Planet Minis

VillainMotorsports

Got started on my 1976 XR75 project this weekend. I've had it for almost a year now but hadn't done anything with it because the previous owner told me something locked up in the bottom end, then his kid took the top end off and left it like that behind his shed for a few years But he gave it to me for free, it's pretty much complete, from what I can see it's just missing the exhaust, rear fender and a side panel (only need one anyway).
I'm thinking of going resto-mod with this, been checking out a few online and I'm not sure if I want to keep the Orange/Black (as was original colour for '76) or going Silver/Black or Maybe even White/Black for the tank and fenders.

8 hours in the shop yesterday resulted in the entire bike getting stripped, sandblasted, powdercoated and lower fork legs polished. Seat needs to be recovered still and there's a small dent in the tank that needs to be fixed with some hi-temp "smear" then powdercoated and re-sealed.

Here's the pics so far:
As of Friday afternoon,



Then Saturday night:

gman

Wow! It's gon'a be a awesome resto.. Can't wait to see more!

What's the plan for the engine?

doopsx3

SWEET!!!! I love that bike..I used to throw papers from one of those when I was a kid.....good fun.......

arlindsay1992

Looks great already and it's not even assembled!

ZBguyohio

I'm glad to see more XR-75 bikes on here. Looks like a good start. How long did it take to polish out the fork tubes ? Let me know if ya need anything i might be able to help out. I got a 1973 off ebay a month ago, bone stock ! Sat in a basement for 25 plus years. I need to post a pic. I have had many and sold them over the years. This one is a keeper for sure. I got a repo DG pipe and swingarm off the guy on E bay. He has some top notch stuff. In order to get any power you need the big bore piston, it has a higher compression up from the stock 8.8 c/r. Keep us posted on your xr75 !

VillainMotorsports

Thanks for the comments guys
The fork tubes only took me maybe an hour to sand and polish, 240 grit on an orbital sander, then a bench grinder converted to a polishing machine with a sisal wheel, then a cotton wheel.
As for the motor, I'm going to tear into this one and see how bad it really is, I may end up having to buy another one off ebay or something, then mod it a bit
What's the ebay guys seller ID?

mexicanyella

The seat covering material looks like an unusual color choice but like it was well done. If it's salvageable, how about flipping convention the boid and doing a high-end British-themed XR75 restomod? Keep the brownish seat but think of it as some sort of Jaguar or Bentley interior color ("Nutmeg," or "Winter Sedge" or some such nonsense) and do the tank/side panel in British racing green, and the fenders in silver ("Bright Argent").

Getting even more kray-zee, run a Amal carb on it with a velocity stack, and maybe a Lucas ignition coil. Clubman bars and road tires. Then go roadrace it. It would stand out, that's for sure.

doopsx3

that just made me pop a CHUB

ZBguyohio

Here is his web site, hes got some cool stuff ! Web site is a little hard to navagate...http://www.xrminiracer.com/..... here is his ebay pipe he sells...honda xr75 dg performance pipe xr75 ahrma:eBay Motors (item 300340816655 end time Aug-28-09 19:48:25 PDT)
.....complete gasket sets are getting a little hard to find and so are the engine seal kits. I dont know if they are still available from honda. Let me know if i can help out. There is another guy that sells on the web some parts for the early 4 speeds i will need to get his site for ya.

Tony in Ohio

VillainMotorsports

Damn 'yella, that's what I'm doin'!! British Green tank, silver fenders f*ck yeah!! I knew I'd get some great ideas on here, thanks!

Now what about the wheels? Polish the hubs/brake plates and silver rims? Or blast and powdercoat some colour?

Thanks for the links Tony

mexicanyella

Well, my first thought was if you could coat them with a goldish color like the '86 Z50R wheels and brake plates, but maybe that would be a little too heavy-handed with the Nutmeg/Winter Sedge seat. Maybe polished would be good. Don't XR75s have kind of conical hubs? In that way they are a little reminiscent of retro british look.

Hunt around for some britbike photos and look at exhaust pipes. Some of those old brit dirt thumpers--CCMs and whatnot--had some wild pipes, and since you're pipeless at the moment anyway...

You know, those low-slung early Dax pipes have a silencer that looks kind of like an early Triumph Bonneville silencer in miniature...but it might be too restrictive if you're going to be building the engine up. Slightly upswept megaphone with a reverse cone on the end?

makotosun

I am loving this idea!

Jthomas7

I have several engines, if you need a whole motor or just some parts for yours let me know.

I feel like such a slacker, you guys get that much accomplished in one day and it takes me months!. Mostly because I get about 7 projects going at a time but still.

VillainMotorsports

Cool man, I'll let you know. I may have to hold off on the Z frame I was going to get from you for another couple weeks, hope that's ok?

As for getting things accomplished...I got a few projects on the go too, I just had some time finally while waiting for parts for my monkey project and no customers to take care of this weekend, figured I'd buckle down and Just Give'r eh!

z50 chopper

for the muffler look for a cocktail shaker exhaust sometimes called a trumpet muffler, they are used very much on triumph choppers and even a few triumph racing bikes

RAZZO

Nice work so far!! Great bikes! Get to moddin!!!

ryder2726

WOW! What a great start. I've got 3 XR75's (1975 and 2 1976's) that I have bought over the last couple years and plan on doing a resto mod project. You have inspired me to get going again. Keep up with the updates of your project. It's great to see somes XR75's on here too.

Jthomas7

Can you give me some info on your powder coating setup? I've been trying to get my booth going.

I have a gun and just ordered a blast cabinet and a pressurized blaster. Not sure what route to go on my oven.

ishi

Looks awesome! Whats the brand name of the "smear" you mentioned for the powdercoating. I also have a tank with a dent I want to fill b/f coating in the oven. Thanks and put that thing back together will ya!!!!

caleb

Jthomas7

body filler, epoxy putty, auto body filler, high temperature epoxy, aluminum epoxy, automotive body filler, epoxy high temperature, car body filler, putty epoxy