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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Oh no - not another goddamn bobber project
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Message started by Yakuza Bob on 09/18/12 at 13:05:10

Title: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/18/12 at 13:05:10

...Sorry but it is ;-)

This is my second LS650. I had my first one exactly 20 years ago. But 2nd time around this little scooter has become a quite expensive acquaintance.

Anyhow, the end result is not too bad I suppose. Here is a brief walkthrough for anyone interested:

Pic 1: Before Bobberfication.

As you'll notice a pretty standard bike. Y2k model bought a couple of month ago with very few miles on it. Non-standard exhaust, awful handlebar, saddlebags (!) and extra headlights. Color definitely not to my taste. The extra headlights had actually burned the entire wiring harness due to wrong connections. Cost me a fortune to have that replaced and the fault located. >:(

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/18/12 at 13:11:30

Pic 2: A few special made steel braided cables for good looks and the additional wires run inside Ape Hanger

Notice that the width of the Ape matches the with of the tripple tree. Took me ages to find the right handlebar for that effect.

Nicer footpegs, but no forward controls (I dont think it would do any good to the overall design I was striving at)

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/18/12 at 13:17:31

Pic 3: Closer look at footpegs plus some of the exhaust stuff from the Blue Collar kit. Side mounted license plate (big ugly european size) and side mounted bag for beers.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/18/12 at 13:19:20

Please tell me you're not bobberifying this gorgeous little bike ...
Tell me where it it and I'll be over there licking it ... so nice ...

BTW let this be an example to all of you ...

Building a bobber makes you insane -

http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/mcy/3268210110.html

Yea moron, totally worth 6g ...

How to delude yourself a 600 buck stock bike is worth 6g ... yea hack it into 30 pieces, wend up random bars and pipe and paint it and call it bobber ... Its the process that is worth the 6g ... process is everything the super duper Corporate executive said, right before he was arrested for securities fraud.

Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/18/12 at 13:21:24

Pic 4: Entire bike painted in jet black. Oh yeah, the paint job included the ugly plastic housing on the gas tank, just to give it a more integrated look.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/18/12 at 13:28:47

And here we go.

Pic 5: The finished result (paint job, Blue Collar fender/seat/light/exhaust kit, Narrow 14" ape and stuff). Rejetted, carb adjustment and and other small stuff. Makes it feel and sound like a beast compared to the motor characteristics before.

Perhaps not entirely radical. But that mostly has to do with the law in my part of the world - here cops love to pull over any customized bike and have the license plates removed... I feel no need to push my luck any further than what I’ve done as of now with the scooter.

Enjoy & thanks for watching!
BikeMike

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by WD on 09/18/12 at 14:51:34

I like it. I had fork gaiters on mine but the sun ate them after a few years.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Johnny57 on 09/18/12 at 15:05:43

I like it also. Where do you live that makes you have that large license plate?

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Greg on 09/18/12 at 15:21:59

Is the bag mounted to the swingarm? Any heat issues?

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by J C Stokes on 09/18/12 at 15:48:00

Lots of the bobber people, and I'm not one, seem to mount their licence plates vertically, yours would catch a lot of wind.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/19/12 at 03:05:36

Thanks guys!

@srinath Actually I think that XS is a very nice build. And 6k... well in my heavily taxed part of the world that is not much. It is actually close to the average price of a used 10-15 year old LS650! :o

@WD Sun is not a problem here, but the lack of it is. Here we have sunny and warm weather approx 2-3 month/year.

@Johnny57 Even for Europe we have the most monstrous license plates

@Greg Yep, definitely to warm for beers, but other accessories will do fine.

@J C Stokes It probably do catch some wind, but that's nothing compared to the amount my body catch driving with ape hangers. ;D Vertical mounting is not an option here. Would make the cops pull me over constantly.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by J C Stokes on 09/19/12 at 03:27:14

Sadly you seem to have a MOPP, Ministry of Petty Prosecutions, just as we do in New Zealand.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/19/12 at 08:25:41

6F444648604446482D0 wrote:

In Winston salem - stock xs's sell for between 600 and 700, stock savage with 10k goes for 1500 or so ... and @ 6k for that is outrageous. Plenty of those @ under 2 and they dont sell either.
Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by ToesNose on 09/19/12 at 09:21:08

Looking good Yakuza, I really like the way the console looks painted :D

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/19/12 at 10:10:43

I dunno, I would say its a great paint job and yea the console too ... in fact that is spectacular. I also like the ceat cover ... however that whole back end I cant say it looks right to me at all ...

First off that side fit licence plate just screams "I built a bike spending 1000's of hours in labor and forgot about a licence plate ... lets see, OK I'll slap it on here ..."

The rear fender held up by those thin lengths of flat bar - well almost the same thing. Strutting the back end and springering the seat is OK and I am torn on the looks but your seat is gorgeous so I'd call it good. I'd have cantilever fitted some braces off the frame, slapped the fender as a floater on it and fit the licence plate and tail light on that.

Hey you need to do what you find looks right.

I in fact like leaving the stock paint on complete with the decals and stickers and emblems ... as in ... yea suzuki made this ... they wish.

If I am modding a 20 year old bike ... I want it to look 20 ... but like it rolled off the factory 20 years ago. IMHO shiny paint covers up a lot of crappy design, I dont need that. Just IMHO.

Sheesh ... I seem to be stirring more trouble up on the general forum with my opinion on bikes than in the politics forum with my opinion of politics.

Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/19/12 at 10:12:46

Oh you didn't hardtail it ... good for you.
I'd cantilever that rear fender and put the plate and tail light on that, unless you need the supports to get through inspection in your country.
Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by Yakuza Bob on 09/19/12 at 11:31:02

@Srinath Thanks for your feedback! You don't stir up any trouble with me having your own opinions on bobber design and looks. :)

To me customization is about making a bike that no one else has. So frankly, if everybody agreed on my bobber iterpretation, I would be bored stiff and have to build something else.

Anyhow, a few of my choices are compromises, basically because of local legislation or safety.

I'd love to see a pic of your Savage. :D

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/20/12 at 08:38:26

Well there was that pseudo chopped (rakes with triples and a dirt bike front end) and bobbed one I made 3 years ago. Wait a sec I'll post a link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/srinath.the.man/SavageChopperBuild#53768675803138...

Cool.
srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/20/12 at 08:50:06

The one I am building now is a nearly all stock savage with a maxim 700 fork leg set stuffed into the original savage triples. Twin disk and mag wheel. Still ironing out some stuff though.
Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by mojohand40 on 09/20/12 at 08:58:39

Looks awesome! Nice paint job and seat color.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by 1bozo on 09/24/12 at 22:51:40

Where can I find a wiring,cable kit for ape hanger bars?

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by ToesNose on 09/25/12 at 04:35:04

@srinath- your links lately keep coming up dead for me =(

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by srinath on 09/25/12 at 06:26:34

516A60764B6A7660050 wrote:

@srinath- your links lately keep coming up dead for me =(

https://picasaweb.google.com/srinath.the.man/SavageChopperBuild?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ-TlundyLiSngE

Does that work ?

And mooresville ? I am just across the street from huntersville - you should come on over and ride the maxim FE savage - when its ready ...
I sold the chopper 2 years ago ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Oh no - not another goddarn bobber project
Post by ToesNose on 09/25/12 at 17:45:37

Yea srinath I had no idea you were so close! We should definitely get together :)