Query: am I just a dope?

Fair enough, grizld1. I'll give it a try without backing it up just to see. I find that when I back it up even a little there's a LOT of free play on the cable. So much that I have to pull the adjuster on the clutch perch almost all the way out. It actually made me wonder if I'd accidentally lost the little bearing in the worm gear, but I took the cover off and looked and it's in there lol.
 
Just another question.

Before doing anything with the adjusting screw in the side cover did you adjust the adjuster up at the handle bar lever all the way in?

You need to do that first!
 
YES - you must turn the slack adjuster on the perch all the IN - so that cable has maximum slack and THEN do the adjustment down on the engine - and THEN go back to the slack adjuster on the perch and run it out to the correct value.

GRIZ - you have a good point there. I guess it’s all in the finess with the screwdriver. The point I was trying to make is that I think that many people back the screw out too much and then the actuator can’t push the rod far enough to disengage the clutch.

Anyhow, per ardua ad astra.

Pete
 
I hear you, Pete! That area can get pretty dirty. The drill I follow is to slack the cable all the way at the perch, run the screw in and back it off a few times to make sure the contact between ball and rod is clean and that I'm actually feeling resistance from the rod, not grease, etc., then back the screw off 1/8 turn and finish adjustment at the perch.
 
Hey all,
Thanks again for the advice! Seriously. So I took it up and down the block a few times and I dunno, I think maybe it is just that I'm a dope. Seemed to run fine in first gear. I think maybe I just thought I could let the clutch completely out at very low speeds and it seems that that's not really possible. I don't know if you all have the same experience. But when I get it up to 15 or 20mph she rides fine. Other than the fact that I'm getting some smoke out the pipes, which I'm VERY much hoping will go away on it's own and I won't have to deal with rings or valve stem seals :)
 
davem222 said:
Hey all,
Thanks again for the advice! Seriously. So I took it up and down the block a few times and I dunno, I think maybe it is just that I'm a dope. Seemed to run fine in first gear. I think maybe I just thought I could let the clutch completely out at very low speeds and it seems that that's not really possible. I don't know if you all have the same experience. But when I get it up to 15 or 20mph she rides fine. Other than the fact that I'm getting some smoke out the pipes, which I'm VERY much hoping will go away on it's own and I won't have to deal with rings or valve stem seals :)
Click to expand...

Don’t be afraid of rings or valve stem seals - truly not a huge deal on the XS650. Also, you can run with a bit of oil burning, for a while at least. Also, if the rings re-seat, it may clear up.

Now - what colour is the smoke?
- blue is oil = rings or if it just on start-up, valve guide seals;
- grey-black is fuel = too rich - a tuning issue.
- white is coolant = you’ve got a cracked block or a head gasket problem.

....oh wait, the XS650 is air-cooled - so strike that last one. ;)
 
Lol crap I was gonna say white. It’s certainly not black. Like I said, the thing’s been sitting for 5 years. I was worried that the pistons would be stuck so before I even tried to kick it over I poured some Marvel Mystery Oil into the spark plug hole and let it sit over night. Didn’t have too much trouble getting it moving. I suppose I’ll do a compression test this week but it really runs nicely. So yeah, white smoke to my eyes, but maybe to a more experienced wrencher it would look blue :). And thanks for the words of encouragement. I rebuilt the whole top end (and bottom end) so it’s less that I’m afraid of rings and stem seals and more that I’m being a baby and would rather not replace them ha ha.
 
davem222,
If your gona ride it a bit. Don't rev it too high, but in second say, get on it good and then let it coast down, drop to first and coast. Stay away from the red line. Do it again. Your getting compression behind the rings and forcing the rings out against the walls of the cylinder and then letting the oil come up to them on coast down. If you have a ring that is stuck, that may free it up. ( I still break my rings in like that)
 
davem222 said:
Thanks guys. And apologies if these are dumb questions or newbie questions. I feel like no matter how many years I’m into these bikes I’ll always feel like they are a mystery to some extent :)
Click to expand...

There are NO dumb questions Dave - we are all learning here.

Ask away.....
 
Hi Guys!
Hope you're all still well and thriving. First off, thanks for all of your advice. A few pieces of good news!

First: the results are in, and it appears that the answer to the question of the thread is: yes, I'm simply a dope. Hooray!

Second: I've done a few more miles on it and the smoking has ceased (it seams) from the tailpipe. It's smoking like hell from the new pipe wrap, but that's fine lol, it'll let cars know that I'm around.

Quick question though: at what MPH, approx, do you all shift from 1st to 2nd. I know that's a weird question, and I know there's gear shifting threads on here for "performance" but I'm just trying to feel out if my lower end is fine. Today I got it up to 20 or maybe 25ish (I know, I'm a daredevil), and rpm-wise it really didn't feel like it needed a shift (I don't have a tach on it). Anyone want to chime in as to when you generally shift to 2nd? 3rd?

Again, thank you all. I honestly don't understand how people learned how to work on these bikes without the internet and a forum like this. It must have been grueling.

Dave
 
From 1st is pretty quick as soon as I roll the throttle up she wants a shift I couldn't tell you a mph, on the next ride I'll try n get an idea. 2nd to 3rd a bit longer and on like that. You can feel it when the rpms are winding a bit. Just go w your feel.
 
davem222 said:
Hey guys,
First off, I hope everyone and their families are doing ok during these insane times. It's been a while. Long story short, I had my first child 5 years ago and have had my hands FULL for the past several years. So my xs has been sitting. I went through all of the "bring your bike back from the dead" checklists on this forum and brought it back! I'm happy to say that she purrs like a kitten thanks to all of your wisdom. Well, she purrs like a kitten when in idle. But I can't seem to get the clutch set right. This is when I thought "maybe I'm just a dope". The jury is still out. I was hoping to expand my jury pool to include the sages on here. Here's the issue: I set the screw at the engine, back it out 1/8 of a turn or 1/4 of a turn, doesn't matter, either way I have the same problem. I get it in 1st, give it a little gas, and it runs fine when I'm slipping the clutch, but as I let out the clutch fully, it stalls with a loud "THWACK!". Bear in mind, that I'm JUST doing this at VERY slow speeds in my underground parking garage in my building complex. So I'm not getting it above 5 mph max. (the reason for this is that I haven't re-upped my 5 year old registration yet so my tags are old....that's gonna be "fun")

So here's the real question: Do I have a clutch problem or am I just a dope who is stalling his engine out by not giving enough gas?

I was running the 650central easy pull cable (which made it hard to upgrade my perch and lever as the internal cable is thicker than most can accomodate) so I got a motion pro one, lubed it and swapped it out, no difference. I also am running a on piece clutch rod that I put in years ago.

Any opinions as to the state of my cognitive abilities? Any advice, well or ill, would be greatly appreciated. And again, I hope you're all well. As someone who grew up never being taught how to fix anything, all of your writings have helped me tremendously over the years.
Click to expand...
I’m dumber than you and I have a similar issue- wicked first gear slip. Second - only if I try to do it. It’s like in first it’s pulling great but about 2,500 it’ll like pop right out of gear for a second. I did the clutch so I assume I fucked it up somehow. No help for your issue but I understand how a young family takes a lot of time.
 
Dave, you might check the sprockets on that bike. Stock on US models is 17t front, 34t rear. Larger front and/or smaller rear raises the gearing and thus the shift point (in terms of road speed). Some guys have followed questionable advice with raised gearing, so you might check what the PO put on there. I like 17F/32R on a cammed and ported 700 cc. big bore motor, but bigger guys might find acceleration a bit weak with that combination on a stocker. To kinda-sorta address your question, if you're just loafing around on the level you should be able to shift at around 2500 rpm in lower gears, 3K or so in higher gears, and be good to go in the next gear up (note that lugging these motors can do as much harm as wringing them out on a daily basis).
 
I hate to be a heathen but personally I would just get it warm and ride it like you stole it for a day or so. That should free up stuck rings and blow off rust/carbon crust from the valves.

If it is gonna break a ring or drop a valve, it's better to have that happen within pushing distance of home!
 

Similar threads

M
Not starting after a few small maintenance jobs. I’m stumped.
2
Replies
33
Views
1K
Jim
Jim
A
Just saying hello
Replies
8
Views
221
AWFaneuf
A
SolidGhost
Just introducing myself.
2 3 4
Replies
75
Views
2K
Wingedwheel
Wingedwheel
cra-z1
Test Rides today
Replies
2
Views
93
JJames
JJames
eazyrider
XS1 Chop Clutch Help Needed - No Friction Zone/Weak Clutch
Replies
7
Views
535
eazyrider
eazyrider
Back
Top