Respect to all XS 650 builders riders!
Describe Your XS650: Year: 1973
This bike was built last winter in southern Finland. Its a hardtail ’73 XS 650. It has Sportster gas tank (Frisco style) and Sportster front fender at the back, ribs handmade. Handlebars are HD buckhorn customized and controls are from Grimeca. Original front end with some “accordion tubes”. Front wheel 19″ with Avon and rear wheel 18″ with Continental tire. Pipes selfmade stainless with Termotec exhaust wrap. Paintwork dark brown/orange scallops with some sweet gold stripes. Seat is selfmade, leather is moose’s skin. The electricals are in stainless steel (polished) tubeThis is Finnish Yamaha bobber and sorry about my bad english! Oh, forgot to mention, bike is called “El Vagabundo”. Respect to all XS 650 builders riders!
I asked Jussi some questions about his ride.
1.Who’s bike is it? Did you build it for a customer?
Hello!I built the bike for myself and I still got it. (Its going through some modifications now!)
2. How long did it take to build?
I built it during the winter time, approx 4 months. Finland has long and cold winter. My buddy, Harri Heinimaa, did the hardtail and tank mounting. Rest is done by me.
3. That tank is wild. Did you build it yourself?
Tank is modified Sportster, the rib is made from 8mm roundsteel and bondo. Mounting is frisco-style.
4. I dig the paint. Did you do that in-house?
Henry Heinimaa from Heinimaa auto repair/painting shop did the paint. Stripes py Finnish artist called Platu.
5. What is the most unique part of the bike that we might not notice by looking at the picture?
Maybe it,s the stainless steel tube with electricals in it. Check also the bent copper lines, where the wires are. It’s often mistaken for a oil tank.
6. “Seat is selfmade, leather is moose’s skin” Did you shoot the moose? LOL..
Hahaahha! No, I didnt! ( It wasnt Rudolf!) By the way, my mother stiched the seat, thanks Mom!
7. Is the motor builtout?
Motor is original with 4th oversize pistons. It has Boyer electric ignition.
8. What would you say was one of the most challenging components in building the bike?
The electrics. Yamaha’s charging system isn’t the easiest one! Did them several times… But now its working like a dream and I can do 650′s electrics while Im sleeping.
9. Is there any trick stuff that you wouldn’t notice from just looking at the pictures?
The rear axle is moved 8 cm backwards from its original place.
10. How does it ride? Have you tested its limits? About how fast have you gotten her going?
It rides damn good and its fun to ride it!
Thanks Jussi Lindgren
http://www.riversidehobos.com/
That’s a great looking bike, very nicely done!
Sweet ride!
I’m liking the detail work
well done.
great job. What type risers did you use to allow the 1″ bars (harley bars)?
What mods did you have to do to the fuel valve (petcock) to make it work on the xs? Did you have to move its position? What brand did you use?
Thanks
scd
bike looks great and has great style