So the project was inspired by a lot of pics on your site, and others. Being 4th 650 project I have taken on and looking to something a bit more on the “bobber” side of things. This bike was acquired for $75. Here in Minnesota the key is having a good title and known motor. Our DMV is a bit picky about these things so thats worth 75 bucks. Laying on it’s side behind a buddys garage for years I “salvaged” it. Hmmmmm. Pretty bad. The engine was packed with….um…. ah…. well stuff… like grass growing in it stuff.
Everything on the bike is salvage, ebay or refinished and hand crafted. this bike cost me about 600 bucks to build front to finish. I found an xs650 motor at a swap meet for $25 bucks because the guy didn’t want to pack it up at the end of the day. It was free turning (kick start was on it) turned it over. offered 25 and took it home. $100 bucks in and had the basics.
Now the work part. Frame hand fabbed hard tail. Bought the drop outs for the axle in the back. Harbor freight pipe bender and some DOM. Here we go. Seat is hand fabbed. Leather is on old piece of leather belt from a mill, (2 pieces actually bonded int he middle. gas tank, sportster. Rims and wheels, torn down the originals, cleaned and painted black. floor boards hand fab, Rear fender , model A wheel cover (half of one) tail light is an old marker light from a bus. I hand fabbed up a red lense with some old tail light plastic and a little heat. 1157 bulb and there we go.
This was my cheapest build but most fun. Road it for a while. And like a dummy someone offered me more money than I thought it was worth and now I have budge for more projects. Thanks for the cool web site. Remember. Its better to go into a corner and come out fast than to go into a corner fast and come out dead!!