happydaze
John
I installed these on my 1981 XS650H today. I'm still fooling around with the adjustment, but it works.
The master cylinder is made for level handlebars, so on my stock bars I had to slide it forward until it was level to fill it and bleed it. Then I put the cover on and slid it back into its working position. Seems to be ok and looks nice. However it looks like you can buy the same exact one on ebay for about $30.
The brake light switch that came with it did not work for me and I ended up using my old one. On the loose end the connectors were too small and wouldn't stay in. The switch also would not stay in the master cylinder. It kept popping out. My old switch also wouldn't stay in, but I used it because the connectors on the other end worked. I ended up wrapping electrical tape once around it and under the tabs that hold it in place to make them stick out more. Then I jammed it in and it stayed.
The brake hose is not great. I wrote to Mikes before buying and they recommended this hose for stock 1981 bars and the new m/c. The hose is described as having one end turned 180 degrees for master cylinders where the hose connects on the side instead of the end. The problem with that is that the connection is 90 degrees off from the end, so no matter how you hook it up, it always seems to be 90 degrees off at the other end. Also, the hose is too short. When the m/c is slid all the way back where it belongs, there is actually slight tension on the hose. They could have easily made it an inch longer just to give some comfort in the fit.
So, it all works but I can't say that I'd actually recommend buying these parts from Mikes XS. You can buy the same m/c on ebay for half the price, you can re-use your old brake light switch if it works, and the hose is not long enough for stock handlebars, and off by 90 degrees.
The master cylinder is made for level handlebars, so on my stock bars I had to slide it forward until it was level to fill it and bleed it. Then I put the cover on and slid it back into its working position. Seems to be ok and looks nice. However it looks like you can buy the same exact one on ebay for about $30.
The brake light switch that came with it did not work for me and I ended up using my old one. On the loose end the connectors were too small and wouldn't stay in. The switch also would not stay in the master cylinder. It kept popping out. My old switch also wouldn't stay in, but I used it because the connectors on the other end worked. I ended up wrapping electrical tape once around it and under the tabs that hold it in place to make them stick out more. Then I jammed it in and it stayed.
The brake hose is not great. I wrote to Mikes before buying and they recommended this hose for stock 1981 bars and the new m/c. The hose is described as having one end turned 180 degrees for master cylinders where the hose connects on the side instead of the end. The problem with that is that the connection is 90 degrees off from the end, so no matter how you hook it up, it always seems to be 90 degrees off at the other end. Also, the hose is too short. When the m/c is slid all the way back where it belongs, there is actually slight tension on the hose. They could have easily made it an inch longer just to give some comfort in the fit.
So, it all works but I can't say that I'd actually recommend buying these parts from Mikes XS. You can buy the same m/c on ebay for half the price, you can re-use your old brake light switch if it works, and the hose is not long enough for stock handlebars, and off by 90 degrees.
