Starting my first project off of an XS850. much angst ITT.

So, here it is, the XS850SG I'm going to be working on:https://i.imgur.com/bZkZPtR.jpgdespite its looks, it really is in pretty excellent mechanical shape, with the exception of the rear brake calipers which i am going to rebuild first thing, and the tires, which are old and need replacing. Add to that the usual stuff (all the fluids are getting changed, brake pads looked over/changed), and i'm ready to move on to the planning phase for what kind of tangible improvements I can make to this bike. I'm looking for any advice in that arena with respect to some of the things I want to do .This is the more cruiser-y version of this bike, with a 16" rear wheel and 19" front wheel, so i want to adjust the posture of the bike into something more leaned over and aggressive first. What i think i need to do looks like this:Swap the front end forks for something more aggressive. I've got a lot of research to do here. I've often seen this bike with a Honda VFR front end or GSXR forks, but i'm in the dark at this time as to how that's accomplished. i can't imagine it all just bolts together like magic. What kind of front-end swaps are the easiest? what should i look into as the best option for an XS850?change the rear wheel to something larger and/or change the front wheel to something smaller. Basically, the way I understand the geometry, I'll need to try to get the wheel sizes to be more even in order to level off the bike's posture. I'm thinking the best approach here is to use alternate size wheels from other yamaha XS models of that era. for instance, the XS850 had an alternate model with a 18" rear wheel made the same year as mine. Swapping that out should do the trick. am i wrong?swapping the rear suspension for something a bit taller. This may not be necessary, but the rear suspension on this one is aesthetically crap anyway, and will get swapped one way or another. As i see it, this depends on what kinds of measurements i take when I start to adjust things.change the bars to something lower so i can put more weight on the front end while riding. I don't necessarily know specifically want kinds of bars will work best here...clip ons, clubmans, whatever. I do know that the change requires a while new set of cables, levers, and all that jazz in order to be set up properly. This choice may also depend on what forks or front end I end up with.I will probably need to move the foot controls into a slightly higher, farthe back "rearset" position. I'm not sure where to start here. Are there aftermarket kits for this? is it possible to do this without welding?finally, I'd like to change that gas tank. The other XS models had much better shape to their tanks, and as near as i can tell, the alternate versions should just bolt right on without a problem. anybody with exerience working on these bikes can tell me different.Things I would like to avoid:** This is where everybody reading is going to roll their eyes. I'd like to avoid putting in a seat loop. i know, i know, every cafe style bike ever has to have a seat loop. I'm going to focus on seat and tail tidy options that dont require me to permanently alter the frame. I'm actually most strongly considering using the tail piece from the 1978 XS750E , eliminating the fender, and tucking the brake light under the cowl. from there, I can chose a lower profile seat.** if the above didn't make it clear, I don't have the ability or the desire to weld anything on this bike, so modifying the mounting position and angle of the rear suspension is also something i would very strongly like to avoid.** Extreme or intricant custom paint jobs. I"m just much more likley to sand it down to bare metal and clearcoat it. This bike is a first try. it's not going to be pretty.So, that's it. I'm just looking for anybody's best shot at what I should or should not do with an XS850, and especially looking foir anybody who can pipe up and explain to me how i'm delusional or misinformed about anything i've written in this post. I want to start off on the right foot with this project.Thanks! via /r/CafeRacers https://www.reddit.com/r/CafeRacers/comments/bel150/starting_my_first_project_off_of_an_xs850_much/?utm_source=ifttt