It didn't look stock at all to me, not that I have ever looked at a LS650 head before.  Just didn't seem right.  I will evaluate the head closer when it comes out.  After the leak down test, I already planned on a head rebuild anyway.  Now it may be rebuilding a good core head.

I picked up some metal stock to start the seat/tail mount.  After much head scratching, beer, some more head scratching, some more beer, I figured it would better to have some other components in hand before going crazy on it.  Like the tail lights and turn signals.  And license plate holder.  I stumbled across this unit on Amazon, and there are several reasons I like it.  It will tuck under the tail well, it already has turn signals incorporated into them, and I won't have to make a license plate holder.  The holder it has is also angled giving some additional assurance the tire won't come into contact under full compression.  There are more bits I need before I start the seat mount that are their way as well - the stock rubber bits that mount the rear of the tank.  I plan on tying the front of the fiberglass seat into the rear tank mounts.  I believe I can pull off the mounting frame without any cutting or welding on the frame and have it completely bolt on.

Gary_in_NJ wrote on 10/23/21 at 15:09:05:


I removed the part from the spark plug hole, and then immediately felt like an idiot.  That piece is the leak down tester adapter!  When I removed the flex hose, it unscrewed from the adapter instead of coming out as a complete assembly.  D'oh!!    The spark plug threads look fine.  Good news is the head is more than likely rebuildable.  Bad news is, it doesn't change the result of the leak down test.

I will test the range of travel on the rear suspension when the assembly arrives, but you can see this tail section has more rise than your cafe hump.  (what hump?!)

Where it sits right now, there will be 8-1/2" from the top of the rear tire to the bottom of the tail when I am done with the mount.  Once the tail light assembly is here I will be more certain where it will all end up.

I was looking at how close the chain will come today, and realized some of the chain guard mount brackets will have to be removed.  Not that I have a chain guard with this bike.  It is missing quite a few details.  In the next 4 or 5 days I should see the handlebars, fork caps, tail light assy, rear tank mount pieces, and a bunch of gaskets and o-rings for the engine.  Brake caliper and master rebuild stuff is on its way as well.

Tubeing is stronger than solid round bar,& lighter too. Try to find some steel 1/2'' tubeing (not conduit), and borrow a electricans bender. A little heat and you can bend it pretty easy, and you will end up with a better product.