first bobber project

[Boneswig]

It's good to be back and probably would have been better if I could remember my original login details. 6 years ago I had my first XS11, it was the mysterious one that eventually was found to be a 2h7 or 2h9 (can't remember exactly) and after the gearbox went I sold her. After many regrets and lots of searching I finally got hold of one again. The previous owner already cut the frame for a bobber and left her for dead. I will be picking her up this weekend. I do have a lot of plans for the old girl, so will be asking a lot of questions and also try and give a bit of advice where possible. I remember those days I usually got the threads in the wrong section but will try and get it in the right places this time.

[Old Red]

Looking forward to seeing pictures as you make progress a long the build.

[Boneswig]

Will do my best old red. Just been told I cannot pick her up tomorrow, only sunday. So getting her sunday afternoon.

[Boneswig]

So I picked her up today. Went to the site's identification section and the motor is a XS1100SH 1981 model. Frame, I can't find the number stamped on the frame so assume it's somewhere under the paint. I will start stripping her down from tomorrow night to get the frame prepped for powder coating. And then open up the motor and go through it and repair and fir new where needed. I'm estimating this project to be a minimum 2 months project, so she should be up and running spring time.

[Boneswig]

Went thru thousands of bobber pics and finally settled on something that would work with the way the frame is cut already. Rear shocks is removed, frame is extended to where the shocks used to bolt onto and a template of a seat is made. The seat doubles up for my electrical compartment for my relay's etc. I'm going to use LED's right thru, so all my resistors etc will be hidden there. I'll weld her tonight, then grind of the unwanted bits and pieces and the take her in for powder coating. I found a set of extended forks, probably about 25cm (1inch) longer than the original shocks, so will be using them. Still battling with the rear hugger. All the ones I think will look good seems to be either to long or to wide. Will have to fibreglass one to what I want. Did have a look at a gsxr1300 hugger, but can't find one on loan just to test it. I want the hugger to stop roughly where the shock used to bolt onto the bottom. Will obviously have to build a support from under it to support it. Thinking an 6mm rod will be strong enough on the inside just to give the added support. Headlight also still a mission on its own. If I use the oval light I originally got for the project, I will have to rewire to get the wiring away from the from. Handle bars is now extended to about 125mm higher (about 5 inches) and gives that true mean look I am after. They will be going for chroming by end of the week. And that's how far I am on the bobber so far. I'm estimating to complete the rolling cage will be about a month and then the motor and electrics about another months.

[Boneswig]

Hahaha ok so by now noticed that you guys ain't bobber fans. Many reasons why I am building this bobber and thought I would share it with you guys. This is apart from the fact that the frame was already halfway butchered.

My father is riding for a huge bike club. He is retired now (close to his 70's) but as a kid grew up into Biking lifestyle. Brothers where brothers and when a brother fell there was hundreds of other brothers there to help. My father was a petrol/diesel mechanic and usually had between 5 to 10 bikes he used to work on at a time for the guys. Spares was far and in-between and a BSA headlight fitted to a chopped Indian chief because of a front-end smash was a daily thing. If the frame was bent it was made ride-able somehow, somewhere by and for the brothers.

So yes, sitting and working out how to make the frame, what headlight would my father have tried to get, things like that takes me back to my childhood, running around in the garage while my oldman was having a beer or two while discussing the next mean looking bobber. So you could say that my bobber is a tribute to my father. My bobber is not built for "bling" or the shiny blue metallic paint, but because it what my father would have done if he was given two wheels with a semi complete motor and a wrinkled cut frame.

I'm not asking you guys to like what I'm doing, and cannot force any help from you guys but do ask for a bit of respect for my project. Lastly, do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes, so please don't judge me for building a bobber.

[Bergman16]

I am always interested in any project, but would love photos!

[Boneswig]

Bergman, I would love to post them but I'm on a blackberry, so posting them is virtually impossible. I can mail it, I can bbm it and even edit it a bit, but can't post it.

[jetmechmarty]

Yep. You're going to have to find a way to post the pictures. We can't love it or hate it very well without them.

I can't imagine it's easy to get parts over there. Can you buy them from overseas reliably?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Bones,

We don't hate bobbers, we just hate folks that get a perfectly working bike, and then CHOP IT ALL UP for some vision of a custom build, only to learn that they are beyond their skill sets, or run out of money, or time, or just interest and then end up parting it out on eBay....and so we then see another example of what could have been a great normal operational bike bite the parts bin dust!

Yours was already a chopped up basket case, so you are not to blame at all. And so we are actually hopeful for you to get the bike back up and into operational status....and on the road...and so we won't really care in what form it's in. But not too many of us have had much experience with custom bobber type work. So....we'll do our best to offer advice where we can.

T.C.

[Boneswig]

Thanks and do agree that if it is working, don't fix it. I will try and explain in detail until I find a way to get the pics on here. Might be a lot of typing but will do my best. Unfortunately a bobber is not just something you slap together one morning. I have considered asking my father for help but that's kind off defying the object of the "first bobber". The frame, the electrical and few odds and ends change, the motor will stay original. To make things easier I am using my phone to convert sizes etc to inches since we use millimeters and centimeters this side. If all goes well I will be getting the starter this week then I can begin checking the motor.

[Boneswig]

Hope this works



If it works you will be able to see how the frame has been cut. The PO removed part of the rear support so I was forced into this route

[Boneswig]

This is what I was originally shown when I told the guy I am interested in the xs he advertised.



I could see in the picture something is wrong but only when I stood next to the bike I saw the hack job done to the frame. Motor was taped together and the pint job in the pic looks great but I'm sure he used coloured sandpaper because it is NOT smooth

[Boneswig]

Didn't get much done today. Continued welding up the frame, fitted the seat spring bracket and one spring. Designed some cooling tubes that will deflect the air to keep the motor a bit cooler. Will try and do the first fibreglass layer on them tomorrow and refit to see what it will look like. Tried to turn the motor (no plugs) and she is stuck. Able to move the crank about half a turn on the pickup side the she gets stuck. Will drop some brakefluid into the piston holes before I open the motor and see if I can release the pistons that way. But have a feeling I will be doing the whole motor. So the money I was gonna save on the electrical mod is now going for motor repairs.

[Bikes]

Sounds like the cam timing is off...turning the motor a half a turn then piston hits an open valve, dead stop......if it'll turn half way, the pistons aren't stuck....keep in mind this could have bent some valves.....might be less work than you think....or......