XS650 Electric Start System

Great thread thanks. I just bought a '72 XS2 from the States and it has a non-functioning starter decompression switch lever. The decomp bit works fine but not the switch and I can't locate a replacement switch on MikesXS. Are there any other sources for this switch you can recommend?
I have been considering using a TX650 right switch block and doing away with the decomp lever but reading this thread it seems the starting current would exceed the rating of the smaller XS2 battery so probably wouldn't start? Another option if I can't get the correct part would be to fit a micro switch at the engine end and operate it off the valve depresser lever on the motor - any thoughts?
Cheers
 
Put an add in the Classifieds, these are getting hard to get, they only come out on the 72XS2 and 73TX. In 74 the TXA changed to the button electric start with the larger capacity battery.

Found this on ebay...........http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NOS-OEM-...619445?hash=item280b5210b5:g:NYQAAOSwt5hYiviO

These are getting rare..................again put an add in the classifieds if this ebay one scares the shit out of you
 
Wow $300 plus $50 shipping, I'll have another go at fixing it first lol. I actually only need the switch insert not the rest of it but it's a nice find if you have an unlimited budget. It is incorrectly described as for an XS1 which didn't have electric start and TX650 which had the push button-start but they are right it is for an XS2. Well-spotted :)
 
Your right about the XS1 and XS1B not having a starter motor but the TX had the same decompression set up as the XS2...........In 74 they changed the decompression lever start to a push button start and upped the battery size...........72XS2, (decompression lever/Start)..........73TX, (decompression lever/start)...........74TXA, (push button start).............75XSB, ect, ect..............People often get the 73TX and 74TXA confused

Yes it is expensive and so is importing to NZ..............A well presented XS2 would be worth a pretty penny in NZ and although the price is rather high an OEM part for this would not be wasted, and would be worth the money on a resale value..............Not trying to sell you on it, just what it is
73TX
1 2c 1.jpg
1 1t 1.jpg
 
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Wow $300 plus $50 shipping, I'll have another go at fixing it first lol. I actually only need the switch insert not the rest of it but it's a nice find if you have an unlimited budget. It is incorrectly described as for an XS1 which didn't have electric start and TX650 which had the push button-start but they are right it is for an XS2. Well-spotted :)
Wired1,

I have the remains of the 1972 in the picture to the left, not sure if I have the switch you need or if I do what condition it is in. I will try to check on it later today and let you know. If I do the price will be very reasonable, shipping plus what ever you feel it's worth once you have it in your hands.
 
Wired1 they are out there and a member will possibly hook you up reasonably. I had one since I went to kick only and sent mine to a member in Australia. I think the shipping was reasonable as well. If I remember right I charged him $40 for the lever, switch and decompression cover and the shipping was about the same. That covered the cost of my new mirrors so I call that a win/win. $300 is a total rip-off
 
Wired1,

I have the remains of the 1972 in the picture to the left, not sure if I have the switch you need or if I do what condition it is in. I will try to check on it later today and let you know. If I do the price will be very reasonable, shipping plus what ever you feel it's worth once you have it in your hands.

Wired!,

Sorry to say when I checked the shelf the 1972 parts are on no sign of any thing from the left side of the handle bars there:(.

I'm thinking those parts must have went to the person who got the decompression cover and arm that goes in the head.

Good luck finding one for your project.

Ken
 
Yes i agree the price is out there................and as i said twice in my first post..............post in the classifieds...............

What a lot of you guys are also missing in the ebay add is, it's for a full set of nos left and right switches and start/decompression lever...............If someone wanted to make their bike as good as it gets then these switches would be a good addition...................Totally reliant on the owners desire...............How is anyone to know what is in someones mind..............all options on the table and avenues offered........................A new set would be considered a reliable option, the condition of some of these bikes, that the parts are offered from, could be considered a gamble at best, (they were working when they come off the bike?)................

6, 7,8, years ago when i was looking for XS parts the prices were good and i was able to buy quality second hand parts because the craze had not taken its toll on availability of said parts. My ebay saved search went from less than a thousand offerings to today's 29,000 offerings, that is world wide. First up today is a used banjo bolt from the US Aus$22.00 + Aus $17.00 shipping....................Makes an OEM, unobtainable aftermarket, rare part, as the switches relevant..............

I sold a decompression lever/switch and decompression cover, about 6 years ago for Aus$100.00, and the buyer was very happy and would have payed more. Cost of parts are also relevant to local prices. What can be considered a good price in the US could be cheap here..........Depending on the exchange rate and freight and if the prices haven't gone up in the US.........the price of postage and parts from the US have risen considerably over the last 2-3 years.

Good on you guys who will sell a part at reasonable prices................but also remember if a part is sold for US$40.00 and the freight is US$40.00, add on the exchange rate and fees that part will cost Aus$108.00 and some of you guys want us to pay the paypal fees so another $3-4.00 on top.

That US$80.00 works out to close to NZ$120.00 with fees and exchange rate.............1/2 as much again.....

So now look at an US $80.00 second hand part, that becomes NZ$120.00 and compare that to a NOS Part that also encompasses the full set of switches for Aus$450.00 it could under some circumstances be regarded as a overpriced but reasonable buy for an very hard to get NOS part..........If ??..............
 
Thanks for all your help guys, for now I will keep watch on all the various Web sites and make do with the kick start. Seeing the price of the replacement parts makes me more determined to fix the old parts so higher prices discourage the throw-away society we live in which can only be a good thing. The rest of the switch block works fine it is just the micro switch so if I can't make it work I will find something to fit in that hole that fits.
 
Thanks for all your help guys, for now I will keep watch on all the various Web sites and make do with the kick start. Seeing the price of the replacement parts makes me more determined to fix the old parts so higher prices discourage the throw-away society we live in which can only be a good thing. The rest of the switch block works fine it is just the micro switch so if I can't make it work I will find something to fit in that hole that fits.

Any chance of a good close up picture or two of this switch maybe with something to help show it's dimensions? Might be someone can come up with a idea of a switch that could be made to work. Might need to get a little creative or modify the housing to make a switch work.
 
I just recently had starter problems. I read all this great information before digging into the problem. My solenoid also just clicked, clicked and clicked some more. Fortunately, I had just picked up another XS650 a 1983 and along with it came a complete extra wire harness with a solenoid I dutifully swapped them out click, click, click, it went. So I pulled the solenoid off the black bike and installed it in the red bike click, click it goes. The original solenoid went into the black bike and it fired right up, I also did the extra solenoid and it worked. I pulled the starter out pulled it all apart cleaned it, lubed it and tested it. Prior to pulling it apart, I tested it with some jumper cables and a battery and it spun just fine. (Side note: To get that bolt next to the sprocket off I had to pull off all the motor mounts except the front one and used a scissor jack to raise the motor up just enough to loosen it and pull it. And this was after I custom bent a wrench to use on it.). Everything seemed to be ok bench testing it. Put it temporarily back together ... click, click, click goes the solenoid. Ran a wire from the starter mounting bolt directly to the negative side of the battery bada-bing-bada-boom fires right up. No more clickity-click. After I put everything else back together I'll test ride it tomorrow hopefully. I hope this helps somebody. Electrical problems a lot of times are just grounding problems.
 
Finally got to test ride it. It amazes me how fast the motor winds up and starts now. Hit the button and it fires up. Less stress on the gears, it's just a quick stab on the button then off of the button. I'd like to thank all you guys for all the knowledge and ideas you have shared.
 
Yup - the starter isn’t wonderful - BUT - if the engine is in good tune, it hardly has to work at all.
 
Great thread, I’ve been wondering about the E-boot and how it stands up to a 750 kit. This puts my mind at ease.
Question; how important is the start safety relay? Do you guys consider it a must to keep the starter locked out with motor running? Or..is just another layer of “something that can break?”
Thanks!
 
The starter safety relay or SSR is, IMO, definitely essential.

The XS650 starter system has several fairly small precision gears in it and they would almost certainly be damaged or destroyed if the starter was inadvertently engaged while the engine was running. Besides wrecking the starter system, this would pollute the engine and transmission oil supply with lots of tiny bits of hard metal which would make an awful mess out of tranny gears and bearings, not to mention the pistons and clutch - and the starter safety relay prevents this type of disaster from occurring.

The relay is very simple and quite reliable. If it does fail, you will know because the bike will not crank when you hit the button, but it will still start and run with the kick starter or by bump starting it “Fred Flintstone” style.

To fix the SSR, simply remove the steel cover (two very tiny JIS screws) and clean the little electromechanical relay with contact cleaner and a toothbrush and perhaps a tiny flat file on the contacter points. That should keep it going for another 40-odd years.

I absolutely would not advise eliminating the starter safety relay.

On later model XS650s, there are a couple of other electronic safety systems that could be eliminated such as:
- the clutch lever switch;
- the sidestand switch;
- the dreaded headlight safety warning system.

Deleting any of these may slightly reduce safety but can (again, just IMO) result in a simpler and more reliable motorcycle.

Pete
 
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Cool, thanks for the insight. No issues with providing it a signal from an aftermarket PMA? I’m going to use the vape PD system. Just needs an AC voltage input?
 
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