80' xj 650 budget bobber

video's are loading........ I have one of the bike idling and running up through the rpm range........ and for volume/ camera comparison a stock 2004 Honda Rubicon Foreman. It should give you guys a good idea. I keep getting distracted by Gran Torino....God Damn I love this movie! Eastwood at his best! "You would think the cold weather would keep all the idiots out!"

 

I just watched that last week for the first time. It IS a good movie.

 

While waiting for the videos to load I will take this time to jack my own thread. If it did not get dark on me I would have gotten video of my other love.... Diesel trucks. I have a 2003 Duramax with a stage 4 Ingelwood transmision( Mike Loverich is the king of Allison trannys) and engine Tunned by DSS Performance with EFI Live, l am running 550 hp and 1000ft of tourque. I have a 3/4 ton truck that runs low 12's in the quarter mile. The black smoke really makes my belly button pucker.

 

Here is the bike....Rubicon following shortly.

 

been a while since i looked at this post. bike is looking damn fine

 

Its doing alright..... I have to do the front fork seals..... and maybe the 1-4 coil....other than that its been a lot of fun. Its fun watching people look and go "what the hell is that."

 

Here's the comparison...........

 

I have exactly $185 into the hacking portion of the bike.

$145 dollar seat.......$20 in pipe and some odds and ends in welding material.

 

If I could weld I would be going with the hardtail right away like you did, but for now I'm going with a bobber seat, 10" shocks, new bars, and then figure out what I want to do with lights/signals. Not too much money invested there.

 

I will weld where do you live? If not I would say welding is 70 percent ownership 30 practice.......that means its pretty easy especially if you know someone who owns a welder! I did all mine with a friends 115 volt Hobart wire feed.........In all cheapness one of the best things a person can do is take a welding class at their local votech.......probably for less than $75. Damn good money spent.

 

Yeah, the local Tech college here offers a class. I already checked. I just need to make the time to take it. That's why I am just going with the 10" shocks for now to lower the arse of the bike. Next year I'll hopefully have the skillz to dig a bit deeper and make the bike better. This will do for now though....I hope.

I DID go and buy a shitty HF 90 amp/110v flux core welder. I'm no good with it though Haven't practiced with it much. I need to get some time and pick up some scrap metal. All I have is sheet metal and that didn't go well.....

 

OH, and I'm in Hope Mills, NC... where are you?

 

All of my welding experience came from high school shop.. I have some experience from votech,(trained as an electrician) but that is where I perfected gas welding and repeated everything else.

 

waaaaaaaay up in Wisconsin! Just turn down your welder, start slow and build up.... you might amaze yourself!

 

.....

 

what IS your avatar???

 

Yeah the bike fits you quite well at 5'6, im 6'0 myself and 220lbs.

I'd like to see your buddy at 6.1 on it as well, and if it does'nt look to small under him, i'll probly go with turn'in mine into a riggid.

 

Sold the bike.... :cry: ...but picked up an xs 650 for the next project. In the middle of moving but I will start a new thread for the new build later this summer.

 

Hey, Love the bike. I am in the middle of hardtailing my bike. The person I got it from a year ago did a very bad job at cutting the back end off, but for $300 and a full year of riding it I got my moneys worth. I am wanting to drop the rear about 2" from stock. I am curious as to how much you had lowered it. You may have mentioned it and I just missed it. I am cutting about 2" forward of the support tube under the seat. What are some issues if any that you had lowering it.

 

How much did you get for the bike? Post up a pic of the XS and then a link to the build thread in here, so those of us that followed this one don't miss it.