Yes, this is something pretty much all these need. Very few ever had it done in the past. Very few ever had most of the required maintenance done to them, lol. I like to think we're saving them, from the scrap heap of course, but also from a long line of neglectful previous owners.
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'80 Special Refit
- Thread starter Solomoriah
- Start date
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Oh, the previous owner of this bike was truly incompetent:
-- Right side mirror was forced (somehow) into the left perch, despite being left-hand threaded; left side mirror was attached to the right side of the handlebars on a clamp, since (of course) it didn't fit the perch.
-- Battery positive connection was floating; the screw was in the hole, but not threaded into the nut. Pretty sure it's not the proper battery either... seems a bit short (top to bottom) for the battery compartment.
-- Sealed beam in the headlight wasn't aligned in its ring properly, nor was the rubber part lined up correctly (the rubber didn't line up with either the bumps on the sealed beam NOR the voids in the ring). Also, the nuts and bushings from the headlight pivot mount (the bit that lets you adjust the sealed beam left-to-right) were floating loose in the headlight bucket.
WITH THAT SAID, I don't think the retorque has fixed the oil leak. Maybe, maybe it's slowed a bit, but not stopped, nor even slowed as much as I hoped. Gah. Retorquing the head was a lot easier than I expected though. I can't really tell if the current leak is actually the head gasket, or if it's the base gasket, as there is so much oily crud from the head gasket to the base gasket on the left side of the cylinders.
I've also discovered the forks are twisted a bit. Any words of wisdom here? Long long ago, when I weighed roughly half what I do now, I owned an XL125 Honda, and if I dropped it, the forks would twist. Then I'd just roll it up next to a tree or telephone pole and twist it back the other way, and everything was fine. I haven't tried it yet on my XS... any chance that will work? If not, how to go about it?
-- Right side mirror was forced (somehow) into the left perch, despite being left-hand threaded; left side mirror was attached to the right side of the handlebars on a clamp, since (of course) it didn't fit the perch.
-- Battery positive connection was floating; the screw was in the hole, but not threaded into the nut. Pretty sure it's not the proper battery either... seems a bit short (top to bottom) for the battery compartment.
-- Sealed beam in the headlight wasn't aligned in its ring properly, nor was the rubber part lined up correctly (the rubber didn't line up with either the bumps on the sealed beam NOR the voids in the ring). Also, the nuts and bushings from the headlight pivot mount (the bit that lets you adjust the sealed beam left-to-right) were floating loose in the headlight bucket.
WITH THAT SAID, I don't think the retorque has fixed the oil leak. Maybe, maybe it's slowed a bit, but not stopped, nor even slowed as much as I hoped. Gah. Retorquing the head was a lot easier than I expected though. I can't really tell if the current leak is actually the head gasket, or if it's the base gasket, as there is so much oily crud from the head gasket to the base gasket on the left side of the cylinders.
I've also discovered the forks are twisted a bit. Any words of wisdom here? Long long ago, when I weighed roughly half what I do now, I owned an XL125 Honda, and if I dropped it, the forks would twist. Then I'd just roll it up next to a tree or telephone pole and twist it back the other way, and everything was fine. I haven't tried it yet on my XS... any chance that will work? If not, how to go about it?
Give it a couple days and miles before you give up. I theorize the retorque squeezes oil out of the gaskets. Early on I did a requorque and had oil going everywhere but then it quit leaking... But yeah sometimes a gasket has let go. or it could be cam seals or something else.
Your best bet will be to loosen everything on the front end and start over. Blocks under the motor to keep the front end in the air. Loosen the triple tree pinch bolts at the stem and both forks, the bolts on the lower steering yoke, fender, axle nut and pinch bolts on the bottom of the left fork. Work everything out straight and re-tighten. I start with the axle, then go to the top (all of 'em) then back down to the left fork pinch nuts and the fender last. Others may do it differently, but that's always worked for me.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
I have a bike lift, actually, so getting the front wheel up won't be hard. Not exactly sure what "work everything out straight" means... once I have it all loose, how do I get it straight?
As everyone else said - stick at it and tackle one task at a time and you’ll get it all done. As you have found with the re-torquing, each individual task usually isn’t all that tough.
One comment I’d offer on the heavy clutch - aside from getting a new Motion Pro cable and lubricating it - the routing of the cable can make a BIG difference to the pull. Certainly, you need big sweeping bends up near the handlebars, but I found that putting the clutch cable on the outside of the left hand carb make also the pull very heavy - even though that may seem like the obvious routing for it.
The correct routing for the clutch cable is under the tank and down through the space BETWEEN the carbs - and then down into the hole in the left hand engine case cover.
NOTE: the space between the carbs is very crowded with fuel lines, filters, crankcase vent hoses etc. etc. - but - that is also where the clutch cable has to go. It will all fit, be patient.
Keep going - you’ll get there!
Pete
One comment I’d offer on the heavy clutch - aside from getting a new Motion Pro cable and lubricating it - the routing of the cable can make a BIG difference to the pull. Certainly, you need big sweeping bends up near the handlebars, but I found that putting the clutch cable on the outside of the left hand carb make also the pull very heavy - even though that may seem like the obvious routing for it.
The correct routing for the clutch cable is under the tank and down through the space BETWEEN the carbs - and then down into the hole in the left hand engine case cover.
NOTE: the space between the carbs is very crowded with fuel lines, filters, crankcase vent hoses etc. etc. - but - that is also where the clutch cable has to go. It will all fit, be patient.
Keep going - you’ll get there!
Pete
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Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Actually, I worked out the routing for both clutch and throttle while I had the tank off. The clutch already ran between the carbs, but I moved it from the left side of the backbone to the right to eat up some of the length. It works pretty well, just heavier than my CB650's clutch.
Mainly, if I can get the forks sorted and the oil leak slowed, I'll be happy with it. I have to say, it's a blast to ride!
Mainly, if I can get the forks sorted and the oil leak slowed, I'll be happy with it. I have to say, it's a blast to ride!
Yup - the XS650 really is an extremely nice motorcycle.
Pete
Pete
Well... not exactly sure how to explain it with a short and sweet comment..... For me (like most I'm guessing), it's something I just do, haven't really given it much thought. I looked at Youtube and there's a fair amount of explanations there. Most are about 15 minutes long. How would you condense that down to a comment
Try some of the videos and see if they make sense. If not, I'll try and figure out a "short and sweet" explanation.
View the bike's front forks from the side. Step back a few feet, and look for parallelism of the forks...
My SH had a slight twist in the forks. To straighten it loosen the bolts on the lower tree clamps then do what you did for the XL125. When straight re-tighten the clamps. If no luck then put blocks under the bike engine so the forks will not collapse and then loosen the top clamps slightly and try again. The torque setting for the clamp bolts is quite low.
Also, standing at the front of the bike lock the front wheel between your legs and then hold the handlebars and twist. Saves finding a tree or wall.
Also, standing at the front of the bike lock the front wheel between your legs and then hold the handlebars and twist. Saves finding a tree or wall.
On small old hondas yeah the twist it back approach worked. Not so much on the XS's, check fork tubes and bottom triple for bends.
Nice video gggGary!
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Okay, so tonight I threw my XS up on the stand, loosened the front end, and tried to work it around to straight.
Thought I had it, tightened it all back up, took a ride.
Still twisted. GAH.
Stopped at the back corner of my vast estate and used a handy telephone pole to straighten it, like I did with my old XL125 back in the day.
Also: The other day I did retorque the head, as noted above, and took a 20 mile loop ride. Oily drip from the left side of the cylinder. Someone counseled patience... so today, while checking out my straightening job, I took about a 10 mile loop. No oily drip this time. Maybe it's good for a while... I can hope.
Thought I had it, tightened it all back up, took a ride.
Still twisted. GAH.
Stopped at the back corner of my vast estate and used a handy telephone pole to straighten it, like I did with my old XL125 back in the day.
Also: The other day I did retorque the head, as noted above, and took a 20 mile loop ride. Oily drip from the left side of the cylinder. Someone counseled patience... so today, while checking out my straightening job, I took about a 10 mile loop. No oily drip this time. Maybe it's good for a while... I can hope.
Looks like you've got yourself a ballgame there Solomoriah!
Enjoy the ride.....ahhhhhhh.....
Enjoy the ride.....ahhhhhhh.....
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Thanks MP. Often I can ride to work, but tomorrow I have to deliver some equipment, so it's the car for me. But Tuesday is a possibility, and Wednesday is practically guaranteed to be ride-to-work day... weather permitting, as always.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
... ack. Just checked Weather Channel. 80% chance of precipitation Tuesday, 90% Wednesday. Again, ack ...
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Did a 33.6 mile loop today on the XS650. Burned 0.6 gallons of gas, so 55 MPG or thereabouts. Still no oil weeping out of the head... perfect!
Unfortunately, when full, gas weeps out of the gas cap. Guess I need a new rubber washer for that.
The aftermarket mirrors from 2FastMoto I put on are crap. I really want a set just like the ones on my Honda CB650, so it's off to eBay to see what I can find...
Unfortunately, when full, gas weeps out of the gas cap. Guess I need a new rubber washer for that.
The aftermarket mirrors from 2FastMoto I put on are crap. I really want a set just like the ones on my Honda CB650, so it's off to eBay to see what I can find...
Did a 70 miles trip up through the Welsh Valleys this morning and was stalked by a storm cloud. Every so often it would throw a bit of wet stuff at me. The good part was it slowed me down so I could admire the scenery better. Saw a dead rat on the road in the same spot where a peacock forced me to stop a couple of weeks back. Noticed lately that when I break and come to a stop the engine splutters a little. Could this just be fuel sloshing in the carburetor bowls??
I’d have thought that the bowls would normally be pretty much full Paul, (depending on how the float levels are set of course).
