Spaceball 1: 1997 E350 V10

7A3C8B5E-FEB3-43A6-8E5C-B5AA51E9CB78_zpsqu4pb6kn.png


This plate is available. It's pretty close
 

FROADER

Adventurer
I don't work at ProTaper anymore, but I do still run their products. I work at Yamaha now, which is pretty awesome. I don't own a dirt bike, but I can borrow one from work whenever I want.

I recently sold my 2010 Kawasaki KLX250SF (sumo) and bought a 1981 Yamaha XS650 Special II. I"m going to turn it into a scrambler of sorts.

Here is Welsey with his new bike Christmas morning.

xmas.jpg

The current XS650:

XS650_lo-res.jpg
 
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Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
Your 650 Special sure looks like my 550 Maxim did.

I'm sure your head unit has a lot more power. I went from a 15w AM/FM to a 60w AM/FM/CD/MP3 MACH unit from an '03 Escape. Truly a shocking difference.
 
wes looks stoked, i remember how stoked sean was when i got his his dirtbike, then me and cousin bryon took it out and wrecked it hard, and i never fixed it hahahah

i built an XS650 scrambler with/for a guy, and a xt500 street legal flat tracker, had radian forks, yz450 wheels/brakes, radian swingarm, thing was sweet.

I've been thru a "few bikes".... first dirt,

plated ttr250, sweet bike, shoulda kept it
427F495D-352A-4C8A-8962-7B726457B93F-927-0000025D64FEAAB6_zpsb9108586.jpg


98 dr350, ez button, six speed, a fried wanted it, so i sold it to him, also a sweet bike.

0FA3193E-9B2A-4EB0-AB09-6BC985658E09_zpsnozw5pcs.jpg


had a few of these, fire breathing 500cc methanol monsters
14632C08-3E4C-458B-A499-5DC2EB551F6D_zpsydjz8qef.jpg


one of these, ttr125 full bbr upgrades, was fun for a minute.
D76AD48A-3C6C-4EF6-8DF2-564364D40D2E_zpscb45yjtp.jpg


and thats in the last 3-4 years haha

now streets been something fun too

had over 150 of these:
B2C6EFA7-2552-4ECE-ACC4-48FE9DBA7B25_zpsmyqga0zo.jpg


a few of these in different flavors, honda 150, kymco 300, etc.
B76F7A28-0709-4ED2-A79F-B98E49D77651_zpsmrfmctvt.jpg


my 2013 vstrom:
5ADE7D7A-C59F-430A-8F33-F7DE7CEECB3E_zpsix5ujj4k.jpg


my current 650 in death valley going over mengel pass:
C1AAF6B6-DDA6-4EFC-B459-94CF3EE90500_zps2xkvveqe.jpg


my triumph bonneville, 2013 also.
195F8346-14B6-4022-86A5-D8425C363048-1492-000001D1BF1666B8.jpg


my bmw r80, had this before the bonneville, bmw left me stuck in the sierras, so i came home and got the triumph the next day. this shows my bmw, the triumph the day i got it, and a puch moped. haha.
048.jpg


not pictured is.... 78 bmw r100, 92 r100gs, 2006 vstrom 650, honda SH150I, 148+ mopeds haha.
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
Over the years

Shamelessly stole some pics off the web since I don't have any left.

YG5.jpg
Yamaha YG5 - First bike I owned... wish I didn't sell it.

550 Maxim.jpg
1981 Yamaha Maxim - Great bike... first bike I rode on the road. put about 20k miles on it in about 2 years.

F650.jpg
1999 F650 BMW Funduro - My favorite... put about 30k miles on it in about 3 years. It was wiped out by a car, and I was almost taken with it. Mine had a Skid plate, Acheribis Hand guards, and Trials handle bars on it. I still miss it sometimes, until I remember (or don't remember) the crash that took it out.
 

FROADER

Adventurer
That YG5!! A couple guys at work have those. Such cool bikes.

So I'm having a hard time deciding on my lift options now, and could use some what would you do/advice.

Since I have the Ujoint front spring hangers, leaf springs, F&R axles, wheels and tires I'm considering just using that and leaving it 2wd until I can afford the t-case, front drive shaft and modified gas tank. It seems it would be easier to just install what I have instead of trying to sell what I have, then buy something else and install it.

Thoughts?
 
Hey,

I'll be at the shop today from about 9:30 til noon ish, I'll have my 4" Weldtec van there, and a buddy will be in his 6" u joint rig. Come one over and we can take ya for some rides, you can take my van out on your own and see how ya like it.
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
That YG5!! A couple guys at work have those. Such cool bikes.

So I'm having a hard time deciding on my lift options now, and could use some what would you do/advice.

Since I have the Ujoint front spring hangers, leaf springs, F&R axles, wheels and tires I'm considering just using that and leaving it 2wd until I can afford the t-case, front drive shaft and modified gas tank. It seems it would be easier to just install what I have instead of trying to sell what I have, then buy something else and install it.

Thoughts?

I'd use what you've got if 4WD is your end goal.

Also take VillageIdiot up on his offer. I'd probably not go 4WD for my purposes and just use Weldtech if I wanted more height.

The YG5 I regret giving to a friend for a song. It was rust free and in good shape... he planned to restore it and I wasn't using it. Long story short, it ended up rotting away in his yard under a tarp :(
 
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FROADER

Adventurer
MOOG CC880S coils and a couple of Bilsteins showed up Thursday evening. Now I'm just waiting for the axles I have to sell and I'll get them installed with some 285/75s on the stock wheels and put a locker in the rear.

This weekend was the first camping trip (just one night) in it, and now I'm more confused on what I want to do. I think I'm expecting it to be able to do too many things.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics from the weekend. This was a trip for my son to learn to ride his new PW50 and he did great! My dad met us out there in his '90 VW Weekender.

IMG_2239.jpg

He loved it!!

C2I_0253.jpg
 
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Lookin good Colin

Look at that grin, that's awesome.

When you say "confused on what you want to do" on which direction are ya confused? Interior/build, suspension/4wd?
 

philos

Explorer
Mmmmm, motorbikes....
I'm pleased with my 880s coils and village's old Bilsteins... Not a bad combo on washboard.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

FROADER

Adventurer
Lookin good Colin

Look at that grin, that's awesome.

When you say "confused on what you want to do" on which direction are ya confused? Interior/build, suspension/4wd?
The interior. I think the fact that I need a rear seat (Wesley can't sit up front yet, because of the air bag) is messing me up. I may try and get a single bucket instead of the bench to try that out, but like I said, I may be asking too much from it. I had an air mattress in the back once the bikes were out, but the bench was in the way of getting to the front (while inside) unless we climbed over it. I'll have to go on a few more short trips to figure it out.

I want a sleeping platform in the rear when the bikes aren't in there.

Mmmmm, motorbikes....
I'm pleased with my 880s coils and village's old Bilsteins... Not a bad combo on washboard.
I'm looking forward to getting them installed. I know new tires will help as well. I feel everything with these E rated 225s. I'm not sure why the PO put such small tires with 3.73s and no tow hitch.
 
What might be best is maybe a sienna reclining bucket in the back
Behind the driver, then Wesley could even sleep in it since it fully reclines.

Or even a short 2 person bench like a shuttle bus would have. Would be easier to move around in there.

As for hauling bikes inside with a bed platform, I struggled with this concept early on, grant it, my 650 is a lot bigger than the pictured pw50 and what looks like a ttr90 or 125 small wheel, but I decided to toss mine on the back. If I wanted a convertable space, I'd box in my wheel wells 6' long and hang some vertical e track to the plywood boxes, you could then make a stowable platform that set into some e track fixtures and toss the mattress on top.
 

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