Christine79xs
XS650 Member
Thanks for reading
Christine
That's exactly what I planning.. A repair to start, then if it happens again I know it's somewhere elseChristine,
Don't panic! Kinda hard to see from the photos but I assume the Boyer is the item inside the foam sandwich in photo #2. Photo #3 is the female end of the wiring connector going to the rectifier and it appears that is where the short circuit occurred. By finding the backside tab on the burnt connector you can depress it with a small flat screw driver and withdraw the burnt union out of the plastic shell to repair it. Won't cost much to try. I don't think much of the cold union in photo #4 and at a minimum would tape it or otherwise protect it from accidental shorts.
Long answer short, I'd attempt a repair before I started throwing money at it. Other, smarter people will come along soon to help advise.
roy
I don't think she messed with the harness, it seems like it was the original tape. The wires and the rectifier definitely seem original to the bike. I didn't buy it off someone here I bought it local and the girl didn't really seem to know what was done to itWelcome........That join is a bit busy, was that in the original loom or do you think the PO, (previous owner), done it. ................For a short on the earth wire there has to be some power getting into the earth/ground wire............. Looks like the fault came from the other side of that connector...........Is the rectifier original? pics of the other connector and rectifier..........
Scroll down to KIT 00303 mean't to be for an XS650. may help to identify your Boyer
http://www.boyerbransden.com/instructions.html
Did you buy the bike off a member here...........may help if he done his build on here, for any information about what was done to it........not to diss, to help
I'm going to tryCan you order what you need from XS650direct.com ?
That's exactly what I planning.. A repair to start, then if it happens again I know it's somewhere else
There is about 38000km on it, I was planning to do a compression test this week. It seems as if it's only coming from the right cylinder and only when revving the engine. I'll try and get a video tomorrowIs the smoke only when starting, and goes away quickly? How many kms are on the engine? Perhaps you should do a compression test.
It's white smoke... To me it just smells like exhaust, I can't tell if it smells like oil or gasWhat color is the smoke? Can you tell if it smells like burnt oil or gas?
Hi Christine:
I agree with all the great advice above - and would just add that white (indicates moisture) or blue (may be oil burning) smoke from an XS650 may not be a big deal.
The fact is that these bikes LIKE to be ridden and so while I would definitely monitor the oil level carefully - but I would ride it before deciding to dig into the engine. My '76 Standard (the infamous Lucille - because she is red) was resurrected from 15-20 years in a barn last June and and she smoked blue a fair bit right after I got her running. After 14 months and more than 5000 km (!!!), she runs better every day. She doesn't leak or burn a drop of oil now and can buzz down the 401 at...well, pretty darned fast - with no problems.
In addition to the excellent advice you've received above, I would also check on, and do a few other things:
You will find a good thread on alternator brushes on this Forum - it is an easy job to check and change them - even beside the road, in the rain, at night, with a wet, angry girl/boyfriend standing by...(please don't ask how I know this).
- get yourself a good service manual (NOTE: they are downloadable for free - just search on this site);
- get yourself a set of Vessel brand JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) screwdrivers - looks like Phillips - but they are different and they will NOT strip the screw-heads on your bike). These drivers are also handy for working on Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Canon cameras, Sony stereos, etc. etc. They are readily available on Amazon for around $30-40/set and everyone who rides or drives a Japanese bike or car should have a set, IMO;
- check your alternator brushes (these live inside the round "YAMAHA" cover on the LH side of the engine - no oil in there so don't worry about a mess);
- check your petcocks (the fuel valves on the bottom of the fuel tank (they should be shut off each time you park the bike);
- I would replace the tires, tubes and rim-tapes for safety (unless they're newer than 5 years old and have lots of tread - get a bike shop to do this job);
- I would check the brake pad thickness and have a look at the fluid to ensure that it is fresh and clean (rebuilding calipers and master cylinders is cheap and easy - but DO NOT get brake fluid on anything painted or in your eyes as it is pretty corrosive stuff).
The key point is that there is NOTHING that will happen to your bike that at least half of us on this site have not already experienced and solved and so don't worry about getting the answers or finding parts. On the matter of finding parts:
That original Yamaha part number is extremely useful information. If you need a part - just type the part number - with no other words or descriptors - into your Google search window and WAH-LA - you will likely find that somebody, somewhere has that EXACT part for sale - new and still in its original Yamaha factory package. These parts are referred to as NOS or New Old Stock - and they are the best way to fix your nice old bike. An NOS part is nearly always better than an aftermarket (MikesXS/XSDirect) part - and often the NOS stuff is cheaper. I got a very nice single piece clutch push-rod this way for around $7.00 USD.
- Your local Yamaha dealer will ahve a lot of the nuts and bolts type things - and even seals and gaskets which are actually just standard industrial items. All you need is the Yamaha part number - see below for that. Don't go and ask for a part for a "1980 Yamaha XS650 Special - instead - ask for the part number and you may find that the same part is still in use on a current or recent model and the dealer has it in-stock or can get it quickly.
- MikesXS Canadian affiliate is XS650 Direct in Stratford, ON. Opinions vary about MikesXS and XSDirect - I have found them to be generally good but other Forum members detest them. The advantage of XSDirect is that they are very fast - I have ordered stuff many times before about 1:00 PM on one day and the parts have been delivered to my home in Windsor, ON, by 9:30 AM the next day;
- www.boats.net - has a lot of vintage Yamaha parts - AND - they have exploded views of every part of the bike with a listing of the original Yamaha part numbers.
About the only type of part that never seems to come up on-line are mufflers - but there are quite decent aftermarket systems available.
If you do buy something on-line from a US seller - always specify that the seller should send it via the US Postal Service (USPS - as Canada Customs seldom tags packages coming through the mail but they nearly always snag courier (UPS / FEDEX etc.) stuff.
Anyhow - welcome to the site and be sure to ask lots of questions!
Cheers,
Pete