CSR Tailpiece Mod

Proxy wrote:

I'm doing a full restore on this 77 Greenie and will be riding the CSR while it goes on.

I think I will put some european touring bars on the CSR (kind of like the original B bars) and try fitting a solo bobber seat I have from a old Silverwing Interstate. Looks like I will need a new back tire and will need to fashion a backlight/plate holder. The headlight holder is also tweaked but we think we can straighten it. Looks like it had a fall over. Tank has a couple small dings on the outside but looks new inside. Muffler has some acid stains but not bad. She is very dirty tho. First order is a good bath and get off the sissybar and seat. He said he just cleaned the carbs but she don't answer too well and idle is floating around. I suspect he missed the idle circut. All in all she should be a quick project and then I can concentrate on the Greenie. Greenie is going back to mostly stock with the exception of a set of Lester Mags and electronic ignition. Thanks for the replies and good luck with all your projects!

Great starting point -- the green 650 looks to be in very decent shape. Post a photo or two when it's done if you can -- good luck with it.

Proxy wrote:


I really love the green 650's. The paint is surprisingly nice. For some unknown reason the last owner put some salmon colored pinstripe tape on the tins. I got that off pretty easy. The original light green stripe has turned light blue and oddly enough it has grown on me. The gold stripe is nice. It has one ding which is really not too bad on the tank. When I first looked at it it looked like there were lots of clouds in the paint but I used a wax color restorer and elbow grease and wow it did a fantastic job of evening the paint. Other than the little ding and the light blue pinstripe the bodywork looks new.

I plan on taking it down to repaint the frame. I have a nice original exhaust and original flatseat for her. I also have the grab rails and an original chain guard.

She will also get all the updates as roller neck bearings and updated swing arm bearings. Also will be adding progressive springs to fork and shocks. CDI, 3 ohm coils, stainless brake lines, Lester Mags and a nice set of Bridgestone Spitfires should finish her.

As a bonus when I got her she had a nice new MAC which I am contemplating putting on the bobber. Not completely sure about that yet. But it should be fun restoring her. Funny as I was only going to get the CSR as a temp thing but now I really want to bob it. Been playing with it all day. It also looks like I will cut the original seat down into a solo.. But I will cut off a section of the end of the frame and reweld the end back on. Bobber here I come.

Maybe I should have put this in the projects folder. I can't see how to do it now. Anybody know?

New question. CSR has the Ronny Raygun 85mph speedo and the gauges are a little big and clunky. Is it a direct swap for the older smaller full speed type. I have a nice set I'd like to use.

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Proxy wrote:

Maybe I should have put this in the projects folder. I can't see how to do it now. Anybody know?

New question. CSR has the Ronny Raygun 85mph speedo and the gauges are a little big and clunky. Is it a direct swap for the older smaller full speed type. I have a nice set I'd like to use.

I was messing around with my '81 CSR Kz650's gauges.
The way they're mounted is too low (the mounting bracked dips down at the front to a lower level and the gauges bolt on to the lower level) , too far forward, and not at a sharp enough angle facing the driver as I like. Reminds me of my 1970 Yamaha R5-350cc gauge mount position -- too flat and too far forward.

So I removed the gauges, the small dashboard of indicator lights between the gauges (had to fix its mounting post, tap it to accept a bigger screw) and then flipped my CSR's gauge mounting bracket upside down (now the lower platform flipped around becomes a raised-up platform) to raise the gauges higher and discovered that the way the ignition switch is mounted to the top of the triple tree, and the way the dashboard of lights fits around the ignition switch, there is no room at all for moving the bracket, the gauges, anything. If you use a different gauge bracket or turn the stock one upside down, the indicator lamp dashboard won't fit right around the ignition switch.

So I'd try putting your older full speed guages on the original CSR bracket, if they don't fit you can *try* using the gauge bracket that came with the full speed gauge set.

I think the inflexibility of moving the ignition switch and the wrap-around-the-switch dashboard is a gotcha though. Good luck, if you get it to work, would enjoy seeing a photo of it. The only way to get mine to work would be to alter or fabricate the dashboard to fit the hard-to-move ignition switch.

Thanks. A lot of good info there. Since my headlight bracket was bent I just got a new one off Fleabay. It's not like the original. It's like one my friend added to his 650' Smaller and does not have the reflectors.
I like how his came out a lot. Move the blinkers off the handlebars that I am changing anyway to the headlight using mini's. So I will wait for the bracket to come in and then see what I can do with the gauges. Thanks for the info. I will be taking pics.

To martin. Did you have a lot of excess wiring after you lowered your handlebars? I just put my lower ones up to see the difference. Looks to be a lot of wire to either section and splice or find a place to tuck it away. I can't believe there is enough space in the headlight shell to stuff it. Just wondering. I also see what you mean by an angled brake and master. I also have a brand new setup a friend bought for his that is straight and should be fine. Thanks for the heads up.

Nice to have this resource for questions and support. Can't wait to really dig in. Just got to get her cleaned up and a little warmer. I like working in the sunshine the best.

Interesting: I started out I was just going to get this CSR into a good running ratty. Nice short turn around and cheap. I'd have a scoot to use while my greenie took shape. Now I got the hots for this bobber also. I see time and $$$ doubling and maybe tripling. Then I see what Ron calls his ratty 650 and I realize this kind of thing may just need a telethon or a medical name for.

I have the exact same bike, but with the blue ring on the black tank.

doing it up for My Brother all satin black, no chrome except if he wants me to keep the rear grab bar, but I may repaint it. I'm putting lower bars for sure, maybe drag bars, and dual front brakes.

I'd swap my spoke wheels for mags, if anyone is interested.

I found a great article from 1977 comparing the CB750, KZ650 XS750 and GS750...the Suzuki came out on top, then the Yamaha, Kawi, and Honda Last.

motorcyclist_august_1977.pdf