1979 XS650 I found one...

I recommend a brass wire brush and oil for cleaning rust off chrome. The more the bristles are flatten the better! The brass will not scratch the chrome and the oil, well that's just there because it makes it easy to wipe off the loosened rust so you can see your progress. Sure you could use steel wool but you run the risk of scratching the chrome if you press too hard. Others swear by Aluminium foil, but I have never seriously tried it - The brass brush was just so damned fast with its conveniently placed handle.

Good luck with the build.
 
And I did notice you actually know how to load a bike in the back of yout truck and tie it down.... the wheel is straight like it should be but I like to add a strap over the seat to keep the back from bouncing around.... and yes you compress the forks as far as you can get them..... if you don't they can bounce out on big chuck holes in the road ! well done !
not that anyone cares but I did notice that ! LOL ....
I have seen some of the lousiest jobs of tieing down a bike in the back of a truck..... it never ceases to amaze me !
before the availability of the nilon crank straps,..... I used chain..... never lost a bike either but the scratches on the handle bars were a give away !
HAHAHHA hauling 2 bikes side by side is a challenge in Rigging but try to keep the same idea don't put the front wheel in the corner as you are tempted to do because the the straps will fail. straight in is the best way.... not sideways or anything else....
i helped a guy put a big harley back in his truck one time... he had to swerve to avoid a gal in a cadalac who swerved infront of him to make the off ramp
when he did the bike came out..... it was a mess and it was very hard to get back in the truck ! he just threw it in and was madder than hell
I was going to mention that, "arn't you going to tie it down"? but I think he would have hit me ! LOL he took off peeling rubber and the bike slid back to the tailgate with a bang....... I got back on my Honda 305 and gave him lot's of room ! LOL
Anger and wheels do not good bed felows make !
.....
Bob...........
 
So from my first overall inspection I will need:
Oil/Filter
Battery
Mufflers (they have holes near the bottom rear on both sides)
Handlebar Rubbers
The thumbwheel for the right hand side cover
A seat Cover
Tires
Air filter
Chain Lube
Rebuild front and rear brake systems
And who knows...

I wish I knew these bikes a bit better but to be honest I don't. When one removes the right side frame cover is it supposed to be open into the airbox?
 
You have a big list there to make it Perfect ...but perfect isn't absoultly nessarry ! its a bike it's supposed to be ridden ! LOL
I wouldn't bother replacing the mufflers unless they fell off ! hehehehe
seat can be patched with black sylicone and a piece of duct tape to pull it together....
tires Yah probably nessarry as they get hard when old ! and you need them soft to keep upright on corners!
air filters can be cleaned....
chain lube the more the better I say !
brakes are a must to have working right .... go through them well.
but it needs to run and run good not just passable ..you'll find all the info you need to do that in the tech section above Garadge under forums
for the oil I recomend 20-50 Valvoline.... pull and clean the oil filter on the right side and re use it.
the battery , I got mine at Walmart for $54.00 it was the cheapest I could find and sense they don't last long at all I figured cheap is the best way to go.
The bike Looks allot better ! it don't need much more, but to be rideable !
good luck to ya ....
Hope you get her going soon ...summer and good riding weather is comming soon !
....
Bob.......
 
Should look like this..............This is from a 74 Standard but all XS650's from 74 -79 Standard and Specials have the same airbox
P1110663.jpg

Go to here thexscafe and download what you need to help with ID'ing parts, whatever, the site is well worth a good look as well. The 79 2F parts manual is for your bike but the spoke wheel model instead of the mag wheels. All else is the same. Not the best parts pics, but any of the earlier models from 77 will have the engine air boxes and other parts with good diagrams
 
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Your most important tool is a service manual. Factory or Haynes or Chilton. Or a couple of them! You can download them for free off the net I believe. '80 was the first year for electronic ignition.
 
Sorry I'm still becoming familiar with the bike. I guess I need a new airbox.

It's all good, you'll get her figured out.
Some folks toss the airboxes and go for the foam Uni filters. That's how I roll. If you can determine what you're missing as far as the stock boxes go, and you want to maintain the bike as stock, post what you need in the classifieds as a "Wanted" item.........someone most likely will have what you need.
 
A kind forum member just offered up two boxes for the price of shipping.

There ya go! Precisely the same thing has happened to me more than once in the roughly 15 months I have been working on XS650s and frequenting this forum. The people here are great - you often just have to ask...

Cheers,

Pete
 
Yes that is Fantastic !!!!! that's what it's all about right there ! people doing good because they can ! Well done !
....
Bob.......
 
Agreed about the brake lines. I completely forgot about the master cylinders and the calipers. I have a few stainless lines leftover from my GS750T restoration that I never used. Let's hope they fit.
 
Hi cloudbreak,
after you get new tires
(note that replacing visibly rotted tires is less traumatic than replacing tires that look new and perfect but are 15 years old so they are as hard as wood)
Throw those horrible rototiller 'bars away and use lower straighter 'bars instead. You'd be amazed at how much better the bike handles when you do that.
Then drill the bejazus out of your brake disks so they'll work better.
And swap your oversized-from-the-factory front master cylinder for a master cylinder with an 11mm piston. That, in addition to upgrading to stainless brake lines, will vastly improve the brake function.
Then see how far your drive chain will pull off the rear sprocket.
More than a roller'sworth sez it's chain & sprocket time.
Replace them as a set so they'll last longer.
Fit a ScottOiler and they'll last longer still. So long as you keep the Scottoiler filled.
 
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Great start!

I highly recommend reading three threads:
- My 60th Birthday present by MailMan
- Stella - by DanielBlack
- Restoring '76 - by GeorgeOC

All three of these guys have resurrected mid-70's XS650s and collectively, they have done darned near everything there is to do - and all have come out of the process with truly beautiful motorcycles that work really well (George's '76 is nearly there...).

There are many other restoration threads but these are, in my view particularly good and they have all taken good photos plus they've been good enough to take the time document their work really well and finally, they've all had problems which nearly everyone does - and they've worked through them methodically and patiently.

Cheers,

Pete
 
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