Howdy from oz, I’m sending you my build I recently finished for my partner Tiffany aka “the brat” (she hates when I call her that) which worked out well for her brat-bob inspired build. It started its life as a 1976 xs650 non runner that ended up in my shed recieving unsolicited advances from my 5″, I chopped a lot of ugly off it leaving only the folks, front section and swingarm then re made the rear sub and seat section for a solo seat I found on marketplace which fit the brat-bob style a bit more.
It needed a new wheel combo so after a few swap meets I found a Harley 16 by5 rear rim with the same spoke count as the xs hub so i relaced them together than I had a lot more options for rear tires. The front I ended up using an early Suzuki 21 inch with drum brakes, really like the simple look of a drum hub,no mumbo-jumbo.
Than i hand made a fake oil tank to house the electrical gear and could start deciding on a rear fender. I ended up using a SR400 rear fender that I cut 20mm out of the centre and chopped off all the puss and welded the oem holes up also made a section to house tail light/indicators under rear lip and a support/strength rib down the center to keep it rigid.
All mounted to swing arm for a constant snug fit! I made an axle mount number plate mount and light because I hate the look of number plates on fenders.. I made a battery box that houses the full size battery under ther the rear swingarm so the bike has electric and kick start capability.
Then I picked up sporty tank for peanuts that really suited the build, made some brackets and machined up a brass fuel tap. Ended up running a street bob front fender off a old build I did and it worked out well. Had to make my own front front drum hub brake mount on the stock rebuilt folks I smothed off and 2 packed. Handle bars are generic 14″apes I found and the hand controls are an old honda 4 throttle and CT110 postie clutch side.
The engine was not locked up and compression tested really well so all I did to it was blasted it,new gaskets,painted it and replaced the only shit thing Yamaha did, the ignition system!
Got a PMA and electronic ignition off Mike’s XS and fitted it. Really good kit! I made a single carb manifold and mount to suit a DR650 CV carb and machined a velcoity stack filter for it.
Also got a heap of exhaust bends and bits off gumtree (ozzy craigslist) for nothing and built the exhaust and machined some billet tips and wrapped it. Macheined my own brass gear select knob and oil cap.. headlight is from a harley the led is a classic Ebay bargain. I’m an auto electrician by trade so I rewired the whole thing and hid 90% of the ugly.
Tiff chose the colours and paint scheme even the Brat font! I did all the body work and paint on it and i think it looks killer. I take pride in doing everything myself and really enjoy learning new things. This cost roughly $3,900 ozzy dollars to buy and build, half that is just the stock shitbox bike and PMA Kit.its a pretty good result and turns more heads then 35k bike. A brat for a brat.
Submitted by Daniel Peterson
