79 Special II RestoCustom "Doomy"

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forks are definitely looking better!
So much more small chrome rubber mounts all over the headlight too. Such a solid front end !
To finish off my day I transplanted a Special Jim's Rewind. Look how the bright fresh paint Timing Marks are easy to see !
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really going towards electrical things now. I hear you too 5 twins. Need to torque head bolts under the stay soon.
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Looking very snazzy Randy - you’re way ahead of me.
We are all hoping for pics of your bikes too MaxPete. All of these projects take lots of time ! Work, Family, Life in general use most of our precious XS garage time.
I'm actually at the hospital today visiting my fallen mother.
We can each keep chipping away at these XS Projects little here & there to achieve very nice bikes in the end :thumbsup:
-RT
 
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20200116_110242.jpg Bar End mirrors, it turns can interfere with the XS original front brake lever end which is very long overall. Sliding the master cylinder clamp all the way in with these bars and there was just shy clearance. Clutch side was adequate.
But, ;) I happen to have found shorter and straighter brake & clutch levers which fix the whole mirror interference issue.
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So off the originals and on with the way more fun custom mounted bar end mirrors and new sporty short levers and all the switch/clamp positions are a bit wider and proper.

Whew, again. Back to more soon.
-R
 

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Excellent Randy! Meticulous attention to detail and your illustrations are worth a thousand words. You've read Bob's memoirs!!
I see your coil is fitted out with black and yellow wires like the Chinese ones I have just installed. They must have limited colours available in the People's Republic - I've got a thing about reproductions that don't follow the original colour schematic - annoying and confusing. I assumed that the coils were wired the same as the originals and that the rear wire, (black) was actually brown and connected to the red & white. I hooked the yellows to the grey and orange. You seem to have done it the other way round, (#122, pic 3). Have I done it wrong?
The first pic shows my original coil with the brown at the back corresponding the black on the new Chinese knock-off in pic 2.
 

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Appreciate your support David ! Been watching your XS project on the wiring challenges. This 79 wiring is way behind yours. I do see that my coils are wired yellow to red/white. And black to grey or orange. I did not alter the wiring yet from the previous owners condition. I have simply unplugged the rest of the wiring and am saving all that re-plugging to another time yet :whistle:
Fortunately, I have faith in the wiring. It will only be altered like this :
Coils, Leads, Rectifier, will be upgraded. I will eliminate the RLU, Light Checker, and little stuff to simplify a very stock 79 system.
Wish I had better coil hook up knowledge here to pass on, You are ahead of me there.
-RT
 

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Cheers Randy. I'll leave mine as is and the first one of us to attempt fire their bike up will be able to inform the other. Love your sensible labelling, wish I'd done that. Labelling and a photo record seem essential. Following your build with interest but the sight of that open headlight bucket really affects my rash. FYI, 5T's head and tail light modification worked a treat and will certainly cause less drain on the battery when starting.
 
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All the recent top end attention drew me right in to look and plan which task to do thru the way to the head re-torque / check and chain tensioner upgrade and back out.
The garage portable light made it very enjoyable to both work and snap a pic or few.
Am amazing spontaneous idea pulled through with a much smaller, sportier , tiny breather box removed from a spare 81 head. One breather outlet instead of the stock 2 Y outlets Check out this visual appeal !
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And the cam chain adjuster was switched out to the cooler 81 type.
But what was So fun was the replacement of the Huge 79 head breather to the Trim 81 one.

One breather tube, One petcock, OneCustom Manifold Vacuum pipe coming after the Carbs... far to go but what fun getting there !
-RT
 

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I did the opposite by taking the single off and putting a dual outlet on. My reasoning is the bigger one gives the oil spray a better chance of slowing down and returning to the crankcase. As for the dual outlet line routing, Over the carbs past the petcocks (I'm running a dual standard tank) and down to the bottom of the airbox. Plumbed in is the power brake valve
and using the original 90* hose on the airbox. '80 SG plastic airboxes. I'll try to take a pic of it all later.
 
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(I'm running a dual standard tank) and down to the bottom of the airbox. Plumbed in is the power brake valve
and using the original 90* hose on the airbox. '80 SG plastic airboxes. I'll try to take a pic of it all later.
Yes, I recently sent you a 81 plastic air box/filters to modify and it would be good of you to share the mod with pics to other XS owners. It sounds like a very functional mod.
-R
This 79's goal is to be trim and lean. My 78E Standard will likely keep the stock airbox and stock breather routing.
 
Todays XS.com classifieds scored me the missing Cafe seat!
Looks like it's going to compliment the smoothed rear frame hoop and Special fender with those prior fender mount holes becoming rear turn signal locations. Very cool when more local parts just fall into place
:cool:
Thank you DB90 Washington local.
 

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