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EX500 project "My Hero Zero"

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95K views 184 replies 39 participants last post by  rubbersdown  
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#1 ·
My photobucket page was outta control and had to be organized so the thread I had started had all the pic links broken. Besides, it has a name now and this'll be a little more streamlined a thread. SO....

Here was her state the night she came home

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...and the next day she looked like this!

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#2 ·
Chopping the frame....

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cut it around the airbox 'cause I wanna keep it.

Added steel plate gussets to help keep things triangular and primered it. Kinda a heavy solution but she's not a race bike anymore so I don't mind, really.
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#3 ·
Thanks to a couple of the guys in the community here I obtained a 95gsxr front end and an SV650 rear end.
Early mock-up:
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cleaned and painted the engine
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after that was remounted in the frame, started working on wiring and found that my stocker tail light would still work out just fine if I flipped it upside down and hung it under the frame. Even has two mounts on it that I can use to hang my tag holder.
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#4 ·
The tank was a toss-up. It was BADLY beaten. Inside was ok- one small rusty area but acid took care of that. I've decided that I'd do what I could with it until I can afford a new/straight one. SO, labor and welding is free and a new tank is not. That means surgery. We cut her top off to bang out the dents (as much as possible, that is) and stitch-welded her back together with a little fiberglass on top to help with any holes we might've missed during the procedure.

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this was early in the process and I know it looks terrible but keep scrolling and just focus on the finished product..
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Like I said, she's a temp. If she'll keep from cracking/leaking/whatever for long enough so that I can put together $100 for a replacement, that's cool with me.

Here's what she looked like, almost finished, along with my other cleaned/painted parts that don't live in the garage:
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Not in that pic is the headlight bucket from my buddy's virago 920 that I'll be using

And finished with the swinger....
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Painted and pretty now......
 
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#5 ·
Sorry about some of the pics being crappy. My camera is just not awesome.

Anyway, in case anybody's looking for a good rattle-can paint..... That red that I used is "New Holland Red" Tractor and Implement Paint from Tractor Supply Co. It's about $5 a can and finishes really well- super glossy and smooth. I suck at body work and painting but (you can't really tell from the pics) my swinger came out great and the red stripes on the tank would look awesome if my prep skills were better.

I removed my entire blinker system from the harness since they're not required on motorcycles in FL and I don't plan to use them. Cleaned the rest of the harness up a bit and re-wrapped it so that stuff doesn't stick to my hands anymore after I handle the wiring.

Still have to make up some kind of a small tail cover to go behind the seat. Still have to re-cover said seat, along with a myriad of other little things that're gonna take time. I have an sv650 shock and k&n air filter on the way and hope to get her up on her suspension in the next week or two and fire 'er up.

I think that's about it for now.......
 
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#7 ·
I am SOOOOO stealing this paint style if I keep the EX500 in my garage!!!

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#12 ·
This place is gonna be custom ex500 pretty soon :)

I'd be very interested to see what you could do with an ex500 actually. The layout of the frame is a bit of a bitch to work with. It almost need a full custom frame rebuild to go anywhere. Especially seeing as I have heard that the frame is prone to twisting when sturdier forks are put on it.

Bob
 
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#14 ·
Thanks guys.....

Yeah the scary death-o-matic clipons were put on by the previous owner who claimed to have "rode the shit out of it like that".
 
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#16 ·
i'm...craving candy....



good work tho!:D
 
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#17 ·
yeah..... it might have a little..... well, it MIGHT be kinda sorta peppermint looking maybe.... yeah, ok.

I'm hoping that all the black will set that off when she's assembled- black motor/frame, flat black pipes and headlight bucket, black levers.
Candy or not, I think she'll still turn heads on the street:rock:
 
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#18 ·
I'm hoping that today I'll be able to add the needed material to my steering stops and weld up my headlight bracket. If I can do that, I can go ahead and mount the front end

we'll see.............
 
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#19 ·
'nother mock-up

Gotta do things like this occasionally to help me stay motivated.
I was double-checking my new steering stops before welding them up and just thought a pic was in order.
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#20 ·
steering stops done. Now there's no danger of those big ol' forks bangin' into anything or crushing my li'l hands against the tank.
Just a pic of the front end on. SV650 rear shock is on the way so I should have her up off the dolly this week.

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#22 ·
Today was a pretty good 'parts day'. Got my sv650 shock in the mail, got a chain from UPS and was able to stop at the local shop and pick up a master link.

I'm REALLY hoping to have her rolling this weekend. Waiting on new jets for the carbs, though.
For some reason she had 110's in. A buddy of mine checked around and the only 110's he could find were in jet kits for the 250. He's sending me a spare set of 130's from out of his EX500 drag bike (yes, drag bike. he stretched it 12 over stock and put nitrous on it in an effort to go 600-hunting at the 1/8 mi track.) and as soon as those get here I'm gonna fire her up, FINALLY.

hot damn.... sounds like I might have a moor-sickle soon!
 
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#24 ·
Proof of LIFE!!!

It lives!



You see me lookin' around all serious-like as if I really know a lot about what I'm looking at.....
Yeah, I just kept seein' wisps of white smoke off the front of the head. I think it was coolant (I hope) that dribbled when I was filling it up.:LolLolLolLol:

Anyway, SHE'S ALIVE ya'll! yeah:yeeha:
 
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#26 ·
?

Anybody ever seen weep holes like these in the head???

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I only just noticed them today.....wierd
 
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#27 ·


starts without the choke and idles but needs work....

.....needs pipes
 
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#31 ·
Thanks, bro. I wouldn't claim to have any skills. I just get lucky sometimes. Hopefully she'll be a decent looking bike when finished. I've still got a lot of W to D, though.
 
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#30 ·
Thanks man!
ah, sweet. I hadn't yet looked in the shop manual but figured they were too intentional looking to be anything horrible.

New problem today. SO, my wife pokes me at around 4am and says "EEeeew, uuugh. It smells like gas in here. Is something leaking???"

Went out in the garage and, yep, petcock's leaking. Tank off, cleaned up the mess and tightened screws. Waiting to see.

Trouble is now I've got this great huge spot on my frame where the gas ate the paint. :wtf:
Paint came from a body shop. I assumed it would be gas resistant!
 
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#32 ·
new gas cap

Got my gas cap finished yesterday. Am wondering if I should try to bake it to help resist spills

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Headlight's mounted too.

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