-
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.
What have you done to your XS today?
- Thread starter I am Carbon
- Start date
-
- Tags
- maintenance
Monday. I did some maintenace. Tightened steering bearings. Tightened odds and ends. Installed new spark plugs. Starts much easier now.
Last edited:
Last season the right side quit firing. Took the carb apart, cleaned it up and put it back together. Then the right side fired... but left did not. Sooooo, obviously something got switched from one side to the other. This season will be pulling it off again, replacing everything and putting pods on.
Got my cylinders back today following a +50 rebore. Spent this evening filing the ring gaps to specification and managed to get the rings on to the pistons without breaking any. I heated the rings until hot to the touch as instructed back at high school. Apparently the heat makes them a bit more flexible so less likely to break - I assume this is true even thought I never heard it on TV. Tomorrow I repaint the cylinders as per original before the big reassembly.
Yesterday...Replaced the risers/dampers and added my new euro bend bars. I had a good amount of movement prior to the change and the right side dampers were a mess. oblong if you will. I would guess they've been in there for 40 years. Yet....when I took the old bars off, they were filled with something....lead maybe? 
I wasn't able to start the bike or ride to see if I noticed the difference yet between the wieghted vs. non-weighted. I assume based on the new dampers it's going to seem better anyway. 
I wasn't able to start the bike or ride to see if I noticed the difference yet between the wieghted vs. non-weighted. I assume based on the new dampers it's going to seem better anyway. 
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
Hey everybody, XS78e is on hold while Im off camping.. Surprise , I found an adventure bike to fill my camping needs better.. having fun !
78e is waiting for me -RT
78e is waiting for me -RT
TimeMachine, Great weather for you!! Amazing how the tree height falls of so quickly heading up hill from that river!
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
High Desert , Central Ore. Much drier than home on the coast side of the Mtn's .. was pick up camping. Cycles touring all around, then I picked up this original f650. Tests out Great !
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
3 more very remote days camping. Front tire dead.. rocks .. was a blast ! Prineville Reservoirs, and river roads are fantastic !
Changed out the headers on the '77. Had a pair of single wall pipes on her, provenance unknown, probably Mikes pipes. They had grayed and begun to rust over these years, discolored enough to where the old stock headers looked better. Stock muffs were cut off as they were rusted through and I figured that I'd use the exhaust adapters to mount the Commandos back on. The 1 3/8 OD X 1 1/2 ID were a good start, as the 1 3/8 OD slide right over the inner pipe of the stock headers, however, the 1 1/2 ID equals 1 5/8 OD which is the same OD as the Commandos.
The Fix.
I picked up some 1 1/2 OD straight exhaust pipe and cut two 1 1/2" sections. I trimmed the flanged end of the 1 3/8 X 1 1/2 ID down to 3/4" length past the start of the reduction, and inserted one of the 1 1/2 OD sections into it leaving 3/4's of an inch exposed to attach the muffler to. That left me with 3/4" of adapter that was exposed. Scrounging around, I found two muffler clamps that we're 3/4" wide, one for each side. I slipped the clamp on to cover the exposed section of the adapter and then put the muffler on with it's 3/4" clamp.
Pretty? A 1 1/2" clamp for both sides instead of two 3/4 inchers would be prettier but this worked and the price was right.
The Fix.
I picked up some 1 1/2 OD straight exhaust pipe and cut two 1 1/2" sections. I trimmed the flanged end of the 1 3/8 X 1 1/2 ID down to 3/4" length past the start of the reduction, and inserted one of the 1 1/2 OD sections into it leaving 3/4's of an inch exposed to attach the muffler to. That left me with 3/4" of adapter that was exposed. Scrounging around, I found two muffler clamps that we're 3/4" wide, one for each side. I slipped the clamp on to cover the exposed section of the adapter and then put the muffler on with it's 3/4" clamp.
Pretty? A 1 1/2" clamp for both sides instead of two 3/4 inchers would be prettier but this worked and the price was right.
Interesting nj - got a photo?
Hey Pete, I'm kinda limited on what I can do computer wise these days and pics are one of the challenges. Old desktop, 1st generation iPad etc. Hoping that the verbal description would produce an image. Maybe I'll get one of them fancy phones for myself, 'specially when I keep taking the wife's when I go out to ride. As it is I can't even put the top of the head back on my avatar.
maico996
XS650 Addict
Installed an LED voltage meter tonight. And ordered the Hans manual yesterday...hard copy and the Kindle version.
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
nj1639 & maxpete , eh check these aft mrkt bmw airhead muffs , thinkin this pair in time will be on an XS !
Hey TM - those look good!
nj - not to worry. It just sounds like you have worked a good solution to the exhaust adapter issue.
nj - not to worry. It just sounds like you have worked a good solution to the exhaust adapter issue.
maico996
XS650 Addict
Changed the oil, changed the filter, swapped the OEM-style air filters from Mike's for K&N YA-1892 filters. Amazon f'd up the shipping so they're sending me another set for free. 
....porobably got your town mixed with one of the many othe towns of the same name in another state....
maico996
XS650 Addict
Ha!! Yes, indeed.....porobably got your town mixed with one of the many othe towns of the same name in another state....
Puyallup - pronounced Throat Warbler Mangrove.
