FINALLY got an XS650!

stillgonnasendit

XS650 Member
Messages
20
Reaction score
42
Points
13
Location
Billings MT
Hey all, new to the forum so hopefully I'm posting this in the right spot. Always wanted an XS, got an XS400, wasn't feeling it so I sold it and just picked up a 1980 650 on the cheap. The 400 was seized up when I got it and real far gone, it's back on the road now but it was just too squatty and I couldn't get into it.
The 650 ain't no jem either but I hope it has potential. Here's where it sits: came with a key & title which is great, also came with a stuck kicker. The 400 was the same, put some oil in the plug holes then filled em with deisel and soaked over night, got to the nut on the crank and spewed deisel out the holes and free'd up the kicker no problem. First thing I did on this one was hook up a fully charged batt. Got neutral light & oil light & horn. No headlight, rear is hacked off. :( Starter button is gone, looks like they hooked up a push button but I didn't wanna try that yet. Took the left side cover off and got to that nut after filling plug holes with a bit of oil. Blew out dust & grime & sprayed some electrical cleaner on bits. Nut got tighter but wouldn't budge. Bike is in neutral and I left it that way. That was enough for tonight until I get some feedback. Next steps...deisel? Try the pushbutton? How can I know if it's free or truly seized? I'll start searching the forum now...thanks in advance, stoked.
IMG_20200629_204141886.jpg
IMG_20200629_205615101.jpg

IMG_20200629_204242760_BURST000_COVER_TOP.jpg
 
Welcome!

If you can't budge it with a wrench on the crank nut, you're sure not going to turn it with the starter motor and you're likely to tear something up trying.

Keep soaking the cylinders with your favorite penetrant. Personally, I like a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone for the tough jobs. While you're waiting, pull the drain plug and see if there was any oil in it and (if you can, they can be a bugger to get off if they weren't maintained regularly) pull the sump screen cover and screen. It'll certainly need cleaning and the screen will most likely need to be repaired or replaced.

Might as well pop the carbs off and go through them as well.

Pretty much everything you need to know is here in the Tech Section. Spend some time reading (and re-reading) the entries on the carbs.
 
Hey all, new to the forum so hopefully I'm posting this in the right spot. Always wanted an XS, got an XS400, wasn't feeling it so I sold it and just picked up a 1980 650 on the cheap. The 400 was seized up when I got it and real far gone, it's back on the road now but it was just too squatty and I couldn't get into it.
The 650 ain't no jem either but I hope it has potential. Here's where it sits: came with a key & title which is great, also came with a stuck kicker. The 400 was the same, put some oil in the plug holes then filled em with deisel and soaked over night, got to the nut on the crank and spewed deisel out the holes and free'd up the kicker no problem. First thing I did on this one was hook up a fully charged batt. Got neutral light & oil light & horn. No headlight, rear is hacked off. :( Starter button is gone, looks like they hooked up a push button but I didn't wanna try that yet. Took the left side cover off and got to that nut after filling plug holes with a bit of oil. Blew out dust & grime & sprayed some electrical cleaner on bits. Nut got tighter but wouldn't budge. Bike is in neutral and I left it that way. That was enough for tonight until I get some feedback. Next steps...deisel? Try the pushbutton? How can I know if it's free or truly seized? I'll start searching the forum now...thanks in advance, stoked.
View attachment 170916 View attachment 170917
View attachment 170918

Hi stillgo and welcome,
'mid '70s & newer XS650's headlight comes on automatically when the alternator starts charging.
Check if engine & tranny is free by pushing the bike along in gear.
Your bargain has been disastered by it's dreaded PO but we have seen worse.
Check this list's classifieds to look for your frame's missing rear hoop & seat mounts
(and a front fender, it's needed because it's also a fork brace)
If you can restore your rear frame back to stock I have a spare snap-down seat, yours for
postage from Saskatoon.
 
I'll definitely take the seat, shoot me a message. The upside of the POs hack-job is along with the "chopper" I got the rear frame hoop, factory airboxes, chainguard, side covers and both fenders. I also have 2 sets of bs34 carbs for parts too. The kicker is free now with the clutch lever pulled in, crank nut won't budge yet but I haven't soaked the cylinder yet. Only had a few minutes on lunch to fiddle. I put the bike in gear and it didn't glug and also slid on my garage floor so I'll pull it out later, try that again and but some deisel in the plug holes overnight.
 
Alright so I filled the plug holes with deisel and she's soaking overnight. Rear brake was stuck so I fixed that so she'd roll better. Kicker free as a bird with clutch lever pulled in but no love rolling when in gear. Here's hoping the deisel works like it did on my xs400. Pulled carbs in the meantime for inspection and cleaning. If the deisel doesn't work, recommended next steps? Would it be a boner move to put an impact on the crank nut?
 
It's a good base to modify from.

The kicker goes through the clutch, so trans is free.

I wouldn't put an impact on the crank nut unless you're removing it. You could try looking in through the plug holes and see if a cylinder looks bad. If it's stuck from sitting and not rust a valve could be stuck too.
 
Time to exercise my least favorite grease monkey tactic... patience. Will at least give me time to read up on the forum!

Good plan.

If it's REALLY stuck, and under the described circumstances I suspect it is, plan to remove the engine and pull the head. I haven't looked but there should be something here about extreme measures for stuck pistons.

Probably a good idea to plan for a major overhaul in any event given the visual evidence so far.
 
If it's really stuck once you pull the head plan on beating the pistons out. Make sure you alternate which piston gets smacked since they move together. Lots of penetrating oil, a block of wood and some shims. The shims let you prop the cylinder up as the pistons go down so you don't run out of stroke. Depending on how bad it is it might be worth getting extra cylinders off the classifieds or ebay unless you want to go big bore.

Lots of info here, but a manual is a good idea too. Much faster to flip through pages rather than search for an answer on here for simple things.

With all the rust you'll probably need to plan on a charging system rebuild. PMA has its followers, and others will say to stay stock. But remember also being a 1980 it has the TCI ignition. That means if you decide to swap to a PMA you'll need to convert the ignition to something else.
 
Judging from the rust under your stator cover you are going to need some pistons and a bore job.

If the rings seize to the cylinder wall like that it will never make good compression even if you get it free.

Remove the motor and take the head off to inspect the damage.
 
HELL YES!!! Overnight deisel soak worked! It is free. Gave her that gentle touch and didn't go mashing on that kicker in my excitement. Super stoked although I know it may still have damage in there at least it's free. Now gonna drain whatever's left in there, do oil change and clean sump screen and move forward. Any further advice welcomed as a move on with things!
 
That is definitely expert level advice haha. Tested coils, 5.9 primary side, one of my plug boots is gone, needs new wire, does the wire come off this coil or is it a permanent type? Anything I can do that's smart post soak with the cylinders without taking the motor out for now. I understand things may not be awesome in there but I'm hoping to just have it run and go for a top end rebuild later in the game. I at least didn't hear any rings popping or breaking when I GENTLY got it to turn.
 
If the coil is original then no, the plug wires don't come out. You may be able to trim 1/4" to 1/2" off the end to get to some "fresh" wire and just install a cap. NGK 5K ohm caps are the norm. An alternative low cost replacement coil is an MP08 coil from a Honda. They do have wires you can replace.

Ha5hCtr.jpg


hmzRBk1.jpg
 
Hell yeah I appreciate the info, gonna try the snip job first but I'm (a) excited about the bike cuz I've always wanted one and (b) happy to have the support of this forum. I've gotten into vintage Yamaha enduros partially for the community of guys I found at the vintage Yamaha enduro forum. Hoping to make the same kind of connections here!
 
More progress...drained the oil, sump, cleaned that all up and put fresh oil in for now. Need to replace batt terminals but I was able to sort out what they tried to do with a pushbutton start and rewired it. Electric start works now. Addressing spark now. Did a quick check with the left side plug (my right is toast) and didn't get spark so will get back at that tomorrow and carbs need major love.
 
Back
Top