Search results

I would check for lose hardware. I would probably want to change to an electronic ignition and check the timing advance too before the trip. In 10'000 on the 1971 I've had to reset my Pamco ignition once. I adjusted the timing chain tensioner first, then set the timing . I would re-torque the...

If it's tuned right and not running lean it shouldn't be no problem. I knew a guy who rode his XS1B from Southern Cal, to Sturgis and back. He said it was a lot of work though. I think both my 71 and 80 XS650 would cross the country no problem, but hot weather would always concern me. I always...

I have had a lot of problems with short wear life on rubber foot pegs and kicker rubber coming from China or Taiwan . In the end I search for NOS replacements and just resigned myself to paying the high prices. I ride a lot, and the soft Asian rubber compounds from China just don't hold up the...

I put at least 5000 miles on both my XS650s, both are solid state. The 71 has been running a Pamco ignition on it for years. Last trip on the 1980 was 380 miles To Yosemite, half of it being freeway. I have yet to have an electrical problem on either of them with solid state. Once a year I...

Worst injury I ever had riding a motorcycle was when a black German Sheppard ran out in front of me in on a road like that, only it was dark. I was going fast too, because after taking too much time tinkering with the bike I was going to be late for work. The bike was an old iron head sportster...

Start with stock jets on the 34 as your base line. Once you know those carbs in the stock config will run the engine then you can make the jetting changes. A common mistake people make is to make several changes at once without running the engine, which makes it is difficult to figure out which...

I have just the Pamco ignition on my 71 and it has worked flawlessly for years. I live in a hot climate, so I was a little worried about the lost spark generating more heat. I have not been able to measure any temperature change. I did notice the bike runs a lot smoother through the whole RPM...

So you'll need to replace the cam chain and guides. I would clean the pistons and hone cylinders, then see if you can cram a .004 thousandths feeler gage between the pistons and the cylinder wall. The reason I say the is that .004 is too much. A .003 should slide between them and .004 shouldn't...

First this I would suspect would be a hung valve, I would remove the spark plugs and look in the hole to see if all the valves were moving up and down when the crank is rotated. Pistons should go up and down and the valves should open and close. I would also check for loose rockers. The cam...

Kind of breaks some rules for surface area contact and number of teeth engaged. We used to say 3-5 hp to power an alternator under load, but that was with a pulley system. A chain, or a timing belt would have less drag. The crank shaft needs a certain amount of weight to absorb vibration and...

You will have to turn up the volume for this. I was using a stock Contour 2+ camera This is my bike. Basically a stock rebuild with a Pamco ignition which works fantastic and solid state regulator/rectifier. It runs well, I have about 5000 on it since the rebuild. I built it to ride, and it has...

I generally replace the float needles and seat as a set, in both carburetors at the same time. You could have gotten a piece of grit or varnish in one of the lines or pilot circuits. "Starts and runs fine then gets worse" makes me think of fuel delivery. A petcock could be getting plugged...