What have you done to your XS today?

I checked my oil, filled gas, and rode down Highway 1 to Santa Cruz and back today. I've been home about an hour and I'm still cold to the bone! No pics, but it was a beautiful ride. My rear end really doesn't need any more padding, but I wish my seat were a bit softer. Methinks I need to sync my carbs better as well, since I dang near got vibrated to death today.
 
Built myself a redneck soda blast tub (plastic tub with transparent lid, some 1/2" vinyl tube and a Princess Auto media blaster). Works great!
Stripped one carb down to the body, blasted it then ultrasonically cleaned it and the components. Reassembled with new butterfly shaft seals and float bowl gasket. Doing the other one this week.
Here's a side by side before and after:
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Okay, so today I got the intake flopped back to the low side and the everything off and ready for the new clutch cable to show up. Now I'm thinking some speed holes in the cover would be nice...
 
You've got some really cool, new and innovative things going on there, VonFuct. Leatherwork, especially the tank badge, combo handlebars and windshield, exhaust multi-turnouts. Your bike deserves a thread of its own...
 
Thanks, I'll post one up here soon! I was kinda waiting till it was running better on the single carb but who knows when I'll get that all dialed in.
 
I noticed a NOS xs1 tail light on ebay for a hundred bucks so I went out to the garage and looked at the xs1. I think i'm gonna keep the repop light and just get the red reflector lens. A firm decision will be in the works at the end of the week. This restoration wasn't really supposed to be perfect but I can't seem to stop myself.
That means your hooked, Wrenchjohns.
 
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Installed the new (thicker) clutch cable today and took the 'Bonsai out for a little spin with the carb mounted on the left hand side again. She still wants to die at idle but once you get on her she screams.
 
Battery failed on Road King, can't roll it out and push it back in for XS access. New battery for the King tomorrow, then led 1157 into the XS, new flat fuse wire to replace glass fuse and reassembly. Hoping to get to a local show on Saturday. After finished, I will post final pics.
 
Wrenchjohns, I need to comment on all 3 items of which I have done also in the past 2.5 years. 1) I put in a standard battery and it started to die at ~2 years. Luckily I kept the leftover battery acid because all cells were very low. Its back to new after I topped it off. 2) LED taillights are great, but some suck. Not home right now so I can't tell you which was the best, but I bought it at Advance Auto in a 2 pack. 3)I also installed a flat/car fuse holder for the main 20Amp. CAUTION -- the leads at each end have a soft insulation coating and twice it shorted to the frame through the insulation. Put 2 layers of el tape on the ends.
 
View attachment 87965 Installed the new (thicker) clutch cable today and took the 'Bonsai out for a little spin with the carb mounted on the left hand side again. She still wants to die at idle but once you get on her she screams.
2 things, but first: Yes, I also like the leather work and the exhaust fabrication. Your idling problem. I assume the carb has been blown out and the low speed jet has been set. (I found my left carb low speed jet turned all the way in. WTF? It wouldn't idle either.) But, traditionally, extended/highrise manifolds were always rough to idle if at all. With cars, you just turn it up. You've got some fiddling to do. Secondly, do you wear ear protection?
 
2 things, but first: Yes, I also like the leather work and the exhaust fabrication. Your idling problem. I assume the carb has been blown out and the low speed jet has been set. (I found my left carb low speed jet turned all the way in. WTF? It wouldn't idle either.) But, traditionally, extended/highrise manifolds were always rough to idle if at all. With cars, you just turn it up. You've got some fiddling to do. Secondly, do you wear ear protection?
Haha, I usually riding with one ear bud in listening to music but yeah, loud pipes look rad. And yes, more fiddling for sure. I went to a buddy's shop today after dicking around trying to start the bike for a half hour before my dumb ass realized it was just out of gas. Anyway, they did a leak down test for me. Only about 5% air loss which is better than I expected. On the down side though, it was riding like crap on the way home. Wouldn't idle, sputtering out the carb and exhaust, and as soon as I'd shift to second it would sputter and just go flat. Grrr...
 
Okay,
Haha, I usually riding with one ear bud in listening to music but yeah, loud pipes look rad. And yes, more fiddling for sure. I went to a buddy's shop today after dicking around trying to start the bike for a half hour before my dumb ass realized it was just out of gas. Anyway, they did a leak down test for me. Only about 5% air loss which is better than I expected. On the down side though, it was riding like crap on the way home. Wouldn't idle, sputtering out the carb and exhaust, and as soon as I'd shift to second it would sputter and just go flat. Grrr...
dumb ass move number two for the day. Turns out one of the plug wires didn't get reconnected.
 
Marlin72xs, thanks for info I have not purchase led yet. Please post which led is good. I'll be careful with the fuse. I forgot to sleep last night, therefore plans for the weekend have blown up, oh well! But in the end, the King gets a new battery and the XS gets some work tomorrow, so it's not going to be a total loss.
 
:umm:Well took care of the carbs, new jets and all. But the Nike won' t start. Took a look at the spakplugs. Mmm one with no spark and one with à very week yellow spark at a fully charged battery. Guess I need new ignition coils.
 
Put the new battery in the King, pushed it out and got busy on the XS1. Changed fuse from glass to ATO, changed tach cable from black to grey, put cable guide on front fender, new bulb in tail light, Pledged the paint I'm Going to say that this XS1 is better than it was in 1977 when it came into the house.
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Brassneck: "Which bike is that...Not your wife's I take it?"

No, that's my 78 Standard. This started as a project to re-spoke my wheels. Quickly got out of hand. :)
 
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