My xs650

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Superior77

'77xs650
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Great site and a I'm a new member. It snowed last night. Give me a break. Here is a picture of my '77xs650. I just picked this up the other day It has 6,249 miles on it. Seems to run strong but needs some carb work, as it drops fuel from the overflow when I shut it down. Also needs front MC work, the plunger hangs up. I have a rebuild kit on the way. My first question is about the seat. It is not the standard seat but when I lifted it there was a old YAMAHA 650 label on it. Could it be a factory option or something? I am looking forward to working on this bike, but I am sure I will need all the help provided on this site.
 

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That's a wonderful example of one of the most desirable Standard models out there. Please don't chop it all up. Your seat may be one of those kits made to install on a stock seat pan. Your MC and caliper may just need a disassembly and cleaning but no new parts. Carbs pretty much always need a going through when you first get one of these. Same deal as with the brakes, sometimes a good cleaning is all that's needed with no new parts required. Also looks like shorter than stock rear shocks were installed to give it that "chopper" look.
 
Thanks. Don't worry, the only thing I will do is bring it closer to it's origin. Didn't realize that about the shocks, I'll look into it.
 
Original shocks were about 12 5/8" or 12 3/4" long eye to eye. Most of us go to something in the 13" to 13 1/2" range. That improves the ride and handling a bit.
 
beautiful bike, get a good deal on it?

so glad you're not chopping it.

that is a hideous seat, hope it's atleast comfortable
 
I hate the seat too. Haven't rode it but around a couple of blocks. I do want an original seat. Don't want to recover so I might look for an original in good shape.
 
Little Bill is doing an MC overhaul tech thread and he used your exact master cylinder. Not sure if it's ready for prime time yet. Sup77 is that the 77 that got sold near Appleton then was over by Eau Claire? Were you the guy I talked to last year about 77s?
 
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Welcome aboard and that looks like a great 77 for you! Now if we can just get the meaning of spring into Wisconsin's thick head.... you might try posting in the classies here looking for a seat...
 
Ok, you removed the snap ring, correct? Best I could do with out tearing it up is first, spray brake cleaner in the bore, let it work and try to turn the piston. It's probably pretty stuck. Now, soak the heck out of it with PB Blaster. Overnite. Don't submerge it, just spray it good and let it soak in.
I used a wooden dowl and put in thru the banjo bolt hole. Where the line hooks up.
MC rebuild 022.jpg
Secure the m/c and tap the dowl. You cannot reuse the parts inside, so only be worried about scratching the bore. The reason I use wood. But don't start prying and twisting. If the bore gets beat up it's no good.
Keep tapping until it pops out. Or you can grab the piston with vise grips and pull it out, but it's a bit harder to do. Again, the bore can be damaged by twisting and prying.
Then this will pop out.
MC rebuild 044.jpg
Mmmmm, yummy.

This is what the piston assembly looks like. In order.
MC rebuild 049.jpg
 
Thanks for all the help. What really happened was that nasty snap ring wasn't the one I had out. I now see why a special tool does really help with that. I was persistent, but got it. Cleaned up pretty well, but it was very dirty. Now I think I need to take off the caliber too and clean that as well. Any suggestions besides the obvious?
 
No, you're on the right track. If the MC was bad, the caliper is probably all gooped up as well. That's all my '78 required, a thorough cleaning of both but no new parts. The only new part required for me was a new line. The lever was soft and spongy no matter how much I bled the system. The old rubber brake line was shot, swelling under pressure. A new one piece stainless line and the brake is wonderful. I wouldn't be here telling you about it if it wasn't. I've needed to panic stop several times with it and it performed flawlessly. It had that front tire howling, right at the edge of losing traction, which is what you want. Lock the wheel and you're screwed.
 
Thanks for showing up to help little bill, you are the bomb!
Yup these calipers are easy peasy. You will find rust on the piston and a new one is about 26.00 at mikes. If it's not too bad, some 600 grit on the pits to remove sharp edges has worked for me but it depends on your comfort level "making do" on your front brakes. +1 a teflon front brake line is an upgrade. Remove the caliper and pump the piston out some BEFORE taking off the brake line it will help getting the piston all the way out. If it's not bad an air gun in the line hole will blow the piston out use a rag and don't lose any fingers..... To exercise a piston a 6" c clamp will fit between the spokes and let you retract the piston then pump it back up with the brake lever. This should never be used to avoid an overhaul. But it might get you home some day.
 
Just to let you know. The piston in the above picture came right out with no problems. Free and clear. Popped right out by hand. The brake actually worked ok, but you can see it was an accident that was going to happen and end poorly.
This is the actual reservoir from it as well.
MC rebuild 004.jpg

Treat the whole systems as one. Don't rebuild/clean one part and neglect the others. Having no brakes is a bad, bad thing man.
 
Yes, I bought another '77. This one needs a little help. Of course a seat and a keyed latch, handle bars are maybe from a special, exhaust is Yamaha but not original and rear shocks need attention. Seams to be a good runner. Haven't done much with it yet. I will change the oil and go from there. It is a good sister to the maroon one I bought earlier this year.
 

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Looks good. You have the xs bug for sure. I have found that head gasket "drool" can often be stopped if you pull the top engine mount and go around and remove one nut at a time clean it apply anti seize and retorque, Use a torque wrench on the accessible ones and it will give you the feel to do the ones you can't get the torque wrench on. Be sure to snug up the small bolt with a 10mm head located above the cam chain tensioner and the the 2 bolts under the sparkplugs too. I recently successfully stopped a head leak that was pouring oil out this way. It was a desperation move I figured it was engine out time but damned if a tighten up didn't stop the leak completely, that was 300 miles ago. It is important that you remove the nuts, if you just tighten you are fooling yourself. The long studs just twist and the the nut has not turned on the thread. Will be heading through Superior Sunday night or Monday on the the way up to thunder bay.
 

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