Hugh's HandBuilt

New Blog, New Website, New Store, and kicking this one to the curb!

2015-02-03T09:43:00.004-08:00

So one thing that SUCKED about our old blog, was Blogger itself, and how Facebook decided that ALL of our content was spam. This happened a few years back, and I never had time to build a new blog, and Facebook never responded to my many many requests to unblock the Hugh's HandBuilt Blog... So it fell into disrepair, left for the internet to absord and fall into the shadows...

NOT ANY LONGER! We have imported all of the old blog into the new website, and with that, I feel more comfortable being able to post up new tech, blog posts, etc.. knowing that they can be shared and cross posted. The old blog has been deleted, so check out the new one and subscribe...

http://www.hughshandbuilt.com/2015/02/03/happenings-hughs-handbuilt/

I'll eventually delete this old blog, but I don't want traffic to be lost in the meantime...

Thanks folks!

Hugh

New Things...

2014-10-22T09:45:00.002-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've updated this blog. Mostly because Blogger has become almost dysfunctional with all other forms of Social Media (for instance, Facebook won't allow any posts from this blog, etc...) so it's had to get excited to do a bunch of updates on a poor platform...

So what does that mean? Well, we are building an entirely NEW website, hoping to have it launched soon. With that new site, will be a new Blog as well (don't worry, I'm also going to repost ALL of the posts from this blog to the new blog, so no content will be lost in the transition) - and with that comes a better ability to market things on other forms of Social Media.

For instance - did you know that we now have NEW 74-UP XS650 Motor Mounts available?

Thats right! We've been working on a few things that most folks don't have much information about. It's been a HUGE time struggle between Emails, Doing new R&D on products, keeping up with the forums, etc... But we are going full steam ahead...

What else is new? Hrmmm, we have launched the XS650 Top Motor Mounts as well - not available on our website yet, but you can find them on Facebook or Instagram

So what else is new? Well, we did discontinue our popular HHB Hydro Clutch swap kits... Why? Well it's as simple as this... The parts we were selling allowed the use of a Hydro Clutch you could buy off of ebay, and swap onto your XS650 using our components. Unfortunately, the quality control of the Chinese made Ebay Hydro Clutch components was soo hit or miss that we couldn't justify sending folks to buy components that may or may not work properly. Combine that with all the tech support, emails, etc.. that the swap kit was requiring - it simply took to much of our time to keep it on the shelf.

NO LONGER AVAILABLE! DISCONTINUED!

Don't Fret though! In true HHB Style, we are going to give you all you need to know to do the swap yourself, we just won't be offering the components for sale in our store any longer. So if you find yourself a complete "Pit Bike Hydraulic Clutch" on Ebay, with roughly 50" of hose (1270mm) or so, you should be good to go - saving money and getting all of your Hydro Clutch Needs in one stop. There are several folks selling them on Ebay with a 1200mm hose which should work fine in a stock application. Shorter or taller bars? Just find a hose length that works for you. But by all means, feel free to do some digging on Ebay and I'm sure you'll find a set that works for you. And since we are discontinuing this item, make sure you get yourself an M8 Jam Nut, a Plastic Washer and a other hardware pictured above to make the swap. Just because this component has been discontinued by HHB, doesn't mean that you folks should go without. Just do us a favor, and do your googlefu before emailing us for any tech support and such - so we can focus on bringing new and cool products to you folks.

What else is new? How about our Speedster Bars!

Inspired by my very first build, these have been a HIT! Allowing for a better fit than clubmans, clip-ons, or drag bars - the HHB Speedster Bars just work a charm for making the bike look AND feel proper, without cramping riding position. Check out the store for more details on those!

Oh yeah, we've kicked out some KILLER Fork Braces for the XS650 while we were in the mood for making cool new stuff - they fit both 34 and 35mm forks (34mm needing some very minor clearancing of the mounting bosses on the fork) and area available in Black Powdercoat, Raw Unfinished Steel, and Nickle Plated finishes. These came out of necessity - Tevan's Resto-Mod XS2 handled pretty badly, even after a 35mm fork swap, so we built these and magically he's now dragging a knee in the curves. This fork brace doesn't come with those kinds of skills, but it sure helps instill some confidence in the front of these old bikes again...

There are a few other things I haven't listed here, like our Neck Gusset Kits, Slimline Master Cylinder, Headlight Mount, Stainless Triple Tree Hardware, and more available on the website - www.HughsHandBuilt.com

So yeah, we aren't going anywhere... In Fact - we just picked up another XS650 for an HHB Test Mule - check out our 1975 XS650 as we beat on it like a red-headed step child. Because it doesn't leave the shop unless it is "Hugh Approved" - and that involves lots of miles, wheelies, and the occasional mishap in the twisties - all in the name of Quality. You deserve the best, and we do our best to make that happen.

Thanks for your continued support folks! Stay tuned to the website, Facebook, and Instagram for other happenings with HHB.

Hugh

MountainFest This Weekend!

2014-07-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Well folks, We've been busy as can be, but that won't stop us from getting out and seeing some of ya'll..

MountainFest in Morgantown WV this weekend will be a great time! Hope to see some of ya'll there.. Cycle Source Magazine and a ton of your other favorite motorcycle hooligans will be there, you should be too...

This is a great show, lots of good vendors and custom bikes... PLUS - If you wanna save some coin on HHB Goodies, we'll be offering some cash priced discounts at the show!

More details on the event are here - Click Clicky....

Plan on us being gone through next Monday, so any emails and orders not received by mid day today will likely not be handled until we get back... Thanks for your support folks!

Hugh

New HHB Product Release! 100% Bolt-On Oil Cooler

2014-02-20T13:29:00.001-08:00

It's been long in the tooth, so to say, but as with ALL HHB products, we test, abuse, test, abuse some more, and test again. It's just how we do things. We may not release a new product as fast as we would like, but when we do, you know it's our best!

So with that said, welcome to the HHB Product Line, the Bolt-On XS650 Oil Cooler.

*Shown Polished, currently available in Brushed Finish ONLY

This 100% Bolt-On design is designed, tested, tested again, and redesigned for the ultimate in Bolt-On oil cooler performance.
This is the largest Bolt-On Oil Cooler on the market for the XS650 Side Cover.

*Large Surface Area Increases Cooling Abilities
*120cc Oil Capacity Increas
*Unique 6 Fin Design
*Uses OEM Oil Filter – No restrictive paper elements here!
*Brushed Alloy Finish
*Includes Stainless Hardware, Gaskets and Copper Sealing Washers.

If you know Hugh’s HandBuilt, then you know we don’t offer ANYTHING to the public that we don’t fully test ourselves. This new oil cooler is keeping with that tradition, having been 2 years in the making.
We have the largest surface area of any Bolt-On oil cooler on the market, while increasing oil capacity by 120cc’s. More oil and more cooling surface = Cooler Running XS650 Engine!
We’ve tested various filter combinations, checking for oil pressure losses and restriction, and found the OEM style filter works best with the XS650 Oil Pump to keep flow and pressure at a maximum.
Hugh’s HandBuilt Tested and APPROVED!

Where to buy? Why right at our store of course! Click Click On This Link

As always, thank you for your support - we'll keep doing what we do, you keep doing what you do.

Hugh
Hugh's HandBuilt

750cc XS650 Engine, Rephased and Ready to run!

2014-02-17T09:06:00.003-08:00

This is a fairly rare opportunity for someone NOT on the Current HHB Engine Building backlog to get an engine for this year.

This is out of my PERSONAL bike, I'll be doing something else with the chassis soon (email me if interested in the rolling chassis) and has less than 25 miles on it since it was first built.

*This is JUST for the engine, NOT the entire bike*

750cc JE High Compression Pistons (10:1)
NEW Big Bore Liners
277 Rephase by HHB
256 Camshaft
Ported Head
NOS Valves
NEW Valve Guides
NEW Valve Springs
NEW Rocker Arms
Stainless Rocker Plugs
277 Ignition by Pamcopete
Hugh's HandBuilt PMA Charging System (NEW)
5th Gear OD
Polished Shift Rails
EBC Clutch Plates
NEW Steel Clutch Plates
EBC Clutch Springs
HD Throwout Bearing
7 into 6 HHB Modded Clutch Pack
NEW 447 Crankshaft Rods
New Gaskets
New Oil Seals
New Oil Pump
New Sump Filter
Polished Engine Covers
Re-Chromed Cam Covers
Polished Valve Covers
Stainless Hardware
Kick-Only (no Electric start provision)
Foot Operated Clutch (easily converted to hand clutch if desired)
New Shift Shaft
Aqua Blasted Cases
Aqua Blasted Head and Cylinders
New Oil Tube Base Fitting
New Oil Tube
New Copper Oil Seals
New Camchain
New Cam Guides
Brass Head Washers
New Clutch Worm Gear
1 Piece Clutch Rod
Custom Drilled Side Cover

This engine has 205 lbs of compression, is as fresh as they get, and is available for $6350 (plus your free spinning core) This is slightly below retail for the full cost of the build.

Contact Hughshandbuilt@gmail.com for purchasing information.

*If interested in the Rolling Chassis, make an offer. Will include EVERYTHING except the engine, carbs, charging system, etc...

Engine Services and all that jazz...

2014-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well folks, it's February! And with February normally comes the call for engine builds to come in. But this year it just isn't happening... We are still going full steam on engines from last year, and our focus will be on completing all of our current customer builds before taking any more engine builds in...

"Hey Hugh, I read that you aren't taking in any more engine builds, but what about Rephased Crank and Cams? Are you taking those in at this time?"

The answer is YES! Always taking in 277 Degree Rephase Work... So don't hesistate, ship them on in. Current waiting time is still about 2-3 from the time we get them in the door, so there is still plenty of time to get your hands on your own 277 Engine this season - "Some Assembly Required"

And Rebecca, our Official Shop Toddler, Says:

"Dad! There's something wrong with this one, it's not Rephased!"

We are really looking forward to all that 2014 has in store for us, thanks as always for your support.

Hugh

Hugh's HandBuilt

21 Questions with Michael "Hugh" Owings

2013-12-19T09:37:00.001-08:00

I can't say that I'm not proud of this one. I've watched the Chop Cult feature some amazing builds and builders. To be included with that bunch of folks, is truly an honor.

21 Questions with Michael "Hugh" Owings

I'm not gonna steal the 33's thunder, but pop on over and check it out.

And I'm not sure I'll have another update before then, so I hope all of you have a Very Merry Christmas - from the HHB family to yours.

Hugh

Hugh's HandBuilt Black Friday Sale!

2013-11-25T12:25:00.000-08:00

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving - we want to show our thanks for all of your support!

We haven't had a good sale in a long while, so this coming Wednesday through Friday we are offering a 10% Discount on ALL Items in our webstore that are in-stock.

Use Coupon Code - Thank You!

*Items not in stock or on Backorder will be excluded from sale, sale will not apply to shipping costs. 10% Applies to any and all Items in Stock during the sale dates ONLY.

From our little HHB Family to yours, Thank-You for your support!

Hugh

Hugh's HandBuilt

Keeping up with the Jones's (Or the Hugh's, either way really)

2013-11-19T08:15:00.004-08:00

To Quote Arlo Guthrie's "Alices Restaurant Massacre" lyrics -

"but we had fun filling out the forms and playing with the pencils on the bench there,
and I filled out the massacre with the four part harmony, and wrote it
down there, just like it was, and everything was fine and I put down the
pencil, and I turned over the piece of paper, and there, there on the
other side, in the middle of the other side, away from everything else on
the other side, in parentheses, capital letters, quotated, read the
following words:

("KID, HAVE YOU REHABILITATED YOURSELF?")"

So what have we been doing at Hugh's HandBuilt you ask? Well, how about some updates from the folks around here. We've been contacted by Discovery Channel and asked to submit applications for the upcoming Biker Build-Off series. I'm not counting any chickens til' they've hatched, but we had alot of fun making the video's and we figured we'd share them with ya...

Meet "Hugh" of the Hugh's HandBuilt Team

A tour of the new shop - we love it here!

Bryan - Smells worse than my dog....

Tevan - My Number 1 Man... Love this kid

I'm not saying this changes anything or that we've been Rehabilitated in any shape or form, but we have enjoyed the process, and hope to see some great underground shops on the show.

Social Media - It's hip and trendy, so keep up with us there...

We are keeping our Facebook pages updated more often, along with Instagram, Youtube, and the website. You might find deals, new products, etc... So it never hurts to keep up...

Find us on Facebook

We have a "Hugh's HandBuilt Yard Sale" section on facebook, you never know what you'll find there... Give us a "Like" if you would....

Find us on Instagram

Our Instagram is updated almost daily... Random happenings around the shop, tech, parts for sale, new releases, and the occasional antic from around the shop. Toss is a few pics of Roxxy the dog and a some other things that inspire us and you'll find Instagram a fun way to keep up with Hugh's HandBuilt

Find us on Youtube

So yeah, I suck at editing video's, and I don't have a nerd to help me with that (yet.... taking applications for HHB Nerd) but from time to time, we'll put up a new video...

PS - Thanksgiving is coming soon, enjoy some time with your family and loved ones, but if this isn't played at least 1 time on Thanksgiving day, then you are probably doing it wrong....

Folks, I can't thank you enough for your support and continued encouragement. Thank-You!

Hugh

How-To: Install Your Weld-On Headlight Mount

2013-10-28T09:24:00.001-07:00

This one is SIMPLE folks...

We all know that the XS650 Vibes are pretty tough on brackets, tabs, etc... We've been using this style headlight mount since our very first XS650 Project, and never had a single failure. PLUS, it looks killer and is as clean as it gets - No Bolt On brackets here...

Normally, my How-To's are super in depth, but this one is gonna be sweet and to the point.

You'll need these tools:

Angle Grinder w/Flap Wheel and Grinding Wheels
Welding Equipment

Dang!! That's Easy! Yes is it...

Im not gonna show you how to remove your lower tree (it's not 100% required, but probably a good idea to get in there, repack your bearings, repaint, etc..) but I will show you the simple steps to installing the New HHB Weld-ON Headlight Bracket.

1. See those ugly mounts on your Lower Tree? I marked them in Yellow Paint Pen, but those have got to go...

2. Grind off all of those mounts flush with the body of the lower tree, you may need to blend out a few areas but you get the idea.

3. The HHB Weld-On Headlight Mount has a "notch" in it, line it up with the casting rib on the bottom of the tree. *This pic was taken AFTER welding, but should be able to help you through this step just fine

4. Weld that sucker on there. After locating the bracket how you want, I typically add a tack weld or two to hold it in place. Final welding was done with a TIG in this pic, but MIG is just fine as well. In the past, I've even built the weld up enough and blended it out - making for a really nice finished piece.

5. Go grab a cold one, because you are DONE! Well kinda, but that cold refreshment will make the mundane task of reassembling the front end a bit more enjoyable. Bolt up your headlight and call it done...

*The HHB Weld-On Headlight Mount is designed for use with BOTTOM MOUNT Headlights, and has 2 mounting holes to allow you to custom tailor where the headlight sits on your bike. We think ahead like that, so you don't have to...

"Hugh, Where do I buy this?"

In Our Store of course... Make sure to keep an eye on the store and the blog, as we have plans for lots of new products in the works.

Thanks so much for your business and support folks - we love our job, and you folks make it a blast to come to work each day...

Hugh

DIY - Stick Out Your Neck, and Show It Off!

2013-10-23T14:01:00.002-07:00

First off, yes I know it's been a while since I've posted any DIY or Tech Articles... If you haven't noticed, we've been a tad bit busy this year with a "few" setbacks... But in order to get back into the groove, we've decided to do what we do best, and give you fine XS650 Gearheads a new Tech Article from HHB...

Stick Out Your Neck! And Show It Off!!

Our New HHB "Goose" Neck Gusset Kit

We haven't done any tech articles requiring welding, grinding, blending and other methods of torturing steel before, so lets cover all the bases...

Q: "Hey Hugh, what tools will I need for this mod?"

A: "Listen up, ALL MEN need the following tools, just because - And grow out a beard while you are at it."

If you budget is tighter than *Hipster Jeans, then you might wanna do some shopping around at Harbor Freight or the Pawn Shops - you'd be surprised at just how cheap you can own some of these power tools... And if you end up killing them, upgrade as you go... A man can never have too many tools... Period.

Compile the Following:

From Top Left:

Grab a Handful of Cut-Off Wheels
120 Grit Flap Disk
"Medium" 3M Type Polishing Pads
90 Degree Die Grinder (not required, but makes for a nicer finish)
Welding Helmet - Because Flash Burn SUCKS
A Good Pair of Locking Pliers - I found these in the middle of the road - true story...
Angle Grinder - **You probably already have this, or at least you should
Paint Pen or some kind of good marker
Welding Equipment - I use both TIG and MIG, but MIG is just fine for this job
NOT SHOWN - Face Mask/Shield, because getting your eyeballs drilled also sucks - SAFETY FIRST
ALSO NOT SHOWN - Wire Wheel for Grinder - AKA The Nut Grinder

Q: "What Exactly Are We Doing Here? "

A: "Removing Ugly from the Custom Bike Scene!"

If you have an XS650 (who am I kidding, if you are reading this, you already have the disease, and "An XS650" is probably the least of your worries - it's ok, we call it a hoard of Japanese Excellence) then you already know just how ugly the stock neck gusset is...

Thats a whole lotta ugly goin' on!

I just can't stand it, and I know you can't either... Go to the next big bike event, and look at the custom XS650's around - and you'll see more than a fair share of them rocking this ugly gusset for all the world to see - Have They No Shame!

Now, to remove this offensive pile of soon-to-be-scrapmetal. And lets do it proper.. I've done more than a few of these, and learned some tricks along the way to share with you folks.

Do you have something like this on your Angle Grinder?

These are only used by cavemen, trust me.

If you do, then TOSS THAT MOFO ASIDE! You'll often see me talking about "The Details Matter" - and this particular style of grinding wheels is NOT used to make anything nice - ever...

This is more like it:

I can't tell you how amazing is was to "Discover" these may years ago

changed my life forever

I prefer to use a 120 Grit Flap Wheel, it's aggressive enough to do the job, but smooth enough to not eat up your work too fast... You can get them in different grits, but 120 is just fine for now.

You are going to use the flap wheel on your angle grinder, and lightly blend off the top weld of the OEM Neck Gusset. Do NOT grind into the tubing, you don't need to go that far just yet. Always wear eye protection - please...

You want to see something like this, no need to go further.

Take your paint pen, and make a line just outside of this weld... Like so...

Don't try to cut too close to the weld, or you'll hit the neck tube...

Use the Cut-Off wheel and do some damage... Just be careful not to cut into the tubing, focus on the gusset only...

Next move - Cut the OEM Reflector Mount off...

Removing that stud will allow you better access to move on, so move on we shall...

Use the paint pen to mark just above the weld all the way along the downtube.

Let the sparks fly, and it should look something like this when you are done...

This is where we just made your job WAY easy... Grab those locking pliers, grab this sucker by the gusset of it's neck, and twist until it pops right off...

That was easy, and clean.. Plus, we haven't harmed the OEM tubing at all.

Such and appealing design huh? Ummmm.... NO

Repeat steps 1 through whatever on the other side... If you needed a "Paint by numbers" description more detailed than this for the other side, I suggest you put down the tools and go back to playing video games in your mom's basement...

Ok, so maybe you just crawled out of the basement and still want to finish this thing, it should look something like this at this point...

Next comes a little finesse on your part. Take it nice and slow, using the flap wheel, and take the welds down to the tubing, blending in and looking as if nothing was ever there. I prefer to take long sweeping passes over just staying in one spot too long. It's ok to take your time on this part, as the time you put in now will pay off - and again, take a look around the next bike show - you can see who did and who did not pay attention to these minor details.

Take your time, and work both sides evenly until you are satisfied with the results. Remove as little as needed to make it looks smooth and even. You'll likely go ahead and cut off the tachometer cable guide, and blend out the welds on the downtubes where the frame is sleeved. Don't take too much, you can always spot weld the low spots and re-work them as needed.

Now that you have all of the welds blended away with the 120 Grit, I like to go over the frame with a wire wheel. Beware, while it may appear that this tool is the best at removing paint and rust, that is a ploy - it's #1 job is to stick little stainless wires as deep into your skin as possible, and remove fingerprints faster than acid if you hit yourself with this... I also have a story about a friend using one of these while wearing a pair of Umbro Shorts years ago - ask me sometime, it's hilarious... DO NOT do what he did... Wear protection for your face AND your junk... Just sayin'

Believe it or not, but these wire wheels will help blend out the sanding marks from the 120 grit flap wheel - and create an even smoother surface than you had with just the flap disk. If you get really bored, look up "Metal Finishing" sometime online, you can learn a TON of tricks and tips to apply to your build. Again, these details matter in the end. If you can't tell you've done anything to the neck, you've done a great job.

After the wire wheel, I fire up my 90 degree Die Grinder with a 3M type "Medium" pad, and just about polish the tubing with it... The cleaner you get your materials, the better they will weld up. Clean and smooth is the name of the game. This step isn't required, but I like to go above and beyond sometimes to show you just how nice a job you can do.

Dude, I'm with you - this looks KILLER already... But now something new seems to stand out... And not in a good way...

Now I don't know about you, but cleaning the brackets off of this tube looks like a fairly daunting task - or at least to do it nice and clean just like you did your frame already... I've seen plenty really nice looking bikes where this tube looked like a ride at Six Flag Theme Park after all the grinding and blending - so lets do this right...

Get to town removing this sucker! A little time with the grinder and cut-off wheel and you should be looking at something bout' like this..

Now the next steps might confuse ya, but hang with me a bit. Sometimes "looking stock" is not a bad thing, so we are going to fit the new tubing (supplied with your HHB Gusset Kit) into the frame just as if it always belonged there... And it will be a nice touch that no-one will notice, and again - that's a good thing... The focus should be on the overall design and style of your build, not the grinding marks and welding - but thats just me...

Use your paint pen, and mark the OEM welds on the upper motor mount.

Now you are not going to try and remove the tubing entirely from this joint, you just want to cut and blend enough that when you install the new tubing it looks just like stock...

Follow along, take your time with the grinder, flap wheel, cut-off wheel, etc...

Up front, you've probably found a bit of rust (don't stress, almost ALL XS650's have this rust behind the neck) so don't freak out. If you are planning on having the frame powdercoated, they'll probably sandblast it nice and clean. If not, take the time to blend out all of the rust as the pits will show in your paintwork unless you do some bondo/filler over it all. Just a heads up, as I know if you've done all this effort, you want it to be top notch... And I don't blame ya...

Blend that tubing down the best you can, it's a tough spot to get to, but I got faith in ya...

Not Perfect, but this'll do - get that rust cleaned up the best you can though.

Next up, fitting the new tube into place... You'll earn your man-card on this minor piece. You'll learn to notch tubing, and fit up a totally oddball fit on the other end...

Q: "Hugh, did you say we'd have to notch that tubing? I don't see a tube notcher in the tools list."

A: "Exactly, I'm teaching you how to do this on a budget, and get some skills under your belt. I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddler player too... ***So sit right in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done... "

PS - Our HHB Neck Gusset Kits will come with this end Pre-Notched

Oh wait, there I go singing along and writing tech articles again....

Back on track - here is an AWESOME write-up on how to notch tubing using nothing more than the tools you already have... (Substitute the Chop Saw with your angle grinder, and you are in business) - and you'll learn all about some other stuff that you may use - hey, you never know...

You can easily notch tubing with your grinder. I mark my tubing like so, make the cuts with a cut-off wheel, and blend out the sharp edges with the flap disk...

Believe it or not, this method is faster than dragging out a notcher, setting it up, and cutting the notch. When I worked for an off-road fabrication shop, we put it to the test and it wins everytime unless you are doing the same notch over and over again - then the notcher winds... It's not always about having the best tools.

Now with the front end notched and fitted up, mark the outline of the cut for the motor mount bracket. This may take you a few minutes, but take your time.. Grandpa* always said "Measure 2X and Cut Once" - it took me a great many years to grasp the importance of that...

Take your time, cut slowly and fit this up as nice as you can...

The motor mount is wider than the tubing, and thats the way we want it, just like OEM...

Now, before you do ANY welding, PREP PREP PREP the surfaces. Clean the paint, grinder dust, rust, etc... The better you clean it, the nicer the final weld will be.

Now, some folks might wonder why I didn't TIG weld this joint. I MIG welded this particular joint because I wanted it to look like a stock fit piece of tubing. I don't plan to blend out the weld, I like to leave it just like this. To each their own, there is no right or wrong here, so feel free to be creative..

Sooo much better

Now, I'm sure you've seen plenty of frames with the gussets cut completely out - and they look pretty slick for sure. But I'm here to tell ya, after abusing some of these old bikes, anything to stiffen up the front end can't hurt. So let's add the Gussets...

You may need to notch around the OEM welds a minor bit - but if you just accomplished installing that tube brace above, then you are feeling mighty confident enough to handle this tall task - haha...

HHB Neck Gusset "The Goose" - Inspired by Vintage BMX Neck Gussets

Fit it up, and lightly tack the gusset in... Don't fully weld just yet...

These Dimpled Gussets and new frame tube are a full One Lb lighter than OEM, and will be plenty rigid while looking a bit nicer than what the factory gave ya. Lighter = faster, and if you know HHB, then you know Fast XS650's is Kinda Our Thing...

Get both sides tacked in, and you are ready for final welding. (I did not final weld these, as I plan to use this frame to mockup a few other gusset designs we have coming out VERY soon)

Our HHB Gussets are Designed to Clear Most Aftermarket

Fuel Tanks while providing rigidity to the frame.

Folks, I hope this tech article gives you faith in your abilities. If you aren't afraid of picking up a grinder and making the sparks fly, this is a great modification to do to your bike. It will stand out among the crowd, and it's always important to make a good first impression.

As always, thanks so much for your support! These new gusset kits will be available soon on the website store - CLICKY CLICKY! Our New Store has a TON of great new products we've been working hard to bring to you fine folks. Check it out, give us feedback, order parts, live long and prosper...

* Bonus Hipster points if you have tools in your garage that your friends have never heard of.

** Triple Bonus Points if you have one grinder for each type of wheel, seriously you can't have too many angle grinders...

*** If you aren't listening to some damn good music in the shop, you are doing it wrong. PS - If it's on the Top40 - or if the "Band" doesn't use real instruments, you are probably doing it wrong.

**** Call your Grandfolks, they'd probably love to hear from you... After all, without them, you wouldn't exist...

Oh My Lawd! Is it true?!?!

2013-10-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

There have been many many people interested in buying this bike over the years - but the times they are a changing, and along with those changes, we are putting the ol' gal up for sale.

Wait - is this for real? Yeah, beyond all of the April Fools Jokes, and playing around with the idea of selling this fine machine - we have pulled the trigger and put this amazing bike on Ebay.

"I can't Believe My Eyes! It's True, the Original Hugh's HandBuilt XS650 is FOR SALE!!!!"

You know the bike, you know the history, and surely you know the details of the build. I am normally a very humble man, but this bike just has something about it that still charms me to this day. It's been the inspiration of MANY XS650 builds, often imitated but never exactly replicated. There is just something about the real deal, that makes the others fall slightly short.

So here are all the details and specs from the eBay add:

This is THE XS650 to own. This XS650 is THE Motorcycle that helped kick XS650's into the mainstream and raise their value and recognition worldwide.

Built by Hugh's HandBuilt, this bike features an entirely REBUILT engine, the specs alone on the engine are all top notch. The engine has less than 25 miles on it since the rebuild.

The chassis is powdercoated, as is all Black Components on the bike. The Paint is NEW on the tank/fender combo. This bike has all NEW Hardware when it was possible, chromed components and nothing left untouched in the build.

Engine Build Specs :

1981 With Matching Cases (matching ID number to frame)
750cc JE High Compression Pistons (10:1)
NEW Big Bore Liners
277 Rephase by HHB
256 Camshaft
Ported Head
NOS Valves
NEW Valve Guides
NEW Valve Springs
NEW Rocker Arms
Stainless Rocker Plugs
277 Ignition by Pamcopete
Hugh's HandBuilt PMA Charging System (NEW)
5th Gear OD
Polished Shift Rails
EBC Clutch Plates
NEW Steel Clutch Plates
EBC Clutch Springs
HD Throwout Bearing
7 into 6 HHB Modded Clutch Pack
NEW 447 Crankshaft Rods
New Gaskets
New Oil Seals
New Oil Pump
New Sump Filter
Polished Engine Covers
Re-Chromed Cam Covers
Polished Valve Covers
Stainless Hardware
Custom made HHB Tuned Length Intake Manifolds
Kick-Only (no Electric start provision)
Foot Operated Clutch (easily converted to hand clutch if desired)
New Shift Shaft
Aqua Blasted Cases
Aqua Blasted Head and Cylinders
New Oil Tube Base Fitting
New Oil Tube
New Copper Oil Seals
New Camchain
New Cam Guides
Brass Head Washers
New Clutch Worm Gear
1 Piece Clutch Rod

Chassis (all built by HHB)

"Zero" Stretch Custom Built Hardtail
New Nickel Plated 520 Chain
New Sprockets
Custom Built Rearset Controls
Custom Seatpan and Cover
Biltwell Seat Hinge
2" Seat Springs
18" Akront Rear Rim, Laced to modified XS650 Hub
21" Akront Front Rim, Buchanans Spokes, Laced to shaved and modded XS650 Hub
Avon Speedmaster Tires
Powdercoating by "Brewdude" at Brew Racing Frames in North Carolina
NEW Fork Tubes
Lowered, Shaved and Polished Forks by HHB
NEW Front Caliper, Pads, Brake Line, Master Cylinder
Custom Drilled and Lightened Rotor HHB
Custom Drilled and Lightened brake backing plate
NEW Brake Shoes
Custom HHB Speedster Handlebars
Custom Aluminum Grips
Shaved and Lightened Triple Trees
Custom Headlight Mount
Extremely RARE James Fuel Tank
Custom HHB Fuel Cap
NEW Petcocks '
NEW Carburators from MikesXS
HHB Speedo Delete
NEW Axles and Hardware
Timken Steering Stem bearing Upgrade
Custom Shifter and Shift Knob
Chrome Plated Fender Struts
Chrome Plated Controls
NEW Battery
New Throttle Cable
Vintage BSA Throttle
Custom Taillight and Tag Mount
Bates Style Headlight
100% New Wiring Harness

Features and Accolades:

Cycle Source Magazine
The Horse Magazine
Knuckle Buster
XS650.com Calender Cover Bike
XS650 Feature Bike
ChopCult "Favorite"
Appalachian Alumni Magazine
Frank Bott Photography
Michael Lichter Photography
"Pirate 4x4 - Punkskalar Builds a Bike/Chopperthing" with over 250K Views
Lots and Lots more, many blogs and websites have featured this bike over the years - Just Google "XS650" And you can find this bike all over the place

Selling to US Residents or Shipping Agents ONLY. Shipping is to be arranged by the seller. Crating or other Transport will be billed Time and Materials and only upon prior approval. If Overseas and wanting to bid/purchase, please make sure you have a shipping company who can handle any and all paperwork dealing with transport. Buyer/Winner is to pay in FULL within 4 business days of Auction Close. Motorcycle must be picked up with 2 weeks of Payment (unless otherwise arranged) from Asheville NC.
$500 Deposit is non-refundable! Do NOT bid on this motorcycle unless you fully intend to finish the transaction.

This bike has been a HUGE part of Hugh's HandBuilt's Success, I know it will be dearly missed. She treated us really well, and I hope the new owner treats her just the same. So thanks for looking, and take this gal home with ya!

Thank you for your support folks - without amazing customers such as yourself, we couldn't do what we do - and we love you for that. So keep it coming, keep challenging and inspiring us to do the "Next Big Thing" for these bikes - and Long Live The Mighty XS650!

Hugh

For Sale: 700cc Rephased XS650 Engine - Ready to go!

2013-10-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

Its not a common occurrence, but here we have a beautiful and great running freshly rebuilt Rephased XS650 Engine for sale.

This engine has it ALL!

"Hey Hugh, does that Rephased Engine you have for sale have blah blah blah and such and such?"

Boom! - Build Sheet...

JE 700CC Pistons/Cylinders
New Camchain Guide
New Camchain
New Stainless Rocker Shaft Plugs
New Pamcopete 277 Ignition complete with Coils
New Engine Gasket Set
New Brass Head Bolt Washers
New Copper Sealing Washers
New Oil Seals
New 1 Piece Clutch Rod
New HD EBC Clutch Plates
New Steel Clutch Plates
New HD Clutch Throwout Bearing/Thrust Washer
New EBC Clutch Springs
New HD Clutch Hardware Set
New Sump Filter
New Side Cover Filter
New Oil Tube Base Fitting
New Stainless Engine Hardware Set
New Intake and Exhaust Valves Guides
New Intake Valves
5th Gear OD
New Oil Tube
Polished Engine Covers
Starter Delete (kick-Only)
HHB PMA Charging System Installed
Joker Machine Engine Covers
256 Cylinder Head
New Rocker Arms
277 Degree Rephased Crank, Fully Welded Race Crank
277 Degree Rephased Camshaft, 256 Grind
Silver Painted Cases
Aqua Blasted Head/Cylinder Cover

This engine was test fired on a very COLD day in December last year, so pardon the cold running engine in the video.

This is a steal at $5500, and NO WAITING.
As you may know, we are not taking in engine builds for a good long while - as we are simply overbooked on engine builds. So cut the wait (upwards of 1.5 years right now due to current build que) - and get this one for yourself! This is READY TO RUN! Add your Carbs and Exhaust, and fire it right up!

Get it now, the last 3 engines we listed here sold within 24 hours!! So if you have been waiting for a genuine HHB 277 Engine, don't hesitate!

Bring us your rebuildable core, (core charge is $350 if you do not have a rebuildable core) or buy outright. This is probably the LAST complete engine we will offer until late 2014, as we are committed to existing customer builds until then.

*We will NOT ship outside of the US - if you want this engine and are out of the country, please make arrangements through a shipping agency to crate/handle/etc... Shipping in the US is up the purchaser to arrange, we will gladly crate (if needed) for cost of materials/time.

Contact Hugh at: HughsHandBuilt@gmail.com

It's been a while - NEW PRODUCTS!!!

2013-10-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

We've had a wild year here at the Hugh's HandBuilt shop. If you've kept up, you've seen just how much we've been dealing with this season. It's been rough for sure, but complaining isn't our strong suit, so we'll just celebrate the strife and struggle with - wait - can this be real? NEW PRODUCTS!!!

Thats right - we've been hustling to build up some inventory and rework a few things around here to bring you fine 2 wheeled fiends some new goodies for your XS650.

How about those fancy new HHB Fork Braces - we've been selling those like hotcakes!

We've been selling these nearly as fast as we can make them, but we knew you folks demand more from us - and demands like that are something we can dig.

So how about new finishes? Nickel Plating like seen on Tevan's Resto-Mod Cafe' bike? Yeah, we can do that....

Nickel Plated HHB Fork Braces -

A Touch of Class reminiscent of vintage race bikes.

"But I only like Black, all bikes should be BLACK!" - yeah yeah, we hear that alot too, and while you won't see alot of Black Bikes coming from the HHB shop - we can certainly appreciate a well done black machine - so these new 60% Gloss Black HHB Fork Braces are just the perfect shade of doom and gloom for your XS650 Death Machine.

Black - A Classic

Ok, so we've got you covered up front - the stiffest front fork brace on the market, but what about go? GO? Yeah, Go is what HHB is all about. So we have been busting hump to bring you some new HHB Speedster Pipes in 3 New Finishes.

"AHHH - MY Brain will explode! How will I ever Pick?" - 3 Finishes are now Available in our Speedster Pipes - BLACK, SILVER and for those of us who tend to like a bit of RAW attitude on our rides, RAW Uncoated pipes as well.

Just like Momma used to make us eat Hot Dogs - RAW!

Silver - This Hi-Temp Finish is tough to beat

Black? We got that covered too. Hi-Temp finish

We've been doing our best to bring you only the best. As you already know, if it's not HHB Approved (and we FULLY beat the snot out of our products - to ensure you get something we are proud of) - then you won't find it from us.

As always, thanks so much for your continued support - we will be bringing more products to you as soon as we can, but in the meantime - enjoy that XS650 for all its worth, and we'll see ya folks around soon hopefully.

You can find all of the above products and more at our Online Store - Clicky Clicky for a direct link to our Website Store

Hugh

The Traveling Trophy

2013-08-15T13:48:00.001-07:00

This is the tale of a rather swell feller, who I happened to meet in Baltimore this year at the Lowside Syndicate show at Timonium. Ok, maybe not so much about the dude, the bike, or anything really, but just a fun story...

First off - have you SEEN this beautiful bike??

This is "Willow" - an absolutely stunning Honda CB360 and this is it's 3rd of 4th reincarnation... I don't recall exactly, as I was too busy enjoying conversation with the owner - a feller named Troy...

So I stole these pics off the good ol' internet because I forgot to take my own... No harm, no foul, just wanting to share this with you folks...

Now I had briefly talked with Troy in Baltimore, but at Mountain Fest a few weekends ago, I saw Troy ride into the show with this killer little ride... Thats right, I said RIDE IN - not like those folks who unload the trailer at the Walmart parking lot and get all dressed up for the event and ride 4-5 miles, but actually RODE this sweet little buzzer all the way from his home to the show...

I knew the bike was cool, but my love for the machine and the owner grew two-fold seeing that in person...

Turns out, Troy is just like the rest of us. A normal dude, with minimal tools, who just likes to make stuff. A farmer always has a good set of wrenches, a welder, and a few hammers around, and Troy basically built this little ripper out of his barn... I can dig it...

Now, whats all this got to do with a Trophy you ask? Well, long story short - This bike placed "BEST OF SHOW" at MountainFest this year. BEST OF MOTHER FREAKING SHOW!!!! I couldn't have been any more excited. You see, Troy and I had talked for a bit - and he mentioned following my work for the last 4-5 years or so. I told him he builds a nicer bike than I ever thought of building -and it's true... My sense of minimalism would keep me from building something as beautifully detailed and thought our as this machine... I know when a bike has just killed it - which this one did...

Did I mention that this was the smallest bike at the event? Both in stature, cc's, and probably cash too... So yes, it won amidst a sea of HD Big Twins, Choppers, Bobbers, Cafe's and other professionally built bikes... The competition was TOUGH - none of my bikes even placed... That's how awesome it was to see him WIN this show...

So in the end, Troy didn't have much space to haul his trophy back home with him... This bike is not setup to haul around all that glory, just a humble and nimble little machine. So we took it upon ourselves to take the trophy home for him, and later ship it to him...

A trophy hardly tells a story of just how fine a creation Troy's bike is, so we decided to give the trophy it's own story....

So we took the Trophy on a few excursions to earn it's keep...

A little "illegal" camping - why not... Brian has been hard up for a date lately

Roy (owner of the Tennessee Rose XS650) took it hiking...

I found a nice swimming hole on the way home, and couldn't help myself... Some of you folks may wish for some "Eye Bleach" after seeing this... Don't worry, it can't be unseen - hahahaha....

Troy, that trophy started getting a little frisky, and wanted to see more... Don't worry, we won't show those pics - unless we have to....

I'm not sure how in the world we found a Burger King crown, but we did manage to get the trophy down some class 3 rapids... It wasn't much of a paddler, I can tell ya that much...

We made Bryan take it caving, he said there was snakes and spiders in there, but we didn't care, and the trophy don't take no lip' son...

We stumbled upon these funky looking mushrooms, and while I wanted no part of it, the trophy just had to try em out... Took us 2 days to revive it, must have been some good stuff!!

There are truely some beautiful sights in WV, the trophy led us to this sweet waterfall...

After a few hours, the trophy started feeling lucky, so we bought it a lottery ticket... Good luck Troy, if you win a million bucks I expect your next bike to be sweet!

Rumor has it, that this bike stopped leaking oil after being told what's up by the trophy...

We took the trophy out for some of Asheville's finest pizza, at Asheville Pizza and Brewery Company... PS, it spits out the olives...

I'm terrified of heights, but just being around this drug crazed, pizza eating, gambling trophy can make you do some silly things... PS - this is WAY up this mountain...

Trophy is a terrible driver BTW, just ask that WV State Trooper....

Ever carried a trophy into an Adult Store? Well let me tell ya, you'll get some crazy looks.... And that's all I got to say bout' that...

Best of Show - Knows some good reading materials too. Cycle Source Magazine - if you don't read it, you should... Trophy says so...

Laying in the shade with a good cold Cheerwine Soda - an NC tradition...

So yeah, we had a blast with this Troy, and I hope you do too... Sorry it took so long to get it back to ya, but you should find 1 lottery ticket, a North Carolina Mix a Six of good Brew, a Cheerwine and who knows what else in your box...

What's all this got to do with Motorcycles? Someone is bound to ask, and here it is... Life is awesome, its about the journey and the ride, and the people you meet. Take time to enjoy those around you, you never know where you might end up. As for the HHB Crew - if it weren't for this trophy (that we didn't even earn) we may have never had such a good time coming home from West Virginia. So stop, take some time out from the shop and go live life to the fullest. And next time you have a chance, take a random object with ya and document it, you may find it to be a blast...

And if you see this man or this bike, make friends with him - he's a rad dude in our book, and builds a wicked ride... Congrats on the win Troy - Willow is a fantastic bike!

270 Degree XS650 Engine - FOR SALE

2013-08-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

With the Flood, and the move - we are WAY behind schedule for engine builds... As of right now, we are not taking in ANY engine builds until the current que of builds are completed.

We get a TON of emails asking for rebuilt/rephased engines, and as a small shop we can't possibly keep up with demand at this time.

So you want one and want it now? I have you covered.

This is a 270 Degree XS650 Rephased engine that I built for my own personal use - but it's not coming to fruition as fast as I'd like, so Im willing to part with the engine.

It has JE 750 Pistons, Bored Cylinders by Gary Hoos Racing.

Specs:

750cc JE Pistons
270 Degree HHB Crank
270 Degree HHB Camshaft
270 Degree Pamcopete Ignition
EBC 7 Pack Clutch
EBC Clutch Springs
1 Piece Clutch Rod
HD Throwout Bearing
All NEW Seals and Gaskets
HHB Oil Cooler
New Camchain
New Camguides
New Filters
New 447 Type Rods
Ported Headwork
NOS Yamaha Valves
MikesXS Valve Springs
New Valve Guides
Brass Head Washers
Stainless Hardware
Black Chrome Painted Side Covers
5th Gear OD
Polished Shifter Rails
Kick-Only
Speed Drilled Head for Extra Surface Area/Cooling
HHB PMA 3 Phase Alternator Included

I'll let this one go for $7500 plus your buildable core (existing Engine Build Customers are welcome to take advantage of this as well) - would rather not ship (crating fees will be added)

From the Video Description:

Thats right folks, we finally built a 270 Degree Rephased XS650 Engine

Ok, here comes the flood of emails, questions, etc... So I'll just quote Wikipedia for the reason to rephase an OEM Firing Pattern of 360 (which is the stock XS650 engine configuration) to a 277 or 270

"The classic British parallel twins (BSA, Triumph, Norton, AJS & Matchless) had a 360° crankshaft that, compared to a single, gave twice as many ignition pulses, which were evenly spaced.

The Yamaha TRX850 had a 270° crank that allowed a more regular firing pattern than a 180° crank, and less regular than a 360° crank. This configuration has the best possible secondary engine balance for a parallel twin; its exhaust sound and power delivery is identical to a 90° V-twin." - Think Ducati or Suzuki SV Series engines

While we do a TON of 277 engines (it's the most cost effective rephase for the XS650) this one is 270 degrees. I've always wanted to build one. It requires a specially made center pin for the crank ($$$$$) and 2 donor cranks to build a single 270 crank. Then the camshaft and ignition must also match the new firing order of course.

What you see here, is a 750cc 270 Degree XS650 Engine, using JE Pistons, our HHB D-Shaped Ported Head, 5th Gear OD, HHB 6 into 7 Clutch mod, 5th Gear OD, HHB Oil Cooler and all the other little tricks we do at Hugh's HandBuilt

I hope you enjoy it. Go find our Blog, and check out the other cool things you can do with these bikes. They are a blast to own, mod and work on.

Email Hughshandbuilt@gmail.com

MountainFest - July 24-28th, Be There (we will be)

2013-07-22T06:19:00.003-07:00

Well folks, we are on the road again. This Wednesday we take off for Cycle Source Magazines - MountainFest Motorcycle Rally. We'll be there, with our bikes and HHB Goodies - so come see us, hang out, bring us a cold brew (or two) and lets have a good time.

We've never been to Morgantown West Virginia, so it will be a new experience for us, and it's a region we haven't stopped at for an event, so if you are semi-local to the area, come see us... Plus, I have a surprise for you folks:

I just finished rebuilding the XS650 that started it all!

Thats right, my very first build is back in action, so come out and check it out, she's been in hiding for about 3 years now.

We'll have Slight Hell with us and Tevan's Resto-Mod Cafe' also...

And being that we are out of town for a few days, any orders placed after we leave will not be able to ship out until we get back. We will be diligent in shipping out orders between now and then of course.

Thanks so much, and see you there!

Hugh

Free Shipping! (well kinda)

2013-07-17T14:53:00.003-07:00

Ever since I started this business over 3 years ago, we've offered free shipping on all of our products. Shipping rates have continued to climb and climb, but we've stayed the course. Unfortunately the time has come, the time to get with the times so to speak

We do our best to offer only the finest products, tech and services here at HHB - and shipping needs to be on par with that as well. We are now working with UPS as much as possible (can vary depending on rates and location), as USPS has been very lackluster in performance these past few months.

From now on - Anything ordered from HHB with a total of $250 or more will be Shipped FREE (in the continental US) - this mean that PMA's and other items will still be the same old price as always. Some of the smaller items and smaller orders will now be charged a nominal shipping fee based on your location.

Hugh Says - "Buy lots, and save!"

We've started tossing in Free Stickers with each item ordered, and have revamped out packaging completely (I know you folks really liked the oily rags, last weeks newpaper, zip lock baggies and random stuff we mailed ya) to keep your products from HHB safe and sound on their journey to you. Plus, we'll be tossing in a New Super Secret freebie with all future orders! You are still getting more for your dollar...

As we are still working out the bugs on the shipping calculator, if something seems off - email us and we'll handle the order personally. Overseas, Canada and Hawaii/Alaska orders will need to email us for a proper shipping quote and invoice.

The new shipping methods will also allow us to properly price and bring new products to our website's store. Go check out the store and see for yourself. Bringing new products to the market it very important to us - and bringing the best to you fine folks is equally as important.

Hugh's HandBuilt - New Store with NEW GOODIES!!

Check out the store, feel free to give us feedback via email at HughsHandBuilt@gmail.com -we are working hard to bring you the best.

As always, thanks so much for your support.

On a personal note: The shop flooding, rebuilding, it flooding again, and then finally moving has really been a TON of work. We are getting back into action at the new shop. I can't thank you folks enough. You have encouraged us, sent your thoughts, prayers, funds, bought us a brew (or two) and really warmed my heart during all of this stress... I hope that it comes back to you fine folks with all of our continued efforts here at HHB. We simply couldn't do it without ya - Hugh

"Slight Hell" - For Sale

2013-07-08T07:43:00.002-07:00

Well folks, it pains me to do it, but my obligations to my home and family life are forcing the sale of Slight Hell. The relocation into the New Shop has really drained all of our "Rainy Day" funds - pun intended - haha...

Build Details here: Slight Hell Build

Instead of waiting a year (or sometimes more) for one of our amazing 277 Engines - you can now purchase an entire bike from HHB with all the goodies already done. This bike is a BLAST - it begs to be ridden like a dirtbike, yet can still handle 400-500 mile days in the twisties.

My friends call it the "Swiss Army XS" - because it does it all...

Flat Track? Yeah, we got this - haha

This bike has been featured in The Horse Backstreet Choppers, Cycle Source Magazine, Covered in Wrench Magazine from the Bama Swap and Drags, and had a great piece in the last issue of Lowside Syndicate Magazine.

Wrench Magazine

Cycle Source Magazine

Lowside Syndicate Magazine

The Horse Backstreet Choppers

Is it fast you ask? Well, only the modern sportbikes were beating it at the Bama Swap and Drags this year - so yeah, it's a quick little bugger...

Can it haul a trailer??? Uh - yeah... *trailer not included, but negotiable

So thats the gist of it. I love this bike, and won't part with it easily. It has ALL NEW everything. Bearings, seals, framework, suspension, etc... Nothing on this bike has been left untouched.

Seeing as how this engine would be a $6800 build without the carbs and pipes - this isnt your typical lowbuck XS build...

Email questions/offers to Hugh's HandBuilt -Hughshandbuilt@gmail.com

We will sell to overseas customers - although shipping arrangements, customs, etc.. will have to be handled by the purchaser.

XS650

277 Degree Rephased Engine By HHB

Ported Head

Web 59 Camshaft

Pamcopete 277 Ignition

Wiseco 750cc Pistons

5th Gear Overdrive

Shell Racing type Intakes

Modified HHB Speedster Pipes

16" 1981 XS650 Rear Wheel

Duro Rear Tire

23" Honda Front Wheel

Chen Shin Front Tire

Shaved and Polished XS650 35mm Forks

Custom HHB Stainless Lane Splitter Bars

HHB Solid Riser Bushings

Custom HHB framework - 2" up, 1.5" out, 1.5" Swingarm Stretch

HHB PMA Charging System

Custom Seat Pan - HHB

Seat Cover - Unknown

Headlight - Side Mount Bates Style

Tail Light - HD style LED

Batteryless Setup with a Sparx Capacitor

Mikuni VM34 Carbs

Tapered Steering Bearings

Bronze Swingarm Bushings

Custom HHB Stretched Swingarm

KZ Rear Fender

HHB Brass Foot Pegs

Kick Only

Lots of other mods of course, but that gets you close..

Hugh

HHB Fork Braces - Now Available *Limited Time Only

2013-07-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I've been breaking bad on the tubing bender this week. I'll tell ya, manually bending tube is NOT the best way to get into shape, but it won't hurt thats for sure...

So lets get to the meat and potatoes here... We love XS's, we love em all... Bobbers, Choppers, Cafe's, Brats, Resto-Mods, you name it... We do our best to find the weak points in these old bikes, and make them better. When we built Tevan's Resto-Mod XS2 - we found out the hard way that the front forks needed some beefing up... It was just a bit squirelly in the corners are speed, and that to us is unacceptable.

The OEM fender acts as a "brace" of sorts, but it's flimsy and you can flex it with your hands - so that wasn't the answer either.

We looked around the forums, talked to some of our racing customers, and found a serious lack for a proper fork brace. So off to the shop we went, after about 7 different designs and tests , the final HHB Fork Brace was born out of steel, sweat and even a little blood (careful folks, those metal 'burrs' are sharper than you think! haha)

Behold, the HHB Fork Brace! Made from 100% USA Made Steel, fabricated entirely in house and fully TIG welded - it doesn't get much better than this!

This limited run is designed to work on the 19" front wheel and tire combo that is OEM on 1975ish and up XS650's with 35mm Forks. Not sure what forks you have? Well, now is the time to invest in a cheap set of calipers so you'll have all of the answers to the worlds problems in the future - or something like that.

Tried and true on several race, these have been a LONG time in the making, but we are proud to announce these for sale (*limited quanity available, so act fast).

TO PURCHASE GO TO: http://hughshandbuilt.com/shop/

****Available only in RAW finish currently. For custom sizes, (18" or 21" wheels) contact us and we'll make one custom just for ya! Current pricing is based on shipping in the US Only - all other countries contact us for a shipping quote.

INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Secure Bike and Remove Front Wheel, Axle, Spacers, Etc

2. Remove Front Fender (if you haven't ditched that bulky sucker already!)

3. Slide Fork Brace into place, bolting with supplied hardware to the OEM fender mounts on the forks. You may have to twist the fork to clear the brake master (removal not required) when sliding the HHB Fork Brace into place. I prefer the slotted mount holes on the HHB Fork Brace to be towards the back of the bike.

4. The fit is TIGHT for a reason - we designed these to be functional and great looking. An ill fitting fork brace would be a cosmetic item, but we expect more from our products. Loosely install ALL hardware with Anti-Sieze before tightening down any of the bolts. *If you paint or finish the HHB Fork Brace, you may have to remove the paint from the ID of the bolt holes

5. Once all hardware is loosely installed, finish the install by torquing the hardware to OEM spec, and reinstall your wheel and brakes components. Ride on

Smokeout East - 2013

2013-06-19T14:13:00.002-07:00

Folks, It's hotter than a ballsack in a burlap bag.. It's soo damn hot, might as well go sit in the worst part of North Carolina and die of heat exhaustion right?? Well, apparently we agree - because we are headed to the Smokeout East this weekend! But hey, at least there is zero shade, and no chance of a breeze!!!

We will be down with The Monstercraftsman Crew, doing some How-To's with those folks... So come on out, bring us a cold bottle of water and hang out. We'll be there all weekend long, playing on the drag strip, making fools of ourselves due to heat stroke, and generally having a pretty good time...

For those of you who are interested in riding a RePhased XS650, we'll have our Slight Hell bike on hand and if you talk real nice to us (and bring that bottle of water!!!) we'll let you take her for a spin...

RIDE SLIGHT HELL AT SMOKEOUT 2013!!!!

We are also on schedule to install a Hugh's HandBuilt PMA system, so drop in and make that happen with us... And bring water - haha...

So come see us, and bring us a tasty cold beverage (or two really, we won't mind a bit)

*We are NOT bringing merchandise, but if you want us to bring you some HHB parts, let us know in advance and we'll try to make that happen. Tomorrow night is when we'll have the trailer packed, so hit us up before then...

A fresh start - New HHB Headquarters

2013-06-10T14:55:00.003-07:00

If you read through our previous post on the Pay It Forward Chopper Build, then you saw that we were moving... Thats right folks, a fresh start for Hugh's HandBuilt after the flooding and other issues at our old locations is gonna be a very welcome thing in our lives...

We have all 4 bays, 2100 Sq Ft including some office space and a shipping area! We are stoked to be moving along like this - new territory for HHB means we can do more than ever. New products, new services, and faster operations (hopefully - haha)

But, it also means we'll be having a small amount of downtime. As I type this, we just got a running computer up at the new shop. Internet is hooked up, and we are hoping to get back into the swing of things. We started moving last week, trying not to interrupt the daily happenings at the shop, but who are we kidding? We've been off schedule since the flood of the shop - so be patient if you can. I know I am about 4-5 days behind on emails, and about the same on shipping.

I am working as fast as possible to bring your not only the best in services and products, but soon new products will hit the streets as well from HHB. Thanks as always for your support and encouragement as we venture into this new chapter. We can't wait to be back up and running full speed.

Hugh

Pay it Forward Chopper Build

2013-05-29T09:11:00.002-07:00

So it's been nearly a Month since our shop flooded. Tons and tons of support poured into the shop via funds, positive thoughts, phone calls, etc... I can't thank Lisa Ballard enough for setting up a "Gofundme" account to which many folks made donations to help us get back on our feet. Lowbrow Customs, ChopCult, Biltwell, Monstercraftsman and many many others all jumped in to help out. And we can't be thankful enough for that...

I was even all packed up and ready to leave for the Ramble Tamble the morning of the flood. You can see all my gear on Slight Hell's trailer...

I was supposed to be in Kentucky for the Ramble Tamble while our shop was flooding. While I missed that trip, it seems all my friends and folks I knew going had a blast.

Now I'm cleaning up my shop, dealing with all the flood mess, rebuild, etc.. And I get a text message from a customer. He says "Man, I totalled my bike at Ramble Tamble - but it still charges!!"

I was bummed, you see I don't really know Daniel that well. He bought a PMA from us for his chopper, and I got hang out with him a bit at The Bama Swap and Drags a while back. Cool dude with a cool bike.

The more I thought about it, the more I knew what had to be done. You see, I am not the type of dude who openly accepts help, it's just damn hard for a guy like me to do. And knowing that the Chopper Gods had smiled down upon Hugh's HandBuilt - I had to Pay It Forward. So Eddie (he's new around here, but you'll be seeing more of him) and I talked it over and made a plan to help get Daniels sweet XS650 chopper back on the road...

So a plan was made.. I ordered materials, parts, and made sure the shop was in good enough shape to go about rebuilding this chopper in a weekend... This past weekend we really killed it. My great friend Dino was there with camera in hand to capture it all...

"And on the first day, the Chopper Gods sent forth a man. A man from Birmingham. A man with a chopper in need. A chopper in need of...... EVERYTHING"

Daniel showed up from Birmingham Alabama with his wrecked choppy.

Took a few minutes to assess the damages...

Scratching my head, yeah it's that bad...

"Well you see, it used to be like this, but it now its like that"

Oof - that hardtail looks like it's gone limp...

Bent Frame? Check... Ruined Bars? Check... Smashed fender and sissybar? Check...
This thing by all practical means was completely totalled....

Off the truck and into the shop...

""Take a good look folks, cuz it's only getting better from here"

Daniel overlooking the cutdown of whats left of his poor old chopper..

"Wait a minute, this is Daniel's bike - make him earn it" - haha...

I can see the Craigslist Add Now: "Weld on Hardtail Kit, complete with Fender, Brake Mounts, Sissybar - needs minor work but would be a killer start on your bobber/chopper/cafe/brat/chubber/brubber "

Bars? Yeah, they toast too...

"Bro Wave" on the pile of scrap... I think Daniel has it down...

"Dude, this things gonna need some more cutting" -

Agreed. Check out the lower backbone bracing.

Saving what we could, but even the lower rails were fully tweaked...

Removing the frame slugs from the previous hardtail took some creativity but we finally got em out...

Eddie went to town cutting, blending, grinding and prepping the frame for a rebuild

Daniel Prepping our Mock-Up Motor for the rebuild.

Daniel Says "Safety First" while Eddie says "Son, you aint' seen nothing yet"

Bryan and Daniel bending up some new Pullback bars. A special focus was given to proper ergonomics on the rebuild.

"Into the fold" - I rarely every build a frame or hardtail for customers or friends.

We got Jiggy Wit It

Daniel - "The Thinker"

Hugh - "The Brains"

Eddie - "The guy with the seriously stanky feet"

Lower Frame rails going back in. Wait what? Yeah thats right, we were putting parts back ON in the first day. Those OEM lower frame rails took some major massaging to get to this point.

Daniel fitting the upper frame rails. We chose to shorten up the tail section from it's previous incarnation. Zero Drop and 3" Stretch would look killer, so we went with that.

"It wasn't me, I've been Framed!"

Daniel inspecting the welding process with his Patended "Weld inspection tube"

HHB PMA? Yes sir... And we pulled the points to install a Pamco ignition as well.

The Rear Wheel Bearings were toast, so we inspected the wheel, trued it up and popped new one in... Made for a long day, but we were making some killer progress on a Saturday...

DAY 2

"And on the 2nd Day, the Chopper Gods looked down upon the HHB shop. The Gods were pleased - so they gave the men a 2nd wind to continue the good works."

Now it should be mentioned, that Daniels chopper was the average amalgamation of all things horrid. When it came to the shop, it had every type of bolt, screw, ziptie and butt connector you could find at the hardware store. Metric, Standard and I'm pretty sure we even found some whitworth bolts on there too...

I expect more from our shop, and in the conquest to make a great chopper for Daniel - only Metric hardware was used in the rebuild. Bungs were installed instead of through holes in the frame, and all this would mean a more reliable and trusty steed. I mean, the bike LOOKS killer, but it's got a duty to Daniel to be a good one too. Having proper hardware, fabrication, wiring and such will make for a much more enjoyable ride (and a smaller tool bag as well!)

Daniels springer was straight and good to go, but it needed proper bearings and spacers to be machined for a perfect fit. Eddie made that happen on the lathe and things moved along smoothly.

Brian - "The Overthinker"

Measure twice, cut once... (Also know as "Fawk, thats way off")

Beautifully crafted Pullback Bars - I gotta give Bryan credit for those. He and Daniel made sure they were comfortable and had the proper ergonomics. This bike will be better than ever when it leaves the shop.

Bryan - Making bungholes... He has alot of experience being one - haha.

There must have been 4 different holes in this section of frame from previous tank mounts. We filled and smoothed them out the best we could (This pic was before final smoothing)

A new chain... What new build uses an old cruddy chain? Details like this make for a more enjoyable ride. Spend the extra cash on wear items up front, and less time on the side of the road later..

Daniel "I'm really liking this 2x4 Pine seat, will this be in the HHB catalog soon?"

Eddie "I'm not on Instagram, I promise" - you can follow him under username "Shreddie" - just make sure to ask "How much over stock is them there forks" everytime he posts up a pic of his shovelhead choppy. He loves that...

The look of a man who smokes while fondling a tank full of gas... Serious business folks...

"Damn, this thing is looking like a bike again"

One of Daniels biggest concerns was his rear brake. Being a rear brake only chopper, his old setup was pretty bad. I let him test ride my Slight Hell bike at the Bama Swap and Drags and he knew we could set him up with a killer XS650 rear drum that actually worked.

This is the HHB Rear Brake Pivot Kit, welded and ready to be fitted to the frame.

Simple and effective, just the way we like it.

Fabbed up all new linkage for the rear brake. No cobbled mess of old OEM junk here, all new and working proper.

Fully Adjustable Pivot Stop and a return spring- I'm a big fan of adjustability. Little details like this make it easy to dial in the bike to the rider when it comes time to hit the road.

We used the OEM brake pivot, lever and return spring. Sometimes reinventing the wheel isn't necessary. But I can say, I'm really proud of this brake setup. We rebuilt the rear drum using all new hardware, springs and EBC Brake Shoes. It's a killer setup now..

Eddie donated a rear fender he had laying around. It's the perfect size for the OEM 18" rear wheel. Some filling of old holes was needed, but it fit just right.

We used the old chain doubled up for proper spacing. This style of bike doesn't need a tire hugging fender, but one that looks like it came off of a dirt bike probably won't do either... Just right..

Carbs? Motor? Pegs? Kickstart? Is this thing coming back together or are you just happy to see me... I'm pretty sure Daniel was pitching a tent all weekend...

"A Man and His Machine" - I love this shot...

"After a bit more R&D on the 2x4 seat, I think we are ready to go to market" Now begs the question, will the customers prefer Pine or Oak?

Skinny

What a sissy... Some 5/8" Cold Rolled stock was pulled from the shelf to create the perfect sissybar for this chop. And like any good weekend build, we ran out of Acetylene so we had to use a Mapp Gas torch to bend it all... I'm betting Daniel spent no less than 4 hours holding that torch this weekend...

PMA Regulator Mount. Nice and tidy.

"And the Chopper Gods sent another gift from the heavens."

We wanted to hook Daniel up with a Sparx capacitor instead of the battery he was using. He was already running kick only, so why not...

3 Hours later............... Or was it 4?

Yeah, it's dark outside... We put in some LONG hours on Sunday building this thing.

"You know, I think this 2x4 seat is really gonna be the next big craze" - Just wait until you see the price of "Period Correct" lumber on Ebay in the next few weeks... Just remember where it all started.

Day 3

"And on the 3rd Day, the Chopper Gods knew that the ascension unto the highways was near"

I'm not gonna kid you, if you think this was the ONLY brew we drank on this build, then feel free to feel sorry for us and send us a care package of your favorite brews (Seriously, we LOVE care packages - haha)

Dino had to take off and get back to school (he's studying Industrial Design, I'm soo proud of him - haha) , so we got a few less pics on the 3rd day. But the boys and I put in a TON of hours into this thing. It left the HHB shop needing nothing more than a new seatpan and foam, and some minor wiring to be on the road. We cleaned the carbs, installed the Pamco and fired up the engine on the first kick. Eddie put in some major hours and made sure a killer set of pipes got built along with help from Bryan.

You can still see the remnants of the HHB flood in the background.

I honestly cannot be more thankful for the guys I work with. Dino, Bryan, Tevan, and Eddie really make this place feel more like home and less like work all the time. And they all came together to help make this project happen and it happened in a hell of a blur. We basically built an entire chopper in 3 days...

All in all, we were all very pleased with the outcome. This build is probably one of the best things we've ever done in the shop. You see, so many people came out and helped us rebuild the shop and get back on our feet after the flood, and we wanted to pay it forward.

All of the guys who helped out donated their time and energy to the build, and HHB donated all of the materials, parts, and even some food and brew to the cause. All Daniel had to do was get here, put in some sweat equity and have a good attitude - And boy did he ever... Pay It Forward whenever you get a chance folks, it really does feel good...

And this is the LAST build to ever come out of this shop, because we just signed the lease on the next big thing....

So you'll be seeing MORE of HHB goodness soon, and I can't wait... Thanks so much for all your support. Without a killer network of customers, friends and family - we'd never be able to live this little part of the American Dream.

Thank-You!
Hugh

HHB Flood Of 2013 - News, Updates, and a "Flood Sale"

2013-05-06T12:57:00.002-07:00

Well folks, we've had a LONG weekend... I had planned to ride out to Kentucky on Friday morning for the Ramble Tamble. Instead I was awoken from my sleep at 2:45am to a call from the Fire Department. Apparently one of the very old sprinkler pipes had ruptured in the shop.

So I got to the shop as fast as I could...

Thats not good. not good at all. Apparently the pipe had ruptured, and the shutoff valve could not be found for a good 30-45 minutes or so once the Asheville Fire Department got there. (BTW, thanks to ALL of the AFD who were there that night, it was a sigh of relief to be surrounded by some great folks in such a stressful moment)

The best part? The pipe that burst, filled the office ceiling with water until my office caved in...

Looking into the office from the shop.

I was soo overwhelmed, that all I could do for a few minutes was grab a few pics of the damages, then start pushing bikes outside. I opened the shop door and literally watched parts and packages float out of the office. Everything in the office is 100% loss at this point...

Here are some shots, just to give you an idea of the damages we have sustained this past weekend..

Man, you would never think 4-5" of water could do soo much damage...

I know it's strange, but this is somehow my favorite picture of this disaster...

And this picture truly breaks my heart.

It filled the office ceiling with water until it couldn't handle the weight, and collapsed - ruining all of our office computers, printers, about 50% of our inventory and all of my baby girl (Rebecca) stuff that I keep at the shop. You see, without my office and without the things for her, I cannot work at the shop. I bring my baby girl to the shop everyday, and keep her safe and sound in the office as I work.

We have always been a small operation, and as such - I do Daddy Daycare each day while my wife goes to work.

The office is a total loss, we are hoping to strip all of the drywall this week and insulation, and start the rebuilding process. We could use building materials or funds to help get those as well.

We lost a ton of inventory, as well as all of our packing/shipping supplies and other stuff that comes with running our business.

To make matters worse, we tried to get flood insurance about a year ago, but since we are in the flood plain, it was astronomically high. Fast forward to today, and now the river is rising and rising FAST!

I will be having a "flood sale" on the blog (as soon as I can find a computer that will let me upload images from my phone, mine is trashed of course) in order to help raise money ourselves as well. I will have lots of bikes, parts, frames, and other stuff for sale.

If you are local, and have a Pack and Play (baby crib), a decent laptop/computer, or other supplies we can use - feel free to contact us.

So as you can imagine, we are a bit overwhelmed right now. With our lost inventory, lost office, and the time it will take to clean up this mess, we are going to be a bit backlogged with orders and emails. Please be patient with us, and we will move forward as best we can to make sure that you get the best from Hugh's HandBuilt - just as always.

And as always, thank you soo much for your continued support. Even in times like this, I am overwhelmed with the postive vibes and support you folks have sent in via Facebook, Instagram, etc..

And for those of you who have asked how to help? Lisa Ballard has set up a nice "GoFundMe" site. It humbles me to even think of asking for help or donations, but Lisa set this up for us knowing as much. For those of you who have reaped the benefits of our Tech, Support, Products and Services, and would like to give back - I'll not turn it down at this point. I'm a bit overwhelmed with everything that is happening, but we'll take it one step at a time and come back stronger.

Instagram username - Hughshandbuilt

Facebook - Hugh's HandBuilt on Facebook

GoFundMe Account - I cannot be more humble and more grateful for your help - than I am today. Thank you soo much.

If you have pending orders, services, emails, etc... with us - please be patient and we will have everything squared away as soon as possible.

Hugh

Meltdown 2013

2013-04-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a KILLER vintage event - The Meltdown. It was held at the Southern Appalachian Brewery and we had a blast. We rode down in wonderful 60 degree weather, but that was as good as it got.

The weather was pure crap, which was nice in all reality. I had the following conversation with my friend (and an amazing photographer) Frank Bott

Frank: In this crappy weather, only the really tough bikers show up

Hugh: No way dude, all the "tough" guys are at home watching Sons of Anarchy re-runs. The people that actually showed up today at the people that genuinely LOVE this stuff.

Frank: Thats a great way to put it.

(Some of that is paraphrased, I had a "Few" of those wonderful brews that day - haha)

You see, for me it's all about the love of two wheels (and sometimes just one, if it's a really gnarly wheelie!) and the folks that rode out in the 50 degree rain and stood in the rain talking motorbikes, drinking great brew, and having a blast - those are my kind of folks... Diehards, and not "tough" at all really - just in love with 2 wheels.

Another great friend of mine came down, and took an amazing amount of photos - so I'll let the photo's do most of the talking. Enjoy it folks, this is what it's REALLY all about.

Setting up before the rain

All Smiles

Sam made it there with his freshly built XS (black)

"Shreddie" Cleveland hanging back with his Shovel, he was on guard with that many cool XS's around - ha!!

Tevan Morgan made the ride down on his XS2

Tevan entered his bike into the show, so we gave it a quick wipedown

A really strong showing of cool vintage bikes, not as big as last year due to the weather, but some great bikes for sure.

This 55' Pan took "Best American" in the show and I know for a fact that he rode it in... That's the only way to roll in my book.

And then the rain came down. And damn did it come down!!

Roy Vance made a showing with "The Tennessee Rose" - nothing says "I LOVE riding like coming into a show in the 50 degree rain... This bike gathers a crowd everywhere it goes, and being Rephased it sounds amazing too!

Tevan being himself. I love this dude!

If you aren't bringing your baby out to motorcycle events, you probably aren't raising them proper. But seriously, those who follow us on the blog/facebook/instagram know that my lovely Courtney and Rebecca are very integral parts of my life at HHB. The shop is always full of family time. I LOVE my job!!!

My lovely ladies

Just a bit wet you say??

And of course none of us had raingear, because who thinks ahead like that??

THIS Man - you should know him... This Frank J Bott, he is an amazing photographer and someone I'm glad to call a friend. Google him, check out his work, and bring your bikes to him to shoot.

When not killing groundhogs, Creature prefers a life of luxury.

Nothing says "lets roll" like a bunch of soaked to the bone helmets... Kinda like putting on wet underwear, but worse...

Tevan's XS2 Resto-Mod Cafe' ended up taking home "Best Japanese" in the show, and then we packed up and hit the road home. I'd say it was miserable riding, but everywhere I looked was a rider smiling like he'd never ridden before... So yeah, get in love with 2 wheels - rain or shine!!

Hugh