XS744 SCRAMBLER

BIG BORE YAMAHA XS650

Embarking on a new project build is never as easy or straightforward as it might first seem. Not content with that degree of difficulty, we also set ourselves a five week deadline, having it ready to unveil at The Handbuilt Show in Austin Tx, April 2015.

So, we started with a stock 1980 XS 650. The bike was in a very poor state as was the motor. The cylinder walls had been rusted from being left out in the elements without carburetors or an exhaust system.

Essentially, we rebuilt this motorcycle from the ground up. Every nut and bolt was replaced with new hardware. The motor was rebuilt using 80 mm Pistons taking it to a whopping 744cc. We installed oversized titanium valves and seats, a performance cam and blueprinted the crank. Then fitted the motor with 34 mm Mikuni carburetor.

Custom-made headers were then fitted with Cone engineering performance slip on mufflers. We fitted the rear suspension with Ohlin piggyback gas shocks while the front suspension was replaced with Race Tech springs and gold valve emulators. We then mated a 17 inch aluminum rim to a CB450 drum hub for a classic vintage look and 19 inch Sun rim to a Triumph Bonneville hub up front. The wheel was then fitted with a 320 mm rotor and a modern twin piston caliper. The front and rear tires are Avon Diztanzia off road tires. We used a 100/80 in the front and a 130/80 in the rear. Performance was the name of the game here.

Finally the wiring deserves a special mention; the entire bike was wired with extremely discreet and nearly invisible LEDs, utilizing MotoGadget switches and simplified wiring boxes and widgets. And what of the performance? Well, it goes like a bat-out-of-hell and it sounds awesome! The fiberglass tank, fenders and lightweight seat along with the removal of unnecessary parts, have all contributed to tremendous weight loss; the added horsepower-to-weight ratio makes this thing really move both on the road and across the dirt.