The Thunder Bucket

This was a very interesting project to do. But now it is time for someone else to enjoy this bike.
A fellow builder had begun this bike back in 2010 and after a short while it became apparent to him that he was not equipped to finalize the vision on the build so he sold it to another fellow. Who, like the previous owner had great expectations but lacked the determination and expertise to bring it all home.
We picked it up in the fall of 2018 and after careful examination of what was there we set about putting the pieces together and completing all the required modifications to make this bike one hell of a motor bike.
It’s a bit of a hybrid. It utilizes the frame from a 1983 Suzuki GS750, and housed within that frame is our favorite beating heart…an XS650 motor. We chose a later model low mileage 447 motor from a Heritage Special .
She purrs like a kitten…albeit a somewhat angry kitten.
The frame modifications that were required to accomplish this were somewhat extensive but we persevered and got all the proper motor mounts installed and had to add a couple frame gussets to give everything adequate stability and strength. The original motor mounts had to be reoriented to accept the XS motor and by doing so we were able to add additional stability to the overall frame integrity.
The front end has been upgraded with an early GSXR set-up with larger 41mm forks carrying twin brake calipers to give a lot of stopping power up front with the dual disc brake set-up. The rear end has the proven Suzuki “Full Floater” mono-shock set-up with a single disc brake set-up.
The wheels have been upgraded as well with the addition of custom CNC machined aluminum hubs laced up to aluminum rims using double butted stainless steel spokes. Twin discs ride on the 19” front wheel and a single disc adds additional stopping power to the rear 18” wheel. These we shod with Shinko 777 series performance radials with a gnarly 150 X 18 in the rear and a 130 X 19 up front.
All new brakes were installed front and rear and are fed through Goodridge braided stainless steel brake lines.
As great as this bike goes it does need to stop and, now it does that with profound purpose.
All the wiring on the bike has been completed with a new hand made wiring harness that really simplifies everything. Clean and simple is always best. Only two mini blade fuses for the entire system.
The custom metallic black paint work was done in-house using Matrix Systems custom colors and it really pops.
Additional items that have been integrated into this bike:
New Mikuni VM34 carbs with CNC intakes & steel mesh air filters.
Refurbished '73 Suzuki Titan T500 gas tank with subtle modifications.
New Areotech Industries fiberglass seat pan and marine vinyl pad.
New clutch and brake master cylinders with hydraulic clutch set-up.
New Acewell 2853 digital instrumentation unit.
New Hughes Hand Built PMA charging system.
New Goodridge braided stainless steel brake lines.
New Pamco electronic ignition system.
New Anti-Gravity 8 cell Li-Ion battery.
New 4 place blade fuse connector.
New 7.5” side mount head light.
New engine seals and gaskets.
New LED tail light & blinkers.
New Pro Taper bars.
New brake pads.
New bushings.
New bearings.
New cables.
New grips.
The bike tears up the twisty roads with total confidence and is still docile enough for everyday riding. Highway speeds are no problem at all.
It has a clean title with a classic vehicle plate so no more yearly tabs…EVER.