That looks like an early 80’s “S” model to me other than the white frame ,as in xl185s which was the twin shocker model .Not honestly sure when we stopped getting them but guessing 1986 or so ?

I'm not sure about Canada, but in the US they stopped in 1984 (?). I thought that maybe the XR200 twinshock replaced it in 1980, but I'm not 100% certain. There definitely weren't any twinshocks in this family sold in the US after '84.

the serial number denotes a 91 year of manufacture, but was compliance plated in Australia for 92.

Found a pic showing the paint codes and XL185SM label.

Also shows how crusty the bike frame was. It's currently bare metal while i figure out new brackets for custom side panels and hardware mounts.

from what 've found USA went to 83/4, Canada 87, Australia/Singapore 93.

Other than the paint scheme and cluster arrangement not much difference between years.

I could be wrong but I think up until the 90's mono shocks might not have been road legal in Australia at the time or getting them compliance plated was difficult. which might have been a reason it continued sale in Australia. Until the transport regulations changed to approve mono shocks.

So after I finished the seat restoration I placed it back on the bike for a bit of motivation.

During the tear down i labeled the factory wiring loom and took photos to document as much of the bike configuration and fitment as possible.

Keeping it budget DIY i opted for paint stripper instead of media blasting. had to do a few application coats but it was impressive stuff.

My Bike did not have original plastic covers and i was not really interested in replacing them, So I made the decision to remove the bracketry and mounting points for them and the airbox with an added weight reduction benefit. I intend to fabricate some basic aluminum side covers..

This is a custom Resto-mod project. With the Zongshen CG250 swap the electrics will all be updated to modern 12v LED and Digital display.

Next up will be tackling the fuel tank...

So as bike enthusiasts we can all agree that there are specific focal points to a bike, the wheels and engine draw the eye but I think we can all agree its the fuel tank that is the jewel on the crown...well maybe more so for classic metal tank bikes then modern plastics...

My XL185 was more of a sore thumb than a jewel. But it was all exterior. The inside was perfect with just a little crusty fuel varnish inside. I put a little fresh fuel in the tank and added some BB's/ball bearings to help dislodge the residue give a shake once a day till it cleaned up then used a magnet on a stick to remove the BB's

Side note: if you looking to buy a classic bike with a metal tank always look inside the tank...Dealing with a crusty internal tank is often a lost cause. Time and cost to repair typically isn't worth it.

So back to restoring the jewel. Paint strip, wire wheel, dremel the nooks, more sanding, clean, rust treat, bog and putty, more sanding, more bog and putty, sanding, etchprime, paint and clear coat.

It's all about the preparation! But this is my Beginner bike and I am going to drop it. So at some point after hours of prep you just gotta get on with it.

Important for my was that the rust was treated and the major dings were undinged*

but when you start applying paint you will notice the imperfections...

Did I mention it's all about Preparation!!!

Anyway for my first time painting a fuel tank I am happy with the result

the colour is Dupli-Color Autospray Regency Red Pearl. I was going for a Sour Cherry look.

IMO better than Honda's flame reds...

I do have new custom tank decals but I waiting till final stages of fitment before applying them. Stay tuned :)

From out of the bog, the jewel is found. (bog is the Australian lose term for bondo aka filler)

Meanwhile the tank was not the only thing getting prepped for the regency red treatment.

My rotarytool/dremel got a major workout dealing with the rusty crags.

The rear guard took some work too. all the overlaps and seams proved to be quite tedious but also therapeutic.

It's this sort of work and effort that builds self respect from a satisfactory outcome. The time involved will never be measured in the real world economy of things.

But there is definitely some sort of magic when you impart a mechanical object with a new spirit.

When you restore something else, some of that restores part of you...

I agree with you the gas tank is sometimes something overlooked because hey it's just the gas tank.. We tend to focus on the engine, wheels, suspension.. But the gas tank and the chasis are always forgoten....

Onto the wheels.

The old tires were junk. tubes already had a history of patch kits. so the went to the trash.

the rims looked good first glance, but they were orginal and had seen 30000km.

the front seemed have seen some heavy contact, I did my best to try and re tune them into round I got close enough.

the inner rim had rust primarily where the spokes seat are. hit em with the wire wheel and then gave em the rust converter treatment.

Majority of spokes were in ok condition same wire wheel treatment and rust converter...

cleaned brake drum hub assembly and serviced brake shoes, replaced rear with new brake shoes. Paint stripped and polished brake drum covers.

I applied VHT high temp brake caliper satin black paint to the spokes, drum and inner rim.

Installed new 45 rear sprocket and custom touched up the cover and spacer with regency red to tie it into the rest of the bike motif.

Had 1 stuck spoke nut which I ended up heating to red hot with a blow torch then quenching in water to break free the rust bond, learned that trick from Taryl Fixes All YT channel...

You must be an alien or something ,the time and date stamp on the last pic with the finished rim is still 8 hours away .

Hi Bruces, It's in cohesive order not necessarily chronological. Also as an Australian I live in your future/tomorrow...

I keep forgetting to remove the timestamps and I also forgot to remove the masking tape from the front rim.

So what do you do with a basket case motorcycle project that's neither here nor there...

Well for the some of us it will inevitably take over a room in your home.

This is where the fettling truly starts.

Offering up parts, Checking fitment, Clearances and hatching out plans and solutions to the problems that eventuate when your try to merge elements of 2 different bikes into 1.

The CG250 fits in the factory mounts with some minor massaging. the top bracket and head mount are the most out of line but doable with some added spacers on the bolts.

The only compromise is that it is not possible to remove the rocker cover while its completely mounted, but can accessed with the engine tipped forward from the bottom rear mount. So a slight inconvenience but a worthwhile compromise for 12v electric start and +40cc of displacement.

I also took time to merge the aftermarket muffler+pipe and the Cg250 header pipe into a complete exhaust system. Seems like both sections agreed with each other too.
However I have had to modify the exit bend tighter as the pipe would interfere with the clutch. I will show this in a little greater detail later.

Also trying to fandangle a 12v battery tray/mount in the vicinity of the air filter element but not interfering with the exhaust pipe and drive chain. This will likely incorporate the rear splash guard as a dual purpose solution.

That'll do for this wall of text.

So it was time to work on the frame. Being the backbone of the project it was the element needed to tie everything together.

It was also a major task to refresh from its time in rusty retirement.
You will kill a fair share of wire wheels cleaning a frame.

I understand why people just get them sand blasted.

Well after the brainstorm period inside on the lounge room floor I figured out my approach to affixing side panels and giving a structure to allow for more custom design elements.

So bracket/gusset/fixing points were in order.

Got some flat bare from the local hardware...was galvanized so I took precautions welding.

I kept the welds in frame to maintain aesthetics aslong as the welds held i could clean them enough with the grinder and hide my lack of welding skill with the final paint scheme. Still coming to terms with the welder if its rat droppings it need more amps if its bird poop its to many amps...dialing in is half the battle.

Pretty content with the outcome and should hold the panels i have in mind, hey might have even strengthened the bike too.

Lots of views, not so many comments or likes. Oh well I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Looking good so far. :tup: