Copper Davi
- 37
Carlos – This bike was made by Jason from “Vintage Customs” in Florida, I bought this bike like 3 weeks and now is here with me in California. It’s a 77 xs650 engine was completely disassembled and rebuilt. The exhaust, custom fabricated called “devil horns” are wrapped in copper colored header wrap and it sounds really good.
Frame is a custom fabricated, one-off, drop-seat hardtail with no stretch. The neck has been raked out, it was lowered till it looked right. Forks are mid 80’s Suzuki.
Gas tank is a new 3.5 Gal. Mustang tank. Rear fender is a real copper fender by 7 Metal West.
Front wheel is a 21” Suzuki dirt bike rim wrapped in a relatively new Cheng Shin Barracuda tire
The rear wheel is an XS 16” wire wheel wrapped in a new Shinko double white wall tire. Both wheels have the hubs and spokes finished in matte black.
Thanks Jason
VintageCustoms.tumblr.com
forsure nice lookin bike. like the hand operated rear brake. first time i’ve seen that!! like the two filler mustang tank. nice job, thanks for sharing
Great build, front end is really sweet.
Nice color as well.
Would have been cooler if you’d built it yourself.
Very nice bike. It’s amazing how a white frame can make a bike pop.
Mornin’ gents. Well, the snow outside is a-hole deep here in the mountains of eastern arizona and the satellite dish is covered and I’m to lazy to go outside and sweep it. So I’ll use this time to ask you boys a question that’s been on my mind for a while.
This bike is a perfect example of what makes me wonder about the mind-set of some of you metric dudes. Now please don’t misunderstand me. I thoroughly enjoy this site and the bikes you guys build. I’m in awe of many of the builds featured. I understand and totally appreciate the fact that you get a lot of bang for your buck building these scoots, as opposed to building, say, an old ironhead sporty bobber. I get it.
So here, finally, is my question. Carlos, here, obviously spent a load of money having this bike built. Why on earth didn’t he spend his wad on a harley? OK, if he’s 5’4″ and weighs in at 110 soaking wet, maybe the fit of a little jap bike is better. When I see a full size american male with some meat on his bones standing next to or (god forbid) sitting on a XS650 it looks kinda unnatural. And then there’s the matter of the sound these bikes make. Do you guys really like the sound of an XS motor better than the sound of a harley? I’d really like to know.
Please don’t everyone get all pissed off at me. I’m a ford man. I’m wearing a ford hat as we speak. I drive a ’49 ford F-2 pickup that would break the heart of any pickup man. If I meet a chevy man who tells me that fords are crap and chevys rule, I don’t get my panties in a twist. I would honestly like to hear from you boys about why you have chosen the XS650 to be the bike of your dreams. Be poetic, be honest, but please don’t be smart asses.
First off Carlos your bike is awesome, love the colors, handlebars and exhaust.
John,
I own a Road King and love all Harleys, I will speak for myself and say that you answered the question “you get a lot of bang for your buck”. I will build my XS for the cost of a donor FXR. Whatever Carlos spent on his XS would be a lot less than a Sportster as cool as the bike he now owns. I have seen many people walk by Harleys to check out a Bobbed/Chopped XS, they are different and Harley’s are everywhere. Oh yeah and this is coming from a Chevy man who can appreciate a Ford.
sweet brag bro
LOL…I have 2 harley’s and my XS is so much fun to ride I haven’t riden the harley’s in over a month
LOL my XS is a blast
Nice bike by the way !!! I like the white frame
Awesome build!
Hey John Ford
I,m a Ford man too – but in Germany. European Granada 3.0 V6 (I see once or twice a year another one of this extinct species).
But to answer your question, I´m 6″ tall and no skinny nor fat. So the XS fits me just fine, like any other classic motorcycle from these days. A good friend of mine has a hardtailed, heavy customized Ironhead sportster – and you know what? It´s not bigger at all than my XS! There´s really no difference in size.
I think it´s just a matter of taste what you prefere. We (my “Harleyfriend” and me) are most times joking about that fat tired stretched out bikes & the whole bigger is better thing. And in most of the times this bolt on billet barges hardly get ridden – it´s often a only show & no go thing (at least over here in Germany).
But at least in one point I agree with you at all – the Harley does sound better!
And not to forget instead of thread jacking,
@ Jason:
You did some real nice stuff to this bike here, but the bike I like the most of the ones I´ve seen on your page is the Drifter. That´s very close to perfection in my eyes.
Man, this bike is just – too – darn – cool!!! I love the copper and white contrast, the custom frame. The pogo stick, wow! genius! and a rear……… HAND BRAKE??!?! are you kidding me?!?!? wowsers…. that is one very nice package.
@ John Ford
I’m a metric dude. two very big reasons. well, three. One: cost. I just can’t see throwing G’s at something when C’s will work. two: reliability. I wanna RIDE. not repair. three: distinction. I *LIKE* being the guy who ain’t on a HD. I *LIKE* being the guy who waits til everyone else is done kicking and kicking and kicking, who pushes a button and… VROOM. I *LIKE* being the guy who isn’t rebuilding his engine over the winter (or in July)…. again! Virtually *everybody* I ride with has an HD. The new ones run great. They should, for $22 Grand. But for that kinda $$$, you get a bike that looks like THAT bike… and THAT one, and THAT one, and THAT one, too! They all used to laff at the gas gauge on my XS1100, at the drive shaft, at the square headlight. Now they’re buying computer chip upgrades for the fuel injection or whatever. My ’79 Yammy is the classic, now. And I blow them off regularly.
Distinctive.
Cost effective.
Starts every time.
And seriously kicks butt.
Yeah….. I’m a metric dude.
Also a Ford truck dude, but we’ll leave that for later. Rock on, bro!!
Chopped Suzuki, bobbed Yamaha, and my next bike will be the Fury. I guess I’m a metric man too. Metrics are WAY cheaper and they DON’T brake down. My in-laws are hard-core HD enthusiasts but there is no way i can afford those repairs. I guess i would rather have 3 bikes than 1 Harley. The only Harley i really like is the Sportster which every Harley enthusiast says is “weak” or a “girls bike” and the Rocker C. For 6G’s less, I’ll take the Honda.
Also, it’s damn impossible to find custom parts for metric bikes. They make everything for Harleys. So, to see some of these bikes on here where people had to hand-make their own creations is really inspiring and a work of true art. When it comes to Harley and metric, i could care less. I like custom bikes and putting an airbrush job on a bagger doesn’t quite cut it for me.
John’s a Troll.
HD’s are for old A-holes, like trolls.
Metric dudes don’t care about an expensive “badge” on their ride, belonging them to the exclusive class of paid way too much for a name club. You can build 3 japs for the price of one average HD chop.
Metric guys don’t really give a crap what the bike sounds like as long as it works well and is reliable, but Put a set of quality hard krome pipes on a 750SS honda and it sounds as good if not better than most EFI American made Vtwin. Depends on your taste but not everyone gets a boner over the knowledge their machine was manufactured in the land of the once a great country.
You don’t see xs people going on HD forums and saying, ” why do you folks spend so much on that name brand crap when you can have 3 of these”metrics for the price of that HD?”
The big, bad, tough, scary HD biker BS is a thing of the past. It’s more outlaw now to chop a jap bike and ride the snot out of it then to plunk down your credit card at the HD walmart and cup your ball sack and cup your buddy behind yous ball sack and walk the HD yuppie line.. Some people are to old and late of getting that memo apparently.
@ John, I’m 63 and pushin one of them HD’s around causes my balls to fall off
Hell – almost everyone owns a Harley now. You can buy a complete xs650 motor for just a few dollars compaired to spending real cash on a H.D.motor-tranny-primary. Almost everyone on this sight builds or works on their own bikes – except for a few major parts here & there keeping the bikes more afordable…it’s easier when you dont have such a high investment . Dont get me wrong -I love my H.D. I own both a Harley and a xs650. The Harley will out perform-ride better -take me farther-sound better……but it’s just not an xs650………Well what I guess I’m trying to say is if I have to explain you just wouldnt understand. I dont care what you ride as long as you ride
The bike looks great ,but I think the bend in the top rails of the hardtail (under the seat) greatly reduces the strength of the frame , can anyone verify, I realy like the look of this bike.
@ Ray – It’s just a drop-seat frame… with the seat not dropped.
@ Stephanie
you´re a tough lady – will you marry me?
Hey John, and everyone else. I think that it is hard to compare a h-d to a 650, especially a late model hd. these bikes come from a totally different era of bikes. back in the seventies these were not small bikes. they were midsize bikes, just like a triumph 650 or norton 750 or 850 commando, iron head sportsters were 900cc until the early seventies,xr750 flattrack bikes, what about hd wl 45 c.i. flat head solos and servi cars 45 c.i. [750]cc . It is very easy and very reliable to make a xs into a 750, also not to expensive. el knuckles were 61 c.i.[1000cc] cool bobber engines but not to big or to powerful. I too am a harley guy, and also a fulltime motorcycle mechanic, guess where I work!
thats right a f**king dealership. my harley is a 1977 flh 1200 I love it for what it is and would never buy anything newer. my other bikes are 6 xs650′s 1965 honda305 dream, a 1958 triumph thunderbird basketcase, and trying to get my hands on a 1950 something matchless 500 single. I am not old but just like old bikes, basically because I was pushed into buying {jap crap} when I was in Highschool, because evos were ruling the streets and way too expensive for me to touch. It might sound hard to believe but I have never paid more then 650 bucks for any of my bikes. Even my harley, It was my Grandpas and given to me. So the reason I think people are getting a thrill off Any old motorcycle is that it represents a different period in time, when people could work on there own bikes , without having to hook a computer up to it. and they are inexpensive, but getting pricier everyday it seems like. so to understand what these metric dudes are thinking, you’ll just have to go out and get your self an old bike, who cares what brand it is, or if its chopped or not. Just make it like 1979 or older and set a spending limit of less than a thousand bucks. see what kind of thrill you can get for the price of a set of hd cams and cycle shack headers. Remember, Marlon Brando rode a triumph thunderbird in the Wild one, [650cc}. was that a small bike and unnatural looking? I dont think so. but thats my opinion.
Alot of great points here. I think after you consider reliability, cost, size…there’s also simply a matter of taste. I know I don’t fit in with the average Harley rider nowadays (hell, I’m 20-30 years younger than most of them) and even though I definitely appreciate the sound of a Harley, and moreso when someone chops an old Harley, it’s not important to me to ride one. And it’s usually Harley riders who have the superiority complex that anyone riding a Jap is just working their way up to the Harley. I can understand the want to ride something American made with as much tradition as HD has, but besides that, I can’t see myself spending 5-10 times the price on something cool and (at least speaking about the engine) Japanese made. If this bike here was an HD, Jason would have ended up spending 15-20k easy.
But I digress…that rear hand brake looks TREACHEROUS…but goddamn cool too.
Only alcoholics ride Harleys.
Laffin…… big kick outta Stephanie
first that is one kick ass xs love the look of the handbrake and overall design.
Second, John…thanks for giving me my daily reminder why I don’t ride piece of shit Harley’s anymore. I’ve had 4, new from the showroom and each was an utter piece of shit. The day the last was stolen by a meth head was one of the happiest days of my life. Frankly I’d love to see the crooks at HD be hanged and their business burnt to the ground. Its douchebags like yourself, delerious thinking their bikes are fast or handle well. You all think your mistimed 88, or 96ci motors are so badass. Wow you got a whopping 70HP at your rear wheel. Hell even your new CVO’s are dogs with the exception of the Vrod which HD outsourced to porsche. You know, I guess there is one good thing about the existance of you HD douchebags is that I get to have more fun trouncing your whittle HD’s on a daily basis with a real bike. My Yamaha Raider runs the quarter in 9.9 seconds and has more than 100hp AT the rear wheel. Most of your scuzzy girlfriends tell me at the bar that my bike looks better than your HD’s as well. You talk about people looking small next to the xs….see all of us raider riders feel the same about seeing your baby huey fat-asses riding your little Harleys. My raider dwarf your POS harley in every way and my xs will take your HD as well…oh and that’s with my wife riding it.
You think your fords all badass. Bet you other car’s a prius you f’ing douchebag. Oh and my other vehicle is an American made Jeep. You know the only small 4×4 vehicle deemed worth to represent our country in WWII, Korea, and NAM. Take your ford and shove it up your ass.
All John wants for xmas is a bike that works,
A bike that works
A bike that works….
John bought too many $50 HD t-shirts and can’t afford to fix his bike. Lol
The problem with Harley is they have to be v-twins. They can never build any other motor configuration. There’s only so much you can get out of a v-twin. A 1980 XS is only 1/10 sec slower in the 1/4 mi., than a 1980 Sportster, is 100 lbs lighter, and you don’t have to go around the entire bike every 500 mi and tighten everything that has come loose. Indeed, the owner’s manual tells you to check all nuts and bolts every 500 mi. Sonny Barger himself said that Harleys have the feeling of power, but they don’t really have power. He also said the Gold Wing is a better bike. He really said that.
Harleys rumble and pull. They have fun low-end torque. They have a low frequency exhaust note. The sound itself is intimidating. But, it’s just an illusion. The illusion is that you are sitting on raw unbridled power. It is the feeling of power that is their draw. The power runs out at higher revs. There are many other motor designs that do many things well, that aren’t v-twins. If what you want is the fantasy of power that you get from a torquey v-twin, then be my guest. Just don’t delude yourself into thinking that the v-twin is the ultimate design, because it isn’t. There’s flat twins half the size that frankly many people prefer for touring. There’s small vertical twins that do essentially what Sportsters do for around town riding, for way less money. 30 yrs ago, Kawasaki made a belt drive 440 that was faster than the Sportster. That’s not to say that Sportsters are a joke, they’re not. They just do what they do, and are what they are. Incredibly, I know this is hard for some people to understand, but some people, given the choice, simply don’t want to buy a Harley.
I’d like to own both an Ironhead, and my XS. Ironheads are kind of the ultimate for me, those and flathead 45′s. But for $300, I got an XS donor bike that I can do what I want with. It’s a poor man’s Triumph. As luck would have it, it’s also a great bit of engineering. When it’s done, it will still cost way less than a good Ironhead, and will cost less to keep it going.
Of all the Harley owners I’ve ever met or known, probably only one or two of them wasn’t a drunken asshole. We’re talking really bad news. Some of these guys are just idiots. One day I’ll write a post about the subject, but right now I’m going to bed.
I’m not saying v-twin’s are bad…just HD’s vtwins.
My Raider is a stroked 113 running 120ftlbs of torque and 100hp at rear wheel. I can do that with a big air kit, pipes and a PCV for 1/3 of the price I can buying a CVO with the screaming chicken package. Plus I don’t see one around every corner looking anything near mine. I also know guys who have gone over 150k on a raider without a single issue or a tired motor. Do that with any HD.
The reality is that HD is very old poorly designed technology. At least with their current bikes, excluding the vrod which of course is mostly a porsche.
As far as HD owners…I may have exagerrated a bit. Unfortunately the days of old bikers who were actually knowledgeable about old HD’s are coming to an end. Most are too old or tired to ride one that isn’t a new bagger…and you just don’t see them very often anymore. Its a pleasure running into one of those guys and its great talking to them because they actually can appreciate a better designed air-cooled v-twin like a Victory or Yamaha and I can appreciate hearing about their old builds like a shovster for racing. But now there are just too many Rich urban bikers out there who don’t know squat. Probably once a month I have some dude get off his HD at a gas station and look over my raider drooling about how cool it is…asking me which HD it is. They don’t even realize that its not an HD and when I tell them they get all in a huff. So now when it happens I just respond…”hey your wearing the shirt” or “your wearing the jacket..you tell me”. The retards never get it right.
now, now…. he asked for poetic…..
there was an old biker named John who was ridin his harley along it would rattle and fart then it all fell apart now he can’t figure out what went wrong………………..sorry John
I’m over copper and brass but…Nice build otherwise. Do you have a strategy to what brake to use? I like that it is unique. Enjoy the ride.
First of all, this bike is kick ass. What a very unique piece of art and craftsmanship, regardless of what motor it may have. It seems to be a very solid build and looks like it would be fun as hell to ride. My hats off to VINTAGE CHOPPERS for there inspiration in bike building. @ John I am a Ford man as well,have an 82 f250, still runnin strong. It is interesting question you ask. I have had, and built, a few harleys, and I love them.Love the old Ironheads and flatheads. Am getting ready to do a Shovelhead with 300mm in back here real soon, I can’ wait. I Know I will get alot more $$ out of it than I can ever get out of metric build, no matter how well its done. My favorite build and motor to work with is the xs 650, it is just a very unique parallel v twin and great running strong little motor. For me its really not about which motor is better, or more expensive, or the cheapest to build. Its all in what u like and are happy with and enjoy riding. Although I would much rather see someone riding a really cool unique metric than seeing someone on a Plain Jane Harley . I will agree some of these bikes are very small, and someone who is 6′ 3″ 240LBS. is way to big for alot of these bikes unless they have been stretched way back and rake a little in the front, but a harley sportster is the same way, too small for alot of people. Most of my freinds and people wanting builds are Harley Riders, most of them were like you John until they come over and sit on one of my xs and take it for a ride, then it changes there mind. They say it is alot different then what they thaught. Now they are always coming by to see what im workin on and bringin there other Harley buddies. Some get it, some dont. It doesnt matter to me I just love buildin anything with a chain. In all, Thank God for the xs 650 and all the other metric motors, because it has allowed alot of blue collar folks, in these hard times, that could not afford a Harley, or let alone any other custom bike, to be able to build or buy something custom, unique and cool, and be able to ride and have a great time with all the others. Some can’t even sfford to do that. @ Stefanie. You are a firecracker, lol
Love the hand cranked rear drum. May be a little tricky to let go of the bars and utilize the rear brake when some ass slams their brakes in front of you in traffic, but to be fair… if you’re a cruiser on the street it should be fine. When its parked up it looks great in front of the bar or at a show.
@ John, down here in the islands, we really don’t have too many HDs. Being british influenced and Jap riddled, Harleys were an uncommon site until a friend Paul opened a dealership and tried to sell those expensive bikes to the hampsters down here. Only a few were sold to the yuppies, but harley didn’t see the profit, pulled their plug and moved on. In the US, I’ve ridden sportsters, the fatbob and felt it in the balls and wallet after a slide on the dixie highway. As far as the sound, a Duck (ducati) makes a similar sweet potato melody and this can also be acheived with a rephased xs650 .. and in all fairness, I really don’t know what the big deal is other than American patriotism and pricing. In England and Japan especially, the XS is now a classic collectible that is getting more attention and fetching alot more more dollars, thanks in part to the home builders that appreciate the Jap built, british designed twin. Just go out, find one, spend some money, build it to your specs, ride it yourself and be the judge, jury and executioner. Then come back here, post your pics and we’ll decide what to think of you.
The XS is not a British derived bike. It was originally a German 500cc Hoch motor. Yamaha bought the rights to the motor, made some changes to it, and turned it into the XS650. Just sayin’, and FYI. You can Wikipedia it and Google around. IIRC, the design dates from the mid-50′s, and Yamaha sat on the blueprints for quite a while before they unveiled the XS650. You can also find pics of the Hoch easily.
The XS sounds like a Brit twin because it’s the same size, overhead valves, and firing order.
Corrections to last post: The German bike was a Hosk. Hosk went from a 500 vertical twin to a 650 vertical twin, the company was bought by Showa, then Showa was bought by Yamaha.
Alright forgive me for asking again if the question was in any of the previous XS vs HD threads above.
Just by looking at the photos it looks like your Clutch lever is on the left handle and your brake lever on the right handle (standard). So if this is true, your only able to use one brake at a time… correct?
Crazy rear brake hand lever!!! and I dig that you used a drum brake/hub on the front, I too am working with a front drum/hub for my build… early XS though!
@ Misfitskinny, your funkyness is only overshadowed by your old sage wiseness…….right on bro……build whatever flips your pancakes, and ride what ever you build……..
Thanks T/B. Lets just say european designed, japanese copied and built.
Thanks T/B for the info of the origin of the xs 6 5 0, did not no that.@ Mike Lytle. I am starting to realize that you are a very intelligent man. @ everyonelse, build something safe as you can, and funky as hell to ride.@ Vintage, hope you build something else as sick as this bike, in future.