Akustaka
XS650 Member
Summary at the bottom if too lazy to read.
(Picture after heavy cleaning, picture credit: Akustaka)
So I have a 1978 Yamaha XS 650 with an aftermarket magnet based charging system, to the best of my knowledge that is all that has been done to it since it mainly seemed stock except for the horrendous rape of the electrical system hanging off the side. (Both side panels covering electrical systems gone). I purchased the bike for 300 and have put another 350 into it total including the aftermarket electric charging system since the stock was fried, gas, and a can of seafoam to mix with the gasoline to clean the carb and engine out. So here is the real issue I am having, Upon going to the guy to purchase the motorcycle when he was able to get it to start (Since the old stator system was fried and required juice to run which could not be easily provided until I brought my own battery to use, and even then we had to jump it to get it to start) it was backfiring like crazy, or "lean popping" as my local mechanic that took a look into it for me has now said after I purchased it. I took apart the carb myself and cleaned it though this is my first motorcycle and I didnt have an air compressor so my job may of been lackluster in this area, though I feel I did a good job cause I cleaned ALOT of shit out of there. And it was still popping bad, it is mainly off the left exhaust. After about a week of constantly messing with it by mainly just starting it and putting it around abit the issue began to very slow clear up and get better, though keep in mind I forgot to say that during my first month of owning it, while riding (illegally) on a backroad to help get the seafoam into the engine it would constantly lose power while trying to hard accelerate, or even with mild acceleration sometimes. this issue has SLOWLY resolved itself and I rarely, RARELY get it anymore while riding it, I feel this may of been something in the carb that was choking off the flow of gas, though when the issue persisted it felt like I was flooding it. (I used to race motorcross in the past so I'm not like soccer mom clueless) What it does now is "lean pop" initially after starting the motorcycle and warming it up, but once you get it heated up and warm before riding at cursing speeds it does not pop AT ALL, or if it does it is like one small pop every 5-12 miles at a time. I also have an issue now where the electric starter does not engage the drive shaft, it makes a small click which me and my local mechanic have since realized is the wire being corodded that leads down from the battery to the starter, that is an easy fix. But something about the electric starter is it turns over the motor and acts like it is trying to start, but never feels like it is really engaging it to get it to kick off. though one kick from the kick starter starts it right up?? ALSO now the kick starter is messing up where you kick it down and it does not turn over and it feels like you are just kicking down on a spring. (it does not bounce back up roughly, but there are no -notches- that are catching to turn over the engine.) I have since let a friend of mine take it on his truck to his fathers garage to work on it and he says the engine is letting out smoke (which I didn't tell him at the time but have since informed him that I now have put in seafoam before he took it to clean the engine out) and he is trying to say that the engine might be shot since there was smoke (from the seafoam in the gas) and also because of the popping, though I told him I believe the popping is just from the carbs needing to be tuned. I also find it very hard to believe that the engine is bad since it cruises perfectly fine now, and accelerates good after working most of the gunk from the engine and carb plus me knowing the smoke from the exhaust is from the seafoam since beforehand it didn't have smoke till adding it.
I was just curious if anyone here could lend some insight or tips on what to do next with the bike, I want to fix it up and use it as a daily driver because the XS 650 is freaking beautiful, I love the bike though it needs ALOT of TLC.
So heres the issues I'm having to sum it up:
1. "lean" popping, or "backfiring" from left exhaust after initial startup.
2. (Not too prominent anymore) Loss of power when hard accelerating.
3. Kickstarter failing to engage the shaft and turnover the engine, feels like just kicking down on a spring.
4. Electric starter just makes a click upon pressing and then depressing the button to engage it.
(Picture after heavy cleaning, picture credit: Akustaka)
So I have a 1978 Yamaha XS 650 with an aftermarket magnet based charging system, to the best of my knowledge that is all that has been done to it since it mainly seemed stock except for the horrendous rape of the electrical system hanging off the side. (Both side panels covering electrical systems gone). I purchased the bike for 300 and have put another 350 into it total including the aftermarket electric charging system since the stock was fried, gas, and a can of seafoam to mix with the gasoline to clean the carb and engine out. So here is the real issue I am having, Upon going to the guy to purchase the motorcycle when he was able to get it to start (Since the old stator system was fried and required juice to run which could not be easily provided until I brought my own battery to use, and even then we had to jump it to get it to start) it was backfiring like crazy, or "lean popping" as my local mechanic that took a look into it for me has now said after I purchased it. I took apart the carb myself and cleaned it though this is my first motorcycle and I didnt have an air compressor so my job may of been lackluster in this area, though I feel I did a good job cause I cleaned ALOT of shit out of there. And it was still popping bad, it is mainly off the left exhaust. After about a week of constantly messing with it by mainly just starting it and putting it around abit the issue began to very slow clear up and get better, though keep in mind I forgot to say that during my first month of owning it, while riding (illegally) on a backroad to help get the seafoam into the engine it would constantly lose power while trying to hard accelerate, or even with mild acceleration sometimes. this issue has SLOWLY resolved itself and I rarely, RARELY get it anymore while riding it, I feel this may of been something in the carb that was choking off the flow of gas, though when the issue persisted it felt like I was flooding it. (I used to race motorcross in the past so I'm not like soccer mom clueless) What it does now is "lean pop" initially after starting the motorcycle and warming it up, but once you get it heated up and warm before riding at cursing speeds it does not pop AT ALL, or if it does it is like one small pop every 5-12 miles at a time. I also have an issue now where the electric starter does not engage the drive shaft, it makes a small click which me and my local mechanic have since realized is the wire being corodded that leads down from the battery to the starter, that is an easy fix. But something about the electric starter is it turns over the motor and acts like it is trying to start, but never feels like it is really engaging it to get it to kick off. though one kick from the kick starter starts it right up?? ALSO now the kick starter is messing up where you kick it down and it does not turn over and it feels like you are just kicking down on a spring. (it does not bounce back up roughly, but there are no -notches- that are catching to turn over the engine.) I have since let a friend of mine take it on his truck to his fathers garage to work on it and he says the engine is letting out smoke (which I didn't tell him at the time but have since informed him that I now have put in seafoam before he took it to clean the engine out) and he is trying to say that the engine might be shot since there was smoke (from the seafoam in the gas) and also because of the popping, though I told him I believe the popping is just from the carbs needing to be tuned. I also find it very hard to believe that the engine is bad since it cruises perfectly fine now, and accelerates good after working most of the gunk from the engine and carb plus me knowing the smoke from the exhaust is from the seafoam since beforehand it didn't have smoke till adding it.
I was just curious if anyone here could lend some insight or tips on what to do next with the bike, I want to fix it up and use it as a daily driver because the XS 650 is freaking beautiful, I love the bike though it needs ALOT of TLC.
So heres the issues I'm having to sum it up:
1. "lean" popping, or "backfiring" from left exhaust after initial startup.
2. (Not too prominent anymore) Loss of power when hard accelerating.
3. Kickstarter failing to engage the shaft and turnover the engine, feels like just kicking down on a spring.
4. Electric starter just makes a click upon pressing and then depressing the button to engage it.
Generally speaking it's better to read first, post a question second, as almost 100% of everything you ask will have been asked before and likely responded to with some steps/ideas to follow toward a solution. (The search field in the upper right corner is going to be your best friend). Post pics when you can..
