I did the rear chain adjusters in the same grey. The rear hub had been nicely detailed with a similar grey inner hub. Just a few touches to highlight the mechanical nature of the bike.
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It's time to start a winter Project. The Red Bike
- Thread starter Kevin Werner
- Start date
"Highlighting the mechanical nature" is a great way of putting it. I don't care for custom cars/bikes/trucks where instead of displaying the artistry of a well crafted, tidy wiring harness or plumbing job, they hide it and either monochrome paint everything or chrome plate or polish it.. Beautiful job Kevin.
Thanks 46. I am going for simple and subtle. (Hopefully tasteful) Everybody works for "clean" and I am hoping to achieve this without a mill, lathe, or other tools I do not have. I have not yet figured out indicators or how to do spare instruments. When the tins arrive I can mock up speedo placement and develop a plan to place voltmeter and digital tach. My long in the past and short recent experience suggest a full tack is lipstick on a pig. My riding then and now was/is never near the redline. On the blue tracker 5500 rpm is near the highest I have gone. In the Ozarks I traded bikes with my son. His 80 special is pretty well dialed in jetting wise with 1.5" head pipes and commando muffs and I still didn't feel a need to exceed 5500 rpm. So to me, a tach is useful for setting a warm engine idle and checking charging at 2500-3000 rpm. I hope to simplify the cluster with that in mind...
What’s the story on the oil sight glass? Is that custom or did Yamaha make a cover with one? Build looks good can’t wait to see it done!!
I think that sight glass came in 81 per this thread by @Skull https://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650...workshop-manuals-and-other-information.30569/
But some earlier models 77 or 78 have a sight glass too
This from the 81 section...
But also this from '77 Euro section though it may have been modified...
Sight glass begins with the 1981 XS650
Perfect, thanks. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for one
Justa heads up... didn't get buff out finished yesterday (don't ask 
). Weather's not cooperating today... but I'm still trying to get it done today and ship tomorrow.
Day late... story of my life.
). Weather's not cooperating today... but I'm still trying to get it done today and ship tomorrow.Day late... story of my life.
I disassembled the iggy switch for cleaning today while paint dries on passenger pegs. I realized the Off/On label is completely faded. Theft protection?
I have a dilemma. The 81 license plate light/mount might be repurpased to a taillight mount. This mount sits at the end of the fender. I need to move it up to right behind the seat. This means the tail light (Lucas style)needs to angle down from the mounts ~15-20 DEGREES and the license mount needs to angle up the same to prevent the license from scuffing the paint. Any ideas?
I made the lifting handle to get the bike on the center stand. I cut the mount end of a sissybar, squared the end and installed a chrome cap (furniture cap). I have a matching one on the eight side for bungee tiedown.
Ingenious! That'll be handier than a pocket on a shirt.....
Hope your tail light works out that slick. Several ways to skin that cat....I think perhaps the cleanest might be to mount the Lucas where it wants to go (hopefully high on the fender, there are various bases out there) and mount the Lic plate on the lower left shock
Hope your tail light works out that slick. Several ways to skin that cat....I think perhaps the cleanest might be to mount the Lucas where it wants to go (hopefully high on the fender, there are various bases out there) and mount the Lic plate on the lower left shock
That's how I'd play it.... keep the fender as clean as possible.
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C'mon... where's thatI will have to look at my state regs for plate illumination. Showing off the fender is critical and maybe worth a few "fit-it" tickets
Off the top of my head I can think of two or three way to light up the plate....
Kevin does wear red shirts on Fridays
https://www.amazon.com/Rupse-lj166-White-Motorcycle-License/dp/B008RIEQXY?th=1
Why not get a light with a plate mount?
The angle is wrong. The light needs to be right up to the back end of the seat. There the slope of the fender is only 10 or so degrees down. I see a mount there as giving an almost "horizontal" which won't bother ma at all. Moving the light back means the plate covers the pinstriped tail of the fender. This is a Special fender, shorter than a Standard. I will know how much room I have after the fender is installed. I may visit a friend with a metal brake and bend a mount to cover the angles, the spare realestate and a clean subtle appearance.
