XS1B Texas Resurrection

So, I got to thinking about how the layout of the 256 intake ports is identical to those on the 447. I reasoned that the later linked carbs should be mountable on 70-73 frames using the original 70-73 straight intake boots. So, I tried it, and here and below is the result. No issues. And, this time, the original air boxes should bolt up to the battery box correctly.
The 70-73 intake boots are straight. The 74 and later intake boots angle the carbs down a little. I have to assume that beginning with the 74 there was a frame clearance issue, and that is why they angled the boots downward in 74. So, I also assume that the early straight boots won't work on a 74 or later. But the later angled boots will work with all years. Hope that all made sense.
Now that that's settled, I can remove the engine...

I have an original rear view mirror and some rear brake shoes that I can donate to the cause...

TwoManyXS1Bs said:

I have an original rear view mirror and some rear brake shoes that I can donate to the cause...

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Thank you very much. Will definitely take you up on this. No rush, can wait until I see you. The MotoGP and Handbuilt Show are the first weekend in April.


Here's how it sits, and this is how it will be for some time. This bike is exactly the cheap but titled early rustbucket that I have been waiting for for some time. But, it came at a bad time. I have a really lot of other projects and chores that have to be finished first. My immediate goal was just to get it to where I could easily roll and slide it around in my very limited storage space. That's a rain-catcher rear wheel temporarily taking the place of the original rear wheel that had the tire that exploded on me.


One nice fringe benefit of having this bike is that it gave me a good model for this piece, the seat hook catch. I have another early frame that someone put a later seat on, and shaved that loop off of.


This is the new loop that I fabricated. I ended up spending an incredible amount of time on this little bit. It took me some time to figure out how to make a tight bend. This was my third try. Probably not worth the time I spent on it, but it's one of those things where you become obsessed with testing the limits of your tools and capabilities.

DogBunny said:

... testing the limits of your tools and capabilities.

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That's the fun part!

Beags64 said:

That's the fun part!

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I find myself spending inordinate amounts of time bending pieces of metal that are straight, and straightening pieces of metal that are bent.


So here's that thing I made, welded onto the other frame. I really just wanted to show how small this thing is for those who are unfamiliar with the early frames.


My friend made the tight bend on the rod at the bottom. You can't tell from the pic, but it is actually bent considerably more than 90 degrees -- more like 110 degrees. He used this Harbor Freight bender, which appears to be a good tool:
https://www.harborfreight.com/compact-bender-38470.html
But, I don't think he would have gotten beyond the first or second bend if he had tried to make the loop that I needed.

Been cleaning the XS1B carbs a little, and I noticed this: The heads of the throttle plate screws are staked! (The threads are staked too.) I've had a couple of early carbs pass through my hands, but never saw this before. And yes, the head staking does interfere with getting a screwdriver into the slot.
While I'm at it, will mention that in my experience, they seriously staked the threads of the screws on all of the earlier carbs. Those screws on the earlier carbs will not come out without first grinding off the thread staking. Later carbs don't need the grinding, just proper tools and technique.

DogBunny said:

Those screws on the earlier carbs will not come out without first grinding off the thread staking.

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Very true. I learned the hard way.

DogBunny said:

in my experience, they seriously staked the threads of the screws on all of the earlier carbs.

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Same here....And BS34 screws basically come right out.

So I've actually done a considerable amount of work to the XS1B. I'm patiently waiting for a critical part to come on the slow COVID-19 boat from China, and then I'll do a big reveal. Until then, here are my finished wheels.


This is a "before" pic of the rear brake plate. That green fuzz is actually growing, living lichen.


Here's a little lesson learned:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/172906247248
I bought this spoke set for the front wheel because it was so ridiculously cheap -- made an offer of $22 for it which was accepted. I was extremely skeptical that it would be correct, but I've always been highly satisfied with the seller, Niche Cycle, who has good repop stuff very cheap. I Googled the manufacturer's part number, 16-57402, and it turns out that several outfits sell this same spoke kit for about the same cheap price.
So, the spoke set comes, and I very carefully check the length and number of the spokes against the originals. I count the nipples, and all is good. So, I leave positive eBay feedback.
The next day I lace-up the wheel, only to discover that one of the nipples is threaded for a larger diameter spoke set. I had counted the nipples, but hadn't checked the threading of them. Fortunately, I have a little bag with a few random new spokes and nipples in it. Found a nipple that was exactly right except that it was stainless steel, instead of zinc-plated like the rest of the set. That was lucky.

For the rubber front wheel plugs, I got a chance to try an idea that I've had for a long time. I used 1-3/8" locking black nylon hole plugs from McMaster-Carr. The holes in the hub are actually oval, and the nylon hole plugs are pretty rigid, so I had to cut relief slots into the walls of the nylon plugs as shown. Using a Dremel cut-off wheel, I cut four slots in each plug, spaced 90 degrees apart. The hub will accept the nylon plugs without the slots, but it distorts the plug. Even with the slots, it's not absolutely perfect, but it's pretty close, and looks very sharp.
I suppose that alternatively, you could make the oval holes in the hub round, but then you'd be irreversibly altering the stock hub.
I had to buy a package of 50 of those nylon plugs, so if anyone else wants to try this, I've got the plugs.

DogBunny said:

That green fuzz is actually growing, living lichen.

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Must of come from east Texas. Everything over there is covered in it.

Wow! Those wheels look great!

Im not familiar with those tires, they look just the right blend of classic and modern.

Getting a bad spoke occasionally just happens. I've encountered it with several different sets for different bikes, from different makers, and in both stainless and cad plated. That's why I now immediately fit the nipples to every spoke when I get the set, just in case.

Team Junk said:

Must of come from east Texas. Everything over there is covered in it.

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I have always liked lichen. A real prehistoric survivor that will grow anywhere.

Mailman said:

Wow! Those wheels look great!
View attachment 165679
Im not familiar with those tires, they look just the right blend of classic and modern.

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I wanted a front tire that matched the original factory specified "inch" size of 3.25X19, NOT the metric equivalent 100/90-19. So, that front tire actually says 3.25X19 right on the side wall. It is new, not NOS, and has a date code just a few months old. Then I bought the matching "inch" sized rear, 4.00X18.
They have a classic tread pattern, are inexpensive, and are made by IRC... in Japan!

5twins said:

Getting a bad spoke occasionally just happens. I've encountered it with several different sets for different bikes, from different makers, and in both stainless and cad plated. That's why I now immediately fit the nipples to every spoke when I get the set, just in case.

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Definitely. Lesson learned.

DogBunny said:

View attachment 158736
<<Snip>> But the later angled boots will work with all years <<snip>>

View attachment 158737

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Hi DogBunny the angled boots will work functionally with the earlier years, but it might cause interference with the side covers due to the downward angle of the boot. I imagine that it would also not line up with a stock airbox.

Shown here is my 73 cover which wont seat fully, and interferes with the UNIPOD filter at the lower corner... 78 linked carbs for reference.

Still waiting on my straight boots to arrive...

Oddjob, nice-looking carbs and surroundings.
That is some excellent and useful info. Did you buy the pricey German straight boots?
Unless there are cheaper straight boots available somewhere, I think I might try angled unis.


UNI UP-4200SA is like the UP-4200 but angled. UP-4200AST is angled and is two-stage with an outer red foam layer. Both are angled at 15 degrees. Might be worth seeing if they could be rotated to solve the side cover interference issue.

Looks like the interference is with the rubber flange part, not the foam part.

Yes 5T, the interference is with the flanged section... a straight boot should help greatly, but it still might very tight in there.

DogBunny, I bought the set from Heiden tuning €40 (45USD), the only other option that I could find was JBM industries @ 74USD.

Despite the fact that I put in my order prior to the complete travel lock-down, it appears that my parts have been stuck with Post-Netherlands since Mar 30, probably waiting for a flight over here. Not Heiden's fault, just another sign of the crazy times...

5twins said:

Looks like the interference is with the rubber flange part, not the foam part.

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I see what you're saying. Thanks for the alert.

Oddjob said:

Yes 5T, the interference is with the flanged section... a straight boot should help greatly, but it still might very tight in there.

DogBunny, I bought the set from Heiden tuning €40 (45USD), the only other option that I could find was JBM industries @ 74USD.

Despite the fact that I put in my order prior to the complete travel lock-down, it appears that my parts have been stuck with Post-Netherlands since Mar 30, probably waiting for a flight over here. Not Heiden's fault, just another sign of the crazy times...

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Thanks for the Heiden lead. I already ordered them. $66 with shipping. And I got to use up some of those pesky euros that have been languishing in my PayPal account forever.
I'm not a fan of JBM. The other ones I saw were on German eBay at a cost of $117 USD shipped -- but they do come with the metal cages and the clamps.
Yeah, you just have to have faith that international stuff will eventually arrive. At least our domestic shipping is still functioning well.

I restored the XS1B's brake lever using (almost) all of the original parts. Still waiting for that critical part to come, and then I'll reveal what the rest of the bike currently looks like.


These steel parts give an idea of the condition the lever was in. One of the few parts that I didn't re-use was that threaded brass sleeve (red arrow). You can see how worn it is. That wear equals lever slop. As far as I know, that threaded sleeve is unobtainable, but I found a steel one in my Big Box O' Brake Junk.


Here are the steel parts after nickel plating. My plating has gotten MUCH better. I've completely re-done my plating set-up, and figured a lot of stuff out. I need to write an update for Jim's plating thread. Most of this stuff can be bought NOS on eBay, but what's the fun in that, and besides, the whole reason I started plating was so that I wouldn't be nickel-and-dimed and have to wait for shipping on little bits like this.


My one regret is that I didn't sand the head of this bolt (the long pivot bolt) smooth before I plated it.


For the handlebar pinch bolt I used a stainless steel bolt. I grinded the grade markings off of the head, and then wheel-polished it. This is extremely satisfying. It takes just a few short minutes to transform an ugly bolt into a perfect little gem.
BTW, I have to apologize to 5twins on this subject. A few years ago he was showing off some stainless bolt heads that he had done the same thing to, and I made fun of him, saying that "if you're polishing bolts, you have too much time on your hands." I take that back, and thanks for a great idea. I polish all of my stainless bolt heads now in situations where they show on bikes that matter.


That washer on the bottom of the brake light switch is the only other thing that I replaced. Replaced the rusty original with this big fender washer -- it's on the bottom, where no one will see it.
Just used regular black heat shrink tubing to replace the switch sheath. Could have bought reproduction silver sheath, but that would have meant spending money, and re-doing the two bullet connectors, and besides, it looks like the cabling on this bike will be a mix of black and silver anyway.