What have you done to your XS today?

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RRRrr, RRRrr, RRRrr, Click Click or
What's a Nasty Joint Like This Doing on a Nice Bike Like That.
Winter Storage Blues.
Pulled the starter off because three tries would kill a new battery, cleaned it up but no joy yet.
 
Sorry, it's not an XS.

Been designing and building a Glass Cockpit.
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A closer look.
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Directly communicates with the ECU. I can now monitor and adjust fueling and ignition timing, independently for each cylinder...

Ahhh....so that’s where you’ve been. Working sleepless nights out in your laboratory! The restless mind never sleeps!
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Changed the oil and wished it was warm enough to ride. There aren't many cars on the road these days.
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Awww yeah!! That tank stripe is where it’s at! I remember last year when you were talking about a repaint- god that bike looks good! I hope you’re leaving it that way- for a while
 
Thanks TZ. I am really happy with the way it turned out. The silver was some leftover platinum I had from a Subaru I used to have.
Saw the old gold gas shocks on your post today. Your bike is looking great. I've been MIA for a while as I turned my attention to the car under the cover in the background. But I had to start giving the XS some love.
 
Finally changed the fork seals. They were 48 years old. Does nothing last anymore? The hardest part was getting those chrome dust cover covers off. Thanks to Mailman, I got them off without wrecking them.
While things were apart I also drilled some holes in my front disc. Also changed the brake fluid.
Hey, has anyone ever had their disc's cut? Not because it's warped, but to remove the glazing. My local bike shop said they never did that for any one.
I scuffed it with a palm sander as evenly as possible, but I'd like to get all the little grooves out.

Anyone?

It’s called a Blanchard grinder. That’s how it’s done. Some places advertise doing rotors if they have that machine.
 
Hey, has anyone ever had their disc's cut? Not because it's warped, but to remove the glazing. My local bike shop said they never did that for any one.
I scuffed it with a palm sander as evenly as possible, but I'd like to get all the little grooves out.

Local machine shop turned and drilled mine and it came out awesome. I have the pattern if anyone needs it.
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RRRrr, RRRrr, RRRrr, Click Click or
What's a Nasty Joint Like This Doing on a Nice Bike Like That.
Winter Storage Blues.
Pulled the starter off because three tries would kill a new battery, cleaned it up but no joy yet.
My original wasn't used for about 30k, and I'm guessing that it vibrated the bearings unevenly. Side play was bad. Up and down play doesn't affect it too badly. While it's out, connect a battery or 10A charger to it. It should rev up quickly. If not, try another. I found a good one on ebay. It's got about 30k on it in my bike. Good luck!
 
Sounds good and rides smooth. Installed the 1 piece push rod and it feels solid. Also changed the friction plates. Had a small shifting issue. It would not shift gears sometimes. Like the foot control wouldn’t click to change. ( up or down) I had to blip the throttle while changing gears for it to shift. Any ideas ?

I also changed the headlight to halogen and put the cool blue bulb in
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Took the girlfriend for a nice little ride. Toward the end we were both pretty uncomfortable. We had to stop and take a break. Sitting on a bench and looking at the bike, I had to just appreciate how it really does have a classic look to it. I’ll probably go ahead and order a grab rail, it will just add to it. It’s funny; I remember when I first got this bike and was looking forward to the MSF course. It seemed so big and intimidating! I am definitely ready for a bigger bike. Engine was ringing again. Probably time for an oil change, cam chain adjustment and valve check before it starts getting really hot.
 
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Oh, when you’re riding highway speeds if your cam chain is too loose you can hear a “ringing” in direct relation to rpm’s, which is usually the cam chain hitting the front guide or the cases. I had this issue the first summer I was getting used to the bike and the guys here in the forum helped me figure it out. Some suggested it could also be “engine resonance” but I stopped it by adjusting the cam chain. I suspect my cam chain guide may be worn, but my oil changes don’t show black plastic from the guard and she runs good, so I’ll worry about it when I do a rebuild. If you didn’t already know, the front guide inside the jugs is aluminum with
a plastic/rubber compound material bonded around it, and the cam chain hits that material. With age or improper cam chain adjustment the rubber/plastic material either wears off or completely separates and then your cam chain is hitting aluminum. Indicators can be glittery/metallic oil and bits of the black plastic in the sump filter. Some have found the entire length of the plastic intact but separated from the guide. Now that I have a garage and a basement workshop, I’m actually in a position to consider a rebuild as a winter project. We’ll have to see how this summer pans out.
 
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Oh, when you’re riding highway speeds if your cam chain is too loose you can hear a “ringing” in direct relation to rpm’s, which is usually the cam chain hitting the front guide or the cases. I had this issue the first summer I was getting used to the bike and figured it out. Some suggested it could also be “engine resonance” but I stopped it by adjusting the cam chain. I suspect my cam chain guide may be worn, but my oil changes don’t show black plastic from the guard and she runs good, so I’ll worry about it when I do a rebuild. Now that I have a garage and a basement workshop, I’m actually in a position to tackle that as a winter project. We’ll have to see how this summer pans out.

Oh, that is good to know! I expect a little cam chain stretch because it's new. I'll have to watch it. I have to say, the Yamaha engine is a lot quieter than the Honda 750. Honda rattles ( clutch) and whines, (trans drive chain), drives me nuts. I did go ahead and order me a set of the peashooters 5Twins has on his 83. I just have to see what they sound like. ( it's for the neighbor);)
 
Sounds good and rides smooth. Installed the 1 piece push rod and it feels solid. Also changed the friction plates. Had a small shifting issue. It would not shift gears sometimes. Like the foot control wouldn’t click to change. ( up or down) I had to blip the throttle while changing gears for it to shift. Any ideas ?]

Sounds like the plates dragging slightly. Maybe just wind the adjuster out a bit at the clutch lever?
 
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