Side Covers Marked Electric

Hello Mark I am not sure what you mean by the engine being run on compressed air, but even so, you can check clearances of valves, cam chain tension, point gap and those things pointed out in the referred threads. You also want to dump the old gas out of the tank, check it for rust and put filters in the gas lines. Then before any further disassembly give it a try. Do not use a running car to boost it.
For me the hardest part of working on your carbs is getting them on and off. After a dozen or so times, it gets a bit better. If you take them apart carefully you can reuse the gaskets after cleaning. Read the threads about carb cleaning. Do not take both apart at the same time!!!!
Good luck
 
After two restorations I have learnt that you must check absolutely everything on an old bike. You will find all sorts of things that require attention. For the first couple of months my clothes where absolutely filthy until I had whittled away the years of grime. At present there is a fabulous thread running regarding polishing. Be prepared to put in the hours.

Also, cra-z1 when I was fifteen I worshipped the Z900s. Fab job you have done.
 
I took the sissy bar and rack off and threw them in the trash. I may make a decent rider. I hate the Corbin seat and Dunstall mufflers but it is a gift horse.
 

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The gas tank had a bottle of Sea Foam in it and the inside doesn't look bad. I wish it wasn't dented. My brother made an adapter so he could hook an air hose to one of the sparkplug holes and he used that to turn it over. The petcocks don't leak.
 
Looks like the bike is in pretty good condition overall. Im assuming they had poured the bottle of sea foam in the tank and you did not find the whole bottle in there:laugh:
 
Mark, I would hang onto that sissy bar. The reason being that if you are touring then you can use a back pack with a frame. Slip the frame over the sissy and have the pack resting on the seat. If there is enough in the pack then you can relax and rest your back on it while riding. I used to do this often and it was so relaxing to ride that way.
 
^Right. He isn't far along enough to realize he might want it in the future, or that somebody else would like it. In fact don't throw anything away for that reason and also because replacement parts can turn out to be worse than what you have already.
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The dinged tank, it doesn't matter on vintage stuff. It would get no less attention at bike night. Isn't that a load off your mind? :) I'd rather see something dinged pull up than something perfect which would make me wonder. If a bathtub Porsche pulls up in your driveway it doesn't matter if it's bent a little.

You might hate it because it isn't what you want, but it deserves better.

The carb kits, when I first got my bike everybody I met said oh, you'll need a carb kit so... Fortunately I kept the old parts (which were fine), because the rubber on the float needles I got swelled up so much it blocked the flow of gas. You'll find carb supernerds here who'll act you have an IQ of 10 if you don't take every bit of it apart and try to tune it like a Ferrari. But to start with and maybe to end with just get it apart enough to get it clean and get carb cleaner squirting out every orifice. As has been suggested it may well not need any parts, just cleaning. And the parts it's most likely to need if it needs any don't come in a kit... Be nice if they did.
 
Well I've been riding for nearly 50 years. I don't mind patina but extremely rusty non-OEM parts aren't something I would have ever used. Hopefully I can replace the tank, seat, and handlebars with OEM parts that aren't damaged. The title cost $200.00.
 
You can always sell try to sell the parts on e-bay to recover some of the cost. I just shipped a damaged XS2 tank to someone in Norway.
 
Well you can always got the quick rout after you clean the carbs, If it starts....Drive it.....then sit along the side of the road every few miles or so trying to figure why it quit going, lights quit, battery went dead etc.etc. Do I really have to tell you how I know about this?
 
The carb kits, when I first got my bike everybody I met said oh, you'll need a carb kit so... Fortunately I kept the old parts (which were fine), because the rubber on the float needles I got swelled up so much it blocked the flow of gas. You'll find carb supernerds here who'll act you have an IQ of 10 if you don't take every bit of it apart and try to tune it like a Ferrari. But to start with and maybe to end with just get it apart enough to get it clean and get carb cleaner squirting out every orifice. As has been suggested it may well not need any parts, just cleaning. And the parts it's most likely to need if it needs any don't come in a kit... Be nice if they did.
I'm one of the carb supernerds....
 
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I guess I am too, lol. On my recent acquisition, the P.O. said the carbs were never quite right. After stripping them down, I came to the conclusion that was because that guy didn't know enough about carbs. He knew some, just not enough, lol. He didn't delve into them deep enough. He didn't change the butterfly shaft seals because a couple of the butterfly plate screws defeated him (heads stripped out). I got one to come loose but had to drill the other out. And he didn't change out the badly deteriorated, now almost nonexistent mix screw o-rings. He probably didn't even know they were in there. So, after a complete and proper going through, the carbs work just fine, other than being set up a tad lean. The bike starts easy, idles nice, and revs right up to redline with no glitches. Total cost was about $10 (4 throttle shaft seals, several o-rings). So, it's not so much about replacing all sorts of parts on these, it's more about knowing exactly which ones to check and possibly replace.
 
....and if I may, we’re all danged lucky to have these folks who really go the extra mile in thoroughness. Even the simple Mikuni carbs we use have their quirks and without the invaluable carb guide and the ongoing advice, I doubt that many of our running bikes would be...running.

Pete
 
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