What have you done to your XS today?

yep, thanks Ret'dgent' don't expect to be replacing those plugs in my lifetime! Will try to do more miles than I have been though & wear a few bits out. The rear tyre (Dunlop D401 "Harley Davidson") was replaced by PO in 2004 so is over-due even though tread is still good after 7k miles. Front is a Bridgestone Accolade ribbed pattern that I transfered from my W650 when I fitted new TT100's to it. Not as old as the rear but getting on. Was thinking about a pair of Metzeler ME77's as replacements. They don't look over-modern - anyone tried them?
Re my sump bolt - thanks for the tip about how to remove. If it leaks I'll try that & if not save it for next oil change.
 
gracer said:
That is on my list to do. I think it is under 250 lbs but will confirm and post as well as more pictures with the lights on it.
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The dry weight is 278 lbs, 146 lbs at the front wheel and 132 lbs at the rear wheel.
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Well yesterday I pulled the engine out of the 1982 Heritage to get ready to install the engine I was putting together. I believe the engine was originally in a 1975 going by the VIN. I will be using the electronic ignition off the `82. This "1975" engine was actually the one in the "1981" that I got back in 2000 and used as my "ride to work" bike up till I retired in 2015. The main reason I pulled it out about half way through that time was the jumping out of gear problem. At that time I slipped in the engine out of another 1982 Heritage so it is only fitting that it is now going to replace a Heritage engine that has the jumping out of gear problem!

At some point I did manage to score a complete set of transmission gears on Ebay to repair this engine, it also got new rings and a light touch up on the valves while it was apart.

Just need to clean up the frame a little on the 1982 and slip the engine in and then start to see what else it needs to get functional. This is far from a restoration project more of just wanting to see if I can get it to the point it can be rode again after being parked for about 20 years.
 
Marlin72xs said:
Didnt read too far back, but my 72 kept popping out of 5th. Turned out to be a bent shifting fork. Found an 81 trans on ebay then 78 shift drum, forks and all related parts. All worked great. Smooth as butter. Good luck with yours.
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At some point I do plan on opening up the original engine from this 1982 to see what it looks like inside, the odometer only shows 8,500 miles so I'm hoping it is not too bad inside. The State inspection sticker on the front forks is dated 1994, looks like it was only on the road for at the most 12 years and averaged slightly over 700 miles a year! There has to be a story to those numbers, that would be low for a poser Harley rider! My 1988 Sportster has average over 4,200 a year since new and I don't think I ride very far!
 
Well i finally welded on a aluminium Tab to take the Harley headlight , and figured out the disc and caliper set that would work in this narrow front end
FZR600 with CBR250 Caliper
just need to pull the forks apart sill them with Green sand than weld on the caliper mount and fender mounts
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headlight1_zpsznxwxci2.jpg
 
Finally, A big ass pile of castings ready to go to the coaters. Hope to take them with me when I go to the Portland Roadster Show on the 17th.
 

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Well I have got the engine in the frame of the 1982 Heritage. Cleaned up the signal lights to get ready to repaint them, this being a Heritage the signals are black not chrome. The original paint/powder coat was pretty bad so I striped back to bare metal. Will just use some good black engine paint baked on at a low enough temperature so as to not melt any of the plastic parts inside or the insulation off the wires.

Next step is coming up with a good set of carbs. I think I will try the ones that I had on the old ride-to-work bike, might be a problem as that bike last ran almost a year ago. Might pull the bowls off one or two and see what they look like inside. One problem I'm having right now is finding the bracket off the top of the right carb for the choke cable mount. The ride-to-work bike had the choke control right at the carbs where the Heritage has the cable operated choke. Just need to find the right box of parts as I do have the bodies and most of the parts of the Heritage original carbs just a few odds and ends seem to have gone missing. It can be a bit tricky when the parts were removed a decade or two ago!
 
All I managed to do today was clean up my workshop a bit more and spend a delightful 45 min on FaceTime with another forum member talking about his wiring issues which required me to open up the headlight bucket on the red '76 (Lucille) - oh yeah, and then since I had it opened up, I replaced the headlight pigtail on the bike and installed a new super-duper Sylvania H4 bulb as well.

So, I guess I actually did do a couple of useful things.
 
Yesterday, I spoke to an upholstery guy about using the seat foam and fabric from the repop Asian seat (repop pan is cracked after about 500 miles) onto an original seat pan. john
 
Well finally started to use the POR-15 tank sealer kit to line the SG's tank and hopefully fix the leak. Right now I'm doing the wash. Next is the metal prep. Last is the acual lining.
 
I test fit the Buell front fender on the GSXR1000 forks and test fit the new Cheney-Knight tank. Tank is great but the Omar`s seat stinks out loud! Possible different seat? Also ordered a S#+t Ton of Chinese "JUNK" like mirrors, levers, grips, heat shields, etc.
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If you haven't drilled any holes to mount the seat, the New Omars will 'probably' exchange the seat for you. They did for me. I bought one like yours
but it didn't fit the back of the Champion tank like I wanted so I traded it for a TT style seat.
 
Bought a 10 pack of domed M10 nuts to replace the rusty 4 on my exhaust header clamps. They don't fit - rats. They screw on a few turns but that's it. Pack says M10 - A2 if the A2 means anything. Can anyone tell me what I should get please?
 

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