-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
STANDARD issue…. a resurrection begins….
- Thread starter willis
- Start date
Good for you! It’s better to just try and get a title than listen to other people. Laws on titles are constantly changing state by state. There are judges that collect like we do. There was recently a retired judge down in Alabama I think that sold off a HELL of a motorcycle collection. I know no title doesn’t scare me. It’s where you get the best deals. Can you remember if I sold you a cam with that head set up awhile back? There’s a few cans I can’t find or remember what I did with. Driving me crazy. Haha
I'm pretty sure that early style round MC (5/8" bore) you have on your bars will be too large for the late style caliper you have on this bike. Late stock MC had a 14mm bore and even that is a bit too large. You might want to start watching for a smaller one (11mm to 13mm bore).
I wasn't aware of that on the MC. I'll keep an eye out. The original was was pretty crusty, so I just grabbed what I had. Glad you mentioned that before I bought a rebuild kit for it.
Johnny, yes I got a cam from you with that top end set up. I've got it all mocked up with a BBK that may be going into this project. Are you in need? I can smell another trade ????
Johnny, yes I got a cam from you with that top end set up. I've got it all mocked up with a BBK that may be going into this project. Are you in need? I can smell another trade ????
stinky78
XS650 Addict
Good idea reprofiling the seat, I like the look of the 77 seats but find that mine pushes me forward towards the tank, especially on long rides, I think the foam at the front gets squished and soft over time and combined with the higher back area it just keeps moving you forward, not too bad around town though.
Progress is slow. I’ve been doing a little amateur rattle can painting this weekend while the weather was still warm. Indiana weather can fluctuate 20-30 degrees from day to day this time of year. I’ve got some old fenders left over from my ‘78 special that I sold earlier this year. They were previously painted so I didn’t feel bad painting them black. Not sure if I will use them or not. Also painted an extra set of side covers I picked up earlier this year for cheap. They were already in primer so didn’t take much work.
I’ve also been toying with cleaning up some rust issues. I picked up a spray gel on a whim and gave it a shot.
With the gel and some scrub brushes I made a little progress. The foot peg mounts were pretty crunchy. After two rounds of the gel and scrub brush they cleaned up pretty well. Also hit them with a coat of rust converter paint. They turned out pretty well. Not sure if I will top coat them or not.
I also hit the rear frame loop with the gel and brush. Made quick work and cleaned up well. The frame will require quite a bit more work once I get to a bit more disassembly done. The battery box is the worst of the rust. Air boxes should clean up pretty well too. Hope to get the exhaust off this coming weekend. The mufflers are shot but I believe the headers are salvageable. A test spot with the rust gel provided promising results.
I’ve also been toying with cleaning up some rust issues. I picked up a spray gel on a whim and gave it a shot.
With the gel and some scrub brushes I made a little progress. The foot peg mounts were pretty crunchy. After two rounds of the gel and scrub brush they cleaned up pretty well. Also hit them with a coat of rust converter paint. They turned out pretty well. Not sure if I will top coat them or not.
I also hit the rear frame loop with the gel and brush. Made quick work and cleaned up well. The frame will require quite a bit more work once I get to a bit more disassembly done. The battery box is the worst of the rust. Air boxes should clean up pretty well too. Hope to get the exhaust off this coming weekend. The mufflers are shot but I believe the headers are salvageable. A test spot with the rust gel provided promising results.
The peg mounts were originally a semi-gloss so you've done good. I "painted" mine with a waterproof magic marker. It gave them a very nice semi-gloss finish. Try a small section on yours, I think you'll like it.
Chipping away at the stone as little time presents itself. Still attacking the rust cleanup. Got the air boxes and battery box removed. Air boxes will clean up well. I struggled with the battery box for a good half hour before I paused to check here to solve the problem. Once I read here the answer, it came out in less than two minutes. It has a lot of rust. With all the nooks and crannies I may search for a replacement instead of investing so much time on it. Seems battery boxes are in abundance with the chop/bob crews. I still have a lot of work to go, but am happy with results so far.
Sorry, difference in lighting above is with garage door open vs closed. I also tried a little tip from Gary. Where I cleaned up the rust on the frame has a bit of a matte look. I hit it with a little Blue Magic polish and it shines back up considerably. I just tested on the frame hoop for now, but will hit the rest when I’m done de-rusting it.
Your battery box looks solid from here. Deal with the rust, then paint it. Those things are usually pretty rusty.
Re: your battery box. On my XS2, the battery box had the usual acid marks and crusty rust. I went to the grocery store and bought two gallons of white vinegar and poured it in a bucket, threw my battery box in there, covered the bucket with foil, and forgot about it for a week. The vinegar completely removed all the rust and the paint was so softened it simply peeled off. Heres the before and after, painted with Rustoleum Proffessional Gloss Black. The photo of it stripped, had no additional clean up done to it, simply rinsed with hot water and dried off.
Last edited:
Wow, that's impressive for just vinegar. I will give that a shot!
More cleaning today. It’s like an endless chore, but the progress feels good. I had a free morning so I started tackling some small tasks. First off, I’m not really liking the CB750 bars, so I’m likely going to swap out for a different set. Since I used older controls to internally wire the cb bars, I need to reuse the 77 controls on the new set. The left is in good shape and require very little, just clean and lube. The right is a different story, so it got stripped and repainted. I used Dupli-color enamel with ceramic caliper paint. Should be very durable.
Next, I decided to clean up the original rear fender. It’s pretty straight but the chrome was a little rusty and dull. I used the gel cleaner I posted above and made quick work of it. Not perfect but looks great from 6ft.
Also, a quick update on the battery box. Here she is about 36hrs into a vinegar soak. Looking better. Thanks for that tip Bob!
Had a big rain storm moving in, so had to go mow the lawn real quick. But while waiting for it to blow over afterwards, I started working on the rusty frame. The area around the battery box was by far the worst. Started with the gel and a coarse bristle brush. Once I had it cleaned up I hit it with a little 320 grit to even out the rough spots. Sprayed a coat with the rust converter paint. That finish was a little too flat for my liking, so once it flashed I top coated with some gloss engine enamel I had on hand. Looks much better, but now almost too shiny. So once it flashed and set up for about 30-40 minutes I took a crumpled up plastic grocery bag and gave it a good rubdown. It was enough to take the shine off and look more like a faded factory paint. Actually blended with the rest of the frame pretty well. A little before and after shots.
Next, I decided to clean up the original rear fender. It’s pretty straight but the chrome was a little rusty and dull. I used the gel cleaner I posted above and made quick work of it. Not perfect but looks great from 6ft.
Also, a quick update on the battery box. Here she is about 36hrs into a vinegar soak. Looking better. Thanks for that tip Bob!
Had a big rain storm moving in, so had to go mow the lawn real quick. But while waiting for it to blow over afterwards, I started working on the rusty frame. The area around the battery box was by far the worst. Started with the gel and a coarse bristle brush. Once I had it cleaned up I hit it with a little 320 grit to even out the rough spots. Sprayed a coat with the rust converter paint. That finish was a little too flat for my liking, so once it flashed I top coated with some gloss engine enamel I had on hand. Looks much better, but now almost too shiny. So once it flashed and set up for about 30-40 minutes I took a crumpled up plastic grocery bag and gave it a good rubdown. It was enough to take the shine off and look more like a faded factory paint. Actually blended with the rest of the frame pretty well. A little before and after shots.
Still have lots to do. I haven’t spent any money other than paint, the rust gel converter and brushes. I’ve thrown some old parts at it but that’s it. I have my court hearing next week to get the title. Once that is done I’ll likely be ordering some parts. I’m still trying to get the exhaust off too. The left muffler nut isn’t co-operating, so it’s on a penetrating soak right now. Once those are off, the carbs will come off and the motor pulled so I can finish the cleanup and rust rehab. There is a high likelihood that it will be getting a BBK installed this winter. Already have a lot of goodies stashed away for that. All I really need is a new cam chain and maybe a few seals. But I need to do a major shop cleanup before I can get serious about that. I’ve let it become such a cluttered mess that I can’t believe it’s gone this far.
Nice work Rob! It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little elbow grease! If you’re interested , Diablo Cycle should have the replacement labels for the switchgear. Nice job bringing that chrome back on your rear fender too, after the rust removal I usually hit it with some chrome polish to make it shine and protect it from rusting again.
Any progress is good progress...eh? Lookin' good.
1+ on what Bob said. Those Diable Cycle decals are inexpensive and well made. I keep a set around just 'cause I can.
1+ on what Bob said. Those Diable Cycle decals are inexpensive and well made. I keep a set around just 'cause I can.
I was able to salvage the labels except one. I used an exacto to peel them off. Here it is next to the original left switch. It’s a little shinier, but good enough for me.
Today I had my day in court. I attended small claims court to apply for a court ordered lost title. I showed up a little early, you know… just in case. After listening to a case in front of me, I was called up. Simple process. The judge asked how I came to own it. Asked if I had a bill of sale. Asked if I intended to ride it or part it out, to which I explained I plan to ride it unless I cannot get a title and in that case I would then have to use it for parts. Told her it would be a shame to see it go to waste. Motion granted. Court order will come to me in the mail. I must take the unopened court order to BMV and it all gets sent to the state headquarters to issue a new title. Whew!!!! Made my day.
