jonny Reb
XS650 Enthusiast
Hey folks,
I've been around for a bit now, slowly working on my '81 Special II, and I've gotten to the point now where she's starting to look pretty good, I think. Lotsa stuff going on over the past year and a half since she came out of a garage in San Luis Obispo, Ca. I'm the 3rd owner, and I got her pretty much totally stock with the exception of a couple odds and ends. The PO did a clutch rebuild (he's a buddy of mine with lots of experience and some fancy engineering degree so I trust the work was done well) but other than that the motor was untouched.
When I first bought her, she ran rough, but a bit of sea foam and some electronic cleaner and tightening of connections got her moving pretty well. I rode her around town and back and forth to work for about a year before the head gasket blew. So for Christmas, I got to get all the way down in her... top end job sorta thing (with the generous help of the PO). She's back together now and running well, and I've done some cosmetic work that I hope you can appreciate. Always looking for more suggestions too, so don't be shy.
I'm going to start posting pics and short descriptions of what I've done here in the next couple of days. I'm not a total noob, but I'm not an old hand at this either, so advice, constructive criticism, etc. is totally welcome. Finally, I'm grateful for this site- a huge help in all I've done. Speaking of which, here's everything I can think of mechanics-wise that I've done:
-Front Brake Caliper rebuild
-New fork seals
-New battery
-New spark plugs/boots
-Honda Rebel rear suspension (I'm 5'6")
-Head and bottom gaskets
-new rings
-cylinder hone
-new Cam Chain guide
-Cleaned/tuned carbs
-valve / cam chain tensioner adjustment after overhaul
I'll start posting pics here pretty quick. Thanks for checking out my bike. You all know how much I love her.
I've been around for a bit now, slowly working on my '81 Special II, and I've gotten to the point now where she's starting to look pretty good, I think. Lotsa stuff going on over the past year and a half since she came out of a garage in San Luis Obispo, Ca. I'm the 3rd owner, and I got her pretty much totally stock with the exception of a couple odds and ends. The PO did a clutch rebuild (he's a buddy of mine with lots of experience and some fancy engineering degree so I trust the work was done well) but other than that the motor was untouched.
When I first bought her, she ran rough, but a bit of sea foam and some electronic cleaner and tightening of connections got her moving pretty well. I rode her around town and back and forth to work for about a year before the head gasket blew. So for Christmas, I got to get all the way down in her... top end job sorta thing (with the generous help of the PO). She's back together now and running well, and I've done some cosmetic work that I hope you can appreciate. Always looking for more suggestions too, so don't be shy.
I'm going to start posting pics and short descriptions of what I've done here in the next couple of days. I'm not a total noob, but I'm not an old hand at this either, so advice, constructive criticism, etc. is totally welcome. Finally, I'm grateful for this site- a huge help in all I've done. Speaking of which, here's everything I can think of mechanics-wise that I've done:
-Front Brake Caliper rebuild
-New fork seals
-New battery
-New spark plugs/boots
-Honda Rebel rear suspension (I'm 5'6")
-Head and bottom gaskets
-new rings
-cylinder hone
-new Cam Chain guide
-Cleaned/tuned carbs
-valve / cam chain tensioner adjustment after overhaul
I'll start posting pics here pretty quick. Thanks for checking out my bike. You all know how much I love her.