XSLS Lane splitter

My Xs650 build started off as a import from Canada of this 1982 Heritage special to the UK.

The bike was complete but hadn’t been run in many years. I knew that I wanted to hard tail the bike so I picked up a TC bros rear kit to save some fab work.

Over here in the uk to register a bike it has to have an MOT so first thing was to get the bike ready to be tested to be road worthy. Once it had been tested and passed it came right back to my work shop the same day, where I proceeded to cut it in half.

Engine out and frame ready to be welded together I set about getting it tig welded together.

Decided to get the engine vapour blasted from the original black paint to bare aluminium.

While the engine was away for vapour I got my colour choice for the frame sorted and sent it off for powder coating. It’s a pastel blue with silver metal flake. You can really see if shine in the sun light!

Once the frame retuned I started mocking up my tank and bar combination I had chosen. I picked up a Frisco style tank and made up some riserless 12″ bunny ears with white grips!

I didn’t want a master cylinder on the top of the bars because I wanted them really clean, but wanted to retain the front disc brake. What I did was fitted a remote master cylinder from a Vespa to the front of the frame. Now its a cable to master to brake! Works real nice and keeps it looking really clean.

Wheels I had a 19” front and 16” rear that I had re chromed and re built! Plus size fork tubes up front to lift the stance of the bike up a little.

I used an electrix world ignition system and I have a small gate 12v battery under the seat in between the frame rails. I wanted to keep a big gap under the seat, liked the idea of it looking bare bones!

I the seat pan I moulded on the bike with fibre glass and sent it down to my man @ Holy Goat customs to put in the foam and the leather.

Tank and fenders were painted with the same pastel blue with silver flake, with a memento MORI skull symbol from some of my clothing range on it.

Simple electrics just a headlight up front and a tail light! Hand signals is all good for me!

Found sound victory classic TT tyres with the saw blade style tyre tread which I picked up and they look really good on the bike!

Shorty sissy bar which I powder coated along with a few other bits as I have a small oven and powder coating gear!

Spent quite a bit of time getting the casings polished up and also got quite a few bits chromed on the engine.

I’d chopped out the top engine mounts and made a set matching the bunny ear loops.

When the engine returned I treated it to a top end rebuild, new pistons, rings, valve seals, cam chain. Then got it back in the frame and had a set of yo mamma style exhausts for the left of the bike with a smally heat shield and a set on VM34 installed!