to make some hangers for those fishtails, but it doesn't shake like a harley, so I'm not worried to much about them moving around.

 

That'd be cool, Id like the details on the seat, especially just how you mounted it and how easy is it to remove?

 

Very nice job indeed! That red jumps right out at ya. You'll get alot of compliments with that one for sure. I like the mini apes and bobbed rear fender. I know just how it feels to ride it...mine is just about identical to yours. It's like riding a completely different bike only better. Good going!

 

Google "making a fiberglass seat pan". You will find alot of sites about how to make one. I can't find the exact site I looked at the first time, but most of these are pretty good. If anyone wants to make one, I'll be happy to answer some questions, of give some tips about how I did mine. I think it has to be the easiest and cheapest way to make a seat pan that will pefectly fit your bike.

 

Wow Turkey, what a nice modification you did. I'm new in this group. And I'm been looking for some help with my XJ700. I want to do the same with what you did. Problem is, the previous owner of my XJ700 misplaced the "under bracket" ("three or "T")for the fork. Id there any model that could fit my frame because I tried purchasing it from the dealers here and they told me its not being manufactured anymore. Also, how did you lowered your frame?

Thanks and hope you can help me.