the point of no return

Watch the ground clearance with those pipes. Once you get leanin over at speed, there's not much room there.

 

Sounds like a lesson learned the hard way Kevin. :wink:

 

Yes, lowering the bike does have its drawbacks. I used short pieces of hard wire (springy) under each footpeg. This gives me a warning when I'm leaning to my limits. I call them "feelers".
I noticed on a few of my bikes, there are accorn nuts on the outside bottom of each of the drivers footpegs (Honda Shadows) and that's where I got the idea to use short pieces of wire being I didn't have those accorn nuts on my pegs. I don't seem to notice them much anymore, so I must be getting in tune with my limits finally.

 

thank you would hate to scrape a frame becase i cut it wrong

 

Not on my pipes, but i drag my forward controls occasionally. Enough to know when to say when.

 

Spiceyhagis, I hopes this helps. I aslo hope I do not offend anyone by "borrowing" a pic from another post. I don't have a good pic of where the cuts were made on my frame. However, I copied a pic from Toreadorranger's thread "yet another bobber project 82 xj650" and brought it to photo shop. I really hope I'm not breaking any kind of posting ettiquette by using someone else's pic. This will show you the cuts I made and when.
The Red line is where I cut the swing arm and extended it 5". I did this first.
Then came the green lines. I cut a path for the single backbone to extend to the rear of the bike and removed what was left of the rear.
Only after I had put the stretched swing arm back on, and sufficiently tied the back bone and top frame rails together and into the axle plate, did I proceed to the yellow lines. I was worried about having too much cut from the bike at one time, so I tied some in before hacking some more away.
I removed the one inch tubes that made up the triple backbone system. I then tied in the bottom frame rails to the axle plate and removed the swing arm. hope this helps you in some way.

 

thank you it is a big help thanks again i ll let you know how it turns out for me

 

Here's a pic of a new toy I "found" that may make a wonderful addition to my bike. Was thinking of putting this atop the shifter instead of the tap handle. If I can intergrate a clutch lever in such a way to look like it belongs, I think I may have myself a wiener. Whaddayathink?

 

I'm assuming you mean , like making the handle on the 'grenade' the clutch handle.... absolutely..that would be killer!! Just make sure the pin don't pop out or it just might be a killer 8O
lolol 8)

 

Yeah, Mad, that's what I meant. May have to put some of that Gorilla Grip on the pin.
Spicy, I found a pic of the bike when it was in half. Maybe this will show you where the cuts were. The swingarm was removed for the stretch. hope this helps. BTW, got anything done to it yet?

 

Kev and Ace and Painter, I am going to run forward controls. So maybe they can act as my "curb feelers" so I know when to say when.

 

that gives me a better idea now but no go side tracked with another prodject for now hopefully soon i can start on it again

 

i was wondering what size of gas tank you had on, gallon wise

 

Supposed to be a 3.4 gal. But at the angle it's sitting on, I probably can't get much more than 2.75 in it.

 

i just wanted to say thank you ive seen some sweet bobbers and chopped xjs on this site. but i have to say your deffinatly stickin with the hardcore look and thats what these bikes need. and hopefully, when i get some money that is, i can make my bike like that. bring some of that rat into these rods.

 

I appreciate the words, oldskoo11. When I sarted this project, I had a certain vision in mind. I definitely wanted the rigid, the lines, the look of the way it used to be. The way it was done by guys who for what ever reason would go make what they needed and wanted for their bike instead of buying bolt ons or paying someone to buy and install the bolt ons. Guys who would help one another work on and customize bikes and ask for nothing in return, because they knew when they needed help, they wouldn't have to ask. The buds would be there. It's just the right thing to do. I've got a lot of buds that have helped me, some of them are on this site.
I really think a lot of the people these days "building" bikes are missing the point. You need more than a flat black spray can and a J&P catalog to give a bike personality. I guess that's what these forums are all about. There's a lot of guys on here who get it.

 

Got a little more done this weekend on the scoot. Been kinda busy lately, but I think I finally got the forward control done. Only one control because I'm going to be using a jockey shift. So I made the rear brake control for the right side and a footpeg for the left side. To make the pivot for the forward, I used 1" O.D. tubing that I in three pieces. I used a chop saw to ensure nice straight cuts. I then used some 1/2" all thread and 1/2" nuts. I had to ever so lightly grind the points on the nuts to have them fit snugly inside the tubing. I drilled a couple of 3/8" holes on each end of the tubing. This was for a plug weld to tie the nuts to the tubing, and I then ground the welds smooth. I cut my existing rear brake lever about 3" from the part that tightens to the splines on the frame and drilled a hole in it. I welded the other part of the lever to the middle section of the tubing. For cosmetic purposes I cut the old foot pad off the lever and welded some smaller tubing on it. I hit a snag on the linkage. I needed to cut one end of the link rod to shorten it to the right length, but I didn't have the right size die to thread it. So I'll have to catch that tommorow.
So I figured I'd move on to something else. I got the brake light mounted. And I wrapped one of the exhaust pipes with header wrap to see if I'd like the look. I'm sitting on the fence on this one, so let me know what you think about the pipe wrap. Also does anyone think the brakelight is mounted too low? I'm planning on putting the license plate on the other side of the frame with a couple of the LED holder bolts. So here's a few pics of the controls, brakelight and pipes.
It's been busy around my place lately. Spring in south Louisiana has definitely sprung. This is evident in the first pic.

 

that looks great!! the bikes coming along good too

 

i agree with what you say about the 'need more than flat paint to give it personality' bit. i dont know much about the modding thing - my other thread i talk about my lack of experience with mechanics.... but i mean, i talked to a harley guy the other day about how someone installed some gear for him.. i think workin on the bike is a good experience these guys miss out on.
google and forums like this are a great way to learn bout something new, or learn how to do it yourself - not just for bikes either - which is sweet.
also man, that break light looks pretty sweet there. this bike is f'in sweet since you started dude

 

It's been a while since I've worked on the old clunker. Man, it seems like life can throw ya some curveballs. But I got some time to work on her. I took an old vacuum canister that they use to boost vacuum for old hot rods and mounted it under the seat. Gonna put my electronics in there and put a key switch and push button to start her on the end. Found an old aluminum tank that just happened to be big enough to set a battery in, so now i got my battery box set up. Should be able to start making a wiring harness soon. I hope the wiring diagram making it's rounds on this site is good. Cause if it ain't I am screwed. But I haven't heard any complaints about it so it must be the real deal. I just might have the old girl going in time for the Memorial Day Blow Outs in Gulfport, MS. That's my goal. But I'm not going to rush through just to meet a self imposed deadline. If I make it, I make it. I took the tins off and put them in the hands of my very capable painter/truck driver buddy who can lay down some of the sickest paint around this area. Too bad I want a simple paint scheme. It's kinda like bringing an army tank to hunt for squirrel.

So anyway, here's a few more pics for any of those who's still interested.

 

I am kinda new here and I have just read this entire forum. This bobber is making its way to being one of the classics on this site. Looking nice, keep up the good work.

 

i have started striping it down looking for some parts now will start a post soon as i can find the cord for my camera cannt wait to get it done but am taking my time to do it right any pointers you have would help thanks again

 

are you gonna rake it out?

 

Spicey, the only advice I would give is to start with a vision and see it through. Don't skimp or take shortcuts from a design point. Taking shortcuts from a safety standpoint is an obvious no no, but don't change your vision because another way is easier or faster. The few months you'll get on the bike sooner isn't worth it. Not when you have years of riding ahead of you. I personally have been slow working on mine due to a combination of life being busy and an economy that isn't. But I'd rather wait to ride what I want to ride on than to ride something I compromised on. I'm not going to give into the temptation of getting it done quickly so I can ride if i'm going to look at it later and say to myself, "What was I thinking when I did this?" I hope you feel the same way. As for any technical advice I can give you, I really can't give you more than you already know. And what you know is this site. This site is a wealth of knowledge. If you get to something you are having trouble with or feeling uncomfortable about, search the forums. The guys on here have blazed a trail of trial and error and have left behind the information for guys like us to benefit from so we don't suffer through the errors. Most importantly, be confident and have fun doing the project. Oh, and Spicey, keep us posted on your project.

Newcomer, I'm not going to rake it. I kind of like the short tight front end. I'd like to build a long bike one day, but this ain't it.

 

I see the light at the end of the tunnel. After many delays, I'm now ready for paint and polish. I stripped the frame to go over all my welds one more time and smooth then out. I'm going to polish the motor and forks and paint and polish the wheels. If everything goes well, I should have some color on the frame in the very near future.

Now if only I can get it all back together....

 

that's not a box of junk, its a box of black gold! But seriously this is one sick looking bike. whats up with the bitch pad though. it looks like its on a funny angle and would be difficult to sit on.

 

I'm not the one that has to ride on it. But most of the women I know would just hop on the fender and wrap their legs around a waist. The pad is just a bonus. But the truth is, there's not going to be many passengers on this bike anyways. And definitely for no longer than one bar to the next.

 

I got some color sprayed on the bike today. It helps to have friends in low places. My best friend has a body shop so he basically used what leftover colors he had on the shelf. I got another good friend that manages a paint shop so what little supplies I needed came with the brother-in-law discount. So, 2 days and several several 12 packs later I got a painted frame and tins. Didn't get a pic of the frame but the tins look like this: It's not perfect, but the price was right. Now comes the tedious task of polishing all the aluminum before final assembly.

 

Looking good.

 

Are you sticking with the Budweiser suicide shifter? this paint job looks like it goes well with that.

I have a good idea for a fuel gauge for you. Check out Billy Lane's custom bikes and you will see on one (maybe more) ha made a fuel gauge by taking a small "shot" bottle and attached it upside down to the tank with a 90 degree fitting and a short rubber house. You could do the same using an old style Budweiser bottle on the right side of the tank.

Here's a pic of what I mean http://www.choppersinc.com/flash/popUp_ ... 42_XLG.jpg

 

Looking forward to the assembled bike, real old skool look on the paint!

 

I'm really diggin' it! Keep ups posted!

 

Thanks, guys. I'm glad you all like it. I wanted something intricate but not too over the top. I have to give big thanks and thumbs up to Tramp for the paint. He's the absolute man when it comes to laying down some slick paint jobs. Problem is, he's moved on to other things and no longer paints for a living.

Yes, I am still planning on using the suicide shift and tap handle.I basically designed the paint on the bike to match that tap handle. The original concept was white with some red striping. The frame is a matte/semi gloss black. That was all the colors I planned on using. During the tedious task of striping, taping and laying down colors, I happen to look at the Budweiser bottle in my free hand and noticed there is some gold here and there on the bottle. So, with a quick check to see if any gold paint was laying around on the shelf, and since there was, the decision was made to lay down the gold between the outer pair of stripes. It's kind of hard to spot in the pics, but it really made the paint job "pop". Maybe next up is something written in blue on the side of the tank in cursive letters like the label. But what to write?

 

I was going to set the tins and seat on the frame when I got home from work this evening to get a good idea of what it's going to look like. Apparently tramp had the same idea because it was already on there witing for me. The white is really really bright sitting on top of the black frame. My kid calls it a candy cane bike. Guess I never looked at it that way. Anywayz, here's a couple of shots.

 

Why not put Yamaha in Budweiser Font. You can find the font Here. Either put Yamaha or the name of your bike, if you have one yet.



^I photoshoped Yamaha XJ550 on the tank in a Budweiser font.

 

oh yeah, another suggestion, you should make the vacuum canister look like a mini keg.

 

I'm loaded with Ideas for this bike, It's such a cool idea. What about make the gas cap to look like a Budweiser bottle cap, oversized of course. I could think of cool ideas for this bike all day, I think it's gonna come out great.

 

Looks like it's coming along amazing! Are you leaving the frame black? I'd probably do the frame up red like the pinstriping.

 

Paintit, I was looking at the vacuum canister yesterday. Original plan was to polish it since it's made of aluminum because it is shaped like a keg. After holding it in place, it really needs some color there. White, red, something. Maybe the gold color. Battery box is also aluminum, so it's going to be polished. I'm going to polish the bottom fork tubes and see how that looks, but I''ve been kicking around the gold color there, too.
You've got some pretty good ideas for the bike and I may borrow a few of them, but ultimately I don't want to get too carried away with the Budweiser stuff. I'm all for paying homage to my favorite beverage, but they ain't paying me to put their name on the bike, and this ain't OCC and some corporate theme bike. Thanks for the link to the Budweiser font. I definitely plan on using that. I have really been trying to come up with some cool name for the bike, but maybe I'm just not creative enough for cool names. Maybe someone can throw me a few suggestions.
I'm just paying a little tribute to some of the things I enjoy in life. The solo seat has the "Appetite for Destruction" album cover on it, the cross with the 5 skulls hand tooled. So I'm also going to put the GNR bullet logo somewhere on the bike. The side of the canister without the key switch may be the logical choice. And also the ever popular " I support single moms" logo somewhere, prolly the battery box.

Wesley, I plan to get some old hot rod pinstriping on the frame in some areas like the rear axle plate, the gusset by the neck, maybe along the down tubes in red white and possilby gold. My painter has been practicing his old school striping. When he's ready, that will happen.

 

Names:
Suds
Hungover
The King
Beechwood
HOPper chopper.
hehehe
it's late.

 

Ha, Hound. I really like the HOPper Chopper. You're on to something. Maybe the "Beechwood Bobber" But I think I'll just name her Adelle or something like that. Adelle is the meanest female I've EVER known. The bike is really just one big billboard for bad habits and attitude.
My engine is going to take a miracle and then some to get it polished out. I think I'm going to take the short cut and paint it. Maybe spray it a cast aluminum or silver color. Paint the jugs red and polish out the edge of the fins. This is where you guys chime in as to whether painting the engine is good for it or not. Does paint hold in heat and keep the engine from air cooling like it should?
Also, I'm thinking about dropping this little design on side of the tank in gold of course. What do you think? And for a side trivia question, anyone know what it's from? You won't win any cash, but you will always have the thrill of knowing you knew where it came from.

 

I got a little more done to the bike yesterday & today. It consisted of alot of time consuming, patience wearing cleaning, painting, and polishing... and as always, some ice cold liquid refreshment. But the ole' girl is starting to come together. She's starting to look like something that I'd be proud to go up and down the road on. The devil is in the details. There was no hope for ther motor to be polished. So I painted most of it and polished a few key pieces. The bottom of the forks are polished. The wheels have been polished. So has the drum brake housing. The battery box looks like a mirror. Here's the latest pics. Pay special attention to my little helper who wouldn't let me take the valve cover off for paint. He did it himself, so he wanted to be in the pic. So this is his moment of glory. Thanks, son. I knew if those clowns on TLC could do it, so could you. Maybe Mama won't be so mad at me for spending all my time on the bike if I bring ya with me once in a while. And wow, does she nag about it.

 

Wow... I hope someday I can do stuff like this! I think I might go and tear my bike down tomorrow and get it nice and clean looking like that. It's amazing what you did to that bike, from post 1 to now.

 

I hear ya. nice job though. It's looking spectacular. Better than some jokers on TLC with unlimited funds could do!

 

Good looking boy, takes after his mother I suppose how did he paint the valve cover, brush?

 

Wheels woulda looked good in red and white to set off the paint.
Nice to see the young bloke involved, wish mine were interested.

 

Wow that looks great!! What kind of bars you thinking...Looks like a set of drag bars or z bars would really pull it together.

How the hell did you get your engine that clean and shiney??

 

Wiz, I suppose the boy does get his looks from his mother. Fortunately, he didn't get his smarts from her. The valve covers were rattle can painted, engine enamel. Let him do a couple of coats then I finished it off. We hit the raised spots with a palm sander to take the paint off. (Thought about it after it was sprayed.) I let him run the sander some. We had a couple of spots that got scuffed that wasn't supposed to, so we taped 'em up and sprayed it again. Didn't have to worry about the low spots in between, the paint was still good there. Just taped up over all of that. Made the tape job go quicker. I again let him spray a couple times before I finished it. That valve cover actually ended up getting sprayed 3 times. I learned a lesson on the first one. NEVER EVER trust the color of the cap on a rattle can. Some joker at the parts store switched caps, so instead of "Ford Red" it turned out "Chevy Orange". After spraying it, I thought maybe it would get darker when it dried, but it just kept getting more and more orange. That's when I read the UPC label. Chevy Orange in not so big letters. I'm quite happy the youngster took an interest. He's never been one to stay inside and play video games. He's always outside and usually up to no good. So this way I can keep a close eye on him.
The wheels are basically just cleaned with the aluminum polished. I was planning on going with red where the black lives now, but I kinda like the black and don't want to go thru the hassle of taping and painting to find out I liked them better when they were black. Plus my painter is pretty sure they should stay black and if I want to paint them I got to do it myself. I do want a wide whitewall on the rear and probably a thinner one out front. I was leaning toward drag bars, but been kicking some 10" or 12" apes around. Even gave some thought into clip ons. That one is still up for debate.
The engine took lots of elbow grease. Started with Easy Off oven cleaner. Let set 30 minutes then pressure washer. Two more times with the Easy Off and pressure washer. Then sprayed some Fleet Cleaner acid wash on it. Let sit then pressure washer. X2 again. Then engine enamel in the cast aluminum color on severything. Taped off everything around the 2 spots on the cover with the Yamaha letting and sanded that down. 180 grit, 400, 600, 800 then 1000 grit wet sanded. Then buffed and polished to the mirror shine. same for batt box. Did the red groove and black lettering with a brush ( Good story here, too. Ran down to the Dollar Store right by the shop loking for a small paint brush. Ended up buying an eye liner brush from the make up department. Got lots of stares for that one. That was the only thing I bought from there.) Paint was rattle can engine enamel sprayed into the cap for the brush. And a shop rag soaked in laquer thinner to erase the "uh-ohs", and there were plenty of them.
But I think in the end, patience and preserverence overcomes lack of talent and even less money everytime.

 

Great looking bike!

Did you paint your spark plugs?

 

I came I saw I conquered (After Hours) Do I win?