Recent content by Stuck Amals

Thanks for the info Leo. I purchased a new cable from Mike's XS but haven't installed it yet. At this point the clutch is working okay but it feels somewhat vague. It almost feels like weak springs. I will investigate further over the winter. If I put a dial indicator on the adjuster in...

I checked the ramp and it looks ok. I took it apart, cleaned it up and re-greased it and reassembled. The clutch seems to work somewhat better. Now it catches before the lever slips off the end of my fingers. I need to find another XS650 to compare it to. Thanks for the help /...

I'll take 'em pm sent

Gary, I checked and the ball is there. It seems like I'm not getting enough "pull" from the clutch cable. I have to cover off with the cable attached from the clutch lever through the side cover and to the actuating arm. This way I can see what's happening. Using a degree wheel it looks like...

Thanks Leo After following these procedures, it's still the same. Then it must the cable, Right? Is the cable length that critical? The clutch adjusters can't compensate for a small amount of cable stretch? My cable measures 58 inches end to end and 51 inches for the sleeve.

Thanks ANLAF It does seem like an adjustment so I tinkered with the adjuster at the lever and at side cover. I was hesitant to screw with the side cover adjustment to much. But now I'll give it a go and see what happens. I figure fixing this would fix the neutral thing too.

1979 650 Special. The clutch works perfectly except it doesn't grab until the lever is all the way out. There is no slipping. It's easy to shift. Except finding neutral. What should I be looking for with this problem? And what does the shaft / locknut on the cover do?

I seem to have a lot of free play in my front m/c. I measured it and it's about 2 inches from normal until I can't squeeze it any more. The problem is that I can't lock up the front wheel. I can make the forks "dive" but I can't lock up the wheel. I bought this bike after it had sat for...

XSLeo; My Haynes manual (650 twins 1970-1983) shows only the earlier caliper.Which manual do you have? Jayel; Yes, I removed the phillips head screw?

I can't seem to remove the front brake pads from my 1978 Special. Does the caliper need to be removed, drained and disassembled?

Great replies. I read somewhere that pods didn't work so well on BS carbs. If I can use pods then I can take off that hellacious factory air cleaner setup. Yes, everything on this bike needs to be gone over. We're gonna learn a lot about this bike. I like the look of dual disc front ends. Does...

Fast forward to today. Back in August I received a message from a member stating he had a 1978 Special with less than 10K miles for sale. The bike was stock and complete. It had been sitting for a couple of years. It has a dead battery and a leaky carb. When I saw the bike it was as described...

gggGary, That is a consideration. I originally started looking at Jap twins in the 300cc to 500cc range but I like all the after market stuff that's available for the XS650. He can't legally ride until he is seventeen. For my 1st bike I was looking in this same range but my older brother...

Thanks for the replies. If I find someones failed cafe project I may go that way. I'm thinking mostly stock. Actually, this a reward for my nephew making the honor roll. He really likes bikes. A few years ago I picked up a couple XR75s - one barely ran the other was DOA. We got them both...

I'm looking to buy an XS650. It could be anything from stock to a basket case. Here are a few questions that come to mind. 1) Are there any year/models that are more or less desirable than other? 2) What major parts are difficult / expensive to find? i.e. tanks, seats etc 3) What should...