Yes, those 3 mounting points give a nice, solid pipe mount, but using the higher hole on the bottom will jack the rear end of the pipe up more. If you can make that other higher hole work, it may give you the increased muffler upsweep you desire.
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Miesha: Build thread.
- Thread starter CoconutPete
- Start date
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
5twins: I actually tried mounting it using both holes. The other one kept the pipe a pinch further away from the frame but did nothing to change the upward angle of the muffler.
I took one of the mufflers off. Without the reducer sleeve, the angle can be achieved just fine. Once you put the reducer sleeve on there, fuggedabout it.
I really like the way the head pipes are mounted. They are perfectly parallel to the frame and have good clearance. They are also very solid between the two mounting points. Aaaand because of that:
It's supposed to rain this weekend and we don't have much planned. I'm planning on cutting a small "V" in each muffler about 2" in and bending them up a bit and welding the gap shut. That should give me the angle I need to have the bottom of the muffler sit just above the axle.
I took one of the mufflers off. Without the reducer sleeve, the angle can be achieved just fine. Once you put the reducer sleeve on there, fuggedabout it.
I really like the way the head pipes are mounted. They are perfectly parallel to the frame and have good clearance. They are also very solid between the two mounting points. Aaaand because of that:
It's supposed to rain this weekend and we don't have much planned. I'm planning on cutting a small "V" in each muffler about 2" in and bending them up a bit and welding the gap shut. That should give me the angle I need to have the bottom of the muffler sit just above the axle.
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
Of course, now I just found this:
http://www.barnes4wd.com/DOM-Tubing-175-OD-15-ID-18-Wall-4-Foot-Section_p_338.html
So now I'm wondering what the better approach is ... mess with the muffler or use this pipe to try to create an angled adapter.....
http://www.barnes4wd.com/DOM-Tubing-175-OD-15-ID-18-Wall-4-Foot-Section_p_338.html
So now I'm wondering what the better approach is ... mess with the muffler or use this pipe to try to create an angled adapter.....
I'm think'n 1/8" is pretty thick for exhaust.
Something like this?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-75-1-3-4...wpgNZiRwo:sc:USPSPriority!53913!US!-1&vxp=mtr
just guessing they would do two even shallower bends on one piece of pipe if you ask. or ask at the local muffler shops.
Something like this?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-75-1-3-4...wpgNZiRwo:sc:USPSPriority!53913!US!-1&vxp=mtr
just guessing they would do two even shallower bends on one piece of pipe if you ask. or ask at the local muffler shops.
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
Gary:
That piece looks like exactly what I need. My thought on the bigger pipe was that it's the exact same ID and OD as the adapter from Mike's that I'm using between the head pipes and the muffler. The eBay one you posted looks to be a bit thinner, so I'll need some sort of adapter still.
For the time being, I pulled them off this weekend and fashioned a longer mounting strap. That did increase the angle just a bit. Still not above the axle, but better than before.
That piece looks like exactly what I need. My thought on the bigger pipe was that it's the exact same ID and OD as the adapter from Mike's that I'm using between the head pipes and the muffler. The eBay one you posted looks to be a bit thinner, so I'll need some sort of adapter still.
For the time being, I pulled them off this weekend and fashioned a longer mounting strap. That did increase the angle just a bit. Still not above the axle, but better than before.
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muffler shops can expand or reduce one end of the pipe quite easily.
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
While the bike was "down" waiting for a part, I got to play with a light I had been eyeballing for a while. I was doing some late night Amazon surfing and found a bracket which I believed could be made to fit this light with very very minor modifications. Well I was right. 5 minutes of hand-filing some holes and it was a fit.
A license plate bracket made from 1/4" sheet aluminum, cut directly after the license plate round out the experiment.
This thing is BRIGHT, like holy sh!t bright and the brake light is idiotically bright. It's perfect. I also has a DOT stamp which is a fun bonus.
A license plate bracket made from 1/4" sheet aluminum, cut directly after the license plate round out the experiment.
This thing is BRIGHT, like holy sh!t bright and the brake light is idiotically bright. It's perfect. I also has a DOT stamp which is a fun bonus.
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Looks good! When it comes to tail and brake lights, the brighter the better! Nice job.
How about a photo taken from the rear? Maybe even lit up?
How about a photo taken from the rear? Maybe even lit up?
Hi Pete,
searing blinding blasting bright is a GOOD feature for a stop/tail light as it should help to keep those SUV-driving soccer moms off your arse.
You didn't mention rubber-mounting the bracket. Best you do that to reduce the chance of the lamp and plate fatiguing off onto the street.
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
This is the only one I have of it lit up. You may notice it’s not fully mounted yet. Pic doesn’t really do it justice as far as brightness. It has either 6 or8 LED’s underneath dedicated to the plate also which is sweet.
Fun fact: It’s mounted on the stock taillight rubber base with the stock taillight bolts.
Fun fact: It’s mounted on the stock taillight rubber base with the stock taillight bolts.
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CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
Hi Pete,
good thought about the rear light mount but what about the plate?
1/4" aluminum weighs about the same as 1/16" steel plate, eh?
The only plate I ever solid-mounted on my XS650 fatigued off on the highway.
Check the rubber suspension on the XS plate in my avatar.
I use an aluminum backing plate for my license plate but it's full size, exactly the same size as the license plate. That allows me to 4 bolt the plate to it. I put an equally full sized piece of sheet rubber between the two .....
Our state came out with a new style of motorcycle plate several years ago. It is no longer the stamped, extruded tin style, it's a totally flat, very thin plate of aluminum. They're terrible as far as strength goes and will quickly break off if the mounting situation isn't improved. Along with the backing plate and rubber sheet, I use these special washers on the screws. They have rubber bonded to one side and are slightly domed before install. You tighten the bolts just enough to flatten the dome and puff the rubber out a little around the edges. As you can see, I use them a lot for bike stuff, here employed to rubber mount my regulator .....
Our state came out with a new style of motorcycle plate several years ago. It is no longer the stamped, extruded tin style, it's a totally flat, very thin plate of aluminum. They're terrible as far as strength goes and will quickly break off if the mounting situation isn't improved. Along with the backing plate and rubber sheet, I use these special washers on the screws. They have rubber bonded to one side and are slightly domed before install. You tighten the bolts just enough to flatten the dome and puff the rubber out a little around the edges. As you can see, I use them a lot for bike stuff, here employed to rubber mount my regulator .....
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
I'll have to give it a "shakedown run" once my cam chain tensioner spring arrives and (hopefully) my first attempt at valve adjustment allows the bike to fire back up.
I'm pretty confident in it. The fender is chopped, but has the original bottom welded back on it. I'ts mounted in the stock rear location and has the rubber bushings in there with some "give" in them. The front is now completely flat but is sandwiched between the seat bracket and the seat with little rubber "nubs" and also has room to "vibrate".
The plate and light are mounted using the bolts from the stock taillight. They are super thick and only have thread on the last bit allowing them to be "snugged down" so they don't go anywhere and still leaves some "flexing room" for both the light and the plate.
Time will tell. I found this tail light on superbrightleds.com a while ago and have been itching to use it.
Round headlight, round blinkers .... my (slight) OCD was just not happy with the oval taillight, no matter how well the bracket came out.
I'm pretty confident in it. The fender is chopped, but has the original bottom welded back on it. I'ts mounted in the stock rear location and has the rubber bushings in there with some "give" in them. The front is now completely flat but is sandwiched between the seat bracket and the seat with little rubber "nubs" and also has room to "vibrate".
The plate and light are mounted using the bolts from the stock taillight. They are super thick and only have thread on the last bit allowing them to be "snugged down" so they don't go anywhere and still leaves some "flexing room" for both the light and the plate.
Time will tell. I found this tail light on superbrightleds.com a while ago and have been itching to use it.
Round headlight, round blinkers .... my (slight) OCD was just not happy with the oval taillight, no matter how well the bracket came out.
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
I just looked at my pics on a laptop and not a Phone.... I understand the "4-bolt mounted" comments. The plate is actually 4 bolt mounted and i assure you it has quite a good amount of "shake" it can absorb through the rubber base. In the pics I don't have the bottom 2 bolts in. I had to shorten them because the only ones I had were over 1" long.
5twins: That taillight you have is one I have always liked. One reason I bought this taillight is that it reminded me of the style that you have while being just a tad smaller and LED. I love playing with LED stuff....
5twins: That taillight you have is one I have always liked. One reason I bought this taillight is that it reminded me of the style that you have while being just a tad smaller and LED. I love playing with LED stuff....
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
My goal is to buy another XS by the end of this week. A 78 standard. A complete wreck, but I'll have it in pieces while I ride Miesha, it should work out well. I think I'm going to swap the stock gauges back on Miesha along with tracker handlebars. The other bike will get the drag bars, tiny gauges and a lower suspension with street tires. Tracker bars and stock size gauges just look good with the big stock headlight! I'll end up going for a smaller headlight on the other bike.
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
Ehh ... no tail light on that 78' I'm going to look at.... or rear fender... or front fender... or tank .. or seat... but hey, the frame, front end, front brake, engine and those nice aluminum spoked wheels are there, and that's what I call a good start!
Hi Pete,
congrats on your latest bargain.
And a nitpicking pedantic whine:-
My bike's wheels have nice aluminum spokes, each has seven of 'em.
How about saying "Wire wheels" and "cast wheels" instead?
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
Fred:
Jeez - a little demanding aren't we? Next thing you know you're going to want me to correctly use "your" and "you're" along with decent punctuation and trying to eat my lunch without most of it ending up in my lap.
Next thing you know we'll all have mustaches and monocles and be slapping each other with white gloves when referring to our XS's by the wrong production code.
Next comes....
Aehmn.
What were we talking about again?
Oh yeah ...tomorrow I'm going to look at a 1978 Yamaha XS650 "Standard" with a front wheel made from an aluminum hub, 36 spokes and a 19" outer aluminum wheel.... rim .. something..... and a rear wheel constructed from an aluminum hub, another 36 spokes and an 18" aluminum ring of sorts!
In Miesha-Related news: It looks like my cam chain tensioner spring will actually arrive tomorrow instead of Saturday - hooray for that.
Oh yeah ... .somewhat related: I bought a PAMCO in a moment of weakness? Why do you ask? Well, same reason our wives buy clothes. It was on sale!!!!!!!!!!
Jeez - a little demanding aren't we? Next thing you know you're going to want me to correctly use "your" and "you're" along with decent punctuation and trying to eat my lunch without most of it ending up in my lap.
Next thing you know we'll all have mustaches and monocles and be slapping each other with white gloves when referring to our XS's by the wrong production code.
Next comes....
Aehmn.
What were we talking about again?
Oh yeah ...tomorrow I'm going to look at a 1978 Yamaha XS650 "Standard" with a front wheel made from an aluminum hub, 36 spokes and a 19" outer aluminum wheel.... rim .. something..... and a rear wheel constructed from an aluminum hub, another 36 spokes and an 18" aluminum ring of sorts!
In Miesha-Related news: It looks like my cam chain tensioner spring will actually arrive tomorrow instead of Saturday - hooray for that.
Oh yeah ... .somewhat related: I bought a PAMCO in a moment of weakness? Why do you ask? Well, same reason our wives buy clothes. It was on sale!!!!!!!!!!
