New to this forum and the xs650

[krusinskim]

Hello I am new to this forum. My name is Max. I have a 1972 xs650 with 46xxk miles on it. I got this bike from my dad after he passed away in 2009. He last rode it in the early 80s. He stopped because the front brake cable snapped. He worked nearly everyday and relaxed on Sunday's, with no time to spare the bike sat for the last 30 years in our garage away from the weather. I now have it and want to restore it in name of him. So far the problems I see are the front brake cable is broke (I have the cable itself but the connection snapped), fuel tank is rusted bad inside (not sure if it is fixable), tires may need to be replaced due to rotting, then the regular tune-up (oil, plugs, brakes, oil/fuel lines, all filters, battery). Overall it isn't a bad bike, I may need help on where to buy parts for this old bike. I would like to keep it as close as possible to stock off the manufacturing line.

 

[krusinskim]

I have also tried to crank it over and it is free not seized up. another problem is the key broke off somewhere and is lost, I will have to buy a new ignition.

 

[Xmarksthespot]

On a '72 there is no front brake cable, it is a disc brake, maybe the hose broke. I managed to clean out the tank on my '73 fairly well. I cleaned it out first with hot water and detergent and let it soak. Dumped the water and used small nuts and bolts as well as marbles. Google cleaning mc gas tanks you will find lots, I also used a product called metal rescue, it did a good job, keep it at room temperature or above. There is lots of help on this site.

 

[deadchef]

welcome to the club!

sorry to hear about your dad. bringing that beautiful machine back to it's glory will be a fitting tribute. take your time, don't rush anything, don't buy anything until you research. there are many great threads here for new owners. good luck!

 

[deadchef]

double post!

 

[krusinskim]

Thanks I guess it is the hose then, I have never worked on a bike. I have heard of using sand and water and shake it for a while. I was thinking maybe sand and water then clamp the tank on to a paint can shaker. I have been working on my 1999 Dodge Dakota 5.9 so the bike area is not my fortay

 

[scabber]

Welcome to the site. Spend some doing searches and read and learn. Sorry to hear about your dad at least he had 46xx miles of fun. Fix it ride it until you can't ride
it and pass it on family heirloom.

 

[Royboy]

That's a beautiful example of the breed. It will be a great memorial to your dad. Don't like the sand idea. Search this forum for ways to clean up a rusty tank, much has been written. Have fun with it!

roy

 

[crazyorigin]

As long as your tank is not rotted it can be saved. I have used a product called Metal Rescue on a lot of rusted parts and it works great, you could fill your tank with it or the cheaper route would be to put some in it and rotate the tank each day until it removes the rust inside. The stuff is non toxic, non flammable and biodegradable, has no odors and is safe on the skin. It only attacks rust, it won't hurt your paint or pet cock or anything else on the bike, it's great stuff. Then once the tank is clean it may be fine to use as it is or you can get one of the numerous gas tank sealers on the market. I wish you luck with this project t, it sounds like a great story and a great start to a lot of fun to be had riding that bike.

I see someone else mentioned Metal Rescue too. It really is great stuff. It's about $20 a gallon or so but you shouldn't need to use a whole gallon, it will remove a lot of rust and I talked to the owners of the company and they said if it seems like it's not working great anymore and is very black you can add a little water to it and use it some more, the water will somehow rejuvenate it a little bit.

 

[krusinskim]

Yeah that's the plan either ride it until I cant or ride it till the bike doesn't wanna live any more. I think it is what he would have liked to do himself and now I have the time and money since my Dakota plans are near the end. And I didn't think the sand idea was great but someone did it and said it worked. I will search this forum for other ways. What is the best place to buy parts off of? MikesXS? seems like the only one with a lot of stuff. Thanks for all the advice, i'm sure this is only the beginning

 

[Xmarksthespot]

have to say that the 1972 XS was my first ever brand new motorcycle, paid $1410 Canadian for it, rode it everywhere, took it to Laguna Seca and Sears Point to see the races, absolutely loved that bike. It was always a regret that I sold it ( among some other bikes), but the fellow I sold it too enjoyed many years of fun. When I think XS650 this red and white bike is always the one that comes to mind. That it was your Dads bike just makes it better, good luck on the rebuild, ask lots of questions, there is some great advice and tech articles here.

 

[gggGary]

All IMHO
Do not mess with that stock paint. It is very rare to see factory red that isn't badly sun faded. I don't see any rust on the bottom tank seam so the tank can probably be saved.
There are some metal geniuses that could get that dent out. Forking by frank sells new stock length tubes. There's a chance the brake lines weren't made longer when the extended fork tubes were installed that would explain a broken fitting. Ask questions before doing. A lot of times it will $ave you a bundle of time and bux. Use this as your progress thread. Keep the pics coming?

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Max,
sand or anything else that can't be fished out with a magnet is a bad thought for tank cleaning.
Diesel fuel, a length of heavy dog leash chain and lashing the tank to a sturdy rotisserie and letting it tumble for an hour or so should work.
Unless you are totally in love with the extended forks swap in normal ones.
Maybe check out this list's parts for sale section for those.
Replace the front brake line with a stainless steel braid reenforced one, they work far better than the fabric reenforced originals.
And 30 year old tires will have gone all hard and nasty even if they look perfect,
replace before you ride.

 

[krusinskim]

I think I will try that metal rescue on the tank, there really isn't any rust on the bike at all. It was never in salt roads or outside. The other metal parts could use some shining up but it is solid. And I didn't know that the factory red/white paint was rare. Makes me want to fix it up even more now. Thank you everyone who has chimed in on this post means a lot

 

[krusinskim]

I still even have the factory riders manual and chilitons manual

 

[Xmarksthespot]

I gave my tank a good flush with hot water and oxy clean and let it sit over night, gave it a good sloshing about. Gave it a rinse the next day then I put the metal rescue in, ( kept the container and the tank in the house). I put the gas tank in a plastic tote and when I thought about it over the next two days I rotated the tank a bit to make sure everything got touched, use lots of metal rescue.

When I was done I used a rag to filter the big bits out when I poured the metal rescue fluid back into its container. They say you can reuse and top up a bit with water and it still works, I can say that it does. The metal rescue works best with 70 degree ambient at least, warmer does not hurt, and it does not leave an odour in the house.

When I was done I put some oil in the gas tank sloshed that about to make sure the inside was coated and this will prevent or at least prohibit rusting. I did drain the excess oil out, a small coating will not hurt anything when mixed with the gas later on.

Good luck on the project. Steve.

 

[weekendrider]

If you are going to use the metal rescue this might be good to know.
----------------------------------------------------------
Copy and paste from the Metal Rescue

Metal Rescue™ Motorcycle Gas Tank De-Rusting Tips
A Step-by-Step Overview
Metal Rescue™ Rust Remover Bath is a clean, safe and easy process for the removal of rust from the inside of your motorcycle fuel tank. When used as directed, Metal Rescue™ will completely remove rust without harming the vast majority of painted coatings** or other dissimilar materials in your motorcycle fuel tank. We offer these step by step instructions to make your gas tank de-rusting process the very best possible!
(**Metal Rescue™ will not remove or harm the vast majority of paint coatings. However, if there is a layer of rust under the paint some of the paint coating will be lost as Metal Rescue™ removes the rust. Also, some paints and inks (typically red/orange) may use iron oxide pigments and because Metal Rescue™ has been engineered to remove iron oxide, it may dissolve the pigment in these types of paints. It is always best to test a small section or hidden area prior to use. **)

It isn't so much that "red" is rare. That was the color of the day.
It is rare to find a red one in as nice a shape as your dads.

 

[Vlad]

I'm looking forward to seeing the progress on this. That's a beautiful bike, Max. You can definitely save the tank. There are lot's of ways to do it. My personal favorite is electrolysis, but it might require removal of paint to get good electrical contact. My tank was beat up so I didn't have an issue, but yours looks pristine. There are chemical products that can help too, such as KREEM. But their use appears to be controversial.

Search around the site and using google and I'm sure you'll decide to do what's best for your situation. Working on bikes is not hard because everything is accesible! Good luck man. Cheers!

 

[fredintoon]

I have also tried to crank it over and it is free not seized up. another problem is the key broke off somewhere and is lost, I will have to buy a new ignition.

Hi Max,
there's 3 locks, eh? Ignition, gas cap and seat latch.
Is the key bust off flush in the lock or is it just MIA?
If it's bust off flush remove the lock and take it to a real locksmith.
That's the old guy with a shop in the industrial district, not the cute bimbette in the shopping mall key kiosk.
He will remove the key's busted off end and use it to cut you some new keys.
If the key is MIA, if there's a 4-digit number stamped on any of the bike's 3 locks, that number will get you extra keys.
If you can't find a number, again, take the lock in and say "help"

 

[krusinskim]

Thanks I didn't know that about the metal rescue and the key part.
I tried to get off the tank today but it was a no go, not exactly sure on how to take it off