Recent content by bwthor

Clubman type bars like these...

I converted a 1980 Special to a Cafe racer. Sitting on the bike, I'm in a forward leaning position, rather than the more relaxed sitting upright position. The Special also had a two up seat, so I'm guessing the rear springs are way too stiff for my 170lbs when in the leaning forward position...

The steel discs were not blued in any way, and when I sanded them, I didn't notice any warpage, although I wasn't specifically checking for that. Two specific questions... 1 - Are those Vesrah springs OK, or should I have gone with another brand? 2 - If regular engine oil was used, can this...

I purposely made sure there was plenty of free play at the side cover, to make sure I wasn't applying any force to the push rod.

I purchased these Vesrah Heavy Duty Clutch springs from Dennis Kirk. The plates and discs were well within specs, but I'm still getting a slipping clutch. Plenty of free play on the clutch adjuster too. The previous owner was a college kid, and he could have easily put the wrong oil in before...

I found these also - ebay XS650 muffer I figured it might be the stock headers, but wasn't sure about the bend below the A in Yamaha. Also, what is the OD of the header? My current setup is a Y pipe on the right side with the big swept up muffler, so I don't have a dual setup to compare to.

Could someone point me in the right direction to find an exhaust system similar to the one in this pic?

You can still get them for about $8 at Harbor Freight. I can almost guarantee they won't be around in 50 years though.

Yep, just ran across that info in another thread. Seems most of the problems people are having is getting them loose. Tried the first with my little impact drill, and it was an absolute no go. Went for the hammer style impact screwdriver and they popped loose. Thanks again 5twins, you and...

Does anyone know what thread size and pitch these would be? If I don't have the right size, I'd like to grab some before heading home. Edit...Found out they are 6mm, which is the size I have at home. Perfect!

Thanks 5twins, just the info I was looking for. Not sure why it didn't cross my mind yesterday, but I think I may have the right size heli-coil at home, and may just go that route.

I went to put some heavier clutch springs in this weekend, and found one bolt came out sort of tight. I'm guessing the PO either cross threaded it or stripped it out. When reinstalling, this one felt like it was stripping out before I hit the 8 lb/ft torque setting. My question is whether...

My 1980 came to me for $0 from a college work study that I worked with . He and his roommate bought it from another college buddy for $40 about three years prior in non running condition with some crash damage. After three years of them fixing the damage and attempting to get it running on and...

Of course. In my OP, I mentioned that they were both black, just on on the bike in the pic.

I think I like this idea, but outline the red with an 1/8" stripe. Might be just right! Or with red lettering too...