| Author | Message | ||
     S1owner |
Ok I just need to get this off my chest. I want to be clear I am not judging what you are doing. I am noticing several new or newer members modding their bikes. Nothing wrong with it. But it appears alot of the time they are jumping into mods and changing things with little plan or knowledge. In some instances not even good seat time on the existing bike. I wanted to give my opinion for the cent it is worth. 1- ride the bike figure it out. See what you love and what you think could be improved. 2- put together a want list with costs find the people you need input and help from( I have 7 diffrent badwebbers from all over the world that have directly helped me and many others that have assisted!) 3- acquire the knowledge needed to make mods before purchasing parts etc. GET All Manuals Needed! ( I have three diffrent service manuals for my bike) 4- Have patients. Take your time deciding. Draw out and Mock up any thoughts see what they look like. Take a ton of pics and sit and look at them you will be surprised what you see later away from the project. 5- Take side pics and trace them on paper make alot if copies then you have a goid base for designing 6- Realize the cost and skill involved to do what you want. Remember anything you want to do will cost twice as much and take twice as long as you plan! 7- Contact badwebbers that are close or far to help there is knowledge here beyond words. Take care to really listen to all as it will save time money and frustration! 8- lastly Do not copy others. It is ok to have influenced design but flat out copy to those that spent years designing etc can be insulting instead if flattering. I offer out all this to save you time money and frustration and to save the bikes that dont get finished. Believe it or not but it can be a daunting task to get these done snd many walk away half way in. I am one who jumped in to a build and thought it would be done in one winter. Well it was not it cost alot more and I cut corners and did not do all I wanted so I ended up unhappy thus ripping the whole bike apart and doing it all again spending as the wife says a third childs worth of money! | ||
| Ducxl |
One other think I've become accustomed to is with phones nowadays I can snap a thousand pics upon disassemblie to help remember proper wire placement etc. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
Hey S1... in response to #3, I saw in another thread around here somewhere you had a pdf copy of the service manual and a parts manual. I downloaded the service manual forever ago, and had searched for a part manual, but was never able to find one. Is there actually a parts manual online somewhere that can be downloaded? | ||
| S1owner |
I do Pm me I will see if it is small enough to email | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"4- Have patients." medical patients or what? lol  | ||
| Charger22 |
This bike has been a frustrating ride for me. Also knowing I don't have what it takes to rebuild the motor and do the work needed in the primary and trans have left me paying some big bills. But I just remind myself how much I have always wanted one and how amazing it will be ride next year. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
Charger... It can be tough! They're old bikes and that comes with a price, but I feel the same way. I traded in a problem free, perfectly running speed triple to grab my s1 instead. Had some stuff to take care of, some parts to buy, I'll have to learn some new things, and this bike is a giant hassle to start in anything below 55 degrees. I've wanted one for 15 years though, and have never questioned it once. Grab a service manual and don't be afraid to pull some things apart. You'll be surprised how simple some of the stuff is. | ||
| S1owner |
Yes I am not an english major! At charger and anyone else that feels overwhelmed: I never owned a bike let alone wrenched on one before My S1 which came to me in 2009. I have very little mechanical training and could do basics like starters And alternators in a car. I have 20 years of custom roofing sheetmetal fabrication exp. not that bought stuff this is all fabbed and hand made to fit. I have always been able to take anything apart and put it back together and using those two skills, manuals, research, and lots of help from this forum I was able to do all of my stuff. I have touched everything on my bike with my hands (accept lower end) what I get in return is a confidence its done right and I can fix it anywhere. I have made custom parts, rewired the complete bike, made my own cables, These are actually very easy to work on. 1 carb two cylinders. Used to think wood was easier to work with but actually metal is its more forgiving and can be easily repaired! Like stated above have a plan, budget, and info! | ||
| Mnscrounger |
S1 I understand the sentiment, but I'm not sure I completely agree with #8. Builds like yours and a few others, (joesbuell's S3 comes to mind), have inspired a lot of really cool custom work on this forum. Many of you custom builders have been amazingly generous with your tech info to the other Badweb folks trying to follow in your footsteps. Yes I appreciate the knowledgeable design work, and time needed, not to mention the flat out artistic skills to make it look good, but a successful build will by it's intent drive others to want to do what you have done. When a good solution comes along, it seems right to not reinvent the wheel, and use a sound, established, peer reviewed, (read safe), design. Think of yourself as a driver of STYLE, a trend-setter, a trailblazer, a sage guide. As long as you get the credit for the groundwork, ( and it's rightfully so for builders to credit their work to the original inspiration) I would hope for you to view those copying your work as a testimonial compliment to your skills. | ||
| S1owner |
@ Steve I hear you and agree. I am not trying to say if its been done dont do it. Heck I could not have done mine without Joe and Ceajay. I am more trying to get it out to out your own thoughts out really think through things make it your own. | ||
| Deadbuell |
With mine I'm taking bits and pieces from a lot of different bikes to make up the design for mine. I know I rushed into modding mine but it was in rough shape to begin with granted it is low mileage, but I am a tinkerer lol I have to have something in the shop to work on. I will say that the badweb community is amazing when it comes to help. | ||
| Mnscrounger |
I have a vision for mine, but will wait till something major wears out and it goes down for a major overhaul. (But not until then, because I have way too much fun riding it the way it is!) Then all the parts I have been collecting, and have yet to build, will hopefully go on. Otherwise it will be offered up as a rolling project. ( I just don't see that happening, unless an affordable 1190 "TX" comes along) | ||
| S1owner |
Steve I grew up on the corner of 84th and nicollet south west corner. My grampa built that house in the early 40's my mom still lives there! You have a good plan. One thing is for sure the parts hold their value if nit incease in value as they become more rare. I funded alot if my by aquiring rare parts for a steal and selling them for a fare price to badwebbers. At one point I had 7 stainless stock mufflers dealer take offs sold them for 75 plus shipping which was about 15 bucks. I made money and they got a good deal! | ||
| Red93stang |
I like #6!! Rings true every time!! The good thing about a build like you did is you end up knowing each and every bolt you put into that bike. | ||
| Ducxl |
Parts AND service manuals are PLATINUM.Not Gold.As an avid XL1100/1500 rider back in the late 80s I was told by the dealership I needed THEM.They describe properly HOW and ILLUSTRATE in order of assemblie the parts involved/W NUMBERS.My Tuber will last me until I reach DIRT. | ||
| Mnscrounger |
"selling them for a fare price to badwebbers" If only I could... I am a packrat by nature. I usually won't modify any OEM parts until I have a suitable replacement in hands, and only then does the worse of the two go under the knife. I always want to hold onto the unmodified version in case the next owner wants to go back to factory. Hence I get a big collection of minimal value parts I can't bear to part with. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I feel the same way, I wish I was carefree enough to just start chopping up a stock bike, but I've always gotta search for the duplicate part, save the one that's in better shape, modify the second, then sell the put the bike back to stock before I sell it to the next owner. Then I can at least sell the modified parts online for a few extra dollars. Not a concern with this S1, it's not going anywhere. | ||
| X1bully |
For #8 I can understand wanting to be #1 or the only one. Some bikes I've seen customized, I know they have no artistic eye or eye for design. Creating a monstrosity, ya'll seen these hideous bikes out there. lol! I'd much rather they copy someones bike. The only thing that really matters is they're ridden. The beautiful ones seen. | ||
| Alfau |
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| Upthemaiden |
After looking at those last 3 bikes, I would beg people to copy more ideas from people who make nice custom buells haha. It's one thing to take time and make a custom milled sprocket cover or paint job and have someone copy it. I feel like at this point swapping xb parts onto a tuber is just more of a standard upgrade. People have always put newer parts on older versions of bikes just to make them a bit more up to date, so I think it all depends on what people are doing to them. | ||
| Alfau |
    Plenty of failures out there. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
Nothing wrong with that turbo M2 ,the others are only good for parts! | ||
| Phelan |
Josh, that's why some of us upped the ante by putting EBR parts on XBs   | ||
| Upthemaiden |
and KTM Duke II parts! I always wanted one of those things. Front wheel is looking good on there! | ||
| Alfau |
Got a head like an Ant. Well done. |
