The bike started out as a standard 1981 Yamaha XS650SH Heritage Special. It ran erratically, was not registered, and did not have a WOF. The erratic running was due to minor electrical faults and after I sorted them out it went through the WOF ok.
I rode it round for a while as a standard bike to get the feel of the motor much to the enjoyment of the missus who loved being pillion. Then I took it over to Hogg Farm in Bombay Hills where I left it with Orb and Luke to chop it. The guys at Hogg Farm made a new frame from 10 gauge seamless tubing; they built this on their utility jig with the aid of having the engine to build around. They also made the rear guard from an after market rolled fender and the electric box from 6 inch steel tube. The seat pan was hand beaten by them out of 22 gauge steel with a beading welded around the edge.

The 8” overs on the front end came from Forkin by Frank in the States. The Harley tank was purchased from AMPS in Auckland and was modified to fit the frame by Hogg Farm. The pipes were made by Custom Chambers and sound great. I sorted out the lights, chain, and brake hoses which all came from Cycletreads and were far cheaper than anything I could find on the internet. Everything else was transferred straight from the original bike, and anything left over was sold and used to fund the build. Eventually I got round to having the frame powder coated and the battery box chromed to replace my rattle can spray job. All the electrical work on the bike was done by myself and this included making up a new loom, chucking away a few components and replacing a few others and then somehow squeezing it all into the electrics box.

I was totally amazed that it fired up first time when I kicked it over. The bike went through LVVTA and has been on the road for a few years. The missus now hates being pillion as the rear seat is small and hard as, but she still manages the occasional short trip.

A big thanks to the guys at Hogg Farm, and to Andrew at Motorcycle Graveyard for replacing the crankshaft and for the mechanical lesson. I will be stripping the top end down shortly, again, this time to replace the cam chain tensioner bar which has packed a sad and disintegrated, and will at some stage replace the clutch when it finally goes. When money allows the points will be swapped for an electronic ignition system, and the seat possibly with a sprung solo affair - the missus will have to get her own bike.

 - Surfer