82 XS650 Starts then dies

Paul that is awesome! Going to call the dealer right after work and see if they can order it, if not that link looks like my next best bet.
 
Boom local dealer has OEM springs in stock for $56 for inner and outer. I am thrilled now I just need to bring the bike back to Buffalo and I will be able to work in it. Also there is a classic bike day at the local Kawasaki dealer tomorrow and the owner says a bunch of his friends have XS650s so I am hoping to make some connections there and get my bike running again.
 
What bike dealer might that be? In Buffalo or Chittenango? I'm near Buffalo but haven't heard anything about something like that around here.
 
I know I come on and post is batches every once in a while but over the summer I have slowly been able to re-assemble the engine with the new valve springs and valve stem seals (they didn't look great when I took them out) Well I torqued everything down and left the engine on a wood stand I made for it for about a month. I came back over the weekend and checked the torque of everything (just to be sure) slowly re attached everything. I did some re-wiring to the neutral switch because I broke off the wire, easy. Re-ran the wiring for the main ground. Slid the engine in and bolted it down, minus one bolt that I can't find for the rear mount. I put everything back on and snugged up what was needed. Threw the carbs on primed them up good and after turning it over 3 times it fired right up. The bike is sputtering a little bit. This has been a problem for me before because I followed the book I have for reassembly and the cam shaft tensioner is always a point I have to play with. Not a big problem. I threw the chain and side cover on and It goes into gear nicely and pops back to neutral. The even better news is that I have already purchased a UHaul to pick the bike up next weekend and bring it back to Buffalo for final little tune ups, touch ups, testing, painting, riding. The painting will probably be done in the spring unless I can get into a paint booth at UB (gotta find someone who can sneak me into a building on a weekend) over the winter and get it painted. I would still like to thank everyone on this forum for everything!
 
Pete so much progress it is crazy. I can't believe how easily a rebuilt (partially) motor kicks over and fires up. I'll post some photos this weekend when I move it back to buffalo. I want to take an inventory of all the parts I have and get a list of what is missing I know one bolt and nut that is for the rear engine mount (I think I accidentally used it on my car because I found a car bolt that looks super similar if not exactly the same but is clean. I also know I am missing a nut for the rear "bar" that surrounds the seat. Other than that after being apart for... so freaking long I am only missing (so far) 2 things... I can live with that.
 
Cal Schilling said:
Pete so much progress it is crazy. I can't believe how easily a rebuilt (partially) motor kicks over and fires up. I'll post some photos this weekend when I move it back to buffalo. I want to take an inventory of all the parts I have and get a list of what is missing I know one bolt and nut that is for the rear engine mount (I think I accidentally used it on my car because I found a car bolt that looks super similar if not exactly the same but is clean. I also know I am missing a nut for the rear "bar" that surrounds the seat. Other than that after being apart for... so freaking long I am only missing (so far) 2 things... I can live with that.
Click to expand...

Post a list of what you need and someone will almost certainly have it at a very reasonable price Cal.

Pete
 
Thanks Pete. I will. I have also been messaging people around the area that have been posting on CL or FB marketplace with "parts for XS650" and keeping in touch with them a bit because I know I will need one or two things and I might be able to run out to them and pick them up same day. Also the local dealer Don Georges seems to have a bunch of random parts stock piled up for XS650s I bought my OEM valve springs from them for cheaper than ones off EBay, which was awesome.
 
I most likely have that stuff. I've got quite a collection of nuts and bolts from stripped down parts bikes, lots of engine mounting bolts too. Best news, I'm just south of Buffalo, near the Hamburg Fairgrounds. Tell me exactly which parts you need and I can probably scrounge them up for you outta my "stash", lol.
 
Thanks 5twins you the man! I'll be in touch in the next few weeks while I get the bike back here and figure out what I need. I actually just thought of another place I might have some of the missing parts at my parents house, so I want to check there first them maybe get the bike up and running and stop down and check out your parts anyways!
 
Awesome news. The XS650 is back in buffalo. We rented a Uhaul and brought it home. No problems strapping the bike down with 3 straps. Nothing went anywhere except the Uhaul dolly that was in the back of the truck it fell over and broke my camera lens it fell on. Anyway XS650 is back in Buffalo and starts in a couple kicks which is nice. Still a tiny sputter which I need to deal with. I think it is the cam chain tensioner adjustment I need to make. Also with the new valve springs in, once I get the sputter gone I want to re-check the valve spacing once the engine has had some time to run and warm up. Unless it keeps sputtering then I'll check it sooner.
 
Now that I'm dealing with these BS34 carbs on a daily basis, I've found them to be quite sensitive to their settings. Make sure the float levels are set correctly and also that the mix screws are adjusted properly. If the mix screw settings are mismatched between the carbs, you can get popping and sputtering.
 
Thanks for the recommendation I will take a look at the float levels. For the BS34 to get to the mixture screw, correct me if I am wrong, I have to drill out two caps on top of the carbs to get to them. I have a spare set of carbs laying around I could play with but I thought in one of the repair books it says do not adjust these. Also when I put the engine back together last time I had this same problem until I adjusted the cam chain tensioner just a bit so I am going to start with that. Also I will probably take the carbs apart again and clean them out again just to make sure that isn't my problem and if all else fails I will drill into my carbs and expose the adjustment screw.
 
Yes, the mix screws are capped over from the factory, but not because you're not supposed to adjust them but rather so you don't and throw off the emissions. It's an E.P.A. thing. They're set at the factory to meet a certain emission output, but that may not necessarily be the best running spot.

To properly clean a set of these carbs, specifically the idle circuit, you have to take the mix screws out, along with their associated parts (spring, washer, o-ring). They're blocking a passageway you need to clean or insure is clean.

I've never seen a manual that tells you not to adjust the mix screws. It may tell you that you can't because they're capped over.
 
First Day Back in Buffalo

First Day Back in Buffalo


Pic of the bike from last night while I was dialing in the timing. It is running with a bit of back firing currently. Through all my testing I drained the battery so I want to charge it up and eliminate a weak battery from the equation.

But it moves and stops. Needs some more love but hell just happy to be able to work on it on a more regular basis now.
 
It is running! I adjusted the cam tensioner and charged the battery up. Fired up pretty quickly and purred once it warmed up a little bit.

There is a tiny oil drip under the left side "cover breaker, 1" (part name I found on bikebandit) it is the cam shaft side cover. Nothing I am too concerned about I probably just need to make sure it is seated properly and the gasket is in the right spot.

I took apart cleaned and re-assembled the front brake and it stops again.
 
Last edited:
You'll need to determine whether that oil leak is coming from inside the housing (seal) or from outside behind it (gasket, o-ring). If it's the seal inside and just minor, sometimes removing the housing and buffing the end of the cam shaft clean and shiny with a Scotch-Brite pad will fix it.

Congrats on getting the old gal running. Now you can "ride and wrench", fixing any little issues that remain along the way. From the pics, I see there's still lots of little stuff you could do. With the riding season ending around here, you'll have a chance to renovate more things over the winter. You could go through the forks (strip, clean, Minton Mod) and if you haven't done so, renovate the rear brake. Most need the pivot cam shaft greased by now where it passes through the brake plate.
 

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