What have you done to your XS today?

[xjwmx]

Tightened my steering bearings. Had gotten really floppy and was impressed it never got wobbly because of it. YMMV. I still have ball bearings. Don't use tightening instructions meant for tapered bearings on those or you'll destroy them,

Noticed I need new tank front rubbers. Anybody have any experience with Mike's for fit and durability? Any suggestions or cross references?

 

[gggGary]

Tightened my steering bearings. Had gotten really floppy and was impressed it never got wobbly because of it. YMMV. I still have ball bearings. Don't use tightening instructions meant for tapered bearings on those or you'll destroy them,
Noticed I need new tank front rubbers. Anybody have any experience with Mike's for fit and durability? Any suggestions or cross references?

Steering feeling a bit "notchy" when you turn the bars? Acts like it's self centering?

 

[xjwmx]

No notchy. But the originals got that way after I adjusted them with the handlebar freefall method. I think it was WER or NJ sent me a good set he'd replaced and I put those in, and adjusted going pretty much by dansmc.com. About 10 yrs ago.

 

[geedubya]

Tightened my steering bearings. Had gotten really floppy and was impressed it never got wobbly because of it. YMMV. I still have ball bearings. Don't use tightening instructions meant for tapered bearings on those or you'll destroy them,

Noticed I need new tank front rubbers. Anybody have any experience with Mike's for fit and durability? Any suggestions or cross references?

G'day WJ,

I have a set on my '76C and they are good, plenty of silicone spray when you put them on and when you feed the tank on the frame, without a real bugger to get tank off.
Cheers from the Antipodes.

 

[CBJamie]

My 81 Special started running baddly the other day on the way to work, no better on the way home either. Would'nt idle and no power till it got above 3500 rpm's then ran normal. Figured I had some dirt in a pilot jet. Pulled the carbs Monday night cleaned everything up, used compressed air thru all the passages. Since its been running lean I took advantage of having the carbs off and replaced the main 132.5 jets with some 135 mains. Now it runs smooth again and idles proper and this morning on the way to work I got to open her up on a long straight away, pulled hard right thru to 7500 rpm. No stumbles and no flat spots. I will do a plug chop after I get home and see if its still lean.

 

[CBJamie]

Checked the plugs after a wet ride home yesterday. Still a bit lean, I will get some 137 jets to try maybe shim the needle a little.

 

[Ccanady]

Got my tank bungs welded in and tank mounted. Turned out much better than I thought it would. Plan on getting the engine thrown back in the frame this evening after this hot weather cools down some.

 

[willis]

Rebuilding my wheels has been a slow process. I picked up a couple sets of 19” mags to play around with. I’ve got the omar’s Kit to go on once done, but still a ways off for that. The last couple days were spent cleaning, stripping and prepping for paint. I cleaned and rough polished the outer ring prior to taping it off. The thought is to give it a good polish after they are painted.

I normally use Rustoleum professional grade enamel paint, but Lowes has discontinued carrying it so I thought I’d give the Krylon version a try. I was greatly disappointed though. What I thought was going to be a cast aluminum finish turned out to be a semi-chrome finish. Not the look I’m going for.

Looks like I’m going back a few steps to strip them again and redo with the proper paint that I wanted in the first place. maybe be safe and just go with black. FML !!!

 

[gggGary]

Period piece; front brake wasn't acting quite right was getting some off and on drag. Pulled the caliper, checked; piston and slide moved freely. Rotor had some run out. FZ rotor and spacer on a star mag. tried indexing spacer, then rotor, but still had bad run out, 60-70 thou. Went and grabbed a different rotor, pulled the wheel, and I think the issue was the wheel fillet at the rotor mounting surface was a bit big, the spacer was hanging up on it, relieved the spacer chamfer a bit more, reassembled and all was good. <.003 runout. Test rode, brake worked fine but LH turnsignals were dead. Didn't even open the headlight, pulled apart the LH handlebar control, found the wire/switch solder blobs were loose, resoldered, reassembled, fixed. After a year of Allison riding, it's got about a thousand miles since the wake up, added 1/3 quart of oil.

 

[Jim]

Didn't even mess around, pulled apart the LH handlebar control, found the wire/switch solder blobs were loose, resoldered, reassembled, fixed.

Had to do the same with the SG last week...

......bout a thousand miles since the wake up, added 1/3 quart of oil.

Sweet!!

 

[rsor]

Yesterday I finished working on these, took me awhile, but did not turn out to bad, still needs to be clear coated.

 

[Guss80special]

Nice paint job rsor!

 

[MaxPete]

I cleaned up the Disaster Central Workshop to the point where I can SEE my bike.

Not much....but it’s a start.

Pete

 

[Guss80special]

Tonight I back tapped one of my spark plug holes. one of the plugs has always been less than smooth going in and out. Last time I really struggled to get it started, so I did a bit of reading and decided to try a reverse tap to clean up the broken threads before I cause more damage - 14mm from Amazon. Watched a bunch of vids and gave it a try. Ran it out with progressively more pressure 3 or 4 times by hand, then 3 times with a wrench, a bit tighter each time. Checked and cleaned in btw each try until the plug went in smooth by hand. Used lots of grease as per instructions Happy now. back to trying to synch that darn right carb.

 

[MaxPete]

Now THAT is cool Guss - I’ve never run across one of those!

Pete

 

[azman857]

I called the makers of the rotor in the SG earlier today. They asked me to take pics of me checking out the rotor. Meter readings of the rotor. In a bit I'll be out and take the sprocket cover and Stator off and take the meter to the rotor. Hopefully they'll send out a new rotor after this.

 

[MaxPete]

Good - hope they come through for you Azman!

Pete

 

[Guss80special]

$47.. Amazon Canada.

I was reading about helicoils and taps and all that, and was starting to shake a bit at the thought of a buggered plug hole and pulling engine and head etc... then saw a thread on here talking about a reverse tap that might do the trick if your threads are basically decent, but maybe cross threaded a bit here and there... and ya, gave it a go.

Got me thinking about engine work though. So I started reading Jim’s ‘top end’ thread. Awesome detail!! Getting myself psyched up to do it this winter!!

Again. This forum is fracken awesome guys!! I wouldn’t have gotten very far with my bike without all the help! Thank you ..

 

[MaxPete]

Hmmm....very cool indeed. I don’t need one right now, but ya never know.

Thanks for the info Guss.

Pete

 

[tzimmerm]

Nothing but riding and the occasional wipedown since I’ve gotten my carbs rebuilt. Took the bike to the lake with my girlfriend one weekend, then took them both to the J&P cycles vintage Rally the next. I didn’t place in the show, but The bike got a lot of love and comments, and I was parked next to an 82 special. I did something i’ve been dreaming about doing for so long last night; went for a night ride at around 11:00, up around the reservoir; it was a full moon and it had rained all day, so it was slightly foggy in some of the low spots. Moon beams cutting through the fog and making the trees look white and silver. Flipped off a deer as he crossed the road. (My official deer ettiqutte when riding).