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jason’s xs650 chopper

discovered a cool bike on chop cult this week and wrote the builder/owner to see if he’d like to send some pix and info and get a profile here on the mad metric pirate vessel we call brrrrrrgMcmatey’s! it’s the beer that does that.

xs650chopper | jason sallade

even so, Jason sent some pix, a build list and a relatively personal story about his build. these are his words about this clean Yamaha XS650 chopper:

i got the bike November of 2008 when my buddy loaned me the money to buy it. it was a completely stock bike and was running when i got to the seller’s house so i didn’t ask many questions since i was extremely excited to start building a bike.

xs650 chopper - left | jason sallade

i’d been talking about it for a few years. the bike got started in the shed at my friend’s house before i took it into my basement and completely disassembled it. over the next three and a-half years i worked on it. sometimes i worked on it 30 hours in a week, sometimes it went months without being touched.

my mother got diagnosed with cancer during the build so i moved and rented a house with her to take care of her. during that time i would work on the chopper when i could. my money and time were pretty limited and i didn’t do much with the bike for about a year.

yamaha xs650 chopper - left rear | jason sallade

my mom passed away in September of 2010. after that, i spent a good bit of the summer riding my 1976 Honda CB750K, a bike i bought that because i didn’t have my xs done for the cycle source big mountain run in 2011. i worked on it through the rest of 2011 and into 2012.

xs650 chopper - tank paint | jason sallade

the lace pattern in the paint was actually taken from lace curtains in the house where my mom passed away, so the paint has a lot of sentimental value to me. my fabrication skills and bike knowledge improved profoundly during the long build process. i finished the bike to take it on the 2012 bmr ride literally on the morning the day i was scheduled to leave for the trip. it was started for the first time since i bought it almost four years earlier on a friday and i left for my 1,900-mile trip on monday morning.

yamaha xs650 chopper - fender paint | jason sallade

there were a few minor breakdowns during the trip but the motor and all of my parts (aside from an air filter) found their way home with me.

thanks man!

xs650chopper - front-right | jason sallade

parts list:

+  custom hardtail rear section
+  homemade sissy bar with a rear fender made from a modified stock front fender
+  h-word rear 16″ wheel with drag specialties spokes with a shinko avon knockoff tire
+  wargasser spool hub with buchanan stainless spokes and a 21″ harley rim on front with an avon speedmaster tire
+  dna springer at stock length with custom machined and polished aluminum risers and custom wheel spacers made from stainless
+  biltwell kung fu grips
+  fabricator kevin rear brake setup with stainless bracket, a 2003 sportster master cylinder and a hugh’s handbuilt brake pivot kit
+  made my seatpan and covered with black leather tuck and roll by jan roll at tailored trim in new philadelphia, ohio
+  king sportser tank
+  nos 5 3/4 inch headlight
+  monstercraftsman powell chain tensioner
+  rebelgears.com rear sprocket
+  hugh’s handbuilt pma kit (permanent magnet alternator)
+  foot pegs taken from a set of forward controls
+  exhaust built from a kit
+  pamcopete electronic ignition system
+  stock carbs (rebuilt)
+  paint was a house of kolor silver base with silver mini flake, airbrushed scales and lace. root beer, pagan gold and tangerine house of kolor candy colors. house of kolor copper pinstriping.
+  made my own fake oil tank made of a piece of 5″ exhaust tubing and various sheet metal
+  mid control brackets (1/4″ plate) fabbed my me as well.

xs650 chopper headlamp paint | jason sallade

my pleasure, jason. this is a great story of a sweet build. let me know how those dna forks keep working for you but you got a ton of parts from great guys like hugh and kevin. their stuff will last longer than you.

until our demise, drink up, ride on, and *** bless our mothers. what pains in the a** many of us are and/or were. your love for your mom rides with you everywhere you go, ****. thank you for sharing your story.

xs650chopper - rear | jason sallade




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One comment

  1. I had the privilege of meeting Jason on the BMR this year… Killer bike, and a dude with a killer attitude about riding a vintage machine across the country… Jason – you are welcome back in my home/shop anytime man!

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