V star 650 hardtail

[dowood1]

And the view from the other side of the bike . With the pipes and cables still hanging down !

[Skjoll]

I'm anxious to see how that SU does.

[dowood1]

Have a strange blend of anxiousness and confidence myself .
Hopefully starting the new job on Monday , so shouldn’t need to use it for work , for the time being .
So hopefully I’ll be able to get on with it , in between working on the house .

[dowood1]

Gonna have to make a change to my plans here , just found I’ve got arthritis of the spine and a compressed lower vertebrae , ho hum !
Not gonna stop me tho , Lol . just gonna have to add a sprung seat for a bit more comfort .
Have just bought a (sprung) pillion seat which with a couple of subtle mods to fit it, will look real cool . Gonna make something to the same style for the rider seat then its sorted , didn’t really like the current ones fitment anyway , but it is relatively comfortable !

[dowood1]

The pillion seat . With a slight tweak to the front of the sides , it will sit on the four springs. With the bottom off the sides the same height as the top of the m/guard and
Just out side it to allow for it to move up and down , seems to look good to me .
Will try to do the front one the same colour and style , with the sides dropping down outside the frame rails . The only things ill change are to fit a pivot at front end instead of springs . And shape it to Fit round the m/ guard at the rear

[Skjoll]

Did you already hard tail the frame? IMO the 'softail' frame and a minimalist rigid seat is a better way to go than a sprung seat on a hard tail frame both for looks and a cushy ride.

I'm about to go for another ~1400 mile ride this weekend on my XVS650 and not only is the seat ridiculously low but the rear suspension is cloud smooth even on the hellish pot-holed roads of Michigan.

[dowood1]

Yes Skjoll , I agree with your opinion completely . But ! (A) I find it uncomfortable to sit on a minimalist seat , Wether the bike has good suspension or none .( b) I’ve set my heart on having the fuel tank under the seat , and I like the idea of removing the weight and all the clutter as well .
So it’s gonna be a matter of making a seat that kinda looks ok , and sort of making my own way with it , which will probably be errrrm fun !

[Skjoll]

Gotcha. Hope whatever you chose works out. It must suck to get hit with spine issues.

[dowood1]

Thanks Skjoll , guess it’ll take a bit of experimenting to get it to look “ right “ for me.
And no it’s not great but it’s not serious and relatively manageable .
Plus I can still enjoy riding , I just need a different seat style

[dowood1]

Thinking on my feet a bit here , as the seat is gonna be bigger than expected it kinda puts the sporty tank out of proportion .
So ( at the mo ) Gonna keep the seat top surface appx the same as it is ,with the sides shaped to fit to the frame rails . But gonna build a seat frame , then use horizontal “mattress “ type springs . With appx the same amount of foam as at the moment . Which is quite comfortable except for the worst bumps . That should improve the comfort and not look so awkward !.
Then maybe a bigger “ tank” , that looks more “Japanese bike “ have an idea on that , but will think it thru !

[dowood1]

Apologies for the rubbish pics . But I’m reasonably sure I have a “ revised, lol “ plan ! The damaged tank in the pic will be the “electrics box” cover , I will of course repair the damage (it’s much easier with all the base and tunnel removed ) , have checked and the battery will fit under there ok and there should be plenty of room for the rest of the electrics . That will leave room under that , between the frame rails for the remote master cylinder with maybe the fluid reservoir in the electrics box ? . To keep all that tucked virtually out of site .
Seems to be starting to gel now !

[dowood1]

Ok have tried it with the pillion seat on , and it looks good “to me “
In brief , I need to remake the rider seat and colour match it to the pillion seat + a sissy bar backrest pad !
Hardtail it , repair the tank and paint it to match the mudguards which need repainting . Sort the electrics . De chrome the engine cases .the paint the head and barrels black .
Rework the front brake system , make a fuel tank for under the seat plumb it in and wire up the pump , finish the inlet manifold fit it and tune the carb to suit . Plus de lug and finish painting the frame and a few small asst jobs inc the leccy box
But it’s starting to feel as if I’m nearly there now . Lol

[dowood1]

Ok managed to get the switchgear fitted today , plus run the wires down thru the bars . Levers + throttle assembly are fitted . That’s it for the bars just gotta drop the wires down thru the the top yoke where they come out the bars and fit the front brake cable .
Left side is dip and horn which works . The right is kill switch and starter , which I’ve yet to sort out ..

[dowood1]

Oops there’ll be a pair of mirrors as well

[TriNortchopz]

Found this so thought it may be of interest:

2003 Yamaha Vstar 650 bobber roller
$800

Titled frame, new straight backbone, all parts included from donor bike, engine partially disassembled. Professional welder. Low mileage and ready to drop in your engine. Frame is done, tank, fenders and front end work continue. Price goes up as I complete each phase. Battle Ground IN