Thursday, June 14, 2007

XS 650 Bomber

It is at this point in the shop that we can actually do what we set out to accomplish. This bike is our best example, it has taken 5 month from start and stop to start and stop and you get the idea, but that has been how this project has gone nothing has gone right. I first picked this bike up (a 1975 XS650) from this guy that 1 could not get this bike to start, 2 was good and rusted, 3 was $600. Lucky me it had a title and I was in business. So I load it up and give him the cash and drove 40 miles back to my shop where on the way I lost one of the side covers as it was not properly attached to the bike, because the air boxes had been removed. So the next day the guy email's me that he has found the air boxes and an extra wiring harness and that for forty more bills I could come and pick them up. I always write back, but I failed to do so on that one.

I'm telling most of the story on the initial post because the project is about complete, But I will find some more pics and update as I is worth doing.

So long story short the bike now has the xs1 (1970) motor in it. Titanium valve springs, high compression pistons, mukuni Vm34 carbs and a host of other neat-o one of a kind replacement/upgrade parts, as well as a hand pulled wiring harness ( done by your truly) all of which we received one piece at a time. Isaac's favorite thing to say when about 20 minutes of working on this bike is "we have a problem" and is usually followed by the quick ordering of 1 little thing that we forgot, or worse did not know about. So said parts would take a week to get to us (Seattle which is by all means in the middle of no where according to everyone in the united states and UPS, but we do not know that up here). Piece by piece and week by week we moved this project along.

This bike fired up on its second kick after Ike nearly took his ankle off (no compression release, or starter, they will just weigh the thing down anyway) This bike is brutal, and now we know that it sounds that way.