What have you done to your XS today?

[Marlin72xs]

Buy another clutch cable (not from Mike's) and carry it as a spare. You're gonna need it, lol.

OK, where do you buy your stuff? A clutch cable for instance? And how about bearings, you know, rod bearings, crank bearings, etc. Soon, I will rebuild the crank and top end, new Pistons, the works.
You appear to know what ur doing, (it may be a facade), but seriously where else can I buy this stuff.

 

[Marlin72xs]

So your not having any luck with a mile's cable? I was reading another thread on the site and he said he just installed a mike's cable and it was smooth as butter. I received brass swing arm bushings and shaft as well as tapered roller bearings for the steering head. I have only checked the swing arm parts but they look and appear to fit very well. It really gets hard to know where to order parts, it seems that people have trouble with everyone"s parts at one time or another.

Yup! Well said. Like my mother always said, " It's always something!"

 

[halfmile]

I usually make up all my own cables using components from Venhill. The bearings are another story. You get what you pay for and cheap is not the way to go. If I need engine work I`ll deal with a performance shop like Hoos Racing or Total performance Racers. 650 Central has neat stuff but there a long way from me. Do your research!! You can get reliable information right here on this forum. I go back and read old posts and learn something new every day.

 

[5twins]

Yes, do your research. Basically any more I consider Mike's as just an excellent reference site. Most everything they sell can be found elsewhere, many times cheaper, and sometimes of better quality. They started selling thinner clutch cables several years ago. They claimed they gave an easier pull. I think they just cost them less. I had one and didn't notice any easier pull. It broke in a couple thousand miles. I didn't think that was good but apparently I did better than others. Some have reported them breaking in as little as 400 miles. I e-mailed Mike's about my cable breaking because, like I said, that didn't seem like a normal life span to me. I've had clutch cables on other bikes normally last much longer, not thousands but tens of thousands of miles. Their response was "..... cables are a wear item .....". Well no shit. I just expect them to wear much longer. Here's a pic showing Mike's skinny cable on the right next to a heavier original. You can easily see the difference in wire diameter with the naked eye. These bikes do have a rather stiff clutch pull and that thin cable just isn't up to the task .....

I put an original diameter heavy replacement on and it's lasted nearly 4 times as many miles already with no signs of giving out. Motion Pro makes an original heavy type replacement and is what many of us use.

When the new owners took over Mike's, they said they were going to improve and expand the product line. The first thing they did was raise all the prices, lol. They really haven't improved anything from what I can see. In fact, the list of bad quality stuff they sell seems to keep getting bigger, and the "good stuff" list smaller. So where do I buy my stuff? Anywhere and everywhere, with Mikes at the bottom of the list. There are a few items you can't get anywhere else so you're kinda stuck there. But most things are available elsewhere.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Marlin72xs.............................it seems that everyone knows about Mikesxs as a source to buy parts, but there is a whole world out there with many aftermarket sellers. Don't ever confuse Mikesxs parts with high quality OEM parts. Mikesxs generally sells low quality parts that are mostly from China and Taiwan. Some of their parts are good, but many are bad.
www.650central.com sells a very good clutch cable.Its called E-Z Pull and is much heavier construction that the Mikesxs cable. I've been using it for about 8 years now and highly recommend it.

 

[wrenchjohns]

If you search hard enough, you can find NOS cables and other parts. I choose a top price, bypass impatience and when a good enough price shows, I jump on it. john

 

[jetmechmarty]

The XS-2 clutch cable is available from Yamaha. That's the one you want.

 

[NashGTI]

Was finally able to put the fork seals in and get the bike back on the ground after a week in the air. Also have new rear shocks ready to go on.

 

[CoconutPete]

Relocated the ignition to the old tool compartment in anticipation of gauge cluster re-do.

 

[bcthomas]

Great find. Good luck with it!

Thanks, Im excited. Sending the bottom end out for rephase now.

 

[weekendrider]

Super glue and it will be good as new?

 

[Doug79]

Got both calipers as well as the rear master cylinder torn down. Sitting outside for the better part of 30 years didn't do anything much good. The front caliper looked good so it will just get a seal kit. the rear housing looks good but the piston was a mess so it will get a new seal kit and new piston. the rear master cyl. looks marginal so i'm not going to mess with it and will put in a new one. the front master cal. is beyond repair and will need a new assembly. Ordering a bunch of new parts is fun. Paying for them.....Not so much.

 

[crashcourse]

I started prepping for my top-end rebuild. Removed the airbox, carbs, battery, exhaust, footpegs, etc, and drained the oil.

Edit: And today I actually got the engine out! I'm now about to enter new (for me) territory: opening an engine that has to go back together again.

 

[Michael Vidovic]

Basically took it for a spin and just enjoyed it. All the best for Christmas.

 

[gggGary]

Passed by it in the shed, rearranged the sheet covering it. Sleep soundly old friend. I'm about due to make the rounds with the battery tender.

 

[MaxPete]

Yesterday (24th), I put a new (to me) French Red fuel tank on my '76 and rode her 2-3 km to a colleagues place for winter storage. Now....if I can just get the LH petcock to stop dripping....

Merry Christmas all!!!

Pete

 

[MaxPete]

Any suggestions from the experts on that petcock issue?

 

[NashGTI]

I did an el cheapo paint job this weekend. Forty dollars worth of spray paint from Oreilly's and about 34 hours between starting yesterday and finishing up this evening, I'm happy with the result for that effort.

It's certainly not the best work I've ever done but I wasn't expecting much for the outlay and came away pleasantly surprised.

 

[Mailman]

View attachment 92448 Yesterday (24th), I put a new (to me) French Red fuel tank on my '76

Wow! That couldn't have been easy to find. Nice score!

 

[MaxPete]

Actually, I got it from a forum member who had it hanging on his garage wall. I noticed while buying one of his other bikes.