Miss November XS2 tribute

Ah the idiosyncrasies of the iron-barrel Bullet - but ain't that why we love them. A true fiddlers contraption no ordinary man can command.
 
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Just back from the shops.


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The reason to make a posting, I noticed the mileage - Miss November and I have covered 10,000 miles together.

Filthy, needs a wash. Might happen this year?
 
Service - the tenth one I've done, so it's almost routine. First, go for a run to warm the oil, then drop the oil:


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Then, as preparation for doing the valves, remove the tank. Oh, but this doesn't seem quite right?


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Well, that' a pain.

I don't do welding so I need to find somebody that does. Drain the tank. See if they can weld the tab in the correct place and not destroy the paint.

Oh well . . .
 
Have emptied the tank, given it a good shake, then upside down and wiped around inside the neck, then sitting in the sun with the cap open. So there's not much petrol left - in fact none at all, just the smell.

Will approach Neil who painted it first - he works in a car body work shop so need to see what he suggests.

Then if necessary look around for a welder who will take it on. And who gives me confidence. The repair must be strong, the tab must be in the right place and aligned correctly, and damage to the paint must be minimised. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Of course, it would be nice if I could glue that tab back on. We are told the aeroplane wings are glued on . . .
 
Have emptied the tank, given it a good shake, then upside down and wiped around inside the neck, then sitting in the sun with the cap open. So there's not much petrol left - in fact none at all, just the smell.

Will approach Neil who painted it first - he works in a car body work shop so need to see what he suggests.

Then if necessary look around for a welder who will take it on. And who gives me confidence. The repair must be strong, the tab must be in the right place and aligned correctly, and damage to the paint must be minimised. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Of course, it would be nice if I could glue that tab back on. We are told the aeroplane wings are glued on . . .
You could let that tank dry for weeks and there'll still be enough residue in the metal pores to flash off. The good news is you'll gain about a half gallon extra capacity... the bad is you'll not much care for the looks of the tank any longer.
OK.. all silliness aside, about the only way(s) I know to safe a tank for welding are to steam the inside or use an "inerting" gas... employing both methods works best. A competent welder will know all this.... and have a nitrogen or argon bottle on hand for inerting.

Raymond, it's almost a given that's a "vibration" break. After you get it repaired, I'd strongly suggest you replace the damper rubbers at the front and back tank mounts.... lest it breaks again. I believe Sumo Rubber carries 'em... and they're just up the road from you.
 
Thank you Jim - this is a great forum, populated by people who know stuff. I'll know to ask about inerting gas. Certain I heard, long ago in the dim and distant past, that most welders just won't go near a petrol tank.

Hear what you say about the dampers too. Will remind folk this is not a Yamaha original, bought the tank from Heiden Tuning and it's probbly not as strong.
 
PS after Neil, next port of call will be Rob in Galashiels - he's the man who invisibly mended a cylinder fin on the XS650 block. Intelligent guy who certainly knows a lot about different welding techniques.
 
Certain I heard, long ago in the dim and distant past, that most welders just won't go near a petrol tank.
That's true enough... most of 'em won't. Be wary of one who says "yeah, no problem."
They are a problem. People have been maimed and killed by welding on fuel tanks improperly.
If your welder doesn't immediately become wary of the job, go look for another...
 
Back in prehistoric days when I was a welder, when I was welding near something I didn’t want to damage, I used to drape it with wet paper towels. It stops sparks from burning anything and it helps to rapidly dissipate heat.
 
That's true enough... most of 'em won't. Be wary of one who says "yeah, no problem."
They are a problem. People have been maimed and killed by welding on fuel tanks improperly.
If you welder doesn't immediately become wary of the job, go look for another...

When I was working as a welder for a fleet garage, we had a truck with a leaking gas tank. The mechanics took the tank out to the steam cleaning rack and washed it out and pronounced it ready to weld. My shop superintendent told me to do it. I gave the tank a sniff and it still reeked of gas and I refused. He got pissed at me, but I told him that I had that drilled into my head in welding school, that, that was a good way to blow yourself up. It was sent out to a radiator shop and was flushed out with chemicals that neutralized it and then they welded it. That was one of only two jobs I ever refused, I was willing to walk away from my job first. :shrug:
 
PS after Neil, next port of call will be Rob in Galashiels - he's the man who invisibly mended a cylinder fin on the XS650 block. Intelligent guy who certainly knows a lot about different welding techniques.
Well, in fact Rob was the first port of call, 'Hi Rob, need the services of the best welder in the Scottish Borders.'

'Aye, now that ye've butter'd me up, what are wantin' done?'
But he looked pleased.

He has done tanks before, we discussed the issues with petrol vapour, Rob told me the story of an auld guy that used to work at Anderson & Wilson some 40-odd years ago who folded a tank inside out gas welding it. What happened to the hapless welder? Ended up on his back-side, uninjured, but as said the explosion left the tank literally inside out. Must have been quite a Bang! The chap had to go outside for a cigarette before he could carry on with his work. They were made of sterner stuff in them days.

Took a look at Miss November's tank and said the fracture must have started a while back. We agreed that as a modern replica of unknown provenance, the tank was probably made in India or somewhere else where the quality of steel might be, uhm, sub par.

Confirmed that I'm not in a great hurry for the tank and left it with Rob.
 
Raymond, it's almost a given that's a "vibration" break. After you get it repaired, I'd strongly suggest you replace the damper rubbers at the front and back tank mounts.... lest it breaks again. I believe Sumo Rubber carries 'em... and they're just up the road from you.

These just arrived from Sumo:

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Luvverly pliable rubber.
 
Not the first time i have seen and heard of the rear mount/bracket of the mikes XS tank breaking off. Friend of mines did the same thing. When comparing an originl to the aftermarket tank the difference in the thickness of the bracket is obvious.
That is interesting. Wonder if Mike and Jerry Heiden buy their tanks from the same source?
 
The most pointless upgrade?

Decided to fit a round rear light:

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Suppose it's about adding to the XS2 vibe? I know some early bikes has round rear lights so I figured it would do no harm for Miss November to have one too. TBH, not bothered about authenticity, the bike is a crazy mixed up kid anyhow.

Well, I think it looks nice.
 
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