first build (help please)

ok so im in the process of bobbing my xj650 and ive been running into a few difficulties-

1. I bought a seat from a local motorcycle swap meet and dont really know how to mount it, i just have the seat, no springs or anything of that matter, what should i do?

2. i have a k&n carb filter and was wondering if pods would be any better.

 

1. we need pictures. What seat and what do you want to do with it?

2. search this site and decide for yourself about the pods.

Also make sure the bike is safe, brakes, tires, etc and in good running order before you go about modding it. No point in modding a bike with a bad motor.

 

Stick with the K&N unless you don't mind rejetting your carbs. As for the seat, inwingameover is right. More info is needed to help you with that.

 

another pod story lol need a pic of the seat like iwingameover said

 

K&N doesn't mean no rejetting; still might need to depending on a lot of other factors (additional mods, etc.)

I hate to say it but this sounds like a "cart before the horse" project.

 

got it right fitz...

why dont we have anything pinned on pods yet?

 

What you mean "we" paleface?

OldFitz not big on waste time and money go slower.

I know the "answer" to pods on CV carbs; a lot of people don't want to hear it.

 

Best advise is look around and see if a frame mod is something you really want to get into to make the seat fit and look right. As far as pods I think most of the guys who can make there bikes run right on pods have been run off of this site or are just sick of being attacked about it.

 

are you keeping the rear shocks on it, leaving the frame under the seat straight, or are you going to cut and angle it down, or are you going the rigid tail? seat mounting is different depending on the look you want..

 

PLEASE don't say the p word this guys thread or it will be hijacked lol. just talk body mods

 

alright im going to leave the frame the way it is with the exception of the extra rear portion and am keeping the rear shocks.

as far as the pods, im just going to keep the k&n.

and yes everything is in running order, here are some pictures

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y30 ... 112250.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y30 ... 112247.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y30 ... 112246.jpg

i know the seat is small

 

I'd hold off doing any irreversible cutting until you actually ride the bike more than oh, about ten miles on that seat.

You may find that "form over function" isn't all that attractive after all and reinstall your real seat.

It may "feel fine" sitting on it in the garage; go ride on it and see how it works for you. Seriously.

 

Thats great advise from fitz t once you hack you never go back. I have a rare case i put mine back together after someone else hacked it

 

I say hack away these are not rare one off bikes and anybody who takes five minutes to look at all the 30 year old bubble gum factory welds and don't think they can improve on them is nuts. Plus you can buy a frame for these bikes for about 20 bucks. Really all your after is that power plant everything else can be modified to your taste and remember its your bike and don't let people scare you from how you want it to look and ride. Just remember if your going to change the frame make sure it's done correctly and is sound have fun and good luck.

 

But i have to say 1 thing if everyone keeps hacking them up it wont be long till they get rare. I used to say the same thing about honda 350s. But i agree its your bike make it the way you want to

 

thanks for the advice guys but ive already made up my mind, im going to bob it. bobberaha is right there not rare yet, just look at the pole mines an 82.

yes i want to do it right thats why im on this sight asking the pros..

so how do i attach the seat?

 

With something like this: http://www.tcbroschoppers.com/store/ind ... ucts_id=34

I used a modified large gate hinge I found at home depot. Sort of the same thing.

 

cool thanks iwingameover.

now that i have an idea about the hinge what about the back of the sat and spring attachments

 

Mine has no springs. I still have shocks on the bike, I thought springs on the seat would be overkill.

You can find the springs alot of places online. YOu'll need to figure out where you can get a cross bar to mount for the springs to sit on. If you don't weld that can be difficult. Or maybe yours will fit with the cross bar infront of the rear fender.

 

how did you do it without the spring?

 

It's just not attached at the back. My seat is not like yours. It's a tractor seat.

 

ok then thanks for the advice iwingameover

 

does anyone know where to find springs on the internet?

 

SPRINGS

 

Just goolge solo seat springs

http://www.google.com/search?q=SOLO+SEA ... CCEQrQQwAA

There's the shopping results.

Or if you're thirsty Wizards link works too.

 

thanks wizard

 

Aussie's have so much of it lately too.

 

I've been saying for years that Aussies can't handle the drink


Apologies for the thread hijack... Couldn't resist

 

Unless I missed it reading all the posts, what is your skill level?
Ever done any welding and do you have any or access to some.
Ever done any modifications on a bike before?
How's your mechanical ability, prior experience or just "Hey, I think I'll build a custom motorcycle"?
This forum is an invaluable source for info, but having a bit of experience helps a lot, so tell us a bit more about yourself.
Speaking for myself, I find a lot of new people to the forum figure they can just get a bike, start hacking it up and then figure that magic answers will come from the forum.
Good luck with the build.

 

The worst thing to do is start a Project without knowing where you are going with it, ... AND ... the "Pitfalls" that will rapidly accumulate if you do one step that puts you in water over your head.

The FIRST thing you should do id get the Bike >> running << stock!
Once you know you got a runner, ... you can spend money on stuff your dream about putting on it.

But, if you got troubles going-in. You are going to have nothing but what's left-over after you sell-off parts for not doing due diligence.

Get the Bike running: Stock.
Prove it will go.
AFTER you know the Bike has some good GO in it, ... start sculpting.

Don't make a CUT, ... UNLESS you can WELD.
The XJ Frame is sturdy; but cutting a Section means reinforcing what you trim.

Beware as you proceed.
The Factory Build added a ship-load of SOFT Fasteners that break-of before they turn.
Disassemble things like you are from the Bomb Squad.

Yamaha people have to learn to live with a twist on an old axiom.

You've heard: "If it ain't broke; don't fix it."

Now, ... repeat this one three times!

"If it ain't broke; DON'T break it!!!"

 

Hey Rick
Any chance that a "go here first", something or other can be added to the registration process?
It seems lately that a lot of guys are going out and getting bikes, hacking them up, tearing apart engines etc. then post here looking for easy fixes to the mess they've created.
I know everyone has to start somewhere and sometimes the only way to get experience is to F*** something up. But it'd be easier AND a lot less expensive for some of these guys to know before hand not to to take the bike down to the bare frame or disassemble a motor completely, then ask us where everything goes to put it back together!
I'm all for helping where I can but what I said above just rubs me the wrong way.
Maybe I'm just getting old, actually I am getting old, no, I'm just old and say or type what comes to mind.
So, c'mon guys! If you have little or no experience don't go tearing into a project and expect it to get fixed, hell, I've had bikes for years and there are still jobs that I pay people to do because I don't have either the tools, know how OR confidence to attempt.
My 2 cents.

 

Well, I am one of those guys that just ripped into it. Would I rip into a running nice bike, probably not. The bike that I have was not much more than scrap metal which I paid nothing for. I have some basic mechanical knowledge (changing steering gears, ball joints, shocks, etc.), but am by no means a mechanic.

Nope, my bike is not finished (though it does run now) and yes I did f' up quite a bit on it. It is a work in progress and I enjoy working on it. I have learned so much from actually tearing it apart and putting it back together. I don't think I could ever have gained the knowledge that I have from reading alone.

Sure, you have to be smart going into it; take your time, have a plan, label the pieces, and take lots of pictures. Bottom line, if it's what you want to do, I think hands on is one of the best ways to learn (and that's coming from a teacher). Sure people on this site have bailed me out when I got in trouble and I only hope that I can do the same for the next 'fool' who tears their bike apart.

 

Max-X is right, as is Rick. We get an awful lot of "I just tore this motor apart, can I just scrub it and put it back together" kind of posts. Part of the problem is folks who've been on this forum for a while, yet haven't actually RIDDEN their project or any other bike for any distance saying "just go ahead and hack it."

Quite often, those very same "go ahead and cut it" types have never done a valve adjustment, or a carb sync. If it runs, however marginally, cut it up. Don't worry about details like valves, then come whining a season or two later because the bike has become hard to start.

Folks like Rick, or Max-X, or me, who try to advise "know what you're getting into before you shoot your foot off" don't always have an EASY ANSWER, so we get ignored. But the sorry fact of the matter is, you can learn the hard way, or listen to some advice from a few old farts who've been at this a while and save some blood, sweat and dollars.

I always recommend a first-time rider learn to ride and survive on the streets before handicapping themselves with a beer-tap suicide shifter or a tractor seat. Or better yet, no front brake, because somebody said "just do it." Yeah. Do it.

Consider this: I've been riding street motorcycles in and around metro Detroit for over 43 years. I'M STILL HERE. You know what I ride.

(Although I don't take the Norton down into the city.)

So I say, chop away. Let's see what you're riding 30 years from now.

Or is that "if...."

 

Nobody on this post has told him to do anything unsafe if anything we have told him to make sure everything is sound and done correctly. The first six posts on this subject were all about asking him to look around and make sure this is what he really wanted to do. But if he's made up his mind to make a bobber out of it it is up to us to at least try to give him advise on the correct and safe way to do it not just talk down to him. He has heard both sides of the story it's his bike and his life and the only way to learn is to get your hand dirty. My 2 cents.

 

you know what man im 19 i dont really have much experience, i cant weld (yet) but might have access to someone who knows how, i also have a welder. but how do you learn things with out practice. im not going to tear into anything without well planning first. im not looking for magic answers just advice.

 

my bike runs fine, and i want a project. ill watch out for those fasteners though, thanks

 

im not disassembling the motor or taking the bike down to the bare frame. just cutting the rear portion of the frame, adding a solo seat. not hacking! finely cutting.

 

\

thanks man, i too believe in hands on learning.

 

all im doing is cosmetic!

 

i agree 130%. thanks man.

that being said. is there any advice you guys can give me about cutting back extra portion of the frame. keep in mind im just making notes (not quite there yet) how ever i am going at this smart and planning my next moves before i do anything.

i have a saws all, with blades for metal

 

The best thing for you to do is to use the search feature on here. Go to the top of the page and click the search button and type in bobber there are a ton of example's of bobber's and some have pretty detailed pics on how they built them. It's hard for guys to know what end result your going for we like lots of pics to go with ideals.

 

Hey, I sent a pm to you.

 

new questions!!!

i bought new shocks but there the same size as the stock ones, just black.

first of all what kind of tool do i need to disassemble the springs from the brackets? and second is it possible to cut the springs for a lower rear end?

 

haha, beer tap suicide shift, sounds familiar

im 19 as well, gotta learn from your mistakes.

depending on the brand you should be able to disassemble and cut the springs, im not the one to ask how, i ruined the last set i tried to do.

lots of sound advice here that you have to experience to appreciate, they all went through it, and knows whats going on.

 

Let me chime in with my thoughts:

Ya can get shot going to a political rally. Ya can get runned over by a blue haired old lady in a cage. The Mayans say the world is going to end in 2012. The crazy North Koreans have nukes. So does Iran. Life is full of risks. I doubt a beer tap shifter handle will change any of that. Columbus would never have sailed his ship if he were afraid of the risks. Life without risks is no life at all. If we left everything as it was conceived by the engineers, there'd be no Carrol Shelby, no Vic Edelbrock.

People hack these bikes up without much knowledge of bikes because you can buy one of these for a song. It's a good learner bike. Learn to ride. Learn to wrench. Learn to modify. Mess it up? you're out a few bucks. Live and learn, but nobody loses their house. Get it figured out then move on to a newer, better, more expensive bike. I doubt many people will want to be riding one of these bikes 20 years from now. As for newbs coming on here hacking stuff up with questions, that will happen in the MODIFICATION section of these forums. Rubs you the wrong way? Here's a simple yet effective solution: DON'T GO TO THE MODIFICATIONS forum! It rubs me the wrong way when you troll the mods forums complaining about modifications.

Here's a 19 year old wanting to learn how to do something. Asking questions as he does it. Isn't that how everybody learns? Nobody was born with a screwdriver in their hand. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Well, anything except keeping the purists out of the modifications forums.

 

wow 16ozbud i really appreciate your comment man. thats exactly the way i feel about my project. its more for learning than anything else. i dont really have anyone else to teach me so i have to teach my self. thanks for making it clear to the negative nancys.

ps. the beer tap shift knob wasnt my idea but kudos.. XD

 

I always fancied the rocker shift, heel toe action.

 

OK, good luck, i hope it turns out the way you want it to.
I'm out!

 

do you have one on your bike?

 

The only rocker on my bikes is me ;o)