newbie from Mo.

I just picked this up 3 weeks ago for $200.00. It needed a battery and I have been riding it sense. It was very ugly when I got it. So I want to make it a bobber now that I have seen all them on here so I have a lot to do now. It will be a slow go as my wife is a full time student and we are on a single income. (and the bike hardly ever sits very long) well here it is.

 

welcome to the board from a fellow KC'er!
for 200 bucks she's in good shape!

 

dude, you took my color and my textured paint idea, but since you finished yours first tell me what you used

 

That black finish was ROUGH!!! To polish that one out you would have to start with 80 grit!!! Looks MUCH better now. It looks like it should be good enough to keep stock. Hate to see a bike with good exhaust, tank, etc bobbed.

Good find and good building,

Loren

 

It was textured when I bought it so I dont know what they used, but it really sucked to get if off. The only thing I could use is 80 grit on a da sander. I would not recommend doing it.

helmet what part of kc are you from?

This question it for anyone, what kinda rpms do you guys turn on the highways. Mine runs 6200 to 6500 @70mph that seems high to me

 

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you had a good example to work with.

 

i don't have much choice, the last owner tried to strip the paint from the side covers and that pretty much trashed them
i even have his finger prints in the plastic

 

That sucks! There is a paint I seen at Home Depot that is textured (it said something like make any thing look like a rock) I have also seen it a Westlake hardware. I think if it was me I would try to use body filler to fix them.

 

I am in OP.

 

Your rpms sound about right for a 550. Mine runs 1 for 1 in fifth gear. That is at 5000 rpm it goes 50 miles per hour.

You didn't say if you had to do much to get it running (please don't tell me you got a good-running bike for $200).

Looks nice. I too hate to see a nice looking bike chopped/bobbed or whatever but then I'm somewhat of a traditionalist. Prefer restoring old stuff to it's original glory, but, to each his own.

 

Johntc------ Yes I bought a good running bike for $200.00 all I have done to it is put in a battery and 4 tanks of gas now. I got very lucky to find this deal. What is the digit in the Vin# will tell me engine size? The old registration that came with it said it is a 650, but that is all I'm going off. My father-in-law picked up the title and gave it to my wife so she could get the tags, so I have not even seen it yet.

 

We will have to get togather and ride sometime. I only have one other guy that I ride with right now.

 

I usually ride on saturday night or sunday in the afternoon. this time of year the weather is so hot, that planning a ride is hard to do.
nothing too long for a ride because my seat has seen better days. ordering my new one today thought