My 60th birthday present

[Mailman]

Today I got my new motion pro clutch cable installed after hanging all night dripping motor oil through it. I also greased up the clutch lever. So..with the new cable and my cleaned and greased worm gear, I'm hoping that my clutch operation will be MUCH smoother.
I also wrestled my battery box out and got it painted, it is drying now and will be re installed as soon as possible and finally I lubricated my throttle cable.
Next weekend if all goes as planned I will remove both wheels and take them to have new tires, rim strips and tubes put on.

 

[MaxPete]

Good for you Mailman - keep on keepin' on!

Pete

PS - you might want to check my last post in "How the heck do you...." for a suggestion to help you get the snazzy cleaned-up battery box back into the frame.

 

[Yamaha77]

Well this all happened pretty fast. Just six days ago I posted in the lounge that I was in search of a clean survivor. Today, five days short of my 60th birthday, I pulled the trigger on a 1977. I found it at a dealership in Colorado. After a flurry of phone calls and going back and forth with emails I was satisfied with the bike and a deal was struck. This is the third bike I have bought from a dealer out of state, the upside is, that you can pretty much rely on the information they give you and this dealership specializes in classic motorcycles and they sell clean roadworthy bikes. The downside is its in ANOTHER STATE and getting it transported , while not difficult to arrange is time consuming. These companies book up weeks out and it could take as long as 6 weeks to get my bike. In the mid to late 70's I was on a serious Yamaha binge. I had (at different times) a '73 RD350, a '75 XT500, a '76 XS650, and a '78 XS750. They were all great bikes but the one that always haunts my memories is the 650. So without further ado here are some photos as it sits on the dealers showroom. Yeah yeah I know the paint is wrong, but it's just paint. The bike is clean and complete and ( so they tell me) it runs nice. I plan to keep this one. If there are problems I will fix them. The wait however is killer, probably be early December before I get it. Wish me luck, Bob

Beautiful bike. I have a 77 as well. Wish I had the time to work on my bike as you do.

you can see mine here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOSYMQuD5nBTCzcIX9_hHKrQjO--ZyQb5V9T_80/?taken-by=_jwilde_

 

[Mailman]

Progress report: Two steps forward one step back. It seems like every time I work on my bike I find more stuff to fix.
Hope I get to ride this bike before I die of old age or go bankrupt!
Done so far,

Carbs rebuilt
Petcocks rebuilt ( one later replaced with new)
Clutch pushrods replaced with older style long one piece
Clutch pushrods seal and inner bearing replaced
Stator pulled and cleaned ( it was soaked with oil)
New fuel lines
Straighten bent kickstand and replace missing bumper
New grips
New mirrors
New clutch cable
Degrease frame
New front sprocket
Repair oil leak on starter gear case/ replace missing bolt
Clean and re oil K+N air filters
Pull battery box, clean and paint
Re install carbs, air boxes , battery box
Test rotor and stator with ohm meter
Clean, inspect and lube clutch worm gear

Parts bought but not yet installed

Front brake pads
Rear brake shoes
Points
Plugs
Alternator brushes
Engine oil
Sump filter, oil filter, new gaskets
(Ordered today) left side crankcase oil seal and rotor puller
Rear sprocket
New chain
Fresh fork oil
Left side cover gasket
New battery
Handlebar dampers
Will be getting new tires mounted in a couple of weeks

So here is how it now sits

My grips and mirrors

Freshly painted battery box installed

Today while working on my bike I decided to really wiggle my rear wheel while it was up on the center stand. I had not noticed any play in the swing arm before and thought maybe the previous owner had already replaced the swing arm bushings. WRONG! When I really worked it I could hear clunk clunk clunk and see the swing arm move.
So....one more thing in the to do column.

I don't know if anyone still reads this or if I'm writing it for my own amusement, but I shall soldier on.

 

[jetmechmarty]

You are writing for my amusement as well as yours. Keep it going.

 

[MaxPete]

Agreed - I've been following all the way along and you're doing a great job.

Your bike turns 40 this year and you are bringing her back to as-new condition (or better). When you're done, you will have a machine of which you can be very proud AND you will have a really nice motorcycle which runs great, is reliable and safe and which is a little piece of history.

Lots of fans out here - and good for you!

Pete

 

[Mailman]

Thanks guys! I intend to keep this little blog going until I get her done.

 

[MaxPete]

Good - and just LOOK at that snazzy cleaned-up battery box all nestled nicely back where it belongs.

 

[wrmdovr]

as my tag line reads...."if it were easy.......everyone would do it" Might sound trite or a tad bit canned, however that doest not lessen it's truth......what you are doing is difficult, time consuming, and when it is all said and done.....expensive. it takes tireless commitment, attention to detail and the ability to keep forging forward. in my humble experience it is about the 3/4 way of a project that having a support group to spur you forward is critical to completing a longterm project. Hang in there and keep the faith the bike looks awesome and your eye for detail is terrific! WRMDOVR

 

[Michaelo]

I agree, keep the posts coming, rebuilding is fun, there are always surprises around the corner.
The best thing I've found is that you really get to know your bike, having your hand up it's guts is a good thing... ha!

 

[MaxPete]

....and you ought to know Mick, seeing as you are from Down Under.....

<insert insane cackling here>

 

[wrmdovr]

ha ha ha ha....omg that is too funny! Max i always appreciate your sly and very intelligent humor!

Mick.....i completely agree with you......other than that whole sticking your hand up places....thing! Whether your buid from scratch or re-build you get to know the inner working of the bike and are much more able to "read" /diagnose what is going on with these old machines! in my experience nothing is ever static. WRMDOVR

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Way to go, Mailman. Keep on keeping on.

It's fun with the proper perspective:

 

[5twins]

Yes, keep it up. I quite enjoy yours and Danial Black's posts. Nice to see a couple '77s saved. You probably could be riding your bike now as it is. Do the old "ride and wrench" thing. Some of the things that need fixing won't show up until you do start riding it. That's what I did with mine, got it up and running, then sorted the fine details over the next few riding seasons. It's nice fixing problems one at a time. Then you can really see and feel the difference each "fix" has.

 

[lakeview]

Yes, please keep posting. I was unable to resist buying two Standards, last summer, one rough, one pretty good, so to see your thorough work helps me keep my eyes on the prize. And the tidiness of your workspace makes me wistful.

 

[MaxPete]

Yes, please keep posting. I was unable to resist buying two Standards, last summer, one rough, one pretty good, so to see your thorough work helps me keep my eyes on the prize. And the tidiness of your workspace makes me wistful.

Ahhh for a tidy workspace!

 

[Mailman]

Today was a get organized day, I ran to Harbor Freight and picked up a new seal puller, I don't think I'm done replacing seals yet so I might as well have a tool to make removal easier.

Then back home I really needed to get organized. My work bench was covered with old parts , new parts, screws ,bolts, carburetor parts, and all manner of miscellaneous stuff.
So... I started tagging and bagging and storing it away. I need a clean organized place to work. I am definitely not a person who can work in chaos and clutter.

This is my lair, it's where the magic happens. Haha! Now I can get back to business.

 

[5twins]

Dude, that's too nice and too clean. Nothing ever gets done there from the looks of things, it would just make a mess, lol. And that giant garbage can has to go. It shouldn't be that easy to throw stuff away (old parts). You need a long walk to the trash can with said parts in your hand so you have a chance to think about what you're about to do. Once they're gone, there's no getting them back.

 

[gggGary]

Wow you must of got MY tidy gene....... I sure didn't! Great thread keep r going Spring is on the way.

 

[Mailman]

Dude, that's too nice and too clean. Nothing ever gets done there from the looks of things, it would just make a mess, lol. And that giant garbage can has to go. It shouldn't be that easy to throw stuff away (old parts). You need a long walk to the trash can with said parts in your hand so you have a chance to think about what you're about to do. Once they're gone, there's no getting them back.

Haha! No no no nothing is getting thrown away. The garage looks uncluttered but don't look inside the cabinets. It's not pretty.

Wow you must of got MY tidy gene....... I sure didn't! Great thread keep r going Spring is on the way.

People always want to put junk in my garage, I guard it like a dog with a bone!
I live in Phoenix, it is Spring! Lol!