What have you done to your XS today?

Mocked up my new (to me) Radian arm and took off the center stand, which is still shown in this pic. Parts outbound this week @Niels B - I promise!

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I see lots of time with the reciprocating saw, angle grinder, bandfile, and emery cloth in my future. Also, a bunch of wheel parts are showing up this week. In the well-documented quest to conquer the Radian swingarm swap, I’m going to try the 20mm rear axle from my KTM 200 EXC dirt bike. Should be long enough where the XS axle is not...
 
you guys know this engines and frames too, there is the tail coming from,
any ideas? Cheers
 

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I was close. The twin instead of the 4. I've always wanted a KZ750B. Had a ride on one 40 yrs ago.
 
Tell you the truth Guys, I'm working on my XS1b project bike and the same time on two KZ 750B1 (1976),
at first further ahead with the Kawas, now ketch up with the Yamaha,
My favor is definitive the XS with the best looking twin motor ever, another reason is; try to get header or a full exhaust system for the KZ twins almost nothing on the market worldwide, Yes I know MAC have headers for the KZ, ugly and cheap!
 
Mocked up my new (to me) Radian arm and took off the center stand, which is still shown in this pic.

What seat and tail section is that? I read somewhere that the Honda 750 20mm axle is a fit for the radian swing arm. Too bad there aren`t any adaptor bearings.
 
It’s a Knight style seat from RedMax in the UK. Just ordered a large Champion tank from Gopher Glass.

I do wish there were 17mm ID bearings but it’s all good. If the KTM axle works, which it should, I may be able to make some different 20mm adjusters that I got on eBay work with all of it.
 
Yesterday while chrome hardware shopping, I met a local shop owner who bought an XS fuel tank from me. We met here at what was Portland Aprilia/MotoGuzzi.
The shut down has affected local shops Very Badly as this is supposedly spring.
This MotoGuzzi shop was small and personable. Had demo rides and group gatherings. Now its closed for good.
Remember spring swap meets? Bike shows? And local parts sourcing the way it was back then?
:wtf:
View attachment 167689
Super bummed to see another shop go out. There are precious few good moto shops not called Cycle Gear in the Portland area. That shop was across the street from a pretty darn good metric fastener selection at Parkrose Hardware tho.
 
Super bummed to see another shop go out.
Motorcycle shops, Parts salvage, Cycle events. Disappearing.
I'm more than super bummed. I'm about done with Vintage Bikes entirely as I refuse to become an online sourcing hobbyist. We are losing all the personal and most enjoyable aspects of being a vintage cycle enthusiast one venue at a time.
 
pretty darn good metric fastener selection at Parkrose Hardware tho.
Ironically, ParkRose Hardware is a "go to" for metric chrome as Ace Hardware no longer carries it. And I've sold Yamaha XS parts twice right there in the parking lot :D to other local XS guys.
And enjoyed shopping and browsing at MotoGuzzi even though the prices were very high..
 
another big step on my XS1b project bike, picked up my parts from the machine shop, first size overbore with the original Yamaha pistons 256-11635-02 -00 and rings 256-11610-10-00 and a valve job with new seals
 

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I replaced the fibre washers under the screws on the petrol cock using some from hardware store. They continuously weep petrol so I ordered some rated for gas, petrol and hydraulic fluid at twice the price. Fitted them today and what a difference, completely petrol tight so now the bike does not smell. This is what happens when you use the correct part for the job....
 
Today I changed the oil, yesterday I fitted some triumph rear shocks and a different clutch master.

20200527_161244.jpg at work, after the oil change
20200526_184002.jpg before with mikesxs 11.5" shocks
20200526_200629.jpg new to me triumph shocks (low mileage take offs)
Almost forgot, I also welded a 3/8" plate to the bottom of the kickstand.
Now I just need to find a barn...
 
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The basic concept is now in place:
The basis is a Yamaha XS1b 1971, the frame and the engine have been taken from the original motorcycle that I bought here in Nova Scotia in 2009 in scrap condition.
The engine was seized, cleaned by me, disassembled and drilled to a large extent by a local company and equipped with the original piston and ring set from Yamaha.
The carburetor will be a Mikuni BS38 from a 1979 XS650 that I rebuilt two years ago
Since I have several older motorcycles, I could use different parts from other brands and did not have to be bought separately, at the same time I had the advantage that the project could grow and mature with the selection of the different parts
Fork, swing arm, wheels with brakes, rear drum and front dual discs are from the Yamaha TX750 1974, the fuel tank came1978 Yamaha XS750, front splitter for the brake lines comes from a 1982 Gold wing, as well as the rear and front plastic fenders, the rear tail section comes from a 1976 Kawasaki KZ750 B1 also made of plastic and could be bent to the required shape, the front lighting is a triangular aftermarket headlight, the lamp mask was once a Baracuda aluminum skateboard, the speedometer comes from a Honda CB500 / 550 all changes to the frame and the required brackets were made and are still built by myself, the seat fitting the tail part is also made by myself,
it will probably be a few months before I can bring the finished motorcycle onto the street.
My goal with this project was and is: to bring an old motorcycle with a beautiful and yet simple engine to my taste and with my skills back on the road with little money, a lot of diligence and patience.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friends from the XS forum for their advice and criticism, as well as I am glad that the forum is like a big search engine when it comes to the XS650,

by the way: the German nickname for the XS650 reads: the Ruettler (sorry no translation- means lake shaking-stomp-pound, when the motor running the bike moves on its the main stand)
 

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