Voldo
XS650 Member
Hey, everyone.
First off, I want to say this forum is a tremendous resource and I am very appreciative of all the info you guys provide. That being said, I am looking for some guidance.
Ok, so here is what I am working on. Please disregard the seat/sissy bar fitment and the messy garage. The PO had the seat pulled back to match the sissy bar but I am going to swap it out for a solo seat.
I picked this up kind of on a whim about a month ago after I sold my Jeep and was itching for another project. I am new to working on motorcycles but I’ve worked on cars most of my life. Different beasts but similar concepts I suppose.
When I got the bike it was covered in surface rust. It ran but needed to be gone through a bit. Leaked fuel at the carbs and fuel had leaked back into the crankcase so I drained that and then cleaned the carbs, replaced the floats that took on fuel and rejetted since it has a Speedster pipes and cones. I did find there are different diaphragms in each carb.
The needle slide fits tighter in the one than the other. Seems some components from other years were used during a previous cleaning…Anyhow, got the carbs back on the bike and leaks are gone. Haven’t taken the bike out since it needs tires but I anticipate I’ll need to tune it further once a road test has been completed. I need to adjust the mix screw to get the idle dialed in. Dead cylinder method is on the list.
I checked the cam chain tension. Found some oil under the crown nut which has me a bit concerned. My gut tells me this shouldn’t be happening…
After that I checked valves. Right bank needed a little adjustment but left bank was good. One thing I found odd was when I rotated the crank via the kicker (bike is kick start only and rephased) at a certain point the cam would flop, for lack of a better word, around to the sloppy TDC mark the PO made. (i took plugs out) Is this a symptom of the rephase or is something else happening here? It seems like it should not just “fall” around.. could something be loose that shouldn't be? Or is it just the piston falling? Realizing now I should check the other motor I have to see how it acts upon rotation since it is all stock.
Plugs looked nasty. Need to replace then inspect.
Timing has not been confirmed. I need to grab a timing light. The timing card is missing but I believe I have a template to print out that should work.
Also replaced the shoes and cleaned up the rear drum. There is not a return spring on the lever but the rear brake pedal no longer sticks. I found a guide on here that was very helpful in this process.
On the not so mechanical side of things: I picked up a 21” wheel from a tt250 so I can run a mini drum. Also because I like the look of a 21” wheel up front. Form and function. I still need to get the actual drum, lever, weld stay tabs, etc. and will do so as cash flow allows. Also, figure out a way to mount the thing since the axle sizes are different. I think I have that covered but it is lower on the priority list than some other items. Getting the idle and tuning dialed in and new tires is top of the list.
Not the best angle but oh well.
So, I supposed that brings us to present day.Thanks for reading and any input on the aforementioned concerns is greatly appreciated!
First off, I want to say this forum is a tremendous resource and I am very appreciative of all the info you guys provide. That being said, I am looking for some guidance.
Ok, so here is what I am working on. Please disregard the seat/sissy bar fitment and the messy garage. The PO had the seat pulled back to match the sissy bar but I am going to swap it out for a solo seat.
I picked this up kind of on a whim about a month ago after I sold my Jeep and was itching for another project. I am new to working on motorcycles but I’ve worked on cars most of my life. Different beasts but similar concepts I suppose.
When I got the bike it was covered in surface rust. It ran but needed to be gone through a bit. Leaked fuel at the carbs and fuel had leaked back into the crankcase so I drained that and then cleaned the carbs, replaced the floats that took on fuel and rejetted since it has a Speedster pipes and cones. I did find there are different diaphragms in each carb.
I checked the cam chain tension. Found some oil under the crown nut which has me a bit concerned. My gut tells me this shouldn’t be happening…
After that I checked valves. Right bank needed a little adjustment but left bank was good. One thing I found odd was when I rotated the crank via the kicker (bike is kick start only and rephased) at a certain point the cam would flop, for lack of a better word, around to the sloppy TDC mark the PO made. (i took plugs out) Is this a symptom of the rephase or is something else happening here? It seems like it should not just “fall” around.. could something be loose that shouldn't be? Or is it just the piston falling? Realizing now I should check the other motor I have to see how it acts upon rotation since it is all stock.
Plugs looked nasty. Need to replace then inspect.
Timing has not been confirmed. I need to grab a timing light. The timing card is missing but I believe I have a template to print out that should work.
Also replaced the shoes and cleaned up the rear drum. There is not a return spring on the lever but the rear brake pedal no longer sticks. I found a guide on here that was very helpful in this process.
On the not so mechanical side of things: I picked up a 21” wheel from a tt250 so I can run a mini drum. Also because I like the look of a 21” wheel up front. Form and function. I still need to get the actual drum, lever, weld stay tabs, etc. and will do so as cash flow allows. Also, figure out a way to mount the thing since the axle sizes are different. I think I have that covered but it is lower on the priority list than some other items. Getting the idle and tuning dialed in and new tires is top of the list.
Not the best angle but oh well.
So, I supposed that brings us to present day.Thanks for reading and any input on the aforementioned concerns is greatly appreciated!