My GS650L project

[Blackpaws]

I got this bike on the cheap. I'm still going through a series of "what should I do?" questions to decide the directions I'll take to customize it.


So far I've decided to flip the handle bars, shave off the original turn signals and tail light, remount the rear fender on a bracket attached to the swing arm, go to a solo seat of some kind, cut off the excess frame behind the set and weld a small loop to it to close the frame in.

For new signals I'm looking at a really cool little tail light pod that I found on Ebay. It has two circular lenses with LED's that switch from amber to red or vice versa and make up the turn, tail, and stop lights. I intend to move the license plate to a side mount bracket and add an extra stop light and a plate light there. Then some LED bullet lights I saw in a truckstop will get mounted under the handle bars for front signals.

Questions: 1) I have sizeable dent in the tank. Best way to deal with it? I have a limited amount of tools and almost no welding experience. 2) the bike is a shaft drive with a swingarm. Bearing in mind that there will be no added weight on the rear fender(no second rider), should I make the mount bracket to attach just to the swingarm, or can I mount it to the swingarm and either the shaft cover or the center hub assembly?

I have more questions, but I'm going to start with these for now. I love this forum and thanks to all who respond ahead of time, for their advice.

[Sardonicus]

the direction I would take it... Chop the frame.. weld on a hardtail (or have someone do it for you)... go with a sportster tank and forward controls... one single leather seat... bob & chop it! Black & Silver... one of a kind machine! ..just what I would prolly do

[Blackpaws]

Well, originally that's where I was going. But as I'm still a new rider, I've been advised to get used to riding for a while before I break myself to a hardtail. So, with this ride, I'm shooting for a modern take on something between a flat tracker and a cafe racer. Something that combines some of the style of those as well as a chopper/bobber. Possibly something that hasn't been created.

So, first no hardtail. I'm keeping the shocks under it. I just want to make the rear fender ride with the wheel and the swingarm so that there is no longer a huge airspace between the rear wheel in the fender. I want to keep the original fenders since the chrome is still in great clean shape on them.

I like sportster tanks, but I'm really not trying to make this bike look like a Harley. If I go with another tank, I'd rather it be a cool looking metric tank. Possibly a Triumph tank or some sort of Wassell style tank. One of the more squarish ones. I want the local harley guys to know that this is a metric. I want it to be so cool they question why they spent so much on a Harley, when they could have gone cheaper and built a cool metric like mine .

I may try to lower the stance a little too. That way, when I get all the other things smoothed out, it will will look low, lean, and mean. With this 650 inline four and a shaft drive it will be a heck of a runner to start with. Drop some weight, smooth it out, and lower the stance and i thik it will scream.

I saw something about fixing the tank on here earlier today and I'm thinking of trying that. Now to figure out my rear fender mount and a couple little things and i'm on my way to starting this project. I'll post some pics of what I'm starting with soon.

[Blackpaws]

By the way, someone in another thread refered to the rear fender mount style that I have invisioned as a "hugger" style. In that thread somebody was trying to do, just what I wanted to do. But, that thread is old. If anyone has any info on that, I love to have it.