First XS650, yep I'm the new guy.

Yup, no insurance, but must have proof of financial responsibility. (pretty much insurance). No helmet law though! Live free or die! I love my state. (shit. my bike has no blinkers, no horn, no front fender....shit..) I hope I don't crash into a schoolbus full of baby nuns!
 
Proof of financial responsibility, I've heard that. My best friend caused a fender bender, and he just had to set up a payment plan with the victims insurance. No proof of financial responsibility? What gives?
 
Ok that makes more sense, but if it's not required for cars then it shouldn't be required for motorcycles. I would have hated to not have insurance whenever I wrecked my sisters car when I was 17. I would have had a $300,000+ lien.... And there were no PIP payouts...
 
I hit a brick wall at 100+mph, a gas line, water main damage, two trees and shot bricks through a house and causing a house fire.... Yeah...

On financial responsibility. That's what I was thinking in every state you can bond yourself avoiding monthly insurance fees. Downside to that is that if your bond doesn't cover the liability amount then they can go after personal assets directly.
 
Holy shit, I guess you did hit a house. I was just kidding. ..... hmm... I almost got nothing here...Teebs?.... Well, anyway, slow down! I do agree, everyone should have a bond instead of insurance on every vehicle. What if you were driving MY car, right?
 
I was 17 and had adequate insurance to cover me in other cars b/c I didn't have a car of my own. That wreck isn't still on my record thank god, but I still have the tickets that stuck; I have 5 in the past 5 years that have stuck. The problem is that with as many 50k cars you have on the road it only takes a second till you're spending years in court or taking on a car payment for a car you don't have and can't afford. Crap happens! :-D I don't sweat it anymore. Many things are behind me now and that wreck is most certainly behind me.
 
I'm certainly glad you're still here brother. BTW, did you see the No Haters bike on xs650 chopper? Holy shit. Oh crap, ripped off another post.. I'm going to bed..
 
Thanks. I just recently went through a 2.5x rollover in my old truck. Still ticking... Walked away without scratches in both. Must be a bigger picture for me somewhere.

The Hater Proof? Yes sir. I commented. The freaking engine is just absolutely SICK. It looks like the freaking guy milled the entire freaking thing. I see that he did make the cam and valve covers.
 
Any idea what registrations gonna run me on my 81? Tech7, you are in nh, any ballpark numbers?
 
Hey guys, few things...

So I don't want to EFF up the cam chain tensioner. Once I get the right size wrenches to get on both nuts, how does it work? Will anything fall out? The service manual is very vague.

Carbs... I've done XJ carbs (4) and they are rough. I believe my idle mixture screws are all covered up, so I think I'll leave them alone for now. Synch, well my homemade sync baby bottles are out of commission for now, I will have to guess that it's ok for now?
Right now the bike idles, and runs good. Should I even bother taking them apart?
I am thinking of just taking them out, cracking off the bowls, cleaning bowls and pilots, maybe remove and clean fuel jets but leave the top half and idle circuit alone... I assume these carbs are very similar to the XJ, the pilot screw thats capped off controls the air on idle and contributes a bit to all ranges? I do have some blueing on the right side exhaust, but I don't know when it is from. I basically sold my XJ in reality because I could not get the idle circuit clean enough, and it required a heavy idle fuel to idle right, but then at off-idle rpm it ran very very lean, white plugs... ugh, so sick of the 4 carbs on that thing, the plugs that came in this bike when they came out were slightly black, little tan. Better than white for sure.
It idles pretty good, seems a tad high but won't really know till my cable comes in.

Last but not least, can I change the oil NOW, and when my filter shows up (moon shape, not the sump) can I drop it in without any or minimal oil loss?
 
Just in case you didn't see my bike in the "lets see the XS's" thread...

The night I brought her home, for all of $180.
31492_400717866605_524961605_4801133_8199412_n.jpg


Video of the next day, running on a battery later to find out it had 10% water left in it, and was running @ 11v.


The front tire is a bit dry rot (and on backwards!)
The rear tire is BRAND NEW... < 1 mile on it when I bought the bike.
Garaged for ~ a year. Starts w/ electric w/ throttle 1/4 open, or kick no throttle in 3 kicks.

Haven't pulled the carbs, because I can't figure out HOW. Grrr. Seems even harder than my damn inline 4 XJ!!!
 
- you will need to remove the plate joining the domed top of the carbs-also remove the engine breather pipe
 
Thank you! I also started removing the cam chain tensioner - and the whole thing spun, not just the first nut. What happens if I spin that all the way off? Something disastrous?

What about the oil filter? Is it removable without losing too much oil?
 
Nothing disastrous should occur. Dome nut and the tenshioner lock nut. Remove both to expose the tenshioner.
You can remove the side filter with a minimal loss of oil. Have a rag handy just in case you loose any.
Carbs are a bear to get out. Get allen heads to replace the tin top and bowl screws. Those phillips can bugger easily if you're going into the carbs any amount of time, and I'd see how she runs first before taking the carbs apart.
 
- i can easily get my carbs on and off without removing the cam chain tensioner cover, nor do i remove the rubber boots...the allen key screws for the tops and the bowls are a good move :thumbsup:
 

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