5twins

Yes, I change both of those gaskets when I first get the bike, after that, hardly ever. To clean the old gaskets out, I use plain old...

Honestly, that's a gasket I hardly ever replace. It lasts and lasts. I do install a new one when I first get the bike but after that...

Even with the electronic ignition, I think you still only want one instance of resistance in each plug wire. So yes, change the cap or...

..... or you could switch to fork gaiters, even cheaper and better protection for the seals and fork tubes ......

Yes, that should be fine. I've used a 1.5mm thick o-ring in the past but it was a bit big. It filled the whole width of the o-ring...

Just one small thing - the wires on your brushes are routed incorrectly, they should wrap around the outside of the brush. You can see...

The pilot jets are original and are a "no hole" type of VM22/210. Yamaha must have contracted with Mikuni to have them made without the...

Going by the size and shape of those plug caps, I'd say they're the resistor type. You can confirm by measuring through them with a...

The first 650 Special came out in '78. Yamaha continued to make the Standard model along with it in '78 and '79. In 1980, the Standard...

This is the perfect example of why we don't recommend the rebuild kits. Many times the jet sizes are wrong too, lol. The replacement...

It may also be putting out AC not DC current.

To make those "on the fly" idle speed adjustments easier, I've started pressing knurled "caps" onto the screw heads ..... The top...

I never bought any 3.5mm fiber plates, never needed any as all my clutches are the later type that use 3mm fiber plates. If you do the...

Yes, the spring steel clip that holds the choke on can be bent to try and adjust how much the lever lifts the choke plunger, but before...

Although B8ES plugs were speced when the bike was new, BP7ES plugs were specced for the later models and it's accepted practice to use...

So, it was that too short Y-22 needle causing the issues. That needle can only work in the '70 to '73 carbs, as a replacement for the...

Yes, the measuring method is the best way to insure the amount of oil is equal in both forks. This is especially true when you do your...

Yes, it looks like the timing chain is off a tooth. You should be on the "T" mark (TDC) when that little pin hole in the cam is pointing...

Well no, not really. Those are just stock '82 wires and plugs. What you want to show us is what's on the other end of them, your stator.

These forks work much better with slightly more than the stock amount of oil (about 5.7oz.) in them. I go about 6.5 oz., 7 if the forks...

Yes, all the models with the headlight safety relay do that. Get the motor spinning enough so the alternator puts out some voltage and...

Yes, but it can be tricky. The holes in the ends of the later cams weren't finished off and sized exactly for the bushings. You have to...

I'll admit that I'm very partial to the Pamco and have been running one for many years, almost since they first came out. Pete sent me...

I know what the light checker does but not exactly how it does it, lol. If you study a wiring diagram for your model, you will see you...

Well, I suppose you could try the longer needle jets but they may not flow the same, especially when the throttle is closed. As far as...

Which one cold starts easier?

Yes, low power to the coils, resulting in a weak spark, is apparently a common problem on old bikes. Although I've never done it, here's...

So, what were the 5 little "fixes"? I think I see a bit of a "groove" ground into the top corner on the swingarm. A little off the MC...

Yes, I noted that as well in that post.

I should have linked you guys to this thread where we discussed this topic recently. Most hose clamps have a couple little "bumps" under...

OK, it looks like your kits came with the correct generic Y-31 needle, so you should be OK using it. But needles are something that...

Having that nut on there will also clean up the threads as you remove it.

For opening up the instruments, a simple paint can opener works well, available pretty much at any hardware store .....

How did you get that bottom bolt out of the damper rods without them spinning? Did you make up a special tool or something? If not...

Yes, it sounds like the idle circuits, or at least the one in that cylinder that doesn't run at idle, are blocked or partially blocked...

I think the off-the-shelf generic VM34s are set up for two stroke use, usually a dirt bike. The only difference is the jetting compared...

My Athena base gasket pushed out like that as well ..... ..... but luckily, it never leaked, so I just trimmed it off and carried on...

Yes, there's nothing wrong with the ball bearings if they're good. The problem is, I've never found any good ones on these old bikes...

Yes, after a rebuild, you need to check the head torque several times in the first 1000 miles or so. By then, after numerous heat...

Tuning and then fine tuning carbs is all about experimenting. Every one of these motors responds a little differently depending on it's...

Yes, the starter sounds pretty normal to me too. Hey, at least it's not popping out of engagement or grinding like many of them do, lol...

Yes, I'd start it manually and once it's part way in, and square, then tap it in with a suitably sized socket or length of pipe.

The seal holes in the cases are line bored and that gives then very sharp edges. You'll want to "break" that sharp edge with a small...

That's just the way they install and end up, but that top tin dust cover hides all that. I have them in both my 650s and they fit and...

You really want to put those loose ball bearings back in there???? Most of us upgrade to tapered roller bearings.

That's why I like to use old, used MC's from other Yamahas. Most are the Nissin brand and the quality is good. And all they needed was a...

If you mean the copper coloring in my 1st pic, no, that's just C5-A copper anti-seize applied to the threads of the adjuster.

For the clutch, I use a Kawasaki lever and perch. I use it because the lever pivot is 3 or 4 times wider than the original Yamaha one...

I think I got it from Mailman's XS2 thread.

For the past few years, I've been using Chrome batteries. They've worked well so far. They are reasonably priced and shipping is free...