Just wanted to let everyone know...

[Jawknee21]

Im new. To everything. I dont try to annoy people with dumb questions so hopefully i dont. but i always seem to ask a million questions and people dont seem to like that. Thanks for any helpful answers i get. I can already tell im going to need it and this looks like the place to get answers.

I bought my first bike about 2 months ago. 83 xs650 Heritage Special for $1700. I know almost nothing. I cant wait to learn though. Its getting powdercoated right now. (Hopefully). So i should finally get it back this weekend or early next week. am i forgetting anything?

 

[tadd442]

you forgot to cut off the swingarm!....lol...I prefer hardtails. You are correct in thinking this the source for your questions. I am amazed almost every day by the knowledge here.

 

[BigBoreSwede]

Hello Jawknee!

Only thing stupid is to NOT ask questions One year ago I was also new to all this and I´ve learned alot at this forum. The best around I must say.

First.....drain the engine oil and take a look at both the oilfilters. They´ll tell you a little what shape the engine are in.
Also, get yourself a manual. You´ll need one

Go get your fingers dirty....and take a ride every once in a while

/BigBoreSwede

 

[Jawknee21]

i got a manual like the week after it was off to powdercoating. now i cant remember anything about it. I really know barely anything about motorcycles. I just know that i cant wait to get mine back. I already learned quite a bit from just reading about other peoples problems. like, I cant find neutral . I thought it was supposed to be like that. but now i know theres a way to adjustment. now just to get it back and actually get to do it.
I know only 2 pictures of it doesn't tell a lot. but from what you can see, what has been done to this bike? I don't know whats different from stock besides cosmetically. I'm not sure if there's anyone on this forum that knows less than me. I never rode a motorcycle until i got this one. then the next week i bought a yz125.
Jeez, i talk too much...

 

[emzdogz]

I think it's a really neat bike. Just the fact that the battery area and the usual bird's nest of wiring under the seat area has been cleaned up - that's huge! It's lowered, and has no front fender obviously, and has pod air filters and that solo seat.
I'm most impressed by the cleanup of the battery area.
Looks like a braided steel front brake line, which is good.
I like that bike - I'd buy it.
To me it's a sort of bobber/cafe/street fighter hybrid done in a low buck manner.
Would love to see close ups of the way the wiring is situated up under the seat.

What are you getting powdercoated, like just the frame? So you disassembled it yourself?

How does it run?

Hope you can get it back soon. I like that bike.

 

[TeeCat]

Welcome!

Ask away. Guaranteed, I'm far more annoying than you could ever hope to be, and I'll defend that dubious honor vigorously. So don't get any ideas. Just sayin', is all.

TC

 

[Jawknee21]

I think it's a really neat bike. Just the fact that the battery area and the usual bird's nest of wiring under the seat area has been cleaned up - that's huge! It's lowered, and has no front fender obviously, and has pod air filters and that solo seat.
I'm most impressed by the cleanup of the battery area.
Looks like a braided steel front brake line, which is good.
I like that bike - I'd buy it.
To me it's a sort of bobber/cafe/street fighter hybrid done in a low buck manner.
Would love to see close ups of the way the wiring is situated up under the seat.

What are you getting powdercoated, like just the frame? So you disassembled it yourself?

How does it run?

Hope you can get it back soon. I like that bike.

So me being the lazy person I am, had a friend who said "I can get it powdercoated and back together in a week."
I figured a week wasn't bad and decided to have him do it because I didnt want to have it apart for a month or two if I did it myself, because I wouldn't have known how to put it back together. Now Here I am, over a month later and it's still apart and I still don't have it back. I should've done it myself and used that time to learn where everything went and what it was.
The bike runs/ran? great. It would usually start first kick. Can't say that will be the case when I get it back. I will be powdercoating almost everything black except for the exhaust and spokes and a couple other things. I was reading something about the starter not working if the bars are painted? I had to get some kind of seat mount for it cause the seat was only set on there and it had nothing holding it. Now I'm waiting on two parts orders of
The exact same parts. Anyone know what I would call these bars? I can't explain them over the phone, and
I don't know which throttle cable I need...

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[emzdogz]

embrace the trip on which you are about to begin.....


but seriously, lots to learn - and some of the people on this forum are very knowledgeable and even better, very willing to share and help.

 

[Renegade600]

Dude...we all ask stupid questions (I attibute mine to old age).....so ask away, and don't feel dumb......
Tom

 

[jayel]

euro bars.... best thing to do about a throttle cable is find a good shop and ask for their advice, without knowing which throttle grip assembly you have it may take anything form a stock cable to a custom made cable, and yes depending on what type of switches you have on the handlebar you may need to ground the bars or run a ground wire to the switch... got a pic of the throttle control/switch assembly?
check bar types here http://www.mikesxs.net/products-58.html#products

 

[uknowme2goog]

There a lot of good people in this forum... and then there a few dicks.. you have to decide for your self who is who...good luck with you bike ..keep the pictures coming.

 

[Jawknee21]

euro bars.... best thing to do about a throttle cable is find a good shop and ask for their advice, without knowing which throttle grip assembly you have it may take anything form a stock cable to a custom made cable, and yes depending on what type of switches you have on the handlebar you may need to ground the bars or run a ground wire to the switch... got a pic of the throttle control/switch assembly?
check bar types here http://www.mikesxs.net/products-58.html#products

It's actually just the stock switch. Im waiting on a replacement though. It's just a regular assembly from mikes or 650central. I'll put a picture up of what they did to the old one. But there's a screw through the plastic to act as a stopper so the throttle tube wouldnt turn too far. If I get a throttle assembly with a switch for the light or anything else I'm not using I can still use the switch right? My headlight has a toggle switch on top of the light to turn it on/hi/low or off. Id have to reach over the bars while riding to switch it...

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[emzdogz]

There a lot of good people in this forum... and then there a few dicks.. you have to decide for your self who is who...good luck with you bike ..keep the pictures coming.

and weirdly enough, some people are good people, AND then they are a dick TOO!

 

[Jawknee21]

so it looks like my wiring is going to be even neater when its done. Anyone have any experience using resistors to get LED signals to work with a regular 12v flasher?

 

[XSLeo]

On your turn signals it's easier to get an led flasher. I got mine at www.superbrightleds.com the flasher is LF1-S-flat $8.95.
It comes with wire leads and a two prong plastic connector. Remove the leads from the connector. The leads will plug right in where the flasher you have goes. Hook the red lead into the brown wire on the bike, the black lead into the brown/white on the bike.

 

[Jawknee21]

On your turn signals it's easier to get an led flasher. I got mine at www.superbrightleds.com the flasher is LF1-S-flat $8.95.
It comes with wire leads and a two prong plastic connector. Remove the leads from the connector. The leads will plug right in where the flasher you have goes. Hook the red lead into the brown wire on the bike, the black lead into the brown/white on the bike.

I have no flashers on the bike now so I might have to figure out how to do that too. Thanks for the help. It sounds way easier. Would i be able to use that woth front and back signals on the same flasher? I'll try it whenever I get my bike back. STILL At powdercoating...

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[XSLeo]

The turn signal circuit is a fairly simple one. power from after the main switch, a brown wire on a stock bike hooks to the red wire on the led flasher. The black wire hooks to the brown/white wire.
It's a good idea to try to copy the stock colors, makes trouble shooting easier.
This brown/white wire runs up to the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch has a dark green and a chocolate wire. The DG goes to the right side signals, the chocolate goes to the left side signals.
Hooking up a dash indicator light to each side is easier than using one indicator for both sides. One indicator can be used you just need a couple diodes to get it to not crossover and flash all the signals.
Here's a very basic diagram.