I’m ready to chop!

Physical measurement of my Bridgestone tire is almost 6-1/4″. Cannot always rely on calculations for actual measurements. I’ve found from one brand to the other considerable differences, so be cautious. As for the rear wheel, yes. I’m going to use the 4.25″ rim. I believe the rim is around $225.00, the stainless spokes and nipples around $100.00 and lacing and truing is an addition $100.00. It’s expensive! When you add a $200.00 tire your at $625.00!! Then add the disc brake kit and a 650 front hub throw in another $400.00 and Wah-la, over a $1000.00. With the 3″ extended swingarm my tire has about 3/16″ clearance on ea. side and the chain is only 1/16″ off the tire using a 3/16″ spacer at the rear and front sprockets. I tried mountig the 140 tire before I extended the swingarm and it would not even go in far enough to slide the stock axle through it. I will try to send you a close up pic. of the clearance issues if you would e-mail me your e-mail address.

John

Since the two sides of the swingarm are not parrallel to one another as you lengthen the swingarm it progressively gets wider, hence the longer axle! On my bike the rear hub is a stock 36 spoke XS650 hub already. The only way you can use this wider tire is to lengthen the stock swingarm or build or adapt an entirely new one. As far as the Omar piece, I didn’t see it on his web-site. You need to ask specifically for this piece. The kit comes with an adaptor for the stock XS rotor (or you can use an after market rotor and caliper) and an adaptor for a sprocket of your choice which is furnished ( very nicely machined billet piece) with the kit, it is a vey well engineered piece. If I remember correctly the entire kit was between $300.00 and $400.00 dolllars.

Good luck with your build.
John Ferguson
designsincoldsteel@yahoo.com

The wheel is a 36 spoke drilled to fit the stock rear hub. If you look close there are no nipple pockets on this wheel, it is completly flat on the surface of the rim. Contact Woody in Denver at (woodyswheelworks.com) and refer to this bike. He can set you up with one of these wheels. In order to use this wheel and tire combo (140 x 18 x 70 series) you must either build a custom swingarm or extend the stock one 3″. You must also space the rear and primary sprockets 3/16″ to clear the wider tire and fabricate a longer axle. I have another 650 in progress that uses a stock front spoke hub from a XS650 with an adapter for a rear disc brake setup from Omar’s that is really slick.

John
designsincoldsteel@yahoo.com

The rear wheel is Ecell 4.25 x 18 with a 140 x 18 70 series tire. The wheel is commonly used for motard use an originally was gold anodized. I stripped the gold with Drano, then sanded and polished it. A lot of work after I found out that you can get the same wheel already polished! It is about 2″ wider than the stock wheel.

John

Have another that we finished this summer then subsequently sold. Is a 650 yami, but not a twin. Is a 4 cyl. bobber (not 4 this forum ). If you e-mail me at designsincoldsteel@yahoo.com I’ll shoot you some pics.

John

I appreciate your input. Have others who said they liked the tall risers and the sport wheel tire better than the 21″ and low bars that I opted for. Same on the seat and rear fender. However, it boils down to what “turns your crank” or “lubes your lobes” and for me I like the more traditional bobber look than what I origonnally did! And to be honest I have just as many who like the change as who don’t. GO FIGURE?

Greg

Bike handles just like it did before, but I really don’t ride it that hard outside of straight-line sprints. Goes good because of it relatively light weight. Next extended swingarm will have some additional gusseting or possibly a truss. Handle bars don’t hit the tank; put different fork stops on it. Has a lot of small time consuming features that you really can’t see that would make it hard to sell for a profit unless it was a contract scooter.

Thanks for the details. I figured the short shocks and swing arm played into the geometry. I plan on using the 11″ shock from JC Whitney and a similar seat rail modification. Extending the swing arm is intriguing. Have you noticed an handling issues? A sided from a longer chain was anything else required once you extended the swing arm?

On a separate note. I imagine your bars hit the tank?

-Greg

What really lowered the bike was the short shocks along with the 3″ extended swingarm. couldn’t realistically go any lower as the bike occasionally drags on the ground under normal riding.

I cut the upper rails loose at the rear and shortened them enough to allow lowering them 1-1/2″. At the front where they met the rear down tube I cut a slot with a 4″ cutoff wheel from the bottom side to almost thru. Then rewelded all. Made the upper shock mounts out of 5/16″ plate and then welded even with the top of the upper seat rail.
John