Airwolfie
XS650 Guru
Installing the engine on your own can be tricky, at best it's easier if you have at least another pair of hands to help out! Even better if they are familiar with building anything of sorts!(took me ages to "communicate" with the missus! Bless her! She did help!! Even though it took almost 20 mins to get the frame in the right place!!)
I decided to use the lie-down method. Lay the engine on its RIGHT side, preferably on a blanket or soft ground. I used our picnic blanket on the lawn, made for a nice soft place to rest!!
Now get your helping hand to maneuver the frame over the engine, taking care not to scratch the frame or the engine if it's been painted. (inevitably I did scratch BOTH!!)
I took most things off the frame to make it easier to lift, I'm sure you COULD do it with forks and swingarm installed, I just preferred it this way.
You will have to keep jiggeling and shifting the frame to get the bolts in, it takes a bit of headscratching, but I figured it out eventually, so it can't be that hard!! Just remember the frame is triangular so one side will be lower than the other, you alsodon't have to do ALL the bolts. I did the two front ones, and the bottom one, once upright, I added the top mounts which pulled everything in place. Then simply torque them to spec
I decided to use the lie-down method. Lay the engine on its RIGHT side, preferably on a blanket or soft ground. I used our picnic blanket on the lawn, made for a nice soft place to rest!!
Now get your helping hand to maneuver the frame over the engine, taking care not to scratch the frame or the engine if it's been painted. (inevitably I did scratch BOTH!!)
I took most things off the frame to make it easier to lift, I'm sure you COULD do it with forks and swingarm installed, I just preferred it this way.
You will have to keep jiggeling and shifting the frame to get the bolts in, it takes a bit of headscratching, but I figured it out eventually, so it can't be that hard!! Just remember the frame is triangular so one side will be lower than the other, you alsodon't have to do ALL the bolts. I did the two front ones, and the bottom one, once upright, I added the top mounts which pulled everything in place. Then simply torque them to spec