Escanabajoshs 350x build

[Escanabajosh]

this is my first build so i'm going to have a ton of questions. also going to be a slow build, been laid off so don't have much $ to throw around right now.

heres the story on the bike. i've always wanted a 350x, even in grade school i use to talk about it! so i bought this truck from my forman for $300 bucks had it for the summer and sold it for $600. i took that money and set out on a 350x mission. i knew it wouldn't be enough for a good looking/running x so i planned on it being a build for this winter (shooting for next winter now). i live in the U.P. (upper michigan) and there are slim to none for the 350x's so i went on a 16 hour round trip to pick up a bike off C.L. the guy wanted $800 i told him for $750 i would be there the next day. once i got there the bike didn't run, gas stunk like turpintine and the oil smelt like gas (he did say bad rings befor i left) as i'm looking at it i noticed a crack in the usual spot and i asked him about it, said he didn't know?!? so i took it home for $700. i know i know i paid too much but i am new to this and was very excited to get a 350x and pissed i drove all that way i wasn't going home with a empty trailer.

the good:new plastics front/rear, new clarke tank,new holeshots 20"/kenda max front,new seat cover,new grommets,airfilter,new bars.i think the guy was trying to fix it up.

the bad: crack in frame, bad rings,where the muffler bolts up them holes are SHOT!

plans for the bike: right now i'm working on getting the stuff i need welded together and trying to buy parts i need. i don't know how extreame this build is going to get since this is going to be a my trail rider but it should look nice when done.
i was thinking about doing a "87 clone but i realy like the look of the white/black x's so i think i'm going that route.

here are the pic's i got so far. once i get my RMP skid plate i'll be going to the welder soon so i hope to have gussets and skid plate mounting brackets on my swinger done soon will post pics asap. was planing on having done allready but i'm focusing my money on my 250sx right now so i got that thing ready for the spring mud.

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/002.jpg
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/001.jpg

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/013.jpg

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/017.jpg
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/016.jpg

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/011.jpg
thanks again jensenracing for the motor mount

just gotta do a little grinding and burn them in, waiting till i get rpm skidplate so i can fix swinger mounts for skid at same time.
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/008.jpg

its going to be a slow build but i'll update.

[RodKnockRacing]

good start good luck with it

[MonroeMike]

Good luck with the project, 350x is a nice bike.

[AJZ_200X]

very nice - looks to be in good condition from the pics. I just picked up a project trike (85' 350x) as well. Cant wait to start wrenching on it.

[beets442]

You didn't do to bad for what you paid, by looks. Exhaust studs can be a pain. Good luck wrenching...Beets

[3wheeledjunkie]

Where's this crack at. I'm going to pick one up here in a couple weeks, and would like to see if there is evidene of prior repair or a crack forming. I can see the pic, but can't make out where on the frame the crack is.

[Escanabajosh]

the 350x's tend to crack at the left side motor mount, mine took the mount right off the frame (or the p.o. did?) heres a a few pics of where to look you should be able to see the crack.the 1986 350x's have a frame wrap to "fix"the cracks from happening.
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/004.jpg
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/003.jpg

also right under the seat tends to crack.

[Escanabajosh]

well 2 1/2 years later,lol.

I ended up getting laid off with hopes of going back in a few months,that never happen. Since I didn't have the $ to fix the bike it has sat for 2+ years.

About a month ago I was up late drinkin beer and playing on the computer when I figured check out Craigslist (again) and up pops a 350x about 3 hours from me,it's like 3am but I still sent a email...after I talked my fiance into it the next day I called him up and said I was on my way.

I get there and it is rough.....but all the stuff that was crap, I had good stuff from the other machine! he starts is up,no smoke and ran good. frame was good.

He was asking $650 and it came with a bunch of parts wheel bearing,axle bearings,axle lock nut,fork boots,I think there was a few other things.

I ask him if he will do $600 he says sure and we load it up :)
150549

I got it home and started workin on it right away. so far I put the clarke tank and new plastics from the other machine on,along with the grab bar and DG pipe. The pipe I also had a head pipe for so I out that on with new nuts and gaskets. The axle bearings were shot and I had a good swinger with axle so i swaped them out along with the shock since the old one leaked.

I went to put on the fork boots but the one fork was bent bad (no wonder it pulled so hard to the left) good thing I have another set! Then I find out the stem is bent also so my other forks wont slide in. So I ordered a stem bearing kit, as I was working on that I dropped the stem and lower tripple on my big toe,lol. Got that all together and put a set of pro tappers on it,just need a 400ex master and i'll be good to go on the front.

I just got a new rear caliper off ebay for $100 with pads and I got a set of bushings from the 3ww shop on the way. Then I just gotta put in a new plug and change the oil/filter and should be ready for the first ride next week!

still plan on doing gussets but I think I'm gunna send it out. I would like to fix that first frame and make it a rider and take the other one and build up a mickey dunlap 500x....see what happens,getting married in june 2013 and she says enough with the trikes ya can only ride one anyways

This is the last picture I took of it, this is the new wheeler with the old wheeler (new)plastic on it...i got the caliper and hope the bushings come today so i can do them after that i'll take a good picture and post it up

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l414/ESCANABAJOSH/100_0362.jpg

[dougspcs]

Winnin' is good, huh Josh.

Bet you can't wait to see this thing ride..you've waited a long time haven't you?

Maybe we'll see each other sometime..I'd like to get into Michigan for some riding one day. Maybe Silver Lake would be fun to put a 350x thru it's paces?

[Escanabajosh]

I took it for one small ride but the forks were bent so it pulled hard.....hope today is the day for the real ride :) It has been a long long long wait....now I gotta pay off this wedding before I can do any more work to the frame (gusset and powder coat)

silver lake is in the plans, hope to do it this fall. My fiances cousin lives downstate and wants us to go, we got a skydive jump in the works down that way so might have to do them both the same weekend.

I hope to get a set of paddles for it but we dont have any real dunes up here so gotta find some used. Plan on getting 4-snow's this winter and new trail tires in the spring.

were moving soon to a county with 25% the population of the county i'm in now and schoolcraft county has lots of trails,might hold a upper michigan ride once I learn the area and trails