Miss November XS2 tribute

Peanut, ain't pretty, but not as bad as it looks. There's very little 'overspill' onto the edges and easily removed with cloth and dab of white spirit. The surface of the epoxy always takes on a rough finish - the brush strokes don't seem to vanish as with paint. But it's an area you don't see very often.

Main thing is to get the epoxy well worked in under the seams and folded edges. Did my Kawasaki and five years later, still no rust on the mudguards.

Plastered, Ha, I saw the trowels in the background.

Please don't pay too much attention to the extraneous - I don't read the Daily Star either!
 
Peanut, ain't pretty, but not as bad as it looks. There's very little 'overspill' onto the edges and easily removed with cloth and dab of white spirit. The surface of the epoxy always takes on a rough finish - the brush strokes don't seem to vanish as with paint. But it's an area you don't see very often.

Main thing is to get the epoxy well worked in under the seams and folded edges. Did my Kawasaki and five years later, still no rust on the mudguards.



Please don't pay too much attention to the extraneous - I don't read the Daily Star either!

5 years ! thats impressive.
I have yet to find an effective rust inhibitor /primer that gives that sort of performance. I'm looking forward to using it on my Transit Campervan later this summer . As you say the key to success is getting the inhibitor or paint into all the seams and joints and nooks n crannies.;)
 
Here's front re-fitted:

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Nice and shiny - looks like a proper motorbike now.

The back one will have to wait until it's been painted.
 
To answer your question about the oil sight glass right cover, that didn't come along until the 1981 model. But you can acquire and fit one if you like. I like the ability to monitor my oil level with just a quick look so have fitted one to my '78.

BbyN2bY.jpg
 
Thank you peanut! The forks had pale blue paint when the bike arrived - Nitromors and lots of work saw it off.

Thank you 5twins. I had wondered because there seems to be a lot of discussion of checking oil level by dipstick vs sight glass and I thought maybe mine had an early engine case. Glad to hear the sight glass didn't come in till '81.

Would somebody like to have a look at my post at Cam Chain Tension - is this normal? I'm a little bit worried that the cam chain has been set too tight. Though on further reading, I now realise that Yamaha in their great wisdom fitted quite a few different designs of tensioner including some with no dirty big locknut.

This is the photo I put there:

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Cheers, Raymond
 
Peanut, discussion of my camchain tension worries are to be found at Cam Chain Tension - is this normal. Expert opinion is that the bike has type D tensioner, which does not have a locknut. But also that things don't look quite right - a good chance that there is something missing, the damper/washer.

I'm going to pull the adjuster and rod out and see if there is a washer/damper. I think that sometimes there are two components - a steel washer and a rubber-steel damper but in other cases just the composite damper (copper-rubber?)

I am a wee bit confused about setting the tension and my thoughts were the same as yours. My Haynes manual similar. But - different types of adjuster. Type D on my bike the rod is too short to protrude unless there is something missing. So I think correct tension is when the rod is seen to move in and out a little bit as engine is rotated and is flush with the adjuster at its most 'out' position.

I don't want to investigate too far at this time. I bought the bike to ride, not as a project. Will have to deal with a problem if one arises but not search too hard to find one.
 
Would somebody like to have a look at my post at Cam Chain Tension - is this normal? I'm a little bit worried that the cam chain has been set too tight.
Cheers, Raymond


I don't want to investigate too far at this time. I bought the bike to ride, not as a project. Will have to deal with a problem if one arises but not search too hard to find one.

confusing :umm: I was just responding to your request for advice yesterday ;)
 
Peanut, your advice much appreciated. Uhm, I'm getting a bit confused with all the different adjusters . . . ah well, onwards and upwards.
Cheers, Raymond
 
#1 is a bit of wiggle, where ever it ends up, the adjustment must allow that bit of movement, or things that need an engine removal to fix will get hurt.
 
#1 is a bit of wiggle, where ever it ends up, the adjustment must allow that bit of movement, or things that need an engine removal to fix will get hurt.

With a temporary fix - added a 1.8mm steel washer - the adjustment looks better now.

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I took the spark plugs out and rotated the engine using the back wheel. My Willing Helper assures me that the adjuster darts in and out by 1-2mm and at the most 'out' is just flush with the end of the adjuster. And there are more adjuster threads visible now, so it must have been too tight . . .

Fingers crossed.
 
It may not have been too tight, the missing damper washer was why the rod stuck out too much.
 
Just spoken to tank restorer and it not good news. They have blasted the tank inside and out to remove rust, welded the bottom back on and attempted to pressure test the tank. Better suited for use as a sieve than to hold fuel.

One way ahead they suggest flow solder to fill the worst holes, line the tank with glassfibre resin, then the ethanol-proof lining. But this will be tricky, expensive and success is not guaranteed.

Another way ahead is for me to find another tank. Does anybody here have a - hopefully reasonable - XS650 fuel tank for sale? Or even an XS1 or XS2 tank? Which I assume can be made to fit and would suit the look I am after.

Going to have a look at that internet and see if I can find a tank suitable for rescue.

Never straightforward, is it?
 
Just spoken to tank restorer and it not good news. They have blasted the tank inside and out to remove rust, welded the bottom back on and attempted to pressure test the tank. Better suited for use as a sieve than to hold fuel.
One way ahead they suggest flow solder to fill the worst holes, line the tank with glassfibre resin, then the ethanol-proof lining. But this will be tricky, expensive and success is not guaranteed.
Another way ahead is for me to find another tank. Does anybody here have a - hopefully reasonable - XS650 fuel tank for sale? Or even an XS1 or XS2 tank? Which I assume can be made to fit and would suit the look I am after.
Going to have a look at that internet and see if I can find a tank suitable for rescue.
Never straightforward, is it?

Hi Ray,
of course it's straightforward, what it ain't is inexpensive.
The list's classifieds show that a fair number of XS650 gas tanks are available in North America.
Most are in great shape and priced quite reasonably.
The only problem is the shipping cost.
 
Raymond,
Welcome to the forum! You’re from Scottish Borders. I was not familiar with that , so I looked it up, you sir live in a beautiful part of the world! So rich in history and green as far as the eye can see. It could not possibly be more different than where I live. ( the low deserts of Arizona) When you get your bike going I do hope you will take some photos of your bike with the local scenery.....and maybe a castle? :)
I hope you enjoy your new bike and I hope to see you around the forum.
Bob
Bob, I have not ignored your first post in response to my thread. When I have the XS running, I shall start a thread in another part of the forum and post some of my days out and about in what is indeed a lovely part of the world. I was lucky to grow up in this rural area and count myself fortunate to have moved back here in retirement.

Meanwhile, here's a couple of pictures I took this morning when I went out on my W800 to the Firth of Forth. Not the Borders, but only an hour's ride away and worth it for the iconic bridges. Well, certainly this one, known simply as the Forth Bridge, completed in 1889, must be one of the most recognised bridges anywhere?


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While these are its newer neighbours, the Forth Road Bridge, opened in 1965 - and beyond the Queesferry Crossing, opened in 2017.


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In future, I will try to restrict this thread to the trials and tribulations of life with my XS650. But I will eventually put pictures of the Scottish Borders, perhaps even a few castles, in a new thread. Cheers, Raymond
 
I will eventually put pictures of the Scottish Borders, perhaps even a few castles, in a new thread. Cheers, Raymond

That sounds good Raymond, I look forward to seeing more of your part of the world!

And good luck finding a new tank. That certainly sounds like the better course of action.
Bob
 
Have bid on a s/h tank on ebay but don't expect to win. I don't like their auction system and much prefer to just bloomin' buy something for a known price - probably just me.

Have also bought a brand new replica tank from Heiden tuning:

https://www.heidentuning.com/xs650-...s-parts/fuel-tank-steel-black-new-detail.html

Expected to arrive next week. Then I'll have a wee think about whether to fit as is or paint as planned for the original tank.
 
Have bid on a s/h tank on ebay but don't expect to win.
You won't. That way, usually somebody will outbid you by $1 or whatever the minimum bid is. Instead, put in a maximum crazy amount you're willing to spend for it, and click it 20 to 30 seconds before the auction ends. Then you will win for a couple dollars over what you would have lost for in the first case.
 
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