The new life of a 72' XS II - Build thread

Update ish:
Making parts myself and getting frustrated about missing parts.

I was annoyed with a rusted roller for the gear drum and didn’t want to waste my time ordering a single roller, so I decided to make my own. I found a rod we had laying around and used our lathe to cut it to the precise measurements.
ED245B1F-B431-45E1-9D38-DDECFD5E5BBF.jpeg
Now it seems that I have to order again, as I can’t find the right washers for in between the gears in the boxes I bought..
I hate all these small orders.
But at least there is some progress i guess.
9A08BD1B-8913-42CD-8AD9-3F81A03F88DE.jpeg
 
Update!
I finally received the parts I need to finish assembling the engine!
Plus a little extra.
ECB76146-4E29-4E86-8F56-033F839534F5.jpeg
The entire engine is painted now I don’t have a picture of the painted cylinder, but here is a picture of it before paint after the glass blasting.
1BAD349B-AA4E-42FA-9FC9-2C79D3EA1A4C.jpeg 8040BB69-0B97-4A96-BAA0-797F5758D07C.jpeg 0DB08173-9054-4643-9D05-50A61B544E99.jpeg
Now I just need to finish the assembly and send the cylinders and pistons to cylinderservice.
Great to begin to see the light at the end of the engine project.
 
Update:
I got the cylinders back from cylinder service.
They look great!
18A00115-45F5-48AA-8FD9-A61D2EB677E3.jpeg
I am currently looking for new studs to mount the cylinders, as I found none in the boxes. New ones are expensive as hell, so I’m hoping a local dealer will give me a good price on a set they have, if I buy some other stuff as well.

I’m also currently polishing the valves, while I wait for parts.
 
Just ordered a few parts, can’t wait to assemble it.

I think I forgot to mention that I assembled the crankcases, hopefully I did it right
73BAA246-B443-4E6C-87CC-4563ED18095D.jpeg CF2126D2-FB66-4389-89CD-C91D1009E743.jpeg 382C93DA-09E3-4A52-8D6C-CB699496B0F0.jpeg
And as I mentioned in the last post, I’m currently polishing the valves and valve seats.
929BA357-DD99-42A8-8E05-AD82292EB298.jpeg 42382AF8-5E17-4819-919F-1AE0007103A5.jpeg
Can anyone tell me if it will have an impact on performance, that the previous owner sandblasted the valve seats? (like anywhere else inside the engine..)
It doesn’t look like any of the holes goes across the surface and compromises the seal, but what about the holes?
image.jpg
Best regards from warm Denmark
 
I would say as long as your seat cleaned up and is in the correct spot the other angles should not matter. Might be best to take it to a machine shop and take a light cut on the seat. I would be worried about embedded sand particles. You could polish the dome area to remove some of the pitting.How are the guides. Did he blast those.
 
Yes, the valve seats look rather pitted. By the time you get done lapping enough to get all those pits out, the valve seat width may have grown too wide. If that happens, then you'll need some seat cutting done, specifically the angle cuts leading into the seat on either side to narrow it back down.
 
It’s been a while since last update, current status:
I have ordered a lot of shit, some of which I later found out I already had in a box, others were hard to get.
Some of the parts:
New Cam Chain Guide
New used cam chain tensioner (roller version)
Cam chain...
A9E3F07E-5358-4211-BA59-A6DA7BA47D2F.jpeg
I mounted the pistons last night, I just need to get valve collets, before I can assemble the top end, and they are of cause costly and hard to get in Denmark...
75D29C45-5971-4D04-92B6-7830321FA68F.jpeg
 
Update:
I mounted the cylinders and the rocker arms. :bike:
61C90E46-2CC9-4FA1-A885-A2DDA2261B20.jpeg 18C770B8-A4B3-49DE-9E39-966C8C76AD4F.jpeg
Still trying to get collets.. I’m afraid I might have to order both new valves and collets, since no one have the old type collets :thumbsdown:
 
Did an eBay search on "yamaha 256-12118-00", the early collets.
Got several hits. If you go this route, closely check the pics for the telltale square corners...

There are several in USA but since I live in Denmark it would cost more to ship them and take considerably longer time before I got them, in fact, the price of the cheapest collets on eBay with shipping is just 30£ cheaper than buying new (they only have the new type) valves with new collets here in DK, and I would have it all within a few days instead of a few weeks :shrug:
When I need to get parts it sucks to live in DK, otherwise it pretty cozy.

But I'm in contact with my parts "pusher" who sold me cylinder and crankshaft, he might be willing to part with some collets from an extra motor or sell me some new type valves with collets. He races an old XS2 so he got a few spare engines, where I got my other parts from, a super cool guy with a tuned out motor, big bore, rephase and anything else you can do to them.
 
Last edited:
Check out Heiden Tuning if you haven't already. NL based, shipping is quite fast, they might have some of the parts you are looking for:

https://www.heidentuning.com/

edit: Just had a look, they don't seem to have the old style collets...
 
Last edited:
@Camilo Heidentuning doesn’t have anything specific for the old engines, contacted them a few times :)
I have bought parts from a lot of different shops by now, for a total just under 1000£
So the engine has pretty much had a complete rebuild.

I’m just fiddling with the engine right now, before going on a small two day bike trip with a pal (thank god I have my xs 400 cafe racer) and I think I found out why it was pulled apart and several parts “sold” and YES! I have checked the entire engine, it’s clean and the gears are as good as new (previous owner might have changed them)
AD1C1142-7548-467A-B9CB-2A10D4A8A6AF.jpeg D9849851-628C-4FDF-9037-E26094A1E517.jpeg B2E5E4B5-A90A-4325-BDBC-3F14FF484716.jpeg
The right sidecover oil filter is completely jacked with metal
 
Bibidibuu I’ve been traveling bibidibuu I’m back wrenching.
I first spent a year in Australia traveling around on a Suzuki dr 600 Dakar I bought cheap, a few weeks in Bali and then the ski season in France till corona shut us down.

A few things have happened to the bike since I last posted, including losing access to my old email and thereby ketchup pusher account. I finally assembled the engine, first the crankcase then disassembled it again to get the starter axle in, got a hold of the valve collets I searched for and other small bits.
111295D2-446A-4FD2-9708-52D8E6E13CFB.jpeg
I bought a complete wiring harnesses because I’m lazy, plus modern reg/rec, cables, clutch mechanism
763627E6-2A6D-46E0-8457-425F8800300F.jpeg
I bought brand new fork legs, the old ones were wayyy to pitted, plus bought “XS performance” progressive springs, hoping they perform decent. I also welded the fender mount as it was chipped on one, then sandblasted and powder coated it black (it’s a blessing to have a sand+soda+water blaster and a powder coat oven and machine at my garage community)
83A385A8-D437-4AA3-8D2D-FAAC3E1EFF27.jpeg
I’m currently disassembling the brakes, to see what I need to order for them, soda blasted them inside to clean them without removing any material, next up is a ultra sonic clean, then rebuild with seals and stuff.
D9CD30D0-93E3-4C30-9285-10435C4A181B.jpeg F5DFEDE6-5BBB-41F4-BD8A-801B30A03818.jpeg

I took the carbs apart and ultrasonic cleaned them and then replaced all the needles and so on.
I bought a front wheel from Ireland (which surprisingly had a brand new tire on?!)
83644802-3C32-4C86-A1ED-519A8D58253E.jpeg
The frame is currently being powder coated at a local shop (our oven can’t fit the frame, perhaps across but a seriously tight fit, so I’d rather be safe than sorry)

Next up is polishing of controls, then assembly or perhaps the tank? Whatever arrives first, I already bought a tank sealer kit I just need to spent a decade fixing the dents...
52162BAA-4095-43AE-A016-59E15EA8FAB0.jpeg
Otherwise I’m sitting and about to order a bunch of stuff, cone head bearings, electronic ignition, brake stuff, speedo drive and a few other smaller parts.
Best regards the danish ketchup dude
 
Bibidibuu I’ve been traveling bibidibuu I’m back wrenching.
I first spent a year in Australia traveling around on a Suzuki dr 600 Dakar I bought cheap, a few weeks in Bali and then the ski season in France till corona shut us down.

A few things have happened to the bike since I last posted, including losing access to my old email and thereby ketchup pusher account. I finally assembled the engine, first the crankcase then disassembled it again to get the starter axle in, got a hold of the valve collets I searched for and other small bits.
View attachment 168719
I bought a complete wiring harnesses because I’m lazy, plus modern reg/rec, cables, clutch mechanism
View attachment 168720
I bought brand new fork legs, the old ones were wayyy to pitted, plus bought “XS performance” progressive springs, hoping they perform decent. I also welded the fender mount as it was chipped on one, then sandblasted and powder coated it black (it’s a blessing to have a sand+soda+water blaster and a powder coat oven and machine at my garage community)
View attachment 168721
I’m currently disassembling the brakes, to see what I need to order for them, soda blasted them inside to clean them without removing any material, next up is a ultra sonic clean, then rebuild with seals and stuff.
View attachment 168722 View attachment 168723

I took the carbs apart and ultrasonic cleaned them and then replaced all the needles and so on.
I bought a front wheel from Ireland (which surprisingly had a brand new tire on?!)
View attachment 168724
The frame is currently being powder coated at a local shop (our oven can’t fit the frame, perhaps across but a seriously tight fit, so I’d rather be safe than sorry)

Next up is polishing of controls, then assembly or perhaps the tank? Whatever arrives first, I already bought a tank sealer kit I just need to spent a decade fixing the dents...
View attachment 168725
Otherwise I’m sitting and about to order a bunch of stuff, cone head bearings, electronic ignition, brake stuff, speedo drive and a few other smaller parts.
Best regards the danish ketchup dude

Well, welcome back, I was wandering whatever happened to you. You’ve been living the good life! Happy to see you back working on your 650, I hope it won’t be a year until your next update! :D
 
I have definitely enjoyed life for a while.
You’re lucky, I already have a question ;)
First of, I don’t have the right front axle, but I have one I can shave down on the lathe, I just can’t find the dimensions, I recon mine is from someone’s wife fork chopper build or a different bike. I can only find those axles on eBay in straya or the states
D92F8811-EB65-4940-AA98-85F7A692E52D.jpeg 91426CAE-5A6C-4154-AA1C-45774098D435.jpeg
Also I’m struggling to find the xs2 speedo gear house with gear, I can find the housing on eBay in the uk, but then need the inner gear - do the different models interchange? They look different but if it fits I’m good with it (a local shop have the 341-25191-01 available which I believe is for a later model)
 
Back
Top