I did a bunch of research on the stuff for my steel tank and I wound up with Caswell. I have not used it yet, and to be honest I can't remember why that one won out. I just remember that I must have read 50 different threads on several vintage sites before selecting them.
Cool!
That's a neat looking bike!
So...I just took an '80 Kawasaki 550 LTD in trade. I don't like this (faux cruiser...good one) style so I figured I'd sell/trade it (and it is very likely I still will) but seeing this gives me hope for the ugly Kawasaki.
Can anyone comment on if a Kawasaki 550 LTD could look good with the same treatment? I don't have photos yet (thanks to this awesome snow we're getting), but I could maybe hotlink some...
kinda like this:
Clem
I couldn't find a Kawasaki that had been street trackered, but here's a Honda CB750 race bike to give you an idea:
Yes, I'm an enabler. 
^^one of the most beautiful things Ive ever seen 
I hate Hondas and that's one Berkleying cool bike.
ClemSparks wrote:
My thoughts...
Cut off everything behind the rear shocks. You don't need that huge King and Queen seat nor all the chrome bars behind the shocks.
Get a smaller seat and buy or make a duck tail style rear piece.
Ditch the plastic side covers.
With the smaller seat and rear cowl you might want to pare down the tank a bit unless you want more range in which case you'll keep it.
Get some flatter wider handle bars.
Maybe a mountain bike speedo and a smaller tachometer as those big chrome clocks are going to stick out like tits on Dolly Parton after your get rid of the other stuff.
My own opinions so take them for what they're worth. CRAP!
550 LTD will have a drop seat frame.
If your good with a welder, you could cut everything from the backbone to the tail off and build a new flat frame.
XS650 frame:
To build a Yamaha street tracker, you cut the rear loop off att the end of the triangular gussets that hold the shock mount. That's capped off (or as in my case you use it as the mount point for the fabricated loop to hold the rear of the seat). I haven't looked at a 550 LTD frame, I wouldn't think it would be much different. Can you post a pic of the bike with the seat off?
Sources for seats, fenders, etc: http://www.hotwingglass.com/ http://www.gopherglass.com/ http://omarsdtr.com/
The early 80's KZ's had frames like this, but I know some models had a drop seat frame which are a major pain to cafe or flat-track.
If the frame tubes at the rear are bent to allow a drop seat, I can see how that would be a pain in the butt. It's not insurmountable though. You'd want to do one side at a time so everything can be aligned.
Here's how my frame turned out. This is after 'de bracketing' (removing any non essential welded brackets), cutting the original rear fender mount loop off and fabricating the mounts for the street tracker fender. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up a bit so I can paint it.
All this here. Guy is working in my hometown. 
Saw this and thought of you guys. Then I searched Craig's to try to emulate him.
Xceler8x wrote:
Oh my!!
Grtechguy wrote:Xceler8x wrote:Oh my!!
That bike started as a Virago.
See, it is possible to make chicken salad from chicken E36 M3.
Yummy!
Wow, those are all amazing. Squids, keep crashing your Gixxers! There's beauty to be made.
Yeah...here's my particular 550 LTD. I imagine it does have a "drop seat" given that it's the pseudo-cruiser style bike. Then again, maybe it doesn't, I don't know:
In any case, it would probably be more effort to turn this thing cool than I'll be willing to put into it.
But some of the bikes in this thread are AWESOME!
Clem
Maybe you've got something there Clem.
I'm looking at this picture:
And thinking you could lop off everything behind the rear shock mounts. Get rid of those pull back handlebars and go with some clip-ons or a motorcross or drag bars. (Drag bars are straight with no pull back.)
Time for an 'attaboy'. 
I snatched the thing back apart to paint the frame etc, while doing so I had to order some more bits and pieces. One item I ordered was a heavy duty kickstarter. I got the order today, rather than a kickstarter there was a nice shiny new shift lever. 
So I sent a nice Email to the folks I bought the stuff from, explaining what had happened. I mentioned that I had planned to order a shift lever as well, just not right now.
Two hours later, there's an Email in my inbox apologizing for the mixup and there was a PDF invoice attached. Okay, I don't mind if they ship me the kickstarter I paid for and bill me just for the shifter, as long as I don't pay shipping that's cool.
The invoice was for ~zero~. They are sending me the kickstarter overnight at no charge. If any of y'all need vintage Jap bike stuff, check out mikesXS.com , on that home page they have a link to stuff for all of the Big Four riceburners.
Frame and engine are painted, been hanging little bits as time permits. I ran the engine and rode it around the block for the first time in forever! today.
The gunmetal cases and fork legs really helped a lot. Still have the 'volcano' filler neck.
Paint for the tank, seat and fender are happening soon, maybe next weekend.
Xceler8x wrote:
Xceler8x wrote:
That bike has about 1/4" of suspension travel in the rear before you start rubbing things...I would guess simply sitting on the bike will bottom out the rear wheel against the fender, unless those shocks are welded solid.
Curmudgeon wrote:
I kinda like the flatter seats myself, but regardless, thats gonna be one sharp bike! Youre not gonna wrap that pretty exhaust are ya? Looking forward to more updates!
stuart in mn wrote:Xceler8x wrote:That bike has about 1/4" of suspension travel in the rear before you start rubbing things...I would guess simply sitting on the bike will bottom out the rear wheel against the fender, unless those shocks are welded solid.
You're right. Thing is practically a hard tail. Looks good though don't it?
No plans to wrap the exhaust. I honestly wasn't crazy about the chrome exhaust at first (I was leaning more toward silver hi temp powdercoat) but it's growing on me. After the paint I need to get some 8"x8" .080 aluminum pieces cut to make the sidecovers from, then it's going to be pretty well done. Actually, knowing me, it will never be 'done'. Once it's 'done', it's time to build something else. 
Speaking of that, the more I look at those twin headlights on the custom Virago the more I like 'em. Ya never know...
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