- Messages
- 683
- Reaction score
- 1,477
- Points
- 143
Oops!
-
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.
The ergonomic experiment
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
- Messages
- 683
- Reaction score
- 1,477
- Points
- 143
I like it. Yes, i noticed that not much was going in from the sides. Hmmm! I guess when I do my fork seals I'll add a grease fitting. Thanks 5t.
Just a note on adding that grease fitting. Put it on the gusset plate, not on the tube. This ensures the material you're going into is thick enough so the fitting won't stick through and hit the pivot tube .....
- Messages
- 683
- Reaction score
- 1,477
- Points
- 143
Good to know! Grasias, amoeba!
Well thank you 5Twins for the timely posts! I’m just getting to that point , that I’ll be doing exactly as you have recommended. 
So I’ve been chipping away at some things.
Yesterday, I cleaned up the rear wheel, checked the spokes for tension, and installed my new 31 tooth sprocket. The rear wheel is now ready to go.
After that I wanted to bleed my front brakes , since I’ve installed a new longer brake line. About three hours later I was done!!!
I’ve got a vacuum pump I use, but I’m thinking about , the next time I do this, trying the old reverse bleeding technique.
“You almost fooled me with the old reverse bleeding technique!”
You know, where you push fluid up from the bleed screw , up and out into the reservoir.
Anyways I finally got a nice firm lever feel doing it the old fashioned way.
Today, I went out and started cleaning my engine case around the drive sprocket, which I have yet to change.
I then spent a little time extending my brake switch wire , for the master cylinder. With the new bars on it was several inches too short. That’s all done and tested and it’s good to go. About that time the mailman showed up with my new bronze bushings.
Everybody has their own way of doing these, as for me, I just grease em up and crank em in using a piece of all thread. Everything room temperature. I had them installed 30 minutes after I opened the box. I grease the inside of the swingarm, the bushing, and even the all thread to make the nuts turn easier. Do one bushing at a time and do the cranking from the bottom, or opposite side from the bushing. That way it pulls straight in, sometimes if you turn the nut near the bushing it will want to walk around and it can get the bushing cock eyed.
After the bushing was installed, I slid the pivot sleeve in and measured the end play with a feeler gauge. I didn’t photograph it, but it has .007 inch of freeplay. Beautiful!
Next up, I will be doing the 5Twins swingarm grease mods as mentioned above, and getting all my parts painted.
Until next time,
Bob
So I’ve been chipping away at some things.
Yesterday, I cleaned up the rear wheel, checked the spokes for tension, and installed my new 31 tooth sprocket. The rear wheel is now ready to go.
After that I wanted to bleed my front brakes , since I’ve installed a new longer brake line. About three hours later I was done!!!
I’ve got a vacuum pump I use, but I’m thinking about , the next time I do this, trying the old reverse bleeding technique. “You almost fooled me with the old reverse bleeding technique!”You know, where you push fluid up from the bleed screw , up and out into the reservoir.
Anyways I finally got a nice firm lever feel doing it the old fashioned way.
Today, I went out and started cleaning my engine case around the drive sprocket, which I have yet to change.
I then spent a little time extending my brake switch wire , for the master cylinder. With the new bars on it was several inches too short. That’s all done and tested and it’s good to go. About that time the mailman showed up with my new bronze bushings.
Everybody has their own way of doing these, as for me, I just grease em up and crank em in using a piece of all thread. Everything room temperature. I had them installed 30 minutes after I opened the box. I grease the inside of the swingarm, the bushing, and even the all thread to make the nuts turn easier. Do one bushing at a time and do the cranking from the bottom, or opposite side from the bushing. That way it pulls straight in, sometimes if you turn the nut near the bushing it will want to walk around and it can get the bushing cock eyed.
After the bushing was installed, I slid the pivot sleeve in and measured the end play with a feeler gauge. I didn’t photograph it, but it has .007 inch of freeplay. Beautiful!
Next up, I will be doing the 5Twins swingarm grease mods as mentioned above, and getting all my parts painted.
Until next time,
Bob
Your 77 is spoiled rotten with all the good stuff ! Such nice clean work too
But...one of these days maybe a High Zoot Rotor in there ?
Lk close
But...one of these days maybe a High Zoot Rotor in there ?
L
k close
Your 77 is spoiled rotten with all the good stuff ! Such nice clean work too
But...one of these days maybe a High Zoot Rotor in there ?
L
View attachment 161224
Yeah buddy! That’s nice!
Great to see you successfully tackling this swingarm bushing job, Bob !Well thank you 5Twins for the timely posts! I’m just getting to that point , that I’ll be doing exactly as you have recommended.
So I’ve been chipping away at some things.
Yesterday, I cleaned up the rear wheel, checked the spokes for tension, and installed my new 31 tooth sprocket. The rear wheel is now ready to go.
View attachment 161215
View attachment 161216
After that I wanted to bleed my front brakes , since I’ve installed a new longer brake line. About three hours later I was done!!!
View attachment 161222 “You almost fooled me with the old reverse bleeding technique!”
You know, where you push fluid up from the bleed screw , up and out into the reservoir.
Anyways I finally got a nice firm lever feel doing it the old fashioned way.
Today, I went out and started cleaning my engine case around the drive sprocket, which I have yet to change.
View attachment 161217
I then spent a little time extending my brake switch wire , for the master cylinder. With the new bars on it was several inches too short. That’s all done and tested and it’s good to go. About that time the mailman showed up with my new bronze bushings.
Everybody has their own way of doing these, as for me, I just grease em up and crank em in using a piece of all thread. Everything room temperature. I had them installed 30 minutes after I opened the box. I grease the inside of the swingarm, the bushing, and even the all thread to make the nuts turn easier. Do one bushing at a time and do the cranking from the bottom, or opposite side from the bushing. That way it pulls straight in, sometimes if you turn the nut near the bushing it will want to walk around and it can get the bushing cock eyed.
View attachment 161218 View attachment 161219 View attachment 161220
After the bushing was installed, I slid the pivot sleeve in and measured the end play with a feeler gauge. I didn’t photograph it, but it has .007 inch of freeplay. Beautiful!
View attachment 161221
Next up, I will be doing the 5Twins swingarm grease mods as mentioned above, and getting all my parts painted.
Until next time,
Bob
I hate to mention it, but do I see some grime in your left hand sidecase?
I hate to mention it, but do I see some grime in your left hand sidecase?
Oh man! Now I gotta go back out there! And I was already in for the night too!
Today I worked on getting my swing arm ready for installation.
First I drilled through the center of my pivot tube for a little extra grease flow, then I slid everything together and did a trial fit in the frame. It wasn’t bad, but I had an extra shim lying around and with it installed it made the swingarm a wiggle it in , snug fit. Great! I’ll take it.
Then I pulled everything back apart and drilled and tapped the swingarm for a zerk fitting? Hey guess who accidentally drilled the top side of the swingarm , instead of the bottom? This Guy!
I didn’t even realize my mistake until I was standing there looking at it and it hit me......hey....wait a minute!
I checked the swingarm in place again and I realized I could still access the zerk fitting in that position so I left it. It won’t be too noticeable.
Then I wiped everything down and hung everything up in my Arizona paint booth and painted it all. They are now hanging inside my garage for the paint to harden up.
I’m getting closer now!
Later! Bob
First I drilled through the center of my pivot tube for a little extra grease flow, then I slid everything together and did a trial fit in the frame. It wasn’t bad, but I had an extra shim lying around and with it installed it made the swingarm a wiggle it in , snug fit. Great! I’ll take it.
Then I pulled everything back apart and drilled and tapped the swingarm for a zerk fitting? Hey guess who accidentally drilled the top side of the swingarm , instead of the bottom? This Guy!
I didn’t even realize my mistake until I was standing there looking at it and it hit me......hey....wait a minute!
I checked the swingarm in place again and I realized I could still access the zerk fitting in that position so I left it. It won’t be too noticeable.
Then I wiped everything down and hung everything up in my Arizona paint booth and painted it all. They are now hanging inside my garage for the paint to harden up.
I’m getting closer now!
Later! Bob
I wouldn't put that extra shim you have inside the grease seal. That would eliminate that .007" difference in length between the swingarm w/ bushings and the pivot tube, or most of it. You want/need the pivot tube to remain longer than the swingarm assembly for the set-up to install and work as intended (pivot tube clamped between frame so it doesn't move, swingarm w/ bushings rotates on it). If you must add a shim, put it outside of the swingarm w/ grease seals installed, like Jim did (post 96). But if a thin shim of a few thou is all you needed to snug things up, you probably don't need it at all. I'm sure the frame will easily suck in that much when tightening the pivot bolt.
I do like the idea of a shim washer like Gary and Jim use if the space is very large. As mentioned, this seems to be a problem mostly on the later models.
I do like the idea of a shim washer like Gary and Jim use if the space is very large. As mentioned, this seems to be a problem mostly on the later models.
Last edited:
While you're watching paint dry... , take Elvis to the hardware store and grab yourself a 90° zerk. It'll make life much easier come lube day.
, take Elvis to the hardware store and grab yourself a 90° zerk. It'll make life much easier come lube day.
- Messages
- 683
- Reaction score
- 1,477
- Points
- 143
Hey, now it's easier to reach!
You talked me into it, I really don’t think it’s needed, I just had it laying around and thought why not? I hadn’t thought about it eliminating my .007” clearance!
While you're watching paint dry...
Now that’s an excellent idea!
Grab yourself a snack while you're at it. I find that a small bag of hot pork rinds makes paint dry much faster.Now that’s an excellent idea!
Today’s exploits,
Just doing some detail work today, until I can get my swing arm back on. I spent a lot of time cleaning up my mufflers, I haven’t had them off since I first put this bike together, years ago. Man do they get crusty, oil drips on them and the chain slings gunk on them and then everything bakes on. I spent a couple hours on them cleaning them up.
Then I threw all of the associated hardware from the swing arm, rear brake , chain guard and brake stay arm into the sonic cleaner and then hit them with a brass wire wheel to give em a little shine.
Yeah, I realize this post is probably playing to an audience of one......Me!
What can I say.....I gotta be me.
Later, Bob
Just doing some detail work today, until I can get my swing arm back on. I spent a lot of time cleaning up my mufflers, I haven’t had them off since I first put this bike together, years ago. Man do they get crusty, oil drips on them and the chain slings gunk on them and then everything bakes on. I spent a couple hours on them cleaning them up.
Then I threw all of the associated hardware from the swing arm, rear brake , chain guard and brake stay arm into the sonic cleaner and then hit them with a brass wire wheel to give em a little shine.
Yeah, I realize this post is probably playing to an audience of one......Me!
What can I say.....I gotta be me.
Later, Bob
Last edited:
Mailman,
I just have to ask; where does that "arrowhead" shaped washer go?
I don't think I have one like that on my 77.
I just have to ask; where does that "arrowhead" shaped washer go?
I don't think I have one like that on my 77.
I'm still watchin' with bated breath.... 
At the rear support arm of the chainguard...?
Rear chain guard bolt.
