LynXS,the build up and some more details…….
Hello again fooXS,
In part #13 of this column you’ve seen my LynXS café-fighter and I promised to show some more details and xsplanation of the build up. What I did not told you in the last part is that this racer in fact is the LynXS 2, cause two years before this project I built also a LynXS café-racer.
This (first) LynXS was a racer in the traditional style of the fifties and looked way more classic. So why did I make another one, well that’s quiet a story. One day a man came to my house to look at a ’75 XS650 B I had for sale at that moment, but as soon as he entered my garage he couldn’t get his eyes of the café-racer.
Didn’t speak a word for a quarter or so and then came out the words; this is the one I would like to buy. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and a moment later the bike was gone.
Next day I looked in the mirror and I really hated myself….. that day I learned the lesson some things in life can’t replaced by something unimportant like money. All my friends told me I was totally insane to sell it, and they were right, fool as I am. But….still got my head full of ideas and a pocket full of money, that day I promised all my disappointed friends to build a new LynXS. Something familiar but in another way totally different.
Let’s say a sort of evolution, better, lighter and faster….
Starting point was a ’77 XS frame and a long search for the right parts.
Here’s the LynXS in the mock-up after a few months.
Note that the seat section of the frame is lifted by 2,5 inch to get a mean fighter look. In fact that’s the only alteration to the frame, as you can see the original swing arm is replaced by an alloy, much stiffer, one from a Suzuki 1100 Katana.
Here you see them both, the alloy swingarm is wider and about two inches longer. Although the XS item is smaller it weights 3800 gram while the Suz 1100 weights 2950 gram.
Greatest advantage is much more stiffness which response in much better handling at higher speeds. In the next pic you see the swingarm polished and ready for road use, I made a brace to make look even better.
Frame and wheels just back from powder coating. On top of the orange coating is a clear coat for that shiny look. Also made a spoiler out of alloy as you see here.
Everything on this bike made of alloy, except for the frame. All alloy covers and brackets are made by hand, just by using a saw and file. Always liked speed-holes and the LynXS has a lot. Lightness equals speed…..
To give some contrast to all that bright orange I added some black parts on the LynXS.
I could have polished the upside down fork, but in my opinion it would have looked overdone, that is why it is anodised in black, which looks very distinctive. Triple trees are black powder coated and the small gauges have black housings, very nice in combination with the white pointerfaces.
Here’s the hopped up engine fresh installed. Choice of carburetion fell on Mikuni VM 34’s. Note the longer alloy inlets for more bottompower. The huge K&N filters are like large lampshades and look awesome.
A lot of time went in the bigbore engine, almost every part is upgraded in some kind of way. To deal with all the power the oilcirculation is improved by using a bigger oilpump and an oilcooler. Also installed an ex-tern oilfilter with better specs.
This is what’s hidden under the seat, a 9 amp. gelbattery, regulator, fuses and even a toolset.
Incredible stopping power through two six piston calipers and two large 32cm floating discs. I can stop the bike with two fingers on it’s front wheel! A set of Battlax sporttires is installed for real race inspiration, they really do their work in fast corners. Front is a 120 and at the a 170, possible by a offset front sprocket I made.
I could talk for hours about the LynXS, but enough words on this XS. If you like see more pics of the LynXS 1 you can tell in your comment. Keep the shiny side up and keep building and riding! (and don’t spend to much time at your PC, the real world is outside, live it!!!)
