!!! 1986 XL600R Adventure Bike Rebuild !!!

[davek181]

Keep doing what you are doing, looks awsome. I think it is great you are making an effort to individualize your bike. While it may not be the color scheme I would have chosen I think it looks like a top notch job. besides, who am I to judge what you do to your own bike. Keep up the good work and we will all be jealous when it is done and shames our motley rides.

I too likesd the stock tank colors, but I dumped them in favor of a larger tank years ago. I wish I had the skill/time to do something to make my bike look better. My own wife has called it an abomination. That is ok with me because I prefer function first.

[crobox]

Originally Posted by davek181

My own wife has called it an abomination. That is ok with me because I prefer function first.

[crobox]

I play around with the photoshop drawing AS I build the bike, incorporating things I'm actually doing to the bike in the shop, as well as playing around with different visual ideas that I might incorporate in the future.

Here is the current state of the photoshop image:



Changes incorporated into this image are:

- Fuel tank changed back to stock metal tank (was a Clarke tank previously)
- Blue rear fender with incorporated tail light
- Side panel showing blue number plate (not sure if I'm gonna do that or not yet....)
- Rims showing only the middle part painted orange; side walls of rims remaining aluminum color. This has the big advantage of the orange paint not getting super scratched during tire changes. Also a little less flashy than previous design.

A few things which WILL be part of the final form of the bike, but are not in this image, are:
- Bike will have (and has always had) a Supertrapp muffler
- Bike will have a rear rack and pannier racks, fabricated from stainless
- Front fairing will be different
- Engine will be: Transmission cases black, cylinder and cylinder head bare metal, valve cover black
- Header probably wrapped

[davek181]

It is good to have a vision, my bike seems to evolve by happenstance mostly.

I love the stock tank shape and looks, but it is so limited in capacity I have opted for the ugly big one. I have learned to take the ugly comments in stride. They do lessen somewhat when my XL eats their XRL for lunch in performance. Luckily I don't normally ride with people that have extraordinary machines.

Does your taillight have a two filiment fixture? No problem if not, you can simulate two filiments with a resistor trick. I have used that method before

I agree with the super trapp. I have alternated back and forth in the past, but now my stock exhaust is permanently relegated to duty on the weight lifting bench where it belongs.

Racks are very handy. I wish I had the fabricating skills to cutom build one out of exotic materials. I built one with a chainsaw mount out of common iron, it worked but it was kinda ugly too. I later took the easy way out and bought one that looks better.

When I first looked at the picture, the wheels really stood out. I was wondering how you were going to accomplish that. Actually still am wondering. Looks like a lot of work with wheel lacing involved to me.

A different fairing will change the look for sure. Again fabrication skills needed.

As far as engine color goes, I am one of those crazies that really likes the red engine. ( I know, there is one in every crowd)

I have pondered pipe wrapping too, but I am lazy and it would probably elicit even more psyche damaging ugliness comments from my wife.

Keep up the work and inspire us to do something too.

[brucifer]

Oh no....not the dreaded header wrap! Ugh...

Just like the aesthetics of the stock tank, I like the looks of the tubular exhaust painted or coated up---real nice like.

Maybe leave the rims all silver and put some orange accents elsewhere?

Keep up the great work, man.

[crobox]

Originally Posted by davek181

Does your taillight have a two filiment fixture?

Yes.

Originally Posted by davek181

I agree with the super trapp. I have alternated back and forth in the past, but now my stock exhaust is permanently relegated to duty on the weight lifting bench where it belongs.

Well, lucky me! Mine came with a Supertrapp, and it's the only muffler I've got.

Originally Posted by davek181

Racks are very handy. I wish I had the fabricating skills to cutom build one out of exotic materials. I built one with a chainsaw mount out of common iron, it worked but it was kinda ugly too. I later took the easy way out and bought one that looks better.

I used to work mostly in regular carbon steel, but these days I do almost everything with stainless and aluminum. I hate rust, don't particularly love painting, and I do LOVE the shiny look of those metals.

Originally Posted by davek181

When I first looked at the picture, the wheels really stood out. I was wondering how you were going to accomplish that. Actually still am wondering. Looks like a lot of work with wheel lacing involved to me.

No... no lacing and unlacing. Just lots of careful masking with blue painters' tape. Somewhere buried in the main XL600 thread are some posts about someone else painting their rims using a similar method.

Originally Posted by davek181

A different fairing will change the look for sure. Again fabrication skills needed.

That is already done. See earlier posts in this thread.

Originally Posted by davek181

As far as engine color goes, I am one of those crazies that really likes the red engine. ( I know, there is one in every crowd)

You know, I used to love the red engine too. I really did! And to be honest, I still do... it's just that it doesn't work with this color scheme. I think on a red/white/blue bike with silver rims and suspension parts, the red engine looks awesome.

Originally Posted by davek181

I have pondered pipe wrapping too, but I am lazy and it would probably elicit even more psyche damaging ugliness comments from my wife.

Ha ha! Jury is still out on pipe wrapping... I understand it's good for performance.....

Originally Posted by davek181

Keep up the work and inspire us to do something too.

Thanks man. It's just my winter project. I love doing this kind of stuff.

[crobox]

Originally Posted by brucifer

Oh no....not the dreaded header wrap! Ugh...

Just like the aesthetics of the stock tank, I like the looks of the tubular exhaust painted or coated up---real nice like.

Isn't the pipe wrap good for performance? School me. (Pipe is already nicely painted)

Originally Posted by brucifer

Maybe leave the rims all silver and put some orange accents elsewhere?

Keep up the great work, man.

I have played in photoshop with orange accents in various other places. At this time, the semi-orange rims look the coolest to me. I'm not afraid of the work. I love it!

and... Thanks!

[crobox]

Current state of the engine, with Wiseco piston and new cylinder installed. Bi-color engine coming together! Waiting to get the head back from my friend who is doing the valves.

[Ivanych]

Originally Posted by crobox

Current state of the engine, with Wiseco piston and new cylinder installed. Bi-color engine coming together! Waiting to get the head back from my friend who is doing the valves.

GOOD LOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Moparmanpete]

Pipe wrap benifets?

[mcma111]

Wrapped pipe helps keep the heat in the exhaust which helps the exhaust flow better.

Down side is the wrap leads to the pipe rusting out.

[VxZeroKnots]

Nice build man! Good work.

[crobox]

Beginning of the stainless cargo rack. Today was a bit frustrating cuz this was what I wanted to work on, but I need a size of stainless tube that I don't currently have... so I'm waiting for it in the mail.
The rack will be integrated with my pannier racks, and will also "carry" my rear fender. Some of the fender mounts are already underway... you can see them in the pic. Considering that this is my favorite type of work (creative fabrication... it sure beats sandblasting!!!) I will probably finish these racks as soon as that tubing arrives.

[crobox]

Originally Posted by mcma111

Wrapped pipe helps keep the heat in the exhaust which helps the exhaust flow better.

Down side is the wrap leads to the pipe rusting out.

I wonder if the rust issue would be greatly ameliorated / eliminated by a nice high heat paint job under the wrap... That's what I've already got.
And also trying to keep the bike from getting wet.... ???

[mcma111]

Originally Posted by crobox

I wonder if the rust issue would be greatly ameliorated / eliminated by a nice high heat paint job under the wrap... That's what I've already got.
And also trying to keep the bike from getting wet.... ???

If the bike never got wet or was parked outside then rust would be a non issue. Otherwise...