Here's what I've learned thus far:
The factory head studs are not up to doing the job. The racers used to make their own but the treating of metals is a little over my head-- does anyone sell high performance head studs for XS650s.
Studs need to be kept at proper torque settings.
Head gaskets on air cooled engines do not blow because of overheating. But, detonation (spark knock) will cause overheating and sometimes blown head gaskets. Detonation is caused by any or all of the following: timing advanced too high, Air-fuel mixture set too lean, too little air flow. We must be careful not to confuse cause with effect. Detonation causes blown head gaskets-- overheating is a common symptom (effect) of detonation.
Detonation can also cause lots of things worse than blown head gaskets.
Loud pipes might save lives but loud pipes kill perfectly good engines by hiding the sounds of detonation. (Makes me glad I got rid of that 2-1 header and megaphone that came on my bike when I bought it.)
That said, another cause of detonation can be overheating. Detonation causes overheating and overheating causes detonation. Cause and effect sometimes intermingle.
An oil cooler is a must. Check!
Directing more air flow to the head is a must. A chin scoop and lowers attached to my new crash bars are planned.
An oil temperature gauge would be smart.
And finally, getting the engine out of the frame is a B&*&! when you've already got a hernia (busted nut.) I'm not looking forward to wrestling it back in.