There's a few threads on this...here's one that has a way to modify it (once open) so you don't need a key.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23824
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23824
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Brat Tracker Build - 1978 xs650 Special
- Thread starter marine5811
- Start date
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- Tags
- build custom restoration tracker
If you are trying to open the cap without a key, first spray penetrating oil on it, once you figure out the release mechanism, depress the cap like it recommends, release and presto, it opens, er, some of the time. I take in the key code to my local locksmith and come out with a key that fits for under $20.00.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Awesome! Thanks you guys, I got it!
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
So there hasn't been too much to post lately. I had to get my shop in order before I could get any real work done on the bike so that had to happen first.
Last night I finally got in the shop and started up some more. I wiped down the tank (filthy) and got the gas cap popped open and modded to open without a key.
After that I spent a little while busting carbon buildup out of the inside of the head. Hopefully this weekend i can make some progress on the complete bike and get it cleaned up a bit.
Posted via Mobile
Last night I finally got in the shop and started up some more. I wiped down the tank (filthy) and got the gas cap popped open and modded to open without a key.
After that I spent a little while busting carbon buildup out of the inside of the head. Hopefully this weekend i can make some progress on the complete bike and get it cleaned up a bit.
Posted via Mobile
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Started removing all the stuff I don't want on the bike last night (mainly the rear fender and the stock airbox and side covers).
Tried to swap out my chrome headlight bucket for my black one but... holy wiring, Batman. That's gonna take me a while.
Started tearing down the stock SE handlebars for removal when my new bars arrive and came to realize how far gone my switches really are. I'm also looking at a new throttle tube or cable (one of them is really sticky... redneck cruise control maybe?)
Overall it sure is fun to tear these things down a little! I need to do some studying up on the electrical, though. I took off the LH side cover and found a little electrical component and have no idea what the heck it even is. Looks like I've got some learning to do!
Anyway, you have all been very patient with me as I have been getting my shop cleaned up so here are some pics as a reward.
Got the tank open and modded for no key (thanks again for the tips!)
Also made some progress on the spare motor in the last week or so. I don't have any after pictures yet but here are the before pics. Total carnage.
And here is my newly stocked pile of parts!
Tried to swap out my chrome headlight bucket for my black one but... holy wiring, Batman. That's gonna take me a while.
Started tearing down the stock SE handlebars for removal when my new bars arrive and came to realize how far gone my switches really are. I'm also looking at a new throttle tube or cable (one of them is really sticky... redneck cruise control maybe?)
Overall it sure is fun to tear these things down a little! I need to do some studying up on the electrical, though. I took off the LH side cover and found a little electrical component and have no idea what the heck it even is. Looks like I've got some learning to do!
Anyway, you have all been very patient with me as I have been getting my shop cleaned up so here are some pics as a reward.
Got the tank open and modded for no key (thanks again for the tips!)
Also made some progress on the spare motor in the last week or so. I don't have any after pictures yet but here are the before pics. Total carnage.
And here is my newly stocked pile of parts!
CoastsideXS650
Princeton Motor Works
Looks like you have a lot of motor work ahead of you. Those parts are awfully oxidized.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Yeah they are. It's going to be a long road.
Crashomon
XS650 Enthusiast
Great pix... keep em coming. I would have bailed on the motor once I saw rusted cams.
But, like a murder scene/accident, I just can't look away!
cheers from the peanut gallery, I can't wait to see how this turns out.
But, like a murder scene/accident, I just can't look away!
cheers from the peanut gallery, I can't wait to see how this turns out.
CoastsideXS650
Princeton Motor Works
I have seen worse before:
Airwolfie
XS650 Guru
Crashomon
XS650 Enthusiast
Oh, I've seen plenty of horridly oxidized bikes. What I've never seen is someone actually undoing all of Mother Nature's work and turning into a pretty bike again.
<goes and grabs more popcorn>
<goes and grabs more popcorn>
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Thanks Crash. All things considered, the motor looks halfway decent. Believe it or not I think it will actually turn out ok.
Coastside, those pictures just encourage me. At least I'm not working with that.
Wolf, you are my hero. I am going to be reading your thread start to finish. Pipe up if you see me needing some help - great thread! Thanks for all that hard work!
Oh, I've seen plenty of horridly oxidized bikes. What I've never seen is someone actually undoing all of Mother Nature's work and turning into a pretty bike again.
<goes and grabs more popcorn>
Well, no promises. I'll do my best, but I am already starting to think my head might be too pitted at the valve seats to salvage. That doesn't bode well for the rest of the engine rebuild but I am working with two complete motors, so I might be able to make something happen. Grab plenty of popcorn - this isn't going to be one of those over-the-weekend builds. This one is on a realistic budget which = time. It's gonna be a long road, I think.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Quick update: I am thinking I am going to have to tear down the bike a bit more than originally thought. No problem there, though. I think I'll enjoy the process.
Not much happened on the bike tonight. I cracked open a beer at the end of the night and just sat and stared at the bike for a while - just enjoying it and trying to picture the finished product. Couldn't leave it without a little love, though, so I pulled the carbs and called it a night. More this weekend, hopefully.
Not much happened on the bike tonight. I cracked open a beer at the end of the night and just sat and stared at the bike for a while - just enjoying it and trying to picture the finished product. Couldn't leave it without a little love, though, so I pulled the carbs and called it a night. More this weekend, hopefully.
CoastsideXS650
Princeton Motor Works
I do this all the time. Its part of the process. It might even be my favorite part of a build.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Definitely. On nights when you know you don't have time to wrench but you just want to sit and enjoy the bike a cold beer goes down just fine.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Made some satisfying progress on the bike today.
I pulled the headlight the other day just to see what was going on back there... wow. There is a lot going on behind the headlight and I don't think I just spent the last couple of hours marking and disconnecting stock wiring. Maybe, but I just don't think I am the first one who has fussed with the wiring on this bike. All the same, I got everything marked, disconnected, and pulled out of the way.
After that was done I pulled the headlight bucket, speedo, tach, dummy lights, and associated bracketry. Then I got the handlebar controls disassembled (with the exception of the master cylinder which needs to be either rebuilt or replaced) and everything tucked away neatly in my shop for inspection & repair or cleaning and posting on eBay.
I am already definitely thinking about better ways to wire things up because there is no way on God's green earth that I am putting that mess back the way I found it. I really want to take my time and build this bike the right way so a lot of that wiring is going to have to go.
Nothing got built today but I became a lot more familiar with the bike and its wiring and today and that is always a good thing. Still having a blast and enjoying the crap out of building this bike!
I pulled the headlight the other day just to see what was going on back there... wow. There is a lot going on behind the headlight and I don't think I just spent the last couple of hours marking and disconnecting stock wiring. Maybe, but I just don't think I am the first one who has fussed with the wiring on this bike. All the same, I got everything marked, disconnected, and pulled out of the way.
After that was done I pulled the headlight bucket, speedo, tach, dummy lights, and associated bracketry. Then I got the handlebar controls disassembled (with the exception of the master cylinder which needs to be either rebuilt or replaced) and everything tucked away neatly in my shop for inspection & repair or cleaning and posting on eBay.
I am already definitely thinking about better ways to wire things up because there is no way on God's green earth that I am putting that mess back the way I found it. I really want to take my time and build this bike the right way so a lot of that wiring is going to have to go.
Nothing got built today but I became a lot more familiar with the bike and its wiring and today and that is always a good thing. Still having a blast and enjoying the crap out of building this bike!
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Got the wiring harness and the battery box assembly pulled this weekend. It doesn't very impressive when you say it like that but it was a long day of work.
I also got most of the unnecessary tabs cut off the bike and ground down. Shot some paint across the bare metal spots to keep them from corroding and moved on to my seat template.
I also toyed around with my headlight bucket a bit. The bike came with the chrome headlight bucket in the pictures above fully assembled with the light and everything working just fine. The bike also came with a black headlight bucket which I thought would look a lot better but, on closer inspection, is not the same bucket. So I took the chrome headlight bucket, prepped it for paint, and got it painted with the same black paint I plan on doing all over the bike. I might explore different headlight options later on down the road but, for now, I think I'll take what already works and make it work for this build as much as possible.
That will not apply, however, to the stock wiring harness. The more I looked at the harness the more I realized that putting together a harness from the ground up would not be impossible. As I am not expecting this build to be done for quite some time I think that will be the route I will take.
Now, concerning the seat, I have been torn between making my own and buying one. There are some beautiful seats on the market, but they are just a little too rich for my blood. It isn't that they're overpriced, necessarily. It is just that this bike is on a pretty tight budget (about $100/month). I could save for three months but that means that I can't move on anything else for three months. I might think about buying a seat later on, but for now I have some ideas. There is a feed store near me which gives away empty 55 gal drums used to store iodine. I had my wife pick up a white one for me the other day and I am going to see about making a seat pan with the plastic this weekend sometime. We'll see how well it works. If it works, great. If not, oh well. Should be fun to try, though!
I'll try to get some progress photos up soon. It's starting to look less and less like the bike I picked up and more like something I would ride (stripped down and free of non-essentials).
I'm thinking handlebars, carb rebuild, wiring, and seat are next on the agenda.
I also got most of the unnecessary tabs cut off the bike and ground down. Shot some paint across the bare metal spots to keep them from corroding and moved on to my seat template.
I also toyed around with my headlight bucket a bit. The bike came with the chrome headlight bucket in the pictures above fully assembled with the light and everything working just fine. The bike also came with a black headlight bucket which I thought would look a lot better but, on closer inspection, is not the same bucket. So I took the chrome headlight bucket, prepped it for paint, and got it painted with the same black paint I plan on doing all over the bike. I might explore different headlight options later on down the road but, for now, I think I'll take what already works and make it work for this build as much as possible.
That will not apply, however, to the stock wiring harness. The more I looked at the harness the more I realized that putting together a harness from the ground up would not be impossible. As I am not expecting this build to be done for quite some time I think that will be the route I will take.
Now, concerning the seat, I have been torn between making my own and buying one. There are some beautiful seats on the market, but they are just a little too rich for my blood. It isn't that they're overpriced, necessarily. It is just that this bike is on a pretty tight budget (about $100/month). I could save for three months but that means that I can't move on anything else for three months. I might think about buying a seat later on, but for now I have some ideas. There is a feed store near me which gives away empty 55 gal drums used to store iodine. I had my wife pick up a white one for me the other day and I am going to see about making a seat pan with the plastic this weekend sometime. We'll see how well it works. If it works, great. If not, oh well. Should be fun to try, though!
I'll try to get some progress photos up soon. It's starting to look less and less like the bike I picked up and more like something I would ride (stripped down and free of non-essentials).
I'm thinking handlebars, carb rebuild, wiring, and seat are next on the agenda.
Eotnak
XS650 Enthusiast
Coming from someone who's tried it both ways, the quickest and easiest way to do that is to pull all existing wire and start from scratch. Get a copy of the stock schematic and erase, draw new lines, then buy new/reuse(if it's long enough) wire and go to town. Cutting and reconnecting is a slow way to get some ugly connections and waste a lot of time. Unless of course you're only eliminating a single component or two.
I've got the Brat Style bug too. It fits so well on a Japanese bike.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Eotnak,
Good, that's what it seems like. I just ordered my battery so I'm going to start piecing things together any day now. I've had a lot going on recently so the bike hasn't gotten much love but pretty soon here (two weeks or so) I'll be ready to get going again.
In the meantime I need to sit down and make myself a good wiring diagram and start sourcing parts. New harness it is.
Good, that's what it seems like. I just ordered my battery so I'm going to start piecing things together any day now. I've had a lot going on recently so the bike hasn't gotten much love but pretty soon here (two weeks or so) I'll be ready to get going again.
In the meantime I need to sit down and make myself a good wiring diagram and start sourcing parts. New harness it is.
marine5811
XS650 Enthusiast
Got my handlebars in the mail yesterday. 
I just tossed them on real quick today so I could make sure I would like the bend. So far I love them. We'll see if they're too hard on my back once I get the bike on the road. They're Emgo 23-92411 'Euro Bend' bars.
Before:
After:
I just tossed them on real quick today so I could make sure I would like the bend. So far I love them. We'll see if they're too hard on my back once I get the bike on the road. They're Emgo 23-92411 'Euro Bend' bars.
Before:
After:
