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Mailman’s XS2 a full on restoration
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
Oh, one more thing - you may need to change out the grease fittings. They look like the large head early type. A standard grease gun won't fit on them. Hmmmmm, I wonder how, whoever did so, kept them greased.
Well....To address both of those comments.
I should’ve just left them alone, they looked great, and I saw what you were looking at too Jim. I thought they looked like bronze and started tapping on it and a chunk broke and flew off.......ooops!
So now they HAVE to be replaced. I was surprised to see that you can still get the plastic bushings.
5T thanks for the heads up regarding that grommet, and the zerk fittings.
I’m going to have to check something. I purchased everything a while back to replace the swing arm bushings on my ‘77. I have the bushings , a new pivot tube, new swing arm bolt the whole shebang. I wonder if those parts would fit my ‘72? Hmmm
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Oh and I do intend to add grease zerk fittings to my swing arm. 
According to Mikes, the bushings are the same for the 77 and XS2. Since all your hardware is good, you could just use the bushings you have.... or give Mikes 30 bucks for another set. At least you got options...
There is a lot to be said about the original Neoprene Bushes. The problem with them is the lack of maintainence. Friend who has a 76C has had the bike for a while, years in fact and a daily rider to work and back, when fine. He has rebuilt the motor a couple of times now and a while ago he bought a lump of neoprene and got some swing-arm bushes lathed up. He swears by the original Yamaha swing arm bushes.........Again its maintenance or the lack of that destroys them. The way that swing-arm bolt came out and you said there was no play in the arm why change them.......Not a necessity upgrade as commonly though especially if they are good. .........why spend money.......
I was just on Boat.nets site. Call me crazy but I’m actually thinking of just replacing the original nylon bushings.
They are still available for $18 each, and I have all the rest of the original set up circled here, and everything looks like new. I honestly doubt I could ever wear out another set in my lifetime. Does that sound like a really bad idea?
They are still available for $18 each, and I have all the rest of the original set up circled here, and everything looks like new. I honestly doubt I could ever wear out another set in my lifetime. Does that sound like a really bad idea?
Skull I just saw your post, everything was beautiful when I pulled it apart. I accidentally broke one, messing around with it after pulling the swing arm. So replacement is necessary now.
You trying to make work Bob? LOL
Here's what Joe Minton had to say......
Yamaha fits the now-infamous plastic bushings to the XS650’s swingarm pivot. They wear out by just talking about them and, when worn, make the bike feel as though it has a hinge in its middle-because it does. Get rid of them.
Granted, Joe was all about performance... but the bronze are three bucks cheaper. I know which way I'd go.
Yamaha fits the now-infamous plastic bushings to the XS650’s swingarm pivot. They wear out by just talking about them and, when worn, make the bike feel as though it has a hinge in its middle-because it does. Get rid of them.
Granted, Joe was all about performance... but the bronze are three bucks cheaper. I know which way I'd go.
I would have no qualms about keeping and using the plastic bushings. I've been running them myself for more than 10 years in the TX750 swingarm I swapped on back in '06. The original bushings in that swingarm were like new so I kept them in service. Kept well greased all these years, they're still fine. Obviously, they don't wear out just looking at them like Minton said. I'd replace the one you broke and call it good.
I just acquired another 750 swingarm for use on the $200 Special. If the original bushings in this one check out OK, I'll keep them too.
I just acquired another 750 swingarm for use on the $200 Special. If the original bushings in this one check out OK, I'll keep them too.
I kept one set of stock bushings that seemed good, later when I thought the handling of that bike was a bit "mischievous". 
I found rear wheel side movement, they went bye bye. I have a set of the motion pro needles on Resto for a few thousand miles now, so far so good. But I will probably stay with brass after I use up the second set on the shelf. Pivot parts are different in the early arms, 3 piece sleeve?? but the later model parts can go in as a set?
I found rear wheel side movement, they went bye bye. I have a set of the motion pro needles on Resto for a few thousand miles now, so far so good. But I will probably stay with brass after I use up the second set on the shelf. Pivot parts are different in the early arms, 3 piece sleeve?? but the later model parts can go in as a set?
I hate to hijack - but I have seen references to the TX750 swing arm before and I am curious about the advantages of installing one on an XS650 and what modifications one must do to make it fit and work properly...
(....man, that is a lotta popcorn tonight....)
(....man, that is a lotta popcorn tonight....)
Bob. This may help solve a problem with the dampers in the front disk brake..............
I hate to hijack - but I have seen references to the TX750 swing arm before and I am curious about the advantages of installing one on an XS650 and what modifications one must do to make it fit and work properly...
(....man, that is a lotta popcorn tonight....)
I’ve been researching this lately too. Azman is right. It’s a plug and play mod that stiffens the flex in suspension.
The thing is early swing arms are bit different I think 70-71 are 2" shorter not sure when it grew, there are also some parts diffs at the pivot but so far I haven't messed with any of the early arms.
So I’ve been accumulating parts to rebuild my carburetors, and instead of buying kits with questionable parts, I have been shopping for original OEM parts and Mikuni jets and floats.
I gotta tell you it seems like a crap shoot some times. Especially with these early carbs.
I paid a premium for what was advertised as high quality OEM floats, when I got them they were dark and tarnished and although they appeared straight, the solder work looked like amateur work. It was so rough they ground it down in places. I took some brasso and shined them up, but are they really OEM? Who knows?
This is the factory float that came out of my carbs ( shined up )
The new replacement ( shined up)
Original , note the solder work.
And the replacement.
After reading 2M’s excellent article on replacement floats I did measure them and they are exactly the same size as the originals.
Then I was looking for a replacement choke plunger. They seem to be rare, so I was happy to find an eBay seller, (whom I’ve done business with in the past and had no troubles) who said he had new reproduction ones. Here is what I got. My original is on the left in these photos.
I’m sure I could insist on a refund, but time I package these up and ship them back, I’d be lucky to have enough of a refund to buy a taco.
It truly is Caveat Emptor on the wild wild interweb!
I gotta tell you it seems like a crap shoot some times. Especially with these early carbs.
I paid a premium for what was advertised as high quality OEM floats, when I got them they were dark and tarnished and although they appeared straight, the solder work looked like amateur work. It was so rough they ground it down in places. I took some brasso and shined them up, but are they really OEM? Who knows?
This is the factory float that came out of my carbs ( shined up )
The new replacement ( shined up)
Original , note the solder work.
And the replacement.
After reading 2M’s excellent article on replacement floats I did measure them and they are exactly the same size as the originals.
Then I was looking for a replacement choke plunger. They seem to be rare, so I was happy to find an eBay seller, (whom I’ve done business with in the past and had no troubles) who said he had new reproduction ones. Here is what I got. My original is on the left in these photos.
I’m sure I could insist on a refund, but time I package these up and ship them back, I’d be lucky to have enough of a refund to buy a taco.
It truly is Caveat Emptor on the wild wild interweb!
I think you may have to use a big hammer to get those plungers in the hole on the carbs!
I'm wondering if they missed a step in the factory when they were machining them. Looks like you could chuck them in a small lathe and turn them down to the size of the originals.
If your originals are not usable I have a pair out of the 1978 that don't look bad.
I'm wondering if they missed a step in the factory when they were machining them. Looks like you could chuck them in a small lathe and turn them down to the size of the originals.
If your originals are not usable I have a pair out of the 1978 that don't look bad.
