Econo-Bobber

[Gazoo]

I picked up a Cushman XS-650 for next to nothing and am planning on making a bobber out of it over the winter. Here is what it started as:






I am using this bike as a rough guide:






Here is where I am at right now. I hope to have the whole bike complete for less than $2,000

[TJ Willy]

Looks like a fun project. If you don't mind me asking, what'd the 650 set you back? I need a project like a hole in the head, but that could be a great learning project for me: fabrication, paint, metal working, etc...

Piece it together as I can.

[Gazoo]

Originally Posted by TJ Willy

Looks like a fun project. If you don't mind me asking, what'd the 650 set you back? I need a project like a hole in the head, but that could be a great learning project for me: fabrication, paint, metal working, etc...

Piece it together as I can.

I got the bike for $600 and rode it home. Ran fine, 20,000 miles. I got it for a similar reason. I had built a custom from the ground up but that was really just bolting pieces on. This is going to make me learn/enjoy more real fabrication work. I took the engine apart because I have never had an over-head cam engine apart and back together. As I am kind of a VROD guy this seemed like a good skill to learn.

The XS seems to kind of be a cult bike for the in-your-face to the $50k chopper crowd.

I got the fender and tank for $27 off of flea bay.

[rk custom]

I think bolts would work better than bailing wire to hold the fender on


just sayin

[Gazoo]

Originally Posted by rk custom

I think bolts would work better than bailing wire to hold the fender on

Now why didn't I think of that?


























dumbass

[TJ Willy]

Originally Posted by TJ Willy

Looks like a fun project. If you don't mind me asking, what'd the 650 set you back? I need a project like a hole in the head, but that could be a great learning project for me: fabrication, paint, metal working, etc...

Piece it together as I can.

Thanks for the info. I saw the watermark on the pic above. Looks like there might be a lot of support for that project out there. Another thing I would need. Keep us posted.

[TJ Willy]

(invisible text is always very funny)

[Gazoo]

Originally Posted by TJ Willy

Thanks for the info. I saw the watermark on the pic above. Looks like there might be a lot of support for that project out there. Another thing I would need. Keep us posted.

Yeah, it is becomming a real cult bike. I know several high-end custom painters have these little bikes. Sort of their way of returning to their roots I guess.

[Gazoo]

Was farting around with the Yammie today. Did a bit of mock up and went to take pictures and dropped my 3 month old Nikon 200 and broke the lens! Here is one pic but it is really crappy. The bike actually is looking better than I though. I have some issues with the rear fender to work out.

[Rock]

I guess you have to ask. What really makes it a H-D. If you the frame is a yammie. Is it right to put a H-D decal on it. Just askin'

[SafetyMan]

That's a Harley tank... I don't think he got around to sanding and painting it yet...

[phreak]

I have always liked that tank, but it will need to be sanded and painted phlat black.

[fxr4mikey]

Originally Posted by phreak

I have always liked that tank, but it will need to be sanded and painted phlat black.

the thing that I never liked about that tank is the way it is shaped at the top and doesn't cover any part of the neck of the frame.

For whatever reason I like to see the frame covered up in the front, and for me that tank always sits to 'high' in the front and doesn't have the 'flowing' lines that I prefer.

but being painted phflat black would be fine

[Gazoo]

The tank is just an ebay buy. I will sand the HD off of it. The bike will be black with a 7 on the tank in Gazoo Green. Maybe in the center of a white circle. I'm too damn old to like flat/denim so it will be chiny.

I also need to chop the rear fender about 5". An old custom bike builder that I know used to rant and rave about not having the rear fender mounted so the tire/wheel is centered so I am just trying to mock it up and get some positioning down. I am going to have to extend the rear frame rails to provide some sort of fender support. I haven't decided how to do that yet.

For me, due to my age and history, the Sportster tank is the one absolute must-have for a custom bike. I was raised on 60's and 70's choppers and will always hold some of those design cues as a foundation of my bikes.

I want to either get some cut shocks or just put struts in place to lower the rear end 1.5" As it sets the seat height is 28" unladen.

Lots of stuff to work out.

[Gazoo]

I just realized what the dude on that example bike I have did to lower his rear. He just relocated the lower mount points for the shocks back to lay them down. This will be an easy and cheap way to drop the rear end like I want to. Most excellent.












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