Little details and a little history

So all the little bits are trickling in.

Things like new springs for the footpegs.
$25 for a pair... good investment huh?

Lost count of what's been spent on fasteners, gaskets, and rubber bits. At least it's almost like a brand new bike.

Sorry to bore you. 

I'm waiting for replacement valve guides. I'll use that as an excuse for not doing the other hundred things I could be doing. The custom exhaust guides were 1/4" too short. Zach over at R/D is going to fix it up and get them here ASAP. 

Later this week, we might put the bottom end together... or wait and do the engine mounts first, before it gets too heavy to lift in and out.

It'll start to go faster soon...

In the meantime, here's a couple of shots of my other XS from oh so long ago. I think I built it for less than the engine in the 650.

Made almost everything. Had no money so had little choice.

Could have used some money for things like heat treating the 6061 T6 frame after welding. Despite the lack of funds, it turned out to be pretty unique. Not too many chain drive XS1100's around. The ones that are are pretty goofy because they just extended the output shaft, which means you have to run a teeny tiny front sprocket to fit. I made a gearbox that had 3 gears in it so I could move the countershaft back. This was before 3D modeling was around. Made designing things a bit more challenging.

Overall, it was pretty cool, but oh so much work. Everything was machined by hand, had no CNC access then either. Things like sleeving the oil pump, machining bigger spigots on the carbs so they'd fit the stock intake boots, lengthening the Gixer fork, all incredibly time consuming and could have been solved so much easier with a little cash.

Note the broken tach needle, thing used to buzz a little at 9k.

It's still sittng in the garage, hasn't been fired up for 6 years.

Maybe when the 650's done ... na been there done that.

Anyways, again sorry to bore you, we'll get back to the XS650 shortly, promise.