New bike saying hello/ looking for opinions

[82heritage]

Hello,

Just picked up an 82 xs650 looks to be all original with 9k miles. Needs to be cleaned up and I am not so sure about the motor. The PO drove it to my house so it runs but the left side exhaust was throwing out some darkish smoke when revved up. I am going to change the oil clean the filters and all that. After that I want to clean the carb and possibly rebuild or have someone rebuild as I have never worked on one before.

Questions as I could not find these using search.

My starter engages but makes whirring and unhappy noises. All the reading I've done points to the #4 gear on the right side of the engine and the tension like clip that seems to wear out. Is this a pretty cut and dry job or does the clutch need to come out ?

Other question, Until I work that out I do not want to do any more damage and will try and kick start her.

What is the right method for doing this as I could not find a guide. Choke all the way and kick away or should I be giving it a little gas?

Also, on an 82 what position do I leave the petcock valve on when I am not running it until I replace it with a manual one ?

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[82heritage]

Got home from work and pulled out the air box, removed what I think is called a highway guard or engine guard, removed the exhaust and headers, and drained the oil. The bike was definitely low as not more then a quart or so came out. The PO hadn't tightened the oil drain plug.

Mike

 

[blue900]

1.This Should get your starter going. Its in the Tech section at the top of the page.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=948

2. My 81 starts good in the a.m. with the choke all the way on and a tiny twist of the throttle and a kick. I'm Not using the starter its turning to slow, I'm saving that fix till its snowing.

3. I ran out of gas 2Xs before I figured this one out but Sorry Its been to long I'm using miksxs replacement and cant remember ??

Your Bike is the Twin to the one I have in the garage Haven't had $ or time to get it ride able but someday. It gives me peace of mind to have a spare.

When taking the Carbs apart I like to use a large cookie sheet with a clean old tee shirt on it, keeps small parts from getting lost.

With some TLC and learning from this board on your part, you will be able get it running great.

 

[82heritage]

Thanks I'll check that out at this point I can use all the help I can get.

I am thinking of taking the carb off to send to a forum member to go over them and make sure they are all set. I want to learn about the carbs and how to service them but I think to start off with carbs that I know are good to go will eliminate one more thing that could be wrong. This will be my first ever bike/vehicle project.

The big thing I am worried about is the motor itself. If it is burning a lot of oil that would mean new rings and that is a job I do not know if I am capable of just yet.

Mike

 

[jamesgs4]

Just keep an eye on the oil level and ride it all summer and enjoy it. If it needs rings, wait until winter to tear it down.

 

[xjwmx]

I agree with James. Except I would look at the carbs now to get rid of the black smoke on one side. Most likely float level or a leaking float valve or o-ring. Possibly some weird jet put in for some reason like that was the only one laying around... You should clean them and check them out yourself. It won't take long, since it sounds like it's running basically ok. You'll encounter worse stuff down the road, so might as well dig in now and save a couple bucks in the process. I still have my vacuum petcock which I rebuilt once, because it was leaking to the outside, not down the gas line. I don't think vacuum petcocks are more likely to leak than manual ones. They're certainly subject to less wear from lever movement. The way it works is leave it in the run pos. until you need reserve, then push it forward. If the bowls are emptied for some reason put it on prime until it starts, then on run. You can also use prime for reserve if you're so inclined. Prime is also handy for testing, like if you need to pull the vacuum line to sync the carbs. Prime will flow without the vacuum.

 

[shotgunjoe]

When I start my bike, choke on, 2 primer kicks, turn ignition on, kick it and it usually fires. If not, ignition off, 2 more primer kicks, ignition on, kick it again. Once it fires, I give it a little throttle to get the bike up to ON choke idle (around 3k rpm), let it idle on choke for no more than 2 minutes to avoid fouling plugs.

If your plugs are already fouled, or wet with gas, you can kick it all day and never get it to start.

 

[blue900]

Yes I was there once, New bike and didn't know much about it. Get help if you need it and work up your knowledge. Its wise to go slow and not get in over your head. But with some tools they are pretty easy to work on.
Hopefully you can get it running decent and get in some riding and get acquainted with it this summer.

 

[82heritage]

How difficult is replacing rings? Is it a do at home job or?

 

[82heritage]

Update of the day,

Got the carbs unhooked and almost out checked the secondary oil filter. How do I get to the sump filter, I removed that 5 long bolts underneath but couldn't get the panel to drop

 

[retiredgentleman]

There are 6 bolts.

 

[82heritage]

Update, got all six bolts off and still no luck. I have the tank and the carbs off going to clean the tank and send the carbs out. I need to replace the starter gear. It just arrived anyone have any helpful hints? Does the clutch pack need to be removed to replace the starter gear or ?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[gggGary]

For the sump; thread the drain plug all the way in. Use a block of wood against the plug and give it a good smack with a large hammer.