Yamaha XS650 bobber: THE FONG BROS!
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More xs650 chopper goodness from THE FONG BROS!
The latest Bike.
This is the Fong Bros latest ride. Pretty crazy right? The fong brothers continued to build unique bikes with their own character and style. This xs650 is a fresh build and it’s not the same bike as the xs650 in the Horse. Daniel Brooks commented here that “I’ve been looking through the bikes here on xs650chopper…. Your bikes are sick and your style is awesome!” Word.. I agree…
Click to enlarge!
The bike is a 78 xs650. Zero stretch in the hardtail. There is no paint on the frame, gas tank, or seat. The frame is raw metal with Japenese Brown and antique brown metal patinas applied. The tank and seat are polished. Fong Bros style jockey shift set up with a Hurst Indy shifter, also with patina. The shifter knob is a brass doorknob ca 1880.
18 inch rear wheel with 4.5 Firestone, 21 inch front on an xs400 hub with the Speedmaster replica. Mac 2 into 1 exhaust, brass petcocks, vertical battery/electronics set up held on with vintage leather belts. The welds have been gone over with brass to give the frame an antique brazed together look.This bike has the Fong Bros signature front end The forks, triple tree (clamps), axle and hub on the are all from an xs360, which is the same as an xs400. In order for it to work on the 650, you have to change the steering stem, The one on a 650 is longer. To change it, you grind the weld off of the bottom of the lower tree, and knock the stem out, Do the same to the 650 tree and weld in the 650 stem into the 360/400 tree. What appears to be the foot brake on the left side is actually the clutch pedal because it’s a jockey shift bike.
THE FONG BROS are also doing a series on how-to-chopp and hardtail your-yamaha-xs650 in the weeks to come..
Also check out xs650-chopp-junkies-the-fong-bros.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I check the board usually once a day or so. Also, this bike will be for sale within the month – just waiting for the title (which I have, but never put into my name).
Denis
another beauty from the Fong Bros., very cool.
Does anyonoe know what kind of tank that is??? Beautiful BIKE!!
that’s a sweet ride. i’m kind of diggin’ the stock foot pegs left on their hardtail frames. do you guys do work for others or just one off projects to sell? website? i like their thinking.
That’s a sick bike. I have a stupid question. I’m almost done with my xs650 and will be posting it very soon, I know nothing about the electrical side and looking for a easy schematic to get me started so I can get this bad boy on the road. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Just found this web site and love it. dujenn@hotmail.com
First of all, thanks for the comments. Now here are the answers to the above.
The tank was listed as a Wassel, but it is not. I just liked the shape so I bought it, stripped the paint and polished it.
We primarily work for ourselves, but have been thinking about branching out to customers and a website is on the way. Right now we use myspace/fongbros or myspace/bobbyjoefong.
xs650 chopper wiring diagrams are all over the net. Just use your search engine (yahoo/google/whatever) and type in xs650 chopper wiring diagram. You’ll find more than enough.
Again a great one Denis!!! Really dig that vintage brown color.
Dustin, just sent you a mail with some wiring scedules,suXSes.
Sweet ride
love that frame!
I absolutely love the bike! The last picture is my favorite. The shape of the tank looks cool.
Hans, Thanks for the Schematics really appreciate them.
I really like the way it has an old rustic look yet really clean it all flows nice
hey I really like the bike. Mines looking kinda like it. I have a question though. On the back tire there are those spacers. where do you get them?
The spacer on the brake side is the regular spacer for a drum brake wheel. The spacer on the chain side (outside of the frame) is the nut from the top of the steering stem bearings.
i saw this bike on ebay, just wondering if it was still for sale
thanks
25 years from now, an “original Fong Bros” bike is going to go for a few bucks.
I’m trying to find the reason or purpose for running the xs360/xs400 front end??Whats the advantage??
To: blackwidow
In my opinion, it’s the easiest/cheapest way to run a drum brake. XS1 hubs are expensive; xs360/400 are not. Also, it lowers the front end anout an inch and a half.
hey guys wuts up i live in baltimore md and need some info on a bobber build i have an 82 yamaha 75o having wiring issues….
Thanks for the info I have an xs400 with the disc front so I guess the only advantage is I’d get a lowered stance out of it. Does anybody know if a 100/90/19 tire will fit into that front end?
The bike looks awesome! I’m really diggin’ the electronics box in the vertical position. How did you attach it?
I really like this bike and can’t stop looking at it
could you give me some info on the throttle that you are using?
yes, it is a regular ebay item – just look for a triumph throttle sleeve for a single cable.
to Johnson
I attached that tank by making an offset bracket out of square tubing. welded 2 nuts inside the tube, then welded the bracket to the frame. Before welding, I pre-drilled the tank to line everything up. Once the bracket was on the frame, the tank bolted onto the nuts. The bottom rear of the tank rests on a small cushion on the crossmember of the frame. The belts are just there for visual purposes, they don”t actually hold the tank in place.
To Drew email me at generallee0101@yahoo.com and I’ll help you out.
@FongBros/ Dennis Haven’t seen you around the site in a while. How is it going?
I really enjoyed looking at this bike, plenty of pics. Wondering what type of mount you used for the front brake lever. Thanks.
Ted, Thanks, I’m getting back together. I had to stop for a few months because of some family issues, but am back. I am building a bike right now and have ads out to buy 2 more. I need more bikes. I will be posting my how to’s soon.
Mark, that is a BMX lever it is as it came.
Denis
I really love this bike in so many ways. I restore Japanese swords for a living, so I’m really lovin the natural rust patina you did for the frame. I do that all the time for tsuba(guards). A question, what type of seat is that? I love how from the side profile is in line with the downward frame angle, yet looks to have some degree of spring to it. I’m just starting an xs650 build myself and this bike is definitely the look I’m after.
I like the look of a 0 stretched bike. Willing to mod my frame if I sent it out?
-John
I think that bike looks awesome.
I really like the look of the seatpan. Where can i get one? What brand?
FONG BROS you guys amaze me everytime… good job. You guys ever think about running a glass crystal door knob onone of your shifters? I think it could look cool.
Brad – That seat pan is from the really cheap solo seats sold on ebay. I think you can get the seat in white or black for about 20-30 dollars. Strip off all the padding and glue, put a notch in it and bend it up. Weld the notch and polish the pan.
Norton – Thanks for the compliment. I have a bunch of those door knobs laying around and have thought about it, but I always find other items that I feel suit the style of a particular bike, so the glass knob has never made it yet. Maybe one day.
Denis(fong bros)> any chance of a link or time frame for the hardtail how-to??? thanks
Hey Denis (Fong bro) can ya share the secret on the mid shhifter clutch? I was going to run forward controls but id rather run mids. If you can that would be great
Shawn- send me an email and I will try to explain it in text since I still don’t have pictures.
Norton – What I do is use the parts from the right side of the bike (for the rear brake). Most guys cut off the side supports (where the footpegs attach) and trash them, so I try to collect the scraps when I know or see someone doing this. I remove the brake pivot sleeve and weld it into the left side, then reverse the pedal and make a few small pieces. (like a cable stop). To hold the shortened clutch cable in the clutch cover, I use a pinch bolt from an aircooled vw carb. Someday if I ever get my time better organized, I’ll create an article for this as well.
Denis> here ya go. thanks for any info. email: instl75@yahoo.com
Hey do you still have this bike or did you sell it?
Cool, Danke für den hilfreichen Post ! Hat mir gefallen, euch nicht? Was geht bei euch so? Geh doch mal auf meinen Namen im Kommentar, da gehts auch um Yamaha’s
^^^ X2, did the bike get sold? Where is it now?
This bike was sold to someone in Texas in early to mid 2009.
I would like to talk to you about buying this bike. I have cash! so please email me so we can talk….. thanks
I read that there is no stretch on the frame, but how much drop if any? Really dig the stance on this one
No drop. Stock front half, weld on regular dimension stock length hardtail
Is that seat comfortable?