Bobber 650

Started a xj650 bobber project as my first bike. I got the bike about a month ago and it looked like this:





I hate the color with a passion But there is so much fab work to be done I'm leaving paint for last.

After pulling all the parts I could off of it and installing some tc bro's drag bars I drove it to the shop.






Right now this is how it sits in the shop. Still waiting on some custom cables from barnett. Its stittng on harley sportster struts from burly and has a west eagle solo seat. The license plate mount and brake light are complete custom built.









Thanks for looking
-Grant

Ps the seat I pulled is awesome and newly reupholstered if anyone is interested.

 

Your work so far looks great. I am baffled by that paint job. Does it change colors by the light and angle you look at it? Your project here is the first one in a while that has caught my attention.

 

It sure looks like colorshift paint. Someone either knew what they were doing or paid a good bit of change to make it look like that.

 

Love the shocks. I might copy you.

 

The paint! Wow, it's just like my XS11...only mine shifts between a forest green and a dark purple/blue.

Quick question: for those of us with left-hand controls that have the choke lever built in (that make tank clearance on flatter bars a pain), what can be used instead?

Looks good Tegy!

 

Thanks everyone.

The paint House of Kolor KAMELEON® OPALS that the PO sprayed on himself. The stuff is like $250 for a 2oz can so I feel kind of bad sanding it off but gold and purple aren't my favorite colors by a long shot.

I pulled all the controls off and am currently rewiring a little box with the horn and high beam switch to go on the on the forward side of the bars. (I pulled the turn signals cause they aren't needed in my state and the switch to get them working again looked impossible to recreate). The choke on the underside of the control is being relocated to where the reflectors were on the neck. I'm building a little ratchet device that will work as the choke and mount it there but if that doesn't work I'm going to mount a push pull choke off of a john deere tractor there.

 

Well, grab the choke at night or have a fast escape route planned. Most tractor owners I know want to keep their chokes.

 

Well I've been sluggin away at the bike and this is what it looks like no





I still have a new exhaust to put on it and I have to sort out the wiring. I guess the fuse boxes are crap on these bikes or at least that's what I hear. In between stripping and painting the bike the headlight stopped working and I still have to find a way to get the new horn button and headlight switch mounted. I need like a small weather proof box that I can mount to the bars, but that is turning out to be hard to find.

Also the rear tire seems to leak air over time but I think its just a bad valve stem cause the ones on there now look cracked and rotted.

 

Looks great.

 

The seat seems high to me.

Have you had it running? Headlight won't come on until it runs.

Fuse box is easy to replace. Chacal has some.

 

The seat is going to sit high until I get forward controls cause I'm 6'3" with long legs and comfort is an issue lol.

I ran it around the storage shed today and no dice with the headlight. Idk if the fuse blew or the light bulb is out I haven't checked either yet.

 

I know what you mean. I'm 6'4 and have forwards and a tractor seat now.

Check the fuses/box first then.

 

Slick look! What paint did you use? Hoping for the same finish on mine against a flat black frame.

 

looks much better! did you paint it yourself? base/clear, single stage, or rattle can? looks too good for rattle can.

 

another brother from michigan, cool.

while you are doing the "norm" for an xj bobber, yous is really clean and sharp, I give you 1 internet.

im just trying to finish my bike, hope its a little different than the norm

 

Yeah the paint is rustolem x2 coverage base and then a clear with a wet sand after both. It really makes a difference. Like 3 coats of both though.

My bike is definitely within the norm of mods for this year at least and maybe next as it's my first bike. Assuming I don't move on to another bike for the 2012 season things will change drastically.

 

Had a big fffffuuuuuu moment today when I tried to check the fuse for the headlight. This is what I found.



I tried to test the voltage on the pigtail going to the bulb but I got nothing there. I'm electrictly retarded though. This is my first time using a volt meter.

I'm thinking the po probably rewired parts of the bike and now I'm at a bit of a loss as of what to do.

In other news the bike has started to make a cool noise in the front around the tach. Heres a short vid of the wining noise it makes under throttle.

http://flickr.com/gp/grantz/853y84

 

I think its your tach cable...

and i hear those unblowable fuses work good, never blow. but you need to replace that stock fuse panel

 

One thing I didnt think about is if there is live power going through the left hand controls that I cut out for the headlight. I assumed it was only to switch the high beam circuit on but maybe I'm wrong? The fact that this bike is hardwired in places makes me nervous who knows what's going to fry next.
None of the left hand controls are plugged in to anything right now they are just sitting until I figure out a small box to mount a switch and button in for the horn and high beam.

 

Anyone know if you have to have the high beam circuit connected to get the headlight to work?