Exhaust Removal

Very true Griz ! the XS650 enevitably got the lowest scores on the bike magizines every year it certainly wasn't a Leading design of the times or it would have had much more HP , as it was,.... everything in the same CC class had more power infact many of the 500cc's had more than the XS650 when compairing the HP..... I alwayse found that funny.... like what WERE they thinking ????lol
.....but where are all those 500's now ? in the scrap yard ! there is something to be said for the Rollerbearing !!!!
Bob...............

Yes, these bikes are not really high HP, and not very fast compared to other bikes of that time. If you want fast from that era, then sell the XS650 and buy an RD400. What they do have is a great look, a great sound, and a high fun factor. Perhaps the XS650 is the swiss army knife of motorcycles....................multi-purpose, and versitile. Yamaha used high quality components, which is why they have lasted so long, despite being tortured by many riders.

yes one thing is certain they certainly have been tortured !!!!!! but what is Down right amazing is they keep coming back for more !
.... My Brother-in-law that bought this bike new off the show room floor did oil changes on it and kept the chain set and all and took it back to the dealer for it's check-ups but other than that never had to do anything to it .... he stopped riding it for some reason and I don't know what that reason was and it's bugged me from day one.... but he came to visit us and I gave him my extra motorcycle I had because his wasn't running and he was so carefull that with that bike that he wouldn't work on it himself ...he did work on the Honda I gave him though ! LOL but only changing the oil and minor adjustments but the XS he was scared he'ed hurt it ! so it just sat there for years
probably 6 to 8 years before he died.... alwayse going to get it going again some day.... after he died the Wife's parents got it and it set there for 15 years untouched till they finally gave it to me ( sense my motorcycles all burned up in the house fire.... )
I want to ride it down there and show them how good it looks now ! LOL their Son's Pride and Joy restored ! hahahahha !
but 7,000 miles and he never had to touch it other than oil changes and minor adjustments,.... says a great deal ! not the fastest but who cares ? it's heavy enough not to be blown off the road by an 18 wheeler and it gets great gas milage..... its' simply a great machine and I love it ! LOL
......
Bob........

The XS650 also had the same power and more torque than some of the 750 twins of the same day..................It's not necessarily the bike. A bad bike ridden by a good rider will out perform a good bike with a bad rider..............the Early XS650 70-73 was considered the pig of the day................Here in Australia we used to have a 6 hour production bike race..........Production bike races are bikes off the showroom floor and maybe a allowed an engine blueprint but basically the same bike as a punter will buy...............in 1973 2 XS2's, after 6 hours of racing against Nortons,Triumphs, Kwakas, Honda's, Suzuki, and other Yamaha's with, 4 cylinders, 3 cylinders and 2 strokes. the top 10 placings were 1st, Honda 750/4..........2nd Yamaha XS2 ....3rd, 4th, 5th, Honda 750/4........... 6th, 7th, 8th, Honda 500/4...... and 9th a Yamaha XS2.

After 6 hours the Honda 750/4 had lapped the XS2 3 times...........Sounds a comfortable win.............The distance the Honda traveled was 401 miles and 333 laps of the 1.29 mile circuit..........In affect the Honda traveled 4 miles further than a bike that had 2 less cylinders and was 100cc down on size.........

Even these guys on here now, who worked or owed dealerships, wouldn't consider an XS650 and turned their nose up at them in the day...........These guys are on here now, with XS650's and although they recognize their deficiencies in some of the old technology they will ride that bike with more pleasure than newer or the old bikes of the day, and say they would never sell it.

May be you need to do some research on exhaust systems for XS650 Bob. What there hasn't been done, or known by now there never will be.

Bob Kelly III said:

...I've seen bolt on exhaust systems do wonders on bikes and I've seen them turn good bikes into dogs too.... I seriously doubt there is a good one for the XS650 yet.... their just cheap coppies of other brands that were supposed to be "THE BEST" on diferent machines with different cranks.... so I doubt you'll find a good after market set of pipes for the XS650 in all honnesty ...

Click to expand...

Bob, do a forum search on "dyno" posted by "gordonscott", and uncheck the "search this forum only" box...

Thanks 2M will do !
.....
Bob.........

Dunno about the worshipful attitude that some list members have towards the XS650 design team.
Looks to me that the designers lost a few tussles with the bean-counters and a few more to saki hangovers.
But here's a non-BFH way to get that cross-pipe joint apart.
Make yourself a screw jack out of a short length of pipe, a nut, a bolt and a plain washer.
A curved plate tack-welded to the end of the pipe and another to the bolt head would help, too.
Put it between the mufflers and turn the nut down the bolt to force the joint open.

LOL ! I'll drink to that Fred !
great idea on the "spredder" idea Fred..... the bigger the bolt or threadded rod you use the less chance you have of bending it
you could lay the bike on it's side and use a small hydrolic jack between the parts... if the jack fits between the pipes....
or use Dynimite ! and hope you don't hurt anything else ! LOL
....
Bob..........

Quote:
"Dunno about the worshipful attitude that some list members have towards the XS650 design team.
Looks to me that the designers lost a few tussles with the bean-counters"

Well Fred, if you think the designers only did a mediocre job, why have you been driving one for many, many years?
Yes of course the accountants had the last say on some things, in order to bring the price down as low as they did.
Where did the designers win out:
--Ball and roller bearings on the crankshaft and camshaft, instead of cheaper journal bearings. (OK they did goof on the needle bearings for the early con rods).
--An energized alternator rotor with a 3 phase stator, instead of a cheaper single phase stator, or worse yet a PMA.
--High quality Hitachi electrical parts which have stood the test of time, as being very durable.
--When they realized the frame on the 1970 to 1973 was sub standard, they spent money and re-designed it for 1974, I believe it was.
--Upgraded from drum brakes F and R to disc brake on the F only, and later to disc brakes F and R.
--Upgrade from tube tires to cast wheel with tubeless tires by 1978/1979 and later.
--An overall well designed engine that does not leak oil.
--While a complicated design, the starter motor system works very reliably.
(Over the 10 years I have had my XS650, it has always started the engine perfectly.)

I wouldn't say I worship the designers by any streach of the imignation, but for once they did a darn good job.....
I usually have nothing good to say about a bike and it's design, so many fall into the catagory as being only better than walking ! in my mind... that it's more of a distain of bike designs rather than like !
but the XS is better than the usual bike in my view.....
that doesn't count as worship ! admire perhaps ! LOL
When I think of poorly designed motorcycles I have only to think of the Honda 750-4 it had only One redeming quality it went fast!
it didn't handle, it rode hard as a rock the engine was an extreamily expensive one to try to fix and its tires were a poor choice as well
it was more like riding a refrigerator down the road than a motorcycle.... many of the machines of that era were....
but in that day it was acceptable.... they sold thousands and I've worked on many but I will not buy one !
the best handling bike I ever rode was a triumph 650 boniville , the most powerfull and quick a Kawasaki h2 750cc, the funnest was a Bultaco 250cc trashed dirt bike.... the Wildest dirt bike was the Yamaha 360cc single the most comfortable was my Honda 1100 shadow
this XS650 is not found in my list simply because it's close to many of those qualities but not quite there....
it handles Well, Not great.... it has more power than a 250cc so I can cruse with it at 70mph..... the power isn't bad, it just isn't great.
the cumfort isn't bad either.... it's not near as comfortable as the Honda 1100 shadow, nore is it as Heavy !
all in all it's a Keeper ! a good machine !
I don't mean to offend anyone if what I said about your pride and joy bothers you, that's not my intent at all that's just my opinion
every motorcycle is different no 2 are alike down to the nitty gritty. my observations are Mine alone, and do not reflect those of the people here....... and that should be understood for every post I make ! LOL
in short I Like any motorcycle ! I do not hate any with perhaps one exception the honda with the engine you had to Remove (recomended by Honda) just to adjust the valves.... to me that is beyond going way too far its luticrus !
so yah they can really screw up with their designs ! LOL
.....
Bob........

HAHAHAHAHA Oh Fred ! that's choice ! HEHEHEHE
I have those moments of " Who in the Hell ever designed THAT !?!?! " quite often when I have to tear something apart and try to fix it because I can't aford to buy a new one..... some times it's quite interesting!
...
Bob........

I agree Fred...................its a Goldilocks bike for me too. It may not be excellent at any one thing, but it does a whole lot of things reasonably well. Yes, they're tough as nails!

[QUOTE="gggGary, There is a sleeve type graphite packing inside that joint. Rust buster, twist, beat apart using a maul and 2x4 blocking, repeat til something gives. If the cross over is rusty enough to break the mufflers aren't far behind.[/QUOTE]

After hearing some popping in my exhaust ive found a loose pipe. I followed the above removal suggestions for the crossover pipe (thanks, worked great) I went to the local Yamy dealer and got a new exhaust gasket. I did ask if there was a gasket for the cross tube which there isn’t. When getting the pipe back together this copper looking piece broke off out of the female end of the tube. .. Sooo,what does one do now? I managed to remove without mangling this thing. Can I wrap some exhaust tape around this thing until it makes a seal? Or cut the pipe and weld plugs ( i do have a mig but my welding skills aren’t the best in the world. Suggestions....

When too far gone cut and plug. Sorry I don't remember the size but is a standard offering. It makes it a lot easier when removing the mufflers.

You can just use gasket cement to help hold on the copper crush gasket to the headder pipe....
they normally separate upon removal of the pipes....
that copper ring is just the header gasket.... Yes you need it ! however I have ran bikes without them and got away with it....
but you stand a 50/50 chance of having an exhaust leak.... and that will over heat the motor....
so do it right put the copper gasket back on the pipe.... put the pipe back onto the exhaust port and tighten everything down
.....
i cut off and plugged the cross over pipe on the exhaust on my 83... i prefer it that way
.....it helps in fast removal of the exhaust pipes and is less confusing when your searching for the dead cylinder by putting you hand behind the exhaust pipe.... there is no doubt of which cylinder is firing ! ( I had a honda that you could not tell which cylinder it was....they were balanced so well.... so you had to wait and do it by temperature lol.....
back in the 70's it was very common to get bad spark plugs right out of the box .....brand new !.... in fact 4 out of 5 spark plugs on a test I did in my shop proved to be bad at that time.... the best plugs were NGK the worst champion.... though they have improved their quality control allot sense then.... its still not uncommon to get a bad spark plug right out of the box...
.....
Bob.......

snoosky said:

View attachment 125241 [QUOTE="gggGary, There is a sleeve type graphite packing inside that joint. Rust buster, twist, beat apart using a maul and 2x4 blocking, repeat til something gives. If the cross over is rusty enough to break the mufflers aren't far behind.

Click to expand...

After hearing some popping in my exhaust ive found a loose pipe. I followed the above removal suggestions for the crossover pipe (thanks, worked great) I went to the local Yamy dealer and got a new exhaust gasket. I did ask if there was a gasket for the cross tube which there isn’t. When getting the pipe back together this copper looking piece broke off out of the female end of the tube. .. Sooo,what does one do now? I managed to remove without mangling this thing. Can I wrap some exhaust tape around this thing until it makes a seal? Or cut the pipe and weld plugs ( i do have a mig but my welding skills aren’t the best in the world. Suggestions....[/QUOTE]

Hi snoosky and welcome,
you may have had better luck if you'd asked the Yamy dealer for a crush sleeve because that's what's shown in the photo.
Or at least, the sad remains of one. New they're a shiny black graphite impregnated sleeve that fits between the two halves
of the cross-tube. I bought one about 15 years ago but if they are no longer available yes you could wrap the cross-tube's
male end with exhaust tape to fit inside the female end.
Best not try welding onto the mufflers though, that material is perhaps 22gauge or thinner and don't take kindly to
being welded by amateurs.

be careful here, exhaust gets real hot. most stuff/goops will burn. the crossover is and exhaust device used by the designers of usually twin cylinder bikes, to help with performance and emissions.

#4


GASKET, MUFFLER
3YF-14714-00-00
by Yamaha

$19.99 31% OFF

$13.81

brianmac said:

be careful here, exhaust gets real hot. most stuff/goops will burn. the crossover is and exhaust device used by the designers of usually twin cylinder bikes, to help with performance and emissions.

Click to expand...

This is very true and I am glad you brought the concept up ! .... they probably added the cross over pipe to make the bike allot more quiet
... and it was ! notice I say it WAS.... the back pressure is very carefully calculated by the manufacturer... WITH the cross over pipe....
if you plug it there is a very very good chance you will be running the engine with too much back pressure.... Not good at all over heating and possible piston seizure could happen because of it !......
so I took the easy way out and drilled 6 1/2" holes around the plate at the end of the muffler.... not really knowing if the exhaust gasses could even reach that area...but I was hoping they could.... it turns out I got lucky and the exhaust can escape from the area directly behind the back plate..... i don't know how much,.... but it seams to be enough ...<Grin>
my bike is much louder now than it was about 1/2 again as loud as it was at idle and about 2 times as loud at 3 grand RPM
.... but sense the bike was to polite ( quiet ) in my mind anyway.... I don't mind at all...... car drivers know when I am close they hear me!
a quiet bike is a danger ! ......
just a heads up to anyone modifying their stock exhaust system !
....
Bob.........