Pic #7 shows a kicker. 12/77 build date would make it a '78 model, mags and front-rear discs make it a Special. Bikes are like cars. The current model year begins production in the Fall of the previous year. '78 models probably began rolling out of the factory around September of '77.
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- Thread starter ron bayless
- Start date
Actually (and I don't know about motorcycles) - but the next years car models start building in late June or early July depending on the OEM.
It takes a long time to full the distribution pipeline and that needs to happen before the Nov/Christmas season when advertising begins to ramp up and the car show season starts in January.
It takes a long time to full the distribution pipeline and that needs to happen before the Nov/Christmas season when advertising begins to ramp up and the car show season starts in January.
Hi ron,
Oh yes, read the manual. Even go to the extent of buying a printed version.
Working on a bike while flipping the manual's page on your laptop screen is a sub-optimal act.
Your bike looks to be a 78/79 Special but it may not have started out that way because XS650 parts
swap between years and models like LEGO. Check the frame AND engine ID#s to be sure.
And like they posted, most likely anything missing off your bike can be found in the list's classifieds.
If those tires had been stored inside a nitrogen filled opaque container at a few degrees above freezing
they may have been usable. Outside in Texas? They are toast.
Why two oil filters? The XS650 has no oil filters. There are two wire mesh cooking oil strainers instead.
One is on the sump plate and t'other is behind a 2-bolt pull-out disk in the rightside engine cover casting.
ron bayless.......................
Quote:
"14. 2 oil filters? Pray tell,why?
all input appreciated."
As fredintoon said, these bikes have 2 wire strainers. In the broad sense, they could also be called filters. Every car and truck also
has 2 strainer/filters. With cars and trucks, the first strainer is in the oil sump, and is almost never looked at. The second filter is on the output side of the oil pump, and is changed at regular intervals.
The XS650 engine's oil system is much the same as cars and trucks. The first strainer in the sump is there to protect the oil pump from any large pieces of engine debris. The second strainer, on the oil pump output, is there to protect the engine bearings and small orifices. A good modification for these XS650 engines is to replace the right side strainer with a paper element filter. The paper filter will stop the very fine particles, that the stock strainer would miss.
When you first buy an XS650 its important to remove and check the sump strainer for debris and damage.
I have found that after you get familiar with your engine, you can just drain the oil and not remove the sump plate/strainer at every oil change. I'm starting to only remove the sump strainer for cleaning every second oil change.
Quote:
"14. 2 oil filters? Pray tell,why?
all input appreciated."
As fredintoon said, these bikes have 2 wire strainers. In the broad sense, they could also be called filters. Every car and truck also
has 2 strainer/filters. With cars and trucks, the first strainer is in the oil sump, and is almost never looked at. The second filter is on the output side of the oil pump, and is changed at regular intervals.
The XS650 engine's oil system is much the same as cars and trucks. The first strainer in the sump is there to protect the oil pump from any large pieces of engine debris. The second strainer, on the oil pump output, is there to protect the engine bearings and small orifices. A good modification for these XS650 engines is to replace the right side strainer with a paper element filter. The paper filter will stop the very fine particles, that the stock strainer would miss.
When you first buy an XS650 its important to remove and check the sump strainer for debris and damage.
I have found that after you get familiar with your engine, you can just drain the oil and not remove the sump plate/strainer at every oil change. I'm starting to only remove the sump strainer for cleaning every second oil change.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
great information.Thanks to all.
I hope you are kidding on running those tires.
If you were to go back a couple months on this forum you might stumble on my posts about the "fun" I had with the tires that came on my 1982 I got in about 2000.
Made one short ride this spring in my driveway and when I touched the front brake next thing I knew I was getting up off the ground spitting blood and one of my front teeth and watching the nice new oil pouring out the clutch cover on the right side of the bike.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
of course i was kidding.tires and brakes must be perfect or i wont ride.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
i just drained the oil.maybe 30 years old.The one good thing is this bike spent all those years inside.I just looked in the tank.It doesnt look too bad.I put in about 2000 ml of rotella t.Just so something would be in there.No more time today.I washed off about 15 years of the 30 years of dirt.looks pretty good actually. Man,those sump bolts,27 mm and a cheater and they came loose.really tight in there.
The oil cooler is a bonus! Happy wrenching! We'll be egarly watching updates. Yeah those drain bolts tend to tighten up....or seem to...
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ron bayless
XS650 Addict
in regard to the oil cooler-it looks to be a box kind of like a radiator.the fins for cooling as air hits it while riding.It has rubber hoses going into and out of it.One of them is mounted through the small cover at the right upper corner of the crankcase cover.It looks like they made a hole in the cover,put a threaded fitting in there,hooked the hose to it.I assume the engine oil instead of spraying out that hole goes into the rubber tube,circulates through the cooler, then back to the engine.If the oil cooler has been sitting unused for 10,15,20 years how is not going to be sludged up.And how does one go about cleaning one of those out?
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
so far the money spent on the bike $100. I bought a manual,should be here in a few days plus a leftside footpeg and mount.that will add $46 to the total.OK so far.Those 2 into one exhausts look cool,must have been an available setup back in the day.
Could you shoot us a couple more shots of the oil cooler connections, please? as for cleaning it I'd disconnect the oil cooler and unmount it and soak some cleaner in it. Flush some cleaner thru it sometimes between soakings. Do this untill it flows clean. Replace the rubber lines. I believe the round thing on the lines is a thermostat. I'd clean it too much the same way. Slosh some kerosean in the case and let it soak a bit . Slosh some more. Take the spark plugs out and either use the electric foot or the kickstarter to clean the passageways. Some "Seafoam" in the case too will help.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
When the sun comes up I intend taking more pictures.I have 2 more places I need identified.One cable runs down from a post of what must be the solenoid.but it doesnt look like any solenoid i have ever seen.Then there is a short cable that I see no way it could have connected to anything.The long cable to the starter would be positive/hot as i see it.I am not sure how the starter is grounded unless the motor is its ground.I really need to get the battery cables on so i can check things out.I have not been able on this site or others to see an exploded drawing of where things connect.I used bike bandit for that, they don't have anything either.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
cleaner-what substance
kerosene in the case,as in pour some in the oil filler cap opening into the motor.surely not.
seafoam i thought was only for carburetors.So put this stuff into the engine.I cant turn it over electronically because i havent a battery or battery cables.The kickstarter should be able to turn the motor over however.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
here are some pictures.What I need to know is the positive battery cable,does it start at the fuse box. then from there to the solenoid.theother post of the solenoid,negative,goes from the post to somewhere substantial on the frame for a ground.right? Also the square box i did not think was a solenoid actually is.I did not know the body of it goes into a cubby hole.I also have not found a fuse box.There may be one.I am in a rush today.Its under right sidecover,left sidecover,the seat,where? I will be glad when my manual comes.
Attachments
Solenoid/battery cables.........One large gauge wire goes from the battery +terminal to a large terminal on the solenoid, another large gauge wire goes from the OTHER large terminal on the solenoid to the starter. The starter is grounded by the motor.
Do you have a 12 volt lawn mower battery? They make good test batteries.
TAKE THE SEAT OFF..........TAKE THE TANK OFF you can sit on it and make vroom-vroom noises later
Scott
Do you have a 12 volt lawn mower battery? They make good test batteries.
TAKE THE SEAT OFF..........TAKE THE TANK OFF you can sit on it and make vroom-vroom noises later
Scott
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Hi ron,
battery has 2 fat black wires, a short one from negative that grounds on the frame and a longer one from positive that goes to one of the large terminals on the starter solenoid.
The starter solenoid's other large terminal has a fat black wire that goes to the E-starter. (The E-starter self-grounds to the engine)
But back to the first large starter solenoid teminal.
That's where the red wire that powers the bike starts from. It runs to the 20Amp fuse in the 4-way fuseblock that lives atop of the battery cover.
If your stock fusebox is missing that's a good thing because it uses glass tube fuses with clips that were weak when new and pathetic these days.
A modern 4-way spade or mini-spade fusebox is a definite upgrade.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
I will.I just have little time right now.Thanks for all the input.I remember now the cables do that.The one to the starter is already in place.it is in a difficult to access place,way down under the motor.