One Step from the Bin/Rusty Special Redo

lakeview

XS650 Guru
Top Contributor
XS650.com Supporter
XS650.com Supporter
Messages
1,970
Reaction score
5,797
Points
513
Location
S-W Ontario
20190430_170331-1.jpg
Spring Special Project
MaxPete and I took a ride to the big smoke (Ontario's) last month and I bought two Standard projects and this rusty Special. Anything shiny in the pic is simply PB Blaster overspray!
Built January of '78, it came with a complete numbers matching motor (fwtw) which turns over, a rear fender, an ok tank and a few other bits. Lacks almost everything else, but I have most of what's needed.
Seller had no title, so I followed Service Ontario guide lines, prepared my affidavit, then got a knowledgeable clerk at the Licence Bureau and obtained a clear title to it so I can start work on it anytime.
Since it has suffered almost every indignity except for the sting of the sawszall, my plan is to redo it with my spare stock parts. Clean and paint the frame and install the motor to get it fired to see what I have purchased. If it is serviceable then I will carry on.
Progress pictures will follow.
20190430_173003-1.jpg
(Spring bulbs courtesy of Mrs. Lakeview)
 
Last edited:
It kinda looks like you could turn it into a motorcycle, Lakeview. Whatever you take off the 'Standards' might be used to "flesh out" the 'Special'.Restoration? Hopelessly cost prohibitive. Rat bike/taco chaser? Definitely. I (and the rest of us - 'cuz we're nosey) would like to see the 'Standards' you picked up, also. Keep us updated! :bike:
 
59Tebo, see the picture of the Standard and related text at page 257 post 5137 of "what did you do to your XS650 today". The other Standard bought that day was fully dissassembled and detabbed.

Having in the past bought the odd abandoned project from folks with a hacksaw and no plan, I have accumulated a bunch of Special bits to hang on this frame.
The goal for this one is to be a presentable working machine for resale. And an exercise to keep retirement blues at bay.
 
View attachment 140137
Spring Special Project
MaxPete and I took a ride to the big smoke (Ontario's) last month and I bought two Standard projects and this rusty Special. Anything shiny in the pic is simply PB Blaster overspray!
Built January of '78, it came with a complete numbers matching motor (fwtw) which turns over, a rear fender, an ok tank and a few other bits. Lacks almost everything else, but I have most of what's needed.
Seller had no title, so I followed Service Ontario guide lines, prepared my affidavit, then got a knowledgeable clerk at the Licence Bureau and obtained a clear title to it so I can start work on it anytime.
Since it has suffered almost every indignity except for the sting of the sawszall, my plan is to redo it with my spare stock parts. Clean and paint the frame and install the motor to get it fired to see what I have purchased. If it is serviceable then I will carry on.
Progress pictures will follow.
View attachment 140145
(Spring bulbs courtesy of Mrs. Lakeview)

Hi lakeview,
if that was a Saskatoon photo the only visible sign of spring would be those rusty shocks.
Among the rest of the parts the build will need a 16" disk artillery wheel on the back.
If you don't have that item I think there's one in my shed. Yours for postage.
 
RATS!
20190502_123714.jpg
And the swing arm bolt came out so easy.
Now I will be more cautious. Taking off the right side shock, I broke this top mount.
The passenger pegs bolts, exhaust mounts and one foot peg bolt are still tight, so another 24 hours of PB Blaster before I break anything else.

My idea of a repair on this is to drill the stud and tap it to accept a bolt to hold the shock on. In my view the side loads are not near as consequential as vertical ones and the stud is still strong in that plane.
 
RATS!
View attachment 140218
And the swing arm bolt came out so easy.
Now I will be more cautious. Taking off the right side shock, I broke this top mount.
The passenger pegs bolts, exhaust mounts and one foot peg bolt are still tight, so another 24 hours of PB Blaster before I break anything else.
My idea of a repair on this is to drill the stud and tap it to accept a bolt to hold the shock on. In my view the side loads are not near as consequential as vertical ones and the stud is still strong in that plane.

Hi lakeview,
yeah, tap the stud M6 and hold the shock on with a large diameter plain washer.
Wally Wronka's Wronka Toy street tracker's shocks were fixed like that decades ago and are still OK.
Try drilling through the other nut's dome and injecting penetrant through there, too.
 
Last edited:
My idea of a repair on this is to drill the stud and tap it to accept a bolt to hold the shock on. In my view the side loads are not near as consequential as vertical ones and the stud is still strong in that plane.
If you want it to look stock, with the acorn nut, red loctite the bolt in place and cut the head off. Instant original looking stud.
 
Thanks for the ideas and good to hear that the method has been used in the past.

Fred, great idea to drill the acorn nut to get more magic fluid to the right place.
 
20190506_161939.jpg
This build will go on hiatus while I complete some other matters. Found some rust damage which I will fix by welding a patch on, but not now.
 
This build will go on hiatus while I complete some other matters. Found some rust damage which I will fix by welding a patch on, but not now.
From my experience repairing steel tube aircraft fuselages, I don't think I'd trust a patch. That pitting is probably all along the bottom of that tube.... and likely the opposite one. I'd suggest you splice in the lower cradles from another frame. I have a junk frame that I could cut the cradles out of if you're interested.
 
Back
Top