Couple before and after...well..."so far"....pics

Here is the bike I brought home in May of 2004 for $300:

Side view:


Close up of the evidence of a worn/stuck needle valve on the #2 carb:


The "fuses" (at least I bet that they never blew on the previous owner):


Here's what it looks like as of yesterday. Still some work to do, but it's on the road:

 

that looks sweeeeeeeeeet

 

Still one of my favourites, Willie! And it looks good with a little mud on the back tire!

Did you do anything to the rake?

 

Looks great. Can you post more pics of the fender and seat. Maybe how its all put together. Im new to the modding and really am trying to gather as much info as possible.

 

Thanks! Ah...the mud on the tires.....I'm still trying to sort out my bike storage and maneuvering in my new house....ended up taking a spin through my muddy yard on the way to the road for a quick ride.

It looks like I raked it, but that is just a combination of putting shorter shocks on the rear and '81 Virago 750 forks on the front (as I recall they were a little longer than the stockers).

I think I'm going to change the bars. I'm sick of the left control pod hitting the tank and marring the paint. If I move the controls at an angle that they don't hit, I don't like the angle. I'm going to put some black bars similar to what were on it when I got it (they weren't stock and they were bent). I have a dirt bike clutch lever/perch on it (used what I had at the time) that I want to change so I can put new mirrors on. Also, I am going to paint the exhuast and highway bars with h-temp paint. Not too much else for now. Probably do some motor work next winter if all proves reliable this year. I may fab some forward controls, too. I am not overly comfortable with my legs tucked under me on the mid-controls. Guess I'm gettin' old and brittle.

 

That's funny... I'm planning on doing the opposite. I'm looking for a nice flat bar to replace one with about a 4" rise.

Where did you get the tail light?

 

I'll try to get some pics. Basically I bought a 7-1/2" "blank" fender of ebay. I welded a couple brackets between the rear frame rails to attach the fender. It was a little flimsy out back, so I welded on a couple pieces of flat stock to support the rear part of the fender where it sticks out.

For the seat, I took the foam and cover off the orginal seat. Then I cut the plastic seat pan to roughly the shape you see. I cut and glued some carpet padding to it and covered that with a thin piece of foam padding from Walmart. There's a bolt down through the pan and one of the brackets I welded on to hold it on. The nose still slides into the original spot for the stock seat. A couple buttons that I swiped out of my wife's button jar and some black vinyl from Walmart finished it off. It's so so. The seat's ok, but it's so low that I'm not really comfortable sitting all scrunched up like that. The forward controls will fix that since I doubt I'm going to get any more limber in my old age.

I bought the light off ebay. Do a search for "Sparto taillight". There were a bunch of them on there.

 

Had a little chuckle when I saw the model name of that taillight...

 

Looks alot better than it did when you got it! Those pipes need some paint. I think they are too far gone to get the shine back to them. I suggest some flat black high temp paint, that would get'm looking better. PD

 

Great transformation!

I assume the twist-caps are one now? 8O

 

I'm glad to see another for sure "parts bike" get turned into something custom. I like it, nice work!

 

Yes. Now I have these:



And, yes, I taped off the outputs of the spare fuses so as not to short out (a goof that someone caught on here back when I first showed the pic of the new fuses).

 

this thing looks mean. you've got me psyced on my own transformation.

 

Good lookin' bike, man!

 

dope!

 

Where did you buy the drag bars from?

 

thats a good lookin bike, will those foks work on xj 750?

 

Bought the drag bars on ebay. They are all over on there. I'm actually going to get a different pair, but I don't have the time, cash or motivation to do it right now. I'm going to get a pair with just a little bit of rise to clear the tank better. I may buy them within the next week. If I do, you're welcome to these for the cost of shipping.

These forks are actually off a 1981 Virago 750, I believe. Again...ebay, baby! I bought all sorts of stuff on there, still do. I used the triple tree off the Virago, too. I liked the top clamp better and there was just enough difference in the offset of the two that I couldn't use just the top, so I used them both. Bolt on, no problem. The forks used the same caliper, wheel, fender, seals, everything. I believe that they are just a tad longer than the stockers, but it's been so long that I couldn't say for sure.

 

Hey, Willie. I've got a set of bars off a Maxim 650 with about a 4" rise. *NOT* the big pull-back buckhorns! Trade 'em for the drag bars?

Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you a pic. J

 

Let's see a pic. I'm looking at some on ebay. If yours are the same or similar, I'm interested.

 

I'll snap a couple pics in the morning!

 

Hey willie what size shocks did you put on that beast?

 

Not sure! I bought them a few years back on ebay. They are Koni shocks, if I recall. I just looked up the model on the internet (when I saw them listed on ebay) and determined that I could make them work. I had to do some mods....new mounting studs up top and I had to remove the stud from the pumpkin and turn it down in the lathe, if I recall correctly.....

I have to do something to shorten the kick stand a tad. It keeps it slightly too vertical and I'm always looking for a slight slope or indentation to put the stand on or in so the bike doesn't fall over.

 

is that the same bike? inspiration for me this winter (time to ride for now).. I was thinkin of doing the same with the wiring harness and routing all my relays into the empty airbox area.. where did you get your rear headlight/license holder? Is that thing legal... the cops here on the island would have a hay day with me with that!!

 

Bought the tail light on ebay. Do a search for "sparto". No, it's not DOT approved and therefore not legal. I was prepared to cobble up an approved taillight for inspection, but they only checked to see if it worked. Never asked if it was "legal" or looked for the D.O.T. approval on the unit itself.

As far as cops go, as long as it's inspected I don't think the majority of them have a clue as to what's legal or not legal on a bike. Really. Hell, my brother-in-law is a sherriff's deputy. I asked him about some of the helmets that people wear (obviously NOT legal....like some of those old "nazi" helmets and other novelty helmets). He basically said, "huh? I dunno what helmets are legal and what aren't." Yes, we have a helmet law in NY.

 

i assume the single pigtail is the 'MAIN' fuse?

i was going to use one of those fuse blocks myself but then i was concerned about the MAIN. i picked up another with the individual line and load contacts...

still, the bike is GREAT. i havent got the skills to do something like that but i wouild definitely like to try. im a bit leery of buying a project bike but thats a great way to save a bike from the scrappers...

 

the bars came in yesterday and will be perfect. im pretty sure im gonna need some risers because of my seat positioning but their just what I wanted, thank you again!

 

bakomack, you're welcome! My bars came today. 60 degrees and sunny. Put them on and realized that my throttle cable is juuust about to break, so I can't ride! Bummer! I'll post some pics of the new bars soon. I like them. Glad you like yours!

Ltdave, yes, that orange fuse is the main fuse.