DirtyErnie's 1980 XS650Special

DirtyErnie

Renaissance Hick
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Since the photos won't upload, here's the story.
I have some friends with a junkyard to support their farming habit, somehow they ended up with four 650's for $100 at a scrap auction. One of the boys (a.k.a. 'Squish') got the '77 running but his wife won't let him ride it or somesuch. I might could broker a deal, but that's besides the point. Two other bikes are total junk, seized engines and the like. Then there was a 1980 Special with a King-n-Queen seat. It looked like it was just short of the air cleaner boxes, side covers, and a battery. Last summer I gave it a good inspection thinking I was going to put in some basic fixing and get it on the road with new tires and chain. Then I pulled the oil filter...


(stay tuned)
 
Keep us informed please.....pics?
 
gimme a couple days to get all that re-sized, for some reason the site doesn't like raw 12 Mega-pixel photos. I don't get it... :p
 
Part 2...
Check out that oil screen, lotsa chain guide bits on there. Once I realized I was looking at a full tear-down to change that out (and that it didn't have a title) it got shelved until this year.

So, here's how I found it.
 

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Shee'it that ain't nothing, Be Happy! Di you see the amount of crap in the filter on the other get r running thread going this morning. And even that one was a run it this year in my opinion. Have you pulled the sump filter yet?
 
Nearly done with the resto-mod on it. She spoke last night for the first time since '83 or so.


Got in a little more work tonight, going to need to step up another size on the pilots (so +2) to get it idling right. Charging system seems to be working right. Another day or two of work between exhaust and lighting before I can have it road-worthy.
:-D
 
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Been a while, but it's on the road and doing well. :-D
Cutting to the chase:
1980 XS650 Special w/WildAssSeat (TM)

Cartridge Emulators, stock springs up front, Mike'sXS cheapo 'Monza Sport' shocks in back. MikesXS cheapo kevlar-carbon brake pads all 'round.

'Superbike' bars, H4 upgrade headlight, 11mm Kawasaki dirt-bike master cylinder, KZ400 clutch bar, fleabay chinese bar-end mirrors, braided stainless brake lines, hydraulic banjo-bolt brake switch on the front manifold. AllBalls tapered head bearings.

Manual petcock, big-ass (relatively) fuel filter from the auto parts store. generic brake check valve on the breather, XS Performance pod filters ('softened' the corners inside with coarse sandpaper). Heiden needles (currently full-up), 145 mains, 45 pilots (@3 3/4 turns) Japanese carb mount boots from 650Central.

In the engine: Shell #1 (misground) cam from Hoos Racing, porting clean-up by Yours Truely, Honda/Acura rings, XS Performance (Heiden) 2-into-1 pipes with 'custom' muffler&mods. MikesXS # 17-6803/650Central 'Kung-Fu' coil, MSD SuperConductor wires, NGK Iridium plugs. Mike's OD 5th gear, new cam chain guides, new clutch pushrod bushing, new clutch friction plates. 17/32 gearing, EK SRO-Z 530/104-link o-ring chain

Bridgestone S11 Spitfire tires, stock sizes. had the rotors turned (@ O'Reilley's), cross drilled them myself off the 6mm generic pattern floating around the intertubes.

That took all damn summer... Still need to fix the tail light, the ebay LED one got all screwed up but I still have the stocker. Want to replace the fusebox with a modern blade-type unit. I'd kinda like to get the LED turn signals installed, too... but these haven't kept me off the road. The tail light will for a little while, until I get that all sorted. :(
Might have scored a rack and some bags, but we'll see.
E.K.
 

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Update: Currently running #47.5 pilot, 145 main, heiden needles down 2 slots from full-rich. Plugs are gapped to .050" and it pulls hard up to redline, I might try stepping them open a little more and see what happens. That coil is a beast, I forgot to plug the right side wire back in after gapping. With one wire just hanging down by the block it was still sparking the other cylinder.
Valve lash is at .006" intake, .012" exhaust. Goign to take it out this afternoon and see if the mileage has improved over the 42~45 I've been getting. Seriously considering making a "#46" pilot for the BS34's.
E
 
Excellent Thread ! It's great to hear all the quality work and components going into a bike. That is quite a seat.

Is that muffler and automotive glass pack by any chance?
 
Excellent Thread ! It's great to hear all the quality work and components going into a bike. That is quite a seat.

Is that muffler and automotive glass pack by any chance?

That is an automotive glasspack! I think I got it from Summit, Mike's 2-into-1 kit didn't want to fit right, I had to get some spacers to move the collector back, then that glasspack. One end was 1 7/8", the other was 2", 11-degree angles on both. Had to have the 1 7/8" end 'bumped up' to fit on the collector. A friend made and welded a tab on so the stock exhaust mount would support the whole works. Pulls pretty hard, only annoying when I want it to be. :D

I just couldn't leave that seat in the barn, and they told me to take the rest of the bike with it. :thumbsup:

Took a highway cruise this afternoon, I think the numbers worked out to ~46mpg. Going to keep playing with the plugs and carburetors.
 
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That seat looks comfy. How does it sound with that muffler? Nice looking ride you made there! Low miles too!
 
The 145 main jet is too big I would think a 135 or 137.5 would be better to start with. Too mutch gas will wash your cylinder walls and kill your motor XS John.
 
The 145 main jet is too big I would think a 135 or 137.5 would be better to start with. Too mutch gas will wash your cylinder walls and kill your motor XS John.

Tried those right away, but with that exhaust and the Shell #1 cam it wasn't enough fuel. I got the Heiden needle/jet kit from MikesXS, their directions suggested with pods and exhuast was to use the #145 that came with the kit... doesn't feel like it's too far off. Once the needle is full-up (4,000-4500rpm) the thing takes off like I never would have expected, plugs look good so far.

Edit: after I wrote that, I remembered that I have tried the #147.5 jets. Those were too rich and gave me the top-end stumble

Once I finish getting the plug gaps dialed in I'll get back to tweeking the jets. Right now it's running clean and strong up top so I'm not terribly worried about it.


That muffler has a 'unique' sound, for sure. At some points it sounds 'Motorcycle', other points it sounds 'Crotch Rocket'... Earplugs are a good idea, I'm finding out.

Taking my license test on the 5th, if/when I pass maybe I can meet up with some of the MN/Twin Cities riders and get some other opinions. ;)
 
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That type King/Queen seat was popular for all makes back in the 70's. I seen those misground Shell cams on Hoos site last fall/winter. Are you happy with it? The price was pretty good from what I remember.
 
The seat is a little 'hard', I'd say. Hoping to get it re-covered some time soon. Any back-seaters have liked it so far. (Passed the license test, by the way).
Hoos Racing misground Shell #1 is pretty nice, seems to idle well, good mileage, still rips hard when you get on the throttle.

Fun with carburetors continues. I'd mentioned in the Iridium Plugs thread that I couldn't get my idle under 1,600rpm once I gapped the plugs up to .050". It was suggested I go back in and check my throttle plates, that you should be able to strangle the engine with the idle adjust screw no matter what. Found out the throttle plates were in the wrong way, fixed that, now it idles like a dream.

Further carb tuning: It likes the #47.5 pilot.

w/ #145 Main Jet:
stock needles are WAY too rich.
Heiden Needles @ #6/richest slot: stumble off idle and again at the transition around 4-5krpm. FAST above 5k. 42mpg
Heiden Needles @ #4: no stumble off idle, lean bog at transition around 4-5krpm, FAST above 6k. 46mpg

w/ #142.5 main jet:
Stock Needles: Too rich, stumbles badly 4-5.5krpm, doesn't really ever clean up, still moves above 6k. 2-up riding, 34mpg !!!!
Heiden Needles @ #4 slot: Good driveablility, lean stumbles at the transition/4k area, pretty quick up top. 56mpg <-- might re-try this one
Heiden Needles @ #5 slot: a hint of tip-in stumble, maybe a little of it around 4k, but not bad <-- current setup
Heiden Needles @ #6 slot: stumble off idle and again at the 4-5k area. annoying.
 
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I rode with Classic to May's Dulono's ride in here in Minneapolis. He said the exhaust sounds like a 'big thumper'. After I heard a good thumper I'm inclined to agree with him.

Except it sounds like a big, angry thumper on meth.
That straight-through muffler does good good things to the 2-into-1 set-up. There's a lot of 'length after the collector' to keep inertia high and flow up.
 
Finally gave the beast a bath yesterday, after I finally found a Do-It-Yourself carwash. Amazing what 10 minutes with a pressure washer can do, all the oil and grime from before the gaskets seated, 28 year old muck on the frame, all that.

One of the last rounds of maintenance I tightened up the valve lash a bit. I had been running .006" Int, .012" Exh. Tightened that up to .004" Int, .007" Exh. Engine is a lot quieter, but seems the increased duration & overlap made the fuel mix richer.

Anyone care to comment on that?
 
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