There was something vaguely familiar about it involving the lines of the bike, but there was nothing that would make me absolutely sure whose bike it was. I had been blowing up Jack’s photos looking for clues like maybe a painter’s name in small letters (they often do that) or some engraving where the company name showed up, but no.  But, then I got it ─ mystery solved. Machined tappet adjustment covers, I knew I had seen something exactly like that before and then it all came together. Barnett’s Magazine Online had run an article on another XS650 built by Daniel Donley of Pandemonium Custom Choppers with those same machined tappet covers. Cold case UNKYAM solved.

 

   It’s weird how certain things just strike you as cool and you file it away for your own possible use and the tappet covers were just one of those things. I appreciated that Daniel decided to add a bit of mechanical bling to a custom XS 650 build whose total cost would probably surprise you. Oh, and that’s in a good way as in totally affordable. As we’ve said many times before, imagination can do a lot of things money simply can’t. Neat little touches like machined tappet covers are not what you expect to see on a lower-priced build, but whoomp! There it is.

 

  There was a good reason the bike seemed familiar, well in retrospect anyway, with Pandemonium touches like spotless vertical twin 650cc engine that looks showroom fresh, probably even better. That’s nothing special you say and in a way you would be right, but then you’ve probably never ripped one apart and restored it to better than new. It may not be revolutionary, but it’s a lot of hard work to achieve a finish like this. Old, abandoned or worn out XS650s were not known to be lovingly stored or even cared for by the time it had its 13^th or 14^th owner and that’s one good reason they’re so cheap to start with. Obviously they could be made to run without all the detailing, but this is no metric rat bike.

 

   Where this build takes a turn from the regular XS bobber is the incorporation of a large for an XS 23-inch laced front wheel. You expect to see the usual 21, but the wheel looks even a bit larger than a 23 due to the open spokes and nary a brake bit in sight. It’s all wheel bubba. A slimmed down and show polished XS fork handles the up and down duties via springs and oil. No air ride here kiddies and it’s not necessary. Out back a regular old size wheel enhances the front wheel’s stature as the big boy on the block. Both are covered in beefy Avon rubber and Pandemonium’s own caliper adapter allows them to run a grabby Brembo brake. If I can only have one brake, make mine a Brembo.

 

   As mentioned, the spotless engine has been refreshed from the inside out as well and has many of the little updates to an old twin that keeps it running better than it probably ever did. Reliability was this engine’s claim to fame compared to the inspirational British vertical twins that preceded it. The horizontally-split crankcases got rid of dreaded Brit oil leaks and reliable Japanese electrics replaced the iffy products of Joe Lucas. Other than a couple of sock puppet air cleaners on the twin carb induction and Pandemonium’s header wrapped foot warming exhaust, this is basically a stock twin. It’s not a screamer in stock form, but this torquey engine surely has to push a hell of a lot less weight in this stripped-to-the-bone custom. It’s got great performance for its use as an around town bopper and a weekend rider as I’m guessing where it will be ridden. It’s a great knocking around mill that you can put away wet and it’ll run like a champ whenever you fire it up again.

 

   The overall look of this bike is short and sweet with lots of airspace showing through the rigid frame. The unit-construction wet sump engine is its own entity and the rest just gets wrapped around it. What you might think is an 8-ball oil tank is actually where the electrics are housed with and any and all electrical switches like ignition and lights are toggled from there. Simple, clean and contained. The riding position is nothing extreme and actually a bit comfortable with a short reach to the short rise bars, mid-controls and a seat that just might need a bit more padding or suspension. I’m sure the reason for the mids are spelled out just from the frame mounted seat that’s a bit of a jolt if you can’t get your weight on the pegs when you hit a bad bump.

 

   There are only two small bits of bodywork, but both are perfect for this build. The little peanut tank looks like it might have come off a small dirt bike, although the Yamaha tank graphics and relocated motocross cap might be what influenced me. Hey, it could be just a small tank from anything with those two additions so I’m not staking what little reputation I have on the dirt bike thingy. But, you gotta admit it looks that way. The other bit of bodywork is the short, speed-holed rear fender that serves to try and keep road grit off the rider’s back and give one more place for paint. What makes these pieces larger to the design than they really are is the beautiful gold heavy metal flake paint. Big chips in the sun make anything look more striking along with the seemingly-stock white and black Yamaha laser graphics which only adds a bit of OEM intrigue to the proceedings.

 

    Daniel Donley and the crew at Pandemonium Custom Choppers have turned out another bobber beauty from the remnants of an old vertical twin. I don’t know who the owner is, but I’m sure they’re having a blast knocking around on this striking, yet affordable bobber. Somehow I don’t think this will ever be outside holding a shed up now or in the future as it’s too cool to let go to pot again. For somebody, this will be a keeper and they’ve got Pandemonium to thank for that.

 

  Visit Pandemonium Custom Choppers at www.pandemoniumcustomchoppers.com/ to see more of their builds including a bunch of really nice Harley builds or check out their Facebook page for more info.