My new bike.

[Motu]

I can't buy the bike I want - so I'll just have to make my own.These two major components of my project were secured verbaly within a couple of days of each other,a good omen in my book.I now have them in my posession,although no money has changed hands yet,and may possibly never happen....this is what we do in my circle of friends....there could be something of mine that meets their requirements.This may take years,may never get finished...but this is what I enjoy,the journey more fullfilling than the destination.

So - what am I going to make,and what are these parts? To those who know,pinpoint the year of each....the clues are there.To those who have already seen the parts,patience.

[TLDV8]

An XS650 Flat tracker with lights.

TT500 frame ?

[Joni]

The engine is a XS/TX650... bugger knows what the frame is tho...

Mmm, bugger TLD and his lightening fast fingers

[degrom]

Am I seeing a 750 kit in your future?

[Paul in NZ]

Well the engine is a bit of a no brainer - but the frame - you cunning sod...

That has to be a very modifed 1971 Triumph (or BSA) 650 frame. Looks shortened to suit a - well a Yamaha engine...

Now - what to do? I'd say a big 'Adventurer' or the TR7 off roader made for the french market sort of thing. Good idea - fantastic project start...

Maybe - an Egli Yamaha

Paul N

[Joni]

TT500 frame ?

Question: Doesn't a TT500 have a full cradle frame?... :spudwhat:

The position of the oil tank in the frame doesn't match up where Yamaha had theirs...

[TLDV8]

The engine is a XS/TX650... bugger knows what the frame is tho...

Mmm, bugger TLD and his lightening fast fingers

If i was a Admin i would have put your post above mine

*
Should i dig out an old book and scan Kenny R getting sideways on an XS Tracker ?

Question: Doesn't a TT500 have a full cradle frame?... :spudwhat:

The position of the oil tank in the frame doesn't match up where Yamaha had theirs...

It was a wild guess on the frame..Oil filler is at the wrong end as you say (did a google after posting)

[Paul in NZ]

Question: Doesn't a TT500 have a full cradle frame?... :spudwhat:

The position of the oil tank in the frame doesn't match up where Yamaha had theirs...

The frame IS the oil tank... The pilion peg mounts are pure OIF triumph as is the tank mount.

[sAsLEX]

Should i dig out an old book and scan Kenny R getting sideways on an XS Tracker ?

y e s

[Motu]

That has to be a very modifed 1971 Triumph (or BSA) 650 frame. Looks shortened to suit a - well a Yamaha engine...

Bingo - a 1971 Triumph frame,the very first high seat model.The cradle has been cut out and the rear tubes bent down and lugged to fit the XS650 lower engine mount.The down tubes have been pulled back slightly and lugged for the front engine mount.There is a bracket welded to the rear downtube for the rear engine mount.The rear seat rails have been kicked up at the rear,they are normally nearly flat,and also they have been narrowed,angling from the top shock mounts to the main tube.The stock seat rails are parallel then angle sharply in to the main tube.The seat height was 34.5'',and being so wide it was hard to touch the ground,'72 frames had a 31'' seat height.So quite a bit of work done.

I have known about the frame for a long time,it's been hanging from the roof of various premises my friend has had over the years.I was always tempted to get it,but I would of had to destroy my XS1 to make the bike,and I didn't want to wreck a near complete rare bike.Just too much work to make a bike out of,being half British and half Japanese.By some strange bond of blood,my brother half a world away in Canada and I both wanted another project,and both went back to the XS650 as the best option.He made a streettracker a few years ago,and I want to make one too - and this will be the best streettracker I could possibly make....a great handling Triumph frame and the super strong XS650 motor.

The engine is a 1982,one of the last....seized piston,a top end rebuild is ok by me.This is the electronic ignition model,very rare and desirable...but I miss out on the electrics bugger it.That's why the owner got the wreck - he has a 1974 XS650 he imported from the US,and he wants to put the complete '82 electrics including loom and igntion into his '74.I can have the engine and frame only.I have the rest of the engine bits plus another cyl head.I'll use my Blue Magnum carbs I put together for my XS1 on it.

I could be compromised on forks,the Triumph has a small 19mm stem....I'll get some head bearings and yokes,see what I can fit.Oh man,a shit load of work.But....swap meets,wreckers,TradeMe - I'll see something and think,hmmmm,that should be good for my streettracker.Use my lost skills now Consumer Rights has taken away my ability to put them to use.

The Triumph oil in frame was not really liked when it first came out,the seat height was soon sorted,but most felt it didn't handle as good as the old frame.I thought they were pretty damn tight and solid,more like a Norton,but not light and flicky like a '69.

Check out this photo of a Trackmaster frame made to fit a Triumph engine - Trackmaster built flattracker frames.The oil in frame Triumph is practically a production version of the Trackmaster.

[justsomeguy]

I'm sure you'll make something terrific out of it. It's great to see something custom made.

By the way - Erik is on his holidays at the moment and you know how much he likes working on bikes if you need an extra pair of hands.


Don't really know why you need a "high seat bike" though.. p/t

[Motu]

Don't really know why you need a "high seat bike" though.. p/t

Yeah,I was hoping to make a nice low bike - but the seat tubes have been narrowed,that means it'll be easier to touch the ground.I was going to get an Omar seat,he says they will fit a Triumph,but I may have to make my own.

[justsomeguy]

Look what I found.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1978-...QQcmdZViewItem

[Ghost Lemur]

Great work (to come) Motu.

I know how long you've had a flat tracker on your mind, particularly when Bobcat was building his.

Looking forward to watching as the project moves forward. If possible post some detailed writeups with pics on various stages, as I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to learn from you wealth of knowledge.

With you brother working on one too, I'm sure he'll be able to help source hard to find parts in North America.

[xwhatsit]

Wow... major coolness. When I was a wee guy I used to tag along with my Dad to his mates place, where they built from the ground up a series of offroad vehicles, which they raced successfully (the current iteration of it is a Toyota Hilux frame with fibreglass panels, with a mid-mounted supercharged Lexus V8, Dad's not around to race or work on it anymore though). I was bored at the time being a little kid but now I've got a bike and am getting some oil under my fingernails, I've been imagining what it would be like to build a bike from scratch... design my own frame, put an engine in it... But there's some people around on KB that are actually smart enough and have enough experience to actually bring those fantasies into reality. Very cool. Hope to see another thread continuing on from this in the future.

Good luck with it!