Recent content by XSLeo

One place aluminum bits in the oil can come from is the clutch basket. The clutch has steel and fiber plates. The fibers are a piece of metal, not sure right off what metal, don't think it's steel, anyway as you work the clutch these metal tabs on the fibers rubs on the slots in the basket. As...

On your oil filters. They are both designed to be cleaned and reused. Often you will find the sump filter torn. Easy fix. Is small tear just clean really good, coat with JB Weld or your favorite epoxy. If large tears or chunks missing cut a patch out of an adult beverage can that covers the hole...

I just got a motion pro cable for $12.14 off Amazon. It was listed as a 76 to 81 standard cable these are a few inches shorter than the Special cables. I put lower bars on the specials, hated the special bars.

Depending on the regulator the body needs a ground. Try hooking up a wire from one of the reg mount bolts so the wire touches the body of the reg, attach the other end to a good ground. Recheck your voltages. If your lucky you haven't fried your reg. I fried one of mine by not hooking it up...

Are you going to use this new engine in the same bike you are riding now? If so just use the stator and rotor of your bike on the new engine. The TCI uses a set of pick ups mounted on the stator and the rotor has a magnet mounted in the edge. As the rotor turns the magnet passes the pick ups...

In the "Some electrical diagrams" I like #4. The main diagram shows a basic points and mechanical regulator and silicon rectifier. In the boxes are the later TCI and combo reg/rec. Upper right is the starter. Íf you are using aftermarket ignition or reg/rec then just study how the diagram shows...

Been off here for awhile. Things been tough health and all, but feeling good enough to ride. Got the 83 out, rode it some then wouldn't start. It wasn't running the best so I swapped in another set of carbs. Didn't help Started checking out the ignition, it has a Pamco on it. It has power on...

These bikes are a lot like Lego's. Most parts fit most bikes. It's not surprising your engine and frame numbers don't match. Often if an engine goes bad, people just swap in a known good engine instead of rebuilding what they have. There are lists on here in the TECH section that tells what...

Fuggled or not the ground path from the start button is through the bars. If the bars have lost the proper ground then they may ground through the carbs. Do your carb bodies touch anything other than the rubber mouhts? If so that may be how. On the early models the bars grounded through a wire...

Is your battery fully charged? If not charge it. The TCI doesn't like low voltage. Any thing much less than about 12 volts is low enough to effect the TCI and make it run poorly. Check voltage on the red/white wires at the coil and at the TCI. WEak connections and contacts in switches can bring...

Points, Have you checked them? They need to be clean, gapped and timed right. You have two sets of points. One for each side. The side not running right is the one to check first. New points are not expencive. Around $20. Your repair manual explins how to do this. If that don't help it may be...

If you can't see spark with a fully charged battery, you need to start checking things. At the coil and TCI box you should have full battery voltage on the red/white wires. A .1 or .2 less is ok but much more needs further checking. These voltage drops can be in any connection between the...

There is a yellow wire that comes up out of the stator. It isn't in the big plug. It plugs into the yellow wire to the safety/headlight relay. As the engine starts the alternator starts to make power. This yellow wire uses some of this power to trip the safey/headlight relay. In the normally...

I've read a lot about most of the enginemods you can do. I have a 750 kit in my 75. If and when I rebuild another XS it will get a 750 kit. The 10-12% power increase is nice.The great reduction in above 4500 rpms vibration is well worth the cost. I'm noty sure just why this happens. Perhaps...

Don't sound all that good. A 5 prong lighting relay can be used. Hook the r/w wire that has power to terminal 30, hook the other r/w wire to 87A. This will send power to the starter relay. This allows you to start the bike. Hook the yellow wire from the alternator or run a wire from one leg of a...