What have you done to your XS today?

Thanks Pete. I love it when people notice my hair, most of the time it’s under my helmet. The bike is a 1949 Sunbeam S7. Here is a better picture.
 

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Took her for a ride today after finishing a 55 hr workweek. Took a few pics to show off her shiny new front mount, and the chrome visor I installed. I wasnt sure about it at first, but It’s growing on me. These touches along with the polished forks and new mufflers have really come together to make her a looker! I can’t wait until my new shorty blinkers get here.
 
They’re actually pretty comfy. My hands rest just an inch or two lower than shoulder height. They’re perfect for bracing against when slowing down or going downhill, and they’re the perfect height to hold on to when accelerating fast. I’m pretty certain I’ll be swapping them out for something lower though; probably the trackers I’ll be painting black here when we get another day in the 70’s.
 
View attachment 138954 View attachment 138953 Took her for a ride today after finishing a 55 hr workweek. Took a few pics to show off her shiny new front mount, and the chrome visor I installed. I wasnt sure about it at first, but It’s growing on me. These touches along with the polished forks and new mufflers have really come together to make her a looker! I can’t wait until my new shorty blinkers get here.

TZ, you have done a really great job of fixing up your bike. It’s a really nice classic rider with your own personal touches to make it yours! Btw , I like that brown seat! :thumbsup:
Keep it up!
 
On the net you often read, and you might have experiance yourself ; The most common oil leaks on xs650 are between the jug and head and at the clutch pushrod oil seal under the left side cover.
Earlier my xs was leaking oil here by the head gasket.
I torqued up all bolts that was affected ,and also changed out the washers covered with rubber with selfmade (in a lathe ) aluminium washers. The leak got smaller, but still sweating there by the gasket.
Later in winter when bike had been parked for 2 monts , I removed the exhaust pipes and looked into the exh port in the cylinder head and could see the valve steam was wet of fresh oil leaking down from above through the oil seals on top of the valve bushing, When bike is parked and engine not running this oil leak ends in the combuston chamber. and some of it sweat out the headgasket when driving.
I desided to change the oil seal on the exhaust valves shaft first ,( were there is most heat) ,and after starting the bike and ran it for a while the oil sweat through the head gasket disapered completly. and dried up itself (used that method with engine in frame without splitting the head from cylinders.

Earlier my xs was also leaking at the clutch pushrod. I bought parts fra Mikesxs and drilled out and replased the bushing inside the oil seal, and installed new oil seal and that one-piece pushrod from Mikesxs.
There is instructions on Mikesxs page how to do this job.
This is 6 years ago, and still no oil leak there any more, I think that long pushrod is the reason that it hold tight so long now, as it is more steady and don`t wear so mutch on the oil ring as the short piece pushrod do.
 
God damnit. Tried swapping my new shinko tire on the rear. Tore a hole in the old inner tube taking off the old avon, and now the new spare inner tube is leaking from the valve stem. I have yet to successfully install a new innertube on this bike!! Now I can’t ride until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest, after overpaying the powersports place to do it or taking my chances buying more inner tubes. I was able to install a new inner tube/tire on the 16” chrome rim of my chopper in half the time and effort. I don’t like these 18” soft aluminum rims. Totally just killed my weekend. I don’t know how the hell you would replace a tube on the side of the road.
 
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Maybe off topic, NOT a yam, but WOW. Now that I am totally comfortable and used to riding, and want to preserve my classic bike and also ride cross country, I find myself wanting a newer more dependable bike. This thing is so beautiful!!! And affordable! So glad to see these modern classics ascending.
 
I have completely stripped mine down except the motor as that had a rebuild prior to my getting it in December 2018, i am now going to clean and paint all the frame parts and give it a little re-furbish, will post pics as i go.
 
Today I bled the new front brake setup on my XS. (Brembo "coffin reservoir" type 13 mm master cylinder, Brembo P4 caliper (65 mm mounting hole distance), one piece braided hose, and EBC "Green" pads.

Unfortunately I am leaving home tomorrow, for a 5 week hitch on-board a seismic survey vessel, in the North Sea. So no more progress on the XS before last week of May....
 
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