My new bike, mild mod, first I have to get it running right

[jpanichella]

Hello everybody.

I started a thread earlier regarding an XS650 I was considering purchasing on craigslist. Well, I went through with it and got the bike. Tonight after work I cleaned out my garage and got ready to make it a bike cave. Here she is!

First things first, she needs a new battery, the front brakes are completely unresponsive, so I have to bleed them and determine if I need to rebuild the caliper and master cylinder. After that I'm going to replace the oil and air filter and give her a shakedown run. This is my first bike and words can not express how excited I am to start riding.

Now for some pictures:

And my bike cave:

Not much, but at work I have access to all the heavy duty stuff (painting, welding, grinding, etc.)

And yes, the seat is for sale.

 

[xjwmx]

Well, congrats. Are you going to cut 'er to pieces? Re: the brake, see if the reservoir has any fluid in it. Might just have air in the system. Once you get it to pump up, take the caliper off the fork and pump the piston out of the caliper and look at the condition of things.

I would replace all the seals, top and bottom, and probably the piston and dust boot. I used Mike's piston and seals a few years ago and am very satisfied. Also his caliper kit. However I'm not happy with his braided lines. Somebody will steer you to a good make for those. They will cost twice as much but they will be 10x better.

 

[scabber]

Well it looks good. Hope it runs good. If you chop it. I would buy the mirrors if you don't use them. If the price is right. Have fun with it.

 

[jpanichella]

Not chopping it. I'm going to make it shiny, make it run great, make it handle great, and ride the shit out of it.

And getting a new seat.

 

[weekendrider]

What are the red and green things coming out from under the seat?

 

[jpanichella]

Battery was dead so the PO wired up some easily accessible quick disconnects to the battery terminals to jump it.

edit:

these wires don't carry a lot of current, so this only works for kickstarting it.

 

[weekendrider]

Ahh. And a battery is top on your list! Good. Poor batteries are pretty hard on these.
For working on the front master cylinder you will want to pick up a right angled snap ring pliers or a small set of needle nose you don't mind grinding to fit.

 

[jpanichella]

Good to know!

I'll ask my roommate if he has a pair, if not harbor freight isn't far away. I broke down and ordered this seat from Vietnam.

I like it. It's not too thin, it's simple. And I don't have to modify the frame.

 

[hotrdd]

Since it’s your first bike I’d actually recommend riding it for the season until you figure out what works and what doesn’t. In the meantime you can start collecting the parts you want to put on it. Looks like a great platform to start with though.

 

[jpanichella]

Fortunately for me, the riding season is kind of year round here in Los Angeles

But yeah, I'm definitely not going to tear down a bike that currently runs and runs well. I'm going to upgrade the important stuff first (brakes, tires, new fluids, etc.). The only cosmetic upgrade for me right now is the seat.

 

[jpanichella]

Finally got a little time after work to get in the garage

Bought a battery and charged it up, charges to 12.7V and it's ready to go. Now to address that front brake.

Bone dry. The rubber gasket and metal plate seemed fine, no tears and was still very pliable. The majority of the corrosion seems to be under this rubber boot.

Should I go ahead and get the kit from mikes to rebuild this?

 

[5twins]

You might try the disassembly and cleaning of existing parts 1st. Then reassemble if the rubber seals look OK, add fluid and see if it leaks. That's all I did with mine, no new parts except the brake line. It's been leak-free and working fine for near 7 years now. There's a free factory manual on-line here .....

http://www.biker.net/650_service/650service main.html

 

[jpanichella]

After a bit more tinkering, my roommate and I found the most likely source of the leak, where the two hoses meet near the bottom of the triple trees. I'm going to just go ahead and replace it with a one piece line, clean out the master cylinder, and try adding some brake fluid.

 

[weekendrider]

If you haven't already you might want to look at littlebill's thread.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7862&highlight=master+cylinder+rebuild

 

[jpanichella]

So I've been doing some research and decided to get my braided lines of ebay.

I found a seller who has various sized brake lines, with the option of getting angled fittings. I wanted to angle the fitting to gain access to the bleeder valve, like this:

The only thing I'm not sure about is length. I've seen some people say 42 inches is too long, right now the bike has superbike bars and I like the riding position. What length are you guys running? Also, what is the pitch, M10x1.00 or M10x1.25?

Thanks!

 

[jpanichella]

I ended up mocking it up with an extension cord and my 12 inch kitchen tiles. 36 inches seems about perfect.

 

[5twins]

Yes, you want an angled fitting at the bottom, but that one in your pic might be a bit much. It looks like a 45, you probably only need a 15 or maybe a 30 if available. The top can be straight. I don't know what mine is but it's less than the one in your pic. Whatever it is, it's darn near perfect, clearing the bleed nipple and directing the hose practically straight up .....

 

[Speedthriller]

You don't want your brake line too straight up, it needs a bit of a loop, or else it might possibly snap when your fork fully extends. I've seen this happen with a guy on a sports bike who pulled a wheely....

 

[XSLeo]

When you measure for your front brake line do it with the front wheel of the ground. This way it won't be too short. If to short it will break when the forks fully extend.
If you notice on your stock lines there is a bit of a loop begtwen the solid mount at te trees and the moving wheel. You need this bit of a loop.
Replacing the line is a good idea, the old rubber lines rot from the inside out.
I might try the new line and flushing the system with plenty of brake fluid. Then test it out It may work fine as it is. The caliper is easier to tear down and clean. The groove the square section o-ring fits in gets a build up of crud. This groove needs to be very clean. To much crud can bind the o-ring against the piston, binding the brake. Not good.
The hardest part of tearing down the M/C is getting the clip that holds the piston in out. It sets very deep in the M/C and is hard to reach. The proper tool comes in handy but as mentioned grinding the tips of a set of needle nose to fit works.
Leo

 

[timbeck]

Hey 5twins---My front end is apart right now and I wanted replace my brake hose with SS and need to know the correct length, can you help me?? thanks tim