Removing chain guard question

[Mailman]

I am doing a bunch of work to the bike today and thought it would give me a little more room to remove the chain guard, but it's like some kind of puzzle to work it out of there. Does the rear wheel have to come off to remove it? Any bike I've ever had usually just requires two screws to be removed and it lifts right off.
Thanks Bob

 

[NashGTI]

Two 5mm allen bolts and a slide pin on my 72, didn't need the wheel off for it

 

[zeroxs650]

I had to remove the wheel, the bolt kept spinning in the hole so I had to cut it out. now have to drill the swingarm bolt hole mount to remove the remaining part of the bolt.

 

[Mailman]

I just pulled the rear wheel. I had to anyway as I am replacing the sprockets.

 

[5twins]

Be sure to anti-seize those rear sprocket bolts. Their holes are open into the brake drum and exposed to water and all sorts of other crud. The threaded inserts are just plain steel and will corrode. The bolts can and do seize up.

 

[gggGary]

It is a chinese puzzle! Can be done with the wheel on if you loosen and drop the chain adjusters down so you can cock the wheel to make more room. Yes it's much easier with the wheel off. Specially if the chain guard is freshly painted.

 

[fredintoon]

I am doing a bunch of work to the bike today and thought it would give me a little more room to remove the chain guard, but it's like some kind of puzzle to work it out of there. Does the rear wheel have to come off to remove it? Any bike I've ever had usually just requires two screws to be removed and it lifts right off.
Thanks Bob

Hi Bob,
as you say, it's just two fasteners holding the chainguard on.
It's getting at them that's the trouble, especially as they are usually buried in a matrix of road crud and chain lube.
There's far better access if you pull the wheel first.

 

[Mailman]

Be sure to anti-seize those rear sprocket bolts. Their holes are open into the brake drum and exposed to water and all sorts of other crud. The threaded inserts are just plain steel and will corrode. The bolts can and do seize up.

Funny you mentioned that. I was wondering whether to lock tight them or anti seize them. Now I know, thanks!

Hi Bob,
as you say, it's just two fasteners holding the chainguard on.
It's getting at them that's the trouble, especially as they are usually buried in a matrix of road crud and chain lube.
There's far better access if you pull the wheel first.

Man is that an understatement! I spent about four hours today degreasing and scraping crud out of every nook and cranny rearward of the engine. I cleaned the frame, swing arm, center stand and rear wheel. I don't believe the chain guard has ever been off of that bike, it was absolutely packed with crud! It must be three pounds lighter now.
First I scraped off crap from everywhere with a putty knife, then cleaned with a de greaser like three times, all the hardware and nuts and bolts went in a pan of kerosene to be scrubbed. Everything looks much much better. All in all a pretty good day.

 

[MaxPete]

it was absolutely packed with crud! It must be three pounds lighter now.

...but Mailman - just thing of how much quieter the bike would be if you had left all that sound insulating crud in the chain guard.....

 

[Shelby]

It is a Chinese puzzle! Can be done with the wheel on if you loosen and drop the chain adjusters down so you can cock the wheel to make more room. Yes it's much easier with the wheel off. Specially if the chain guard is freshly painted.

ROFL. Thank you so much. Last time I did this was maybe 30 years ago, and I don't remember it being that much of a PITA! Think I'll go ahead and pull the wheel. Don't trust the chain anyway -- '83 XS 650 "Barn" find (Because SHED Find just sounds... wrong) sitting for most of this century. Might as well do a new chain at the same time.

 

[5twins]

As far as chains go, this bike barely makes 50HP so I don't think an expensive o-ring chain is needed. Just a quality standard chain will do. The D.I.D. brand is supposed to be one of the best made (tight tolerances) and isn't too expensive (about $40). The length on the later 650s is 104 links but most aftermarket chains are sold in 10 link increments so you'd need to buy a 110 link and cut it down. Or a 120 or 130, lol. Check the prices because often the longer ones are cheaper.

 

[Shelby]

Looking at a chain and sprocket set I found on EBay. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/401566595858) Thoughts?

 

[YamadudeXS650C]

Looking at a chain and sprocket set I found on EBay. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/401566595858) Thoughts?

The seller doesn't provide any info on the chain other than it is made of steel. Also has a lot of negative and concerning feedback comments in the past month, and the feedback wasn't responded to. I'd look elsewhere.


.

 

[5twins]

Well, these bikes benefit greatly from a gearing change, but only a small one. Leave the front sprocket stock (at 17T) and just go down 1 or 2 teeth on the rear. You have to keep in mind that you're only dealing with about a 50HP bike here. Go down more teeth on the rear than two and the bike won't pull to redline in 5th. You also effectively kill the bike's "fun factor", the great midrange "lunge" in the lower gears when you whack the throttle open. I've found one tooth down on the rear (34 stock to a 33) is perfect for an 18" rear wheel, two down (to a 32T) is perfect for a 16" rear wheel. This will reduce the RPMs at cruising speeds by 400 or 500 but won't kill the take-off power in the lower gears. So, if you search eBay, I think you'll find sellers offering 17-33 and 17-32 kits, maybe not including a chain but then you could just get the D.I.D. chain I mentioned separately. And the sprocket size change isn't big enough to need a shorter chain, you still will need a 104 link.

 

[Shelby]

Well, these bikes benefit greatly from a gearing change, but only a small one. Leave the front sprocket stock (at 17T) and just go down 1 or 2 teeth on the rear. You have to keep in mind that you're only dealing with about a 50HP bike here. Go down more teeth on the rear than two and the bike won't pull to redline in 5th. You also effectively kill the bike's "fun factor", the great midrange "lunge" in the lower gears when you whack the throttle open. I've found one tooth down on the rear (34 stock to a 33) is perfect for an 18" rear wheel, two down (to a 32T) is perfect for a 16" rear wheel. This will reduce the RPMs at cruising speeds by 400 or 500 but won't kill the take-off power in the lower gears. So, if you search eBay, I think you'll find sellers offering 17-33 and 17-32 kits, maybe not including a chain but then you could just get the D.I.D. chain I mentioned separately. And the sprocket size change isn't big enough to need a shorter chain, you still will need a 104 link.

Wasn't planning to change the size of the gear & sprocket. Did that on my 250s, so they don't hit 3rd gear under 20 mph. Don't remember the 650s needing that dash of common sense. Can't seem to find the D.I.D chain anywhere. for my search I went to Babbits and got the OEM chain number -- Yamaha Chain 50Hds-104L and did a search for that, as well as searching 1983 Yamaha XS 650 chain. Got quite a few hits for a timing chain, nothing that actually fit my bike though. Suggestions on where to look?

 

[Shelby]

The seller doesn't provide any info on the chain other than it is made of steel. Also has a lot of negative and concerning feedback comments in the past month, and the feedback wasn't responded to. I'd look elsewhere.


.

/groan. Can't believe I didn't check that. Usually I read the reviews -- especially the negative ones -- first. I think I may have reached my shopping frustration limit for the day.

 

[5twins]

Just Google "DID 530 Drive Chain", you'll get lots of hits, like this one .....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2327558129...MIoqm76LvAhAMVjWBHAR0x7A-QEAQYASABEgJbfvD_BwE

I don't see a master link in their pics though. You might want to ask them about that. The chain also has the "Best Offer" thing. Offer them $30, see what happens, lol. I've also seen this new seller lately with cheap o-ring chains. I haven't tried one but that's cheap for an o-ring chain .....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3047088356...7065342519&itmmeta=01HQ9YNNESRVARTP2GF9Q9QVFA

 

[5twins]

As far as the gearing change goes, I know it probably seems like a tooth isn't going to make much difference, but it really does. The European Standard models (18" rear wheel) came stock with a 33T rear sprocket and I find it ideally suited to the 650 motor's power output. A 32T on a 16" wheel gives pretty close to the same gearing as a 33T on an 18" rear wheel, and really works well too, maybe even better than the 33T on the 18" wheel. Here's a gearing chart to use for comparisons ......

 

[Shelby]

Just Google "DID 530 Drive Chain", you'll get lots of hits, like this one .....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/232755812926

I don't see a master link in their pics though. You might want to ask them about that. The chain also has the "Best Offer" thing. Offer them $30, see what happens, lol. I've also seen this new seller lately with cheap o-ring chains. I haven't tried one but that's cheap for an o-ring chain .....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304708835639

Well, sh... crap. I was searching "Chain 1983 Yamaha XS650SK" /eyeroll Thanks much!