Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
I have not, as yet, gotten the cam chain guide replaced on my '80 Special. It has probably 18,000 miles on it, and I've been told repeatedly that most bikes that age need the replacement... and further, I've found small bits of the plastic in the oil when changing it.
But, I've not found any evidence that the guide is naked. The oil isn't sparkly, and the engine doesn't make what I'd call excessive noise. And that's where my question comes in... has anyone recorded a video of an XS650 running with a completely failed cam chain guide? I'd love to hear what it sounds like, so I can evaluate my own. My bike is kind of ticky-ticky when idling, but is not what I'd call excessively noisy at highway speeds; I can hear the valves a little, but not as much as my CB650, which makes sense since the CB650 has more of them.
Anyway, just hoping for some guidance here. I'm not mechanical enough to do a top end myself, so I'll have to hand it over to my excellent local mechanic, probably over the winter, to get the replacement done, and if I must I can afford it. But naturally, I don't want to do it right away if I don't have to.
But, I've not found any evidence that the guide is naked. The oil isn't sparkly, and the engine doesn't make what I'd call excessive noise. And that's where my question comes in... has anyone recorded a video of an XS650 running with a completely failed cam chain guide? I'd love to hear what it sounds like, so I can evaluate my own. My bike is kind of ticky-ticky when idling, but is not what I'd call excessively noisy at highway speeds; I can hear the valves a little, but not as much as my CB650, which makes sense since the CB650 has more of them.
Anyway, just hoping for some guidance here. I'm not mechanical enough to do a top end myself, so I'll have to hand it over to my excellent local mechanic, probably over the winter, to get the replacement done, and if I must I can afford it. But naturally, I don't want to do it right away if I don't have to.