What have you done to your XS today?

Today started crummy with continuing grief in my electrical work with Lucille (my red 1976 Standard). I had installed and wired-up the Pamco ignition system and then I decided to to replace the instrument light bulbs, all of which had burned out. The problem was that after taking it apart, I couldn't get the wiring inside the headlight bucket figured out. I won't repeat the details here, but I had laboriously figured all of this out 14 months ago - and then I mislaid my notes - dammit.

Anyhow, tonight, at 9:05 PM, I finally lucked-in, made the last connection, and got everything working. I now have a collection of nine (9) blown fuses to prove how much "fun" I had in getting to this point. Needless to say, I will be documenting the connections NOW.

With the wiring completed, there was nothing left to do on the bike - aside from trying the PAMCO and setting the ignition timing. To make a long story short, the bike started immediately on the new PAMCO ignition system and it only required a small adjustment of the sensor plate to bring it into perfect time. Really, it was a total anticlimax. I bought a snazzy new timing light and had it connected for maybe 45 seconds. Oh well - I guess I can use it to amuse the cat.

Anyhow, Lucille now starts, idles and revs-up - like a brand new, modern, fuel injected bike....at least in the garage.

Tomorrow - the test ride!

All in all, today turned to be a good day. I will document the PAMCO installation on Lucille in a separate post, complete with lots of photos and answers to the many questions I had while doing this job - including the mysteries of the timing light. For those considering a PAMCO ignition system, the task isn't difficult at all - just a few little things to note in the wiring and one little bump in the installation of the advance side rotor. NOT A big deal, but worth a few words.

Next....I'm on to testing the donor bike and then the conversion of the 1981 XS650 Heritage Special into a snazzy new Cafe bike!
IMG_0095.JPG>>>>> IMG_1933.JPG
....and after that....
FullSizeRender-14-08-17-08-43.jpg

Yeah baby!!!!

Cheers,

Pete
 
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Hay Corndog ! Thank you for posting a before picture ! it helps a great deal !
I have a bike just like that ! and have been considering all kinds of different things to do to it....but of course they all take money and that's something I don't have .... LOL
......
Bob.........
 
Spent a few days myself with the "junction box" open on my '76 searching for the solution to the buzzing direction light module, also went through a few 10Amp fuses which was all I had in stock, too, ended up with all wires connected except for a brown male one which I taped off, pulled the blinker unit, put the headlight on and once again, a one kick start. Headlight, hi lo, taillight, stop light, good enough for a putt putt up to North Buxton and back, engine feels strong and sounds nice, so I can put it away for a few weeks while I work on a storage solution.
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Had to show off my wife's French Bulldog and my bike, even though he is not at all happy being up on the seat!
 
:agree::laughing:

Good looking Bike there Lakeview !
and the Dog , (though with a reluctant pose) is a cutie too.... doesn't look like he's missed too many meals ! LOL
Bob.....
 
Parts back from the stripper!
They called yesterday saying it was ready for pick up and to bring $200.00 which was quite a bit more than the estimate, apparently no senior's discount, so to be efficient went into town with spouse and did errands in her 6 month old Sportage while she was at the gym. Got to the place and out comes the stuff on a pallet looking well, stripped, and was glad to see that the king sporty tank had no bondo and the 74 tank had minor storage bumps that should smooth out nicely (but one set of bumps is raised, not dented). I grabbed the swing arm and saw some rusty drips on it, then saw the frame had rivulets pouring down, so we positioned it so and thus and finally figured it was clear, set it in the back of the car and promptly had another flood of juice from the frame. Fortunately I had purchased the laser measured rubber mat for the cargo area, but really.
Home in half an hour and by then the frame is getting rusty where it had been wet. The tins and other not hollow pieces are fine and actually look as if the last dip had a chelating effect on them.
Long story short, I wiped and cleaned and drained most of the afternoon, then rounded up some of my partial rattle cans of black and had at her. Turned out pretty well for a preservative spray, in my mind. I do see that the rear tank mount on this 74 frame is different from later standards, I never knew.SAM_6225-001.JPG SAM_6227-001.JPG SAM_6234.JPG
 

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For many years, I've used a chrome-plated diecast license plate frame (see pic) to help preserve my MI license plate from vibration transmitted into the rear fender - you don't get new plates here every year, just new adhesive tags to stick on them. Nevertheless, I found recently that one side of the frame had cracked apart and a horizontal crack had formed in the plate itself. Found this Barnett backup plate (other pic) on Amazon, just got it on the bike with a new frame, which I probably don't need to squelch vibes any more, but I like the look. The "sandwich" of frame, license and backup plate is very rigid, so we'll see how it lasts.
 

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the sandwich idea works really well but what works better is 2 1/4" fender washers and a rubber grommet cut with a hole saw from a old 18 wheeler mud flap if you put the rubber grommet between the 2 fender washers then attach your plate to the outside on each side like that it works very well , this allows movement without too much stress ,
so all totaled 8- 1/4" fender washers 2- 1.5" 1/4x20 bolts and 2- 1/4"x20 nylock nuts and a 1.5" hole saw or 2" hole saw.
assembly is.... bolt& 1st fender washer, licenses bracket, fender washer ,rubber grommet, fender washer , licenses plates, and another fender washer then Nylock nut. for each side.....

I put the fender washers and grommet right on the license plate bracket itself...with the license plate the furthest out from the bracket
and tightened the bolts to where the rubber started to swell and called it good. it lasted for the entire time I had the bike.about 8 years
and much of that was dirt road rough riding....so I think it says allot for that method.
......
Bob......
 
When the fox is away, the mice will play...

- installed new brake light switch on the HHB Slimline MC, tail light works again when braking!
- Hylomar for the tappet covers, they've been weeping, a miniscule amount, but enough to remedy...
- wiped the dust off everything and waxed her up. Ready to ride!
 

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Replaced instruments (speedo & tachometer), welded up a crack in the center stand, fitted new mirrors, went for a ride and some prick tried to run me off the road......luck was with him as the earth strap (batt to frame) had snapped off at the terminal and the bike was dying on corners. I think I would have exhibited road fucking rage if I didn't stop. Heart rate has now returned to normal.....I'll find him though, we live in a small town......fixed earth strap terminal connection
 
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thanks Paul, the master cylinder was purchased from a forum member, don't know the year. It replaced the bike's original master cylinder that was corroded.
I had the mag wheels blasted then clear coated them. Love wire wheels but too much work to keep clean. I like to wash and ride.
 
Replaced instruments (speedo & tachometer), welded up a crack in the center stand, fitted new mirrors, went for a ride and some prick tried to run me off the road......luck was with him as the earth strap (batt to frame) had snapped off at the terminal and the bike was dieing on corners. I think I would have exhibited road fucking rage if I didn't stop. Heart rate has now returned to normal.....I'll find him though, we live in a small town......fixed earth strap terminal connection

Geeezzz Mick - be sure to have a video camera going at your meeting with this dickhead.

I finally got inside of Lucille's LH engine case cover to adjust and lubricate the clutch actuator worm. The problem I had is that the locknut on the clutch adjuster screw under that little round chrome cover had tightened-up and I couldn't loosen it from the outside. As a result, I had taken up all of the adjustment on the handlebar adjuster - and I was nearly out of adjustment range there. The clutch actually worked fine and I could always find neutral quite easily - but I couldn't adjust it any further due to the locked-up locknut. Apparently a number of other people have had this locknut tighten up over time as well - so I'm not alone in this problem.

I took the whole thing apart and cleaned and re-greased it, plus, following the lead of many others, I took the opportunity to drill a second clevis mounting hole on the lever arm. The hole in my stock actuator lever arm was about 1.8" from the centreline of the actuator - so I chose to drill a new hole at the 1.4" point. I have now been out for a ride and the clutch works fine - but the lever pull is definitely heavier. I might move the clevis back out to the stock position and see how it works now that everything is lubricated and the cable is properly adjusted.

One key thing I did was to polish the end face of the metal part of the actuator worm - the surface on which the locknut bears. I found that this surface was quite rough and I suspect that this roughness contributed to the seizure of the clutch adjustment locknut. Anyhow, I polished it with some 320 grit Emory cloth (see photo) and removed the pitting and roughness. The surface is now quite smooth and clean and I hope it works better and I can retain the adjustment range as well.
IMG_2445.JPG

While I was in there, I cleaned the alternator slip rings and had a look at the region of the countershaft sprocket. Well, sure enough, there was a fair bit of oil around and the big 36mm nut was loose. I could actually turn it by-hand. Good grief - that thing is supposed be torqued to about 85 ft-lb - and it had backed-off and was only being retained by the big bent-over washer. I looked carefully and I'm pretty sure that the clutch push rod seal is OK - but we'll see over the next little while. Anyhow, its all sorted out for now.

On my test ride, I noted that I am now getting a fairly heavy backfire through the RH exhaust when I decellerate. During the past week or so, I have done a fair bit of work on the bike, in addition to today's clutch actuator work, including:
  • replaced the chrome oil supply tube because the old one was badly corroded;
  • a valve adjustment;
  • installed a PAMCO ignition system, including the E-Advancer timing advance unit.
Hmmmm...after all this work, the bike starts instantly and idles and revs-up really well - but how about this new backfire? The engine is noticeably quieter - which is very nice - but I think I might have an exhaust valve adjusted with too small a clearance - and that may be causing the backfire.

I just got back from a ride so I'll have to wait until the bike cools down to adjust the valve clearance.

Otherwise, Lucille is nearly where I want her for this season.

Pete
 
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Hmmmm...after all this work, the bike starts instantly and idles and revs-up really well - but how about this new backfire? The engine is noticeably quieter - which is very nice - but I think I might have an exhaust valve adjusted with too small a clearance - and that may be causing the backfire.

Pretty sure you just fixed it Pete, in a side note, I've always kept my valves adjusted on the tight side of the clearance, reduces top end clatter....well that's my take on it.....camera, nope, won't need one "give em a quick, short sharp shock to the side of the head, and they don't do it again, dig it" "Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the moon 1973"
 
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MaxPete nothing more than barely snug on that nut. It and the drain plugs seem to self tighten. Like the drive sprocket self loosens.
 
MaxPete nothing more than barely snug on that nut. It and the drain plugs seem to self tighten. Like the drive sprocket self loosens.

Yup - I've already experienced that WER. I am pretty methodical about torque on fasteners (although the clutch nut doesn't seem to have a spec) - and so I was very surprised to find that the nut was totally frozen tight. Anyhow - it's OK now and I've put some anti-sieze on it.

Cheers,

Pete
 
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