Picked up a couple of projects! ('79 & '80 xs650)

[apljr]

I think this might be my first post on this site, so I'll give everyone some backstory:

Picked up my first XS ~8 years ago. It was a '78 I wanted to bob it so I figured I would strip the whole bike down and do it all right away. The only problem was I had absolutely no Idea what I was doing... Ended up biting off way more then I could chew at the time and got discouraged.

Here is that '78 project:

'78 XS

• apljr
• Jul 19, 2017

Past project no longer with me.

Ended up trading that project for a running '81 a few years later:

'81 XS

• apljr
• Jul 19, 2017

POS held together by liquid gasket and electrical tape.

I jumped into it not really thinking, all I thought was "yeah! this bike runs!" Turns out the thing is held together by liquid gasket and electrical tape. Went to change the oil and it looked like the entire cam chain tensioner/guide was in the sump. Fuck. Looks like I'll have to rebuild it. Got all the parts for the rebuild and was getting ready to yank the engine when I came across these two bikes:

'79 & '81 XS

• apljr
• Jul 19, 2017

Just after purchase.

A '79 (red tank) & '80 (no tank).

'79, '80, & '81 XS

• apljr
• Jul 19, 2017

The '79

• apljr
• Jul 19, 2017

Just after purchase.

The '80

• apljr
• Jul 19, 2017

Just after purchase.

Snagged both for $1k w/ titles and a bunch of extras. Dude who I got them from was super cool as well, so thats a plus.

So my plans are to get the '79 on the road as-is. Just do the minimal amount of work and ride. The '81 will be my winter project that I'll do the whole shebang with (PMA/Pamco, tank, custom wiring, etc.) The '80 I'm going to give to my Dad so we can work on our own bikes side by side. He's planning on making a trike out of his.

So thats my story. I'll keep you all updated on how things are going and thanks for all the awesome info that i've been creeping on for all these years!

edit: fixed the photos.

 

[upthemaiden]

Too bad about the first bike, looked like you were making good progress!

Sounds like you've got a good plan for them. That's.... quite a tie down arrangement you've got with those two bikes in the back of your truck!

 

[apljr]

I was wondering if anyone was going to say something about that Actually had to borrow my dad's truck (I drive a honda fit and the only thing i'm fitting in there is groceries.) Told him we should hook up the trailer and make our lives easier... Lets just say they were a bitch to get off the truck and to the garage floor!

That's.... quite a tie down arrangement you've got with those two bikes in the back of your truck!

 

[upthemaiden]

It's a nice looking truck. Getting them out is usually the easy part, getting them in is usually the project. I guess if the brakes aren't working, it wouldn't be as easy.

 

[nj1639]

Save the electronics from the '81 as you could convert the '79 over to the TCI at some point in time.

 

[gggGary]

Might as well get the plans done for a garage addition.....................
welcome in, we love company!

 

[apljr]

Here's an update:

The '80 that my dad will be building has a Pamco and HHB PMA already installed on it. Killer! It also has an aftermarket 2-into-1 exhaust and new remote reservoir shocks. The PO said he was going to build a street tracker, but ended up getting a couple of Harley's and lost interest.

The '79 is bone stock other than the fuse box. It looks like someone cut out the original and wired in blade fuses, i'm guessing for convenience? I'm not sure if that is a popular mod or not, but i've never seen it before. Not sure if I should leave it as is or revert it back to stock...

The PO gave me some extras as well. Namely a Pandemonium ya mama exhaust and really nice stock seat to replace the torn one on the '79. He says he has more stuff for me to pick up when we meet on Friday to transfer the titles.

Save the electronics from the '81 as you could convert the '79 over to the TCI at some point in time.

Is the TCI ignition a big upgrade over the points? I have a Pamco and PMA sitting in boxes waiting for the '81 rebuild, so I could swap over the TCI anytime. Also have a new '81 wiring harness because the stock one was chopped to bits by the PO and there was no way in hell I was going to try and salvage that POS.

Might as well get the plans done for a garage addition.....................
welcome in, we love company!

Thanks for the welcome gggGary! Dad actually added on to the garage, so we have plenty of space to work. He's recently retired and itching to get a metal shop set up.

The GF and I are headed over tonight so I'll post some more pics when I can.

 

[upthemaiden]

I noticed those shocks on the 80, looks like a good start to a project!

Can't wait to retire and have all day to fiddle in the garage. I can't imagine how nice it would be compared to having to work on stuff an hour here and an hour there like I do now.

 

[apljr]

Can't wait to retire and have all day to fiddle in the garage. I can't imagine how nice it would be compared to having to work on stuff an hour here and an hour there like I do now.

Amen to that!

 

[gggGary]

When they work TCIs are great devices, they are 40 years old............................
The stock fuse holders often rotted off, a typical reason for box replacement, a 4 or 5 blade fuse box is more elegant than separate holders.

Run a wire straight through the 3 terminals on the right, I drill the holes slightly larger and solder.

 

[apljr]

The stock fuse holders often rotted off, a typical reason for box replacement, a 4 or 5 blade fuse box is more elegant than separate holders.

Thank you for this! Definitely going to look into doing this very soon.

 

[apljr]

Small update:

Spent a couple hours on the bike a few days ago. I drained the gas out of the carbs and tank. The gas in the alternator side carb was clear but had a ton of sediment in it. Almost like big specks of dirt or rocks. The clutch side carb didn't seem to have any gas in it at all. I'm guessing this is because of the way it was stored? Either way I will yank the carbs, tare them down and order the parts I need to build them back up.

I drained the tank which was still very clean, but you could tell the gas was old:

Old Gas ('79 XS)

• apljr
• Jul 26, 2017

Rinsed out the tank with some water, same with the petcocks. Let them dry then sloshed a bit of fresh gas in the tank and drained it out the petcocks. Did this a few times before adding fresh gas and setting the tank aside in the garage. I'll need new rubber gaskets for the petcocks though, one side is leaking gas where the petcock meets the tank, so I just stored the tank upside down for now.

Yanked the spark plugs:

Old plugs ('79 XS)

• apljr
• Jul 26, 2017

They were kinda black, so I am going to assume the bike was running a little rich. As you can see one is bent. The bike was definitely dumped and the plug boot was broke. So I swapped the busted one and the other one for the ones on my '81. Also, the plugs were a little bit wet/oily. Not sure if this is from kicking the bike over to make sure the pistons were free or what, but i'm going to assume thats why. I peeked in the spark plug holes to look at the top of the cylinders and they were looking pretty black. They also looked like they might be a little corroded which worries me.

Next on the list is to yank the carbs and get those all fixed up and ready to go. Thanks again for all the help so far!

 

[apljr]

Finally got some time to get back in the garage. Figured I'd change the oil on the '79 and waddya know, huge chunks of plastic from the cam chain guide/tensioner. How horrible of a person am to just just say fuck it and get this thing on the road? Not sure how dangerous it is to run this with a worn tensioner. Thoughts?

Haven't ridden all season and I'm getting antsy...

 

[5twins]

You can usually run a season or 2 like that, just know and plan ahead to go into the topend down the road. Rubber chunks may be from the #4 starter gear, not the tensioner. The tensioner usually sheds long thin strips.

Your spark plugs are incorrect. They are the standard style. This bike calls for the projected tip style. You'll get a better, cleaner burn with them. The recommended plug is the NGK BP7ES. You can get them cheap right at an auto parts store usually. Notice how the tip and porcelain hang out the bottom of the threaded portion a little bit .....

If they say they don't have them, tell them to look them up by their stock #1034, not the actual BP7ES plug designation.

 

[apljr]

Thanks for the heads up 5twins! I'll pick some up today.

Yeah, the plastic pieces are in long chunks along with some metal shavings. I'll run it for now and rip into it over the winter.

 

[5twins]

Be sure to check the gap on the new plugs. They usually come set for car use, which is high 30's, sometimes as much as .040". For a stock ignition on this bike, you don't want any more than .028", .030" at most.

A local guy called me a couple years back and said his 650 wouldn't start. He just put brand new plugs in it and now it wouldn't start. I stopped by to have a look and found that he hadn't gapped those new plugs. Out of the box, they were at near .040". I closed the gaps down to .028" and the bike fired right up.

 

[apljr]

That would frustrate the hell out of me. Thanks for the heads up!