Really? The dreaded PO.... What a laugh!

[kboehringer]

XS Friends,
I picked up another tank yesterday as I'm planning to make a very COOL custom tank for one of my XS11's. The tank had "DECENT" paint and already had the emblems shaved. I need to do some; cutting, welding, and custom fabrication so I needed to sand blast off SOME of the paint back to bare metal for welding. Since the paint did look pretty good I thought I might leave some of the paint alone as a properly applied & adhered previous paint job is a good base coat. Thinking maybe I was making more work for myself, I went ahead and blasted the entire tank anyway just to SEE how the PO shaved those emblems....... VERY GLAD I DID.



Look at these freaky screws! Are you kidding? Really?

Every time I think I've seen it all....... I find another PO screw ball half-ass job that needs a PROPER repair. The only thing holding gas in this tank was bondo & paint!!!!

Am I the only guy that finds this crap? What's the worst rig job you've seen on your XS11?

KURT

[tomcos67]

LOL...your funny..!!!perfectionist....

[dbbrian]

didn't even take the time to match the screw types

[BA80]

Probably was "customized' to fit the "chopper" he made "his own" but then ended up ebaying parts because it was made unridable by some clueless fool.

[Abnorml]

how about these welds. He was trying to go to a mono shock set-up.
[IMG][/IMG]

Yeah, it all got cut back out so I could save the bike. Everything from the first tube behind the engine back he cut off and tossed.

[kboehringer]

OMG.... Bubba's School of Backyard Welding?

how about these welds. He was trying to go to a mono shock set-up.

Abnorml,
YOU WIN! Dang! Whenever I find another PO foul-up and get to feeling sorry for myself, I WILL remember that butchery! Although I've had to fix some really crazy PO crap, that "Dumbo Mono-Shock" set-up is by FAR a superior piece of backyard engineering! I would not even have sat on that thing let alone drive it!

I'm very glad you were able to return that machine to a great looking ride!!!!!
KURT

[Wildkat]

Abnorml - there are just no words. Even my welds look better than that and I've only done it a few times.

Glad y'all know what y'all are doing with these bikes.
Good saves!

[Tarheeltriple]

Those welds are scary...Think what would happen if they broke while riding down the road?

[ViperRon]

That looks like someone tried using old rods and a wrong temp setting, Stuff like that will kill you in a bad bounce.

[Gmac]

Hmmm

I will never kvetch about the crap I keep finding on my two bikes, really its just the '79 Special that got the 'special' touch from the PO mainly in the paint and a few spots in the wiring grafts he made.

Just dang on those welds Abnorml, great recovery.

Kurt, gotta give your gomer credit, he did fill the holes, could have been consistent with what he used but I guess his trash selection was what he had at hand. BTW, did you bead blast or use soda?

[kboehringer]

Beads

BTW, did you bead blast or use soda?

GMAC,
I have a BEAD blaster in my maintenance shop at work. Works great...Big enough for a Full XS11 frame or a Firebird Door! This tank ended up having 3-4 coats of paint and about 1/2" of bondo covering those ridiculous screws.

I've fixed the damage by brazing it up. Took about 15 minutes, a bit of MAPP gas, and a few inches of brazing rod. A shame the PO was a skill-less butt head!

KURT

[Gmac]

Bead blasting is clean

I've been contemplating getting a bead blaster sans dust collection system as it's going out back and I don't care where the dust goes.

I used to have access to one and used it for everything because it beats using chemical strippers. Damn, one more tool to add to the list...At this rate I may as well open a shop for old school bikes and just do custom restorations.

[puskrat]

I am suddenly concerned for my tank.....More later

[puskrat]

Do I have a problem?

Here is the same area on my 1100G.

I thought the little horizontal strip was tapped for badge screws, and welded to the tank in the center. Your tank doesn't look to have been "de-welded", so your problem makes me wonder what I'm up against.

[kboehringer]

Two Pinch Welds

Here is the same area on my 1100G.
Your tank doesn't look to have been "de-welded", so your problem makes me wonder what I'm up against.

Puskrat,
All the tanks are PINCH welded on the ends. There is NO weld in the center from the factory. They used the square tank indent to align the brackets square center and then they pinch welded it on/near the ends. My guess is the PO of my tank tried to pry the bar off and pulled two holes in the tank!

The PO PARTIALLY learned his lesson and only screwed up one weld on the other side. I've used a carbide burr tool in a die grinder to cut the welds JUST ENOUGH for the bar to fall off on my other shaved tank. CAREFUL CAREFUL!!!!

KURT