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Thread: 07 XB12SS Build

  1. #1
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    07 XB12SS Build

    Hey everyone! I wanted to create this thread to document the mods I make to my bike.

    Bought this bike early last year I believe from a fellow BuellXB forum member (Buellybagger). When I got the bike, it already had the basics done: a Dean Adams exhaust, K&N filter, breather re-route, and tuned ECM.

    I've always loved the Buell XBs since I started riding about 10 years ago, but I NEVER liked the look of the Lightning front end. I always thought I'd get a Firebolt for that reason, but after owning a Track SV650, a CBR600rr and a Triumph Daytona 675, I decided I wanted something a little more ergonomically friendly for the street.

    Well, after owning the Lightning for a year, I love everything about it except for the headlight setup, the look just never grew on me. So I decided, what the heck? I fabricate stuff all the time for my project car, let's see if I can make something that looks decent (to my eye) for the bike.

    Here's the bike as I rode it all year:
    20170526_070558.jpg

    I've always liked the Daymaker style LED headlights, sort of a nod to the old-school round headlights and the modern LED setups which seems fitting for a bike like the XB:

    20180111_185609.jpg

    Took apart the front headlight module thingy and did a little wire splicing to make the LED headlight work:

    20180111_185622.jpg

    First mock up of the headlight:
    20180113_121537.jpg

    After the first mock up, I decided I like the SHAPE of the headlight, but it looks a little awkward sticking out that far. The cheap bucket I'm using is as close to the forks as it can get, so last night I cut a couple inches off the back of the bucket, and tonight I"ll fire up the welder to weld a plate on the back so it's still waterproof. Then I can move the headlight an inch or two closer to the forks and hopefully make it look a little better. I'll upload more pics once that's done.

    I also decided the XB12SS seat/subframe is too flat and not very aggressive looking, so I fabbed up some little subframe spacer brackets:

    20180111_185633.jpg

    Turned out ok, just gotta find some time to fab up a block off plate to cover the gap.

    Next up is going to be clip on handlebars (yeah so much for street-friendly ergonomics haha) because I LOVE the old-school café racer look with low clip-ons/clubmans and a big single round headlight. Also need to figure out where to hide all the front end wiring.

  2. #2
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    What year vett in the background?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outlaw View Post
    What year vett in the background?
    Good eye! That is a 79. My little project hotrod I've been working on for a couple years.

    20170823_165109.jpg

  4. #4
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    I like the side pipes

  5. #5
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    Got a little side tracked. I ordered some clip-ons, but since they were taking forever to get here, I decided to take a crack at something I've wanted to do on my bike since I got it: LED strip for tail light. I took some inspiration from TPEHAK's LED tail thread to get it started, and then just made it work with what I had laying around the garage. It's not the neatest job, and I don't have TPEHAK's fabricating skills, but I think it turned out great, huge improvement, and looks FANTASTIC with the subframe spacers.



    So first I chopped down my tail to this little section:

    20180122_182312.jpg

    Then ground down the aluminum on the back to make a slot for the LED strip.

    20180125_194700.jpg

    Test fitting the LED strip:

    20180125_194917.jpg

    20180125_194922.jpg

    Then I bent some aluminum plate to roughly the curve of the tail section and cut it to shape:

    20180125_204625.jpg

  6. #6
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    Test fitting aluminum plate:

    20180125_211351.jpg

    20180125_211353.jpg

    I then used JB weld to attach it (I have a MIG welder, but it isn't set up to weld aluminum so I didn't mess with it):

    20180125_214709.jpg

    Waited for it to dry and sanded/grinded it down:

    20180126_190053.jpg

    Painted it black (Ignore the ugliness of the inside, wasn't paint runs, it was me not cleaning up the JB weld and stuff where it wouldn't be visible because I'm lazy):

    20180128_181444.jpg

  7. #7
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    The finished product!

    20180128_185032.jpg

    20180128_185045.jpg

    Let me know what you think, I'm really happy with how it turned out. And it was cheap! Just really time consuming.'



    Now hopefully those clip ons will show up this week so I can start working on the front end again....

  8. #8
    Senior Member BuellyBagger's Avatar
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    Looks good paint the seat rails too

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by BuellyBagger View Post
    Looks good paint the seat rails too
    Good call! I'll ad that to the list!

  10. #10
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    Looks cool. Does it have two colors? Does it indicate turn signal and stop signal?

    If it is one color LED strip you probably need controller to realize turn signal on it and combine it with stop signal and tail light.


    Last edited by TPEHAK; 01-30-2018 at 04:36 AM.

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