gggGary's latest XS project "madness"

gggGary

If not now, When?
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77xs650 007.jpg So I recently started with this;

it had been sitting for 10 ish years.
Then spent about a solid month and 1/2 doing this;

Out of northern Illinois about 4 years ago. Didn't have to open the engine but the list is long.
both tires (there is nothing wrong with Shinko's)
complete front brake w/10mm master cylinder, vesrah pads new piston, teflon line.
steering bearings
swing arm bushing
pamco, e-advance and Accel coil
push rod seal
chain and sprockets
locks redone
petcocks rebuilt gas cap seal.
carbs done, throttle shaft seals, floats, float valves, rejetted (thanks again 5T)
UNI Foam on the stock airfilter frames and boxes.
every gasket I opened, replaced
fork seals
Lot's O buffing and polishing. probably over 10 hours just in the wheels.
A real lucky paint set find (Thanks Scott!) Gas tank clean out
repainting spray bomb and touch up.
clutch and throttle cables
Battery, rotor, brushes
near endless trips to parts bins for; this bolt, that bracket.
Swapped in a better tach,
gaiters
wiring replacements, repairs, revisions. handlebar switches rebuilt.
5mm voltage monitor added.
Mufflers, brackets, seat, foot pegs, front and rear, taillight and bracket, headlight.
yeah it was an easy one.
Head retorque, valve cover gaskets, cam, valves set (twice), oil filters replaced,
Oh I pulled the pin striping off the sidecovers and put on the correct decals.

Got it completely reliable, running like a swiss watch, and put 150 miles on it Monday looking like this;

View attachment 30722

The new owners; Alan and Joni, It's Joni's bike now!
turk 018.jpg

They brought this up from Texas and traded for the 77;

rocket (1).jpg

Which was a non running project bike with an impressive list of custom work done to it.
Kind of a pig in a poke,
here's the description I got
build1.jpg
build2.jpg

This was how rodman built it
RG20.jpg

RG20 (1).jpg
Alan bought it out of Arkansas (the red version above) then kinda thought maybe this isn't a going to be a good "wife bike"...

a bunch of other mods.
and some fuggles.
This is a second iteration of "Rodmans roadster"
Pulled and cleaned the permatex (from someone's attempt to seal the petcocks to the gas tank) out of the VM38's, cobbled a temp fuel system and she fired right up and went up the road. Throttle like a light switch and loud as all get out (especially just after 7 this morning) but woo hoo, definitely the most powerful 650 I have ridden so far.
Well that's where it sits right now. I think the bike has a lot of "potential", not quite sure where it's headed, but it's going to be changing again for sure. :wink2:

If anyone knows some history on this bike please chime in! I kinda tracked Rodman down to the Minneapolis area but have not tried to contact him, yet.
 
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Hey! Alan's my neighbor (sorta, 25 miles is pretty close in Texas!) I look forward to looking that 77 over sometime later this year, if I can catch him around home!
 
Nice 77 Gary. You mentioned you replaced the decals on the side covers with the correct ones. Those in the your before pic before look like the ones that came on my bountiful blue 77??
 
Allright G....fair trade(?). The '77 turned out beautifull as a running bike in-hand and the big bore has such potential ...........It's going to be interesting to see how this goes. Looking forward........
 
Nice 77 Gary. You mentioned you replaced the decals on the side covers with the correct ones. Those in the your before pic before look like the ones that came on my bountiful blue 77??

Different paint jobs. (thanks Dot Heton!)
Through an odd chain of events I now have an awesome 77 maxi maroon paint job with no bike to put underneath it (for now)
 
Gary, really nice resto on the 77D. Dare I ask, what did it bring? Still looking to sell mine.

roy

I think fair value for that bike is in the low 3's Don't make me tally up the labor and parts......
 
Thanks Gary!!

the 1977 looks and rides like a "new" XS650. Great job!!!

Joni Loves her new XS650.

I think it worked out well for both of us .

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with The Red Monster.

It would have been a waste to leave it with me, you, on the other hand will bring the fun out in it!!!
 
Turk you did the right thing getting the boy a better starter bike. The stock motor is better for a street bike. Faster is not always better or desirable most cases.
 
Turk; Joni is a boy? Wow you folks are trickier than I thought! :laugh:

I guess that ATGATT will fool them.
 
After tossing the crap fuel tank I got a 79 special tank with vacuum petcocks on it sorted out a float issue and put 30 miles on it tonight. Me likes it! A long list to go but she runs real fine and makes some bodacious noise. idles nice a lumpy and revs fine but I think the mains aren't right. Looks like VM38 carb jetting 101 for me.
Note to self; a drilled rear disk with teflon lines, race pads and a high compression 750 motor can bring that back end around a corner faster than the front!
 
Been carb thrashing have it down to a dull roar (running pretty well) and rode 75 miles of back roads this evening. Motor is overpowering the clutch at about 5K, Kind of a good and bad thing. Pulled the drag specialties speedo and tach off and put a stock set on for now, much easier to read, the electronic tach was erratic. And the installation was a lash up at best.
madness 007.jpg
Rear shocks are bit harsh, enough that bumps in corners can loosen the rear traction.
Progressives with progressive springs but haven't looked at the rates yet.
Have to change the exhaust it's just too damned loud. Will pop the headers and see what's inside up at the head. Want to get the exhaust decided before I keep working on carbs. I have to change the handlebars too, don't care for the bend or the big grips. Mirrors are junk so they have to go also.
 
Sounds like you are getting there.
That bike was a strange mixture of "That's Cool" and "WTF"!!!!!
That was WAY too much bike for Joni and me!!!!
Joni Loves her new XS650.....Al
 
Thanks Al I am getting REAL good at pulling carbs, I can have both on the bench in 5 minutes flat. The biggest thing so far was a bad float valve seat on one side. It would usually seal then...... gas everywhere. I gotta go look in the shed but an exhaust change is coming VERY soon. Anyone hate their neighbors?
 
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