Search results

Just been cleaning up the XS1 front brake I bought. The rubber blanking discs are missing from the drum, and so is the chromed blanking plate for the air scoop on the brake plate. I'm just wondering if anyone is actually using these vents on their bikes ? Yamaha seemed to go to a lot of trouble...

Just bought a spare front hub/drum c/w the brake plate. Not actually seen it in the metal yet, only photos, but it's all looking salvageable, except for the speedo drive, which is looking too far gone in my guesstimation. Is there any way to save this ? Or am I looking at a GPS Speedo...

I've got quite a collection of chromed parts, where the chrome is in presentable condition, but the reverse side has a good layer of surface rust. Both the mudguards ( just picked up a nice rear one), the headlamp rim, rear unit shrouds (XS1B), and the tail lamp mounting. Lots of bits in fact...

I'm thinking of running high level open pipes on one of my 650 Specials. I'm going for the "Street Scrambler" look like the old Triumph TR6C. I'm just wondering if the standard BS34 carbs will be able to cope with the lack of back pressure. I don't want loads of popping and backfiring on the...

I've bought another '70 to '72 fuel tank. It's got some issues that you'd expect with a fifty year old tank, but one thing that I never spotted before bidding was that an impact on the filler cap has bent the filler over about 10° to the left. Having had some previous experience with these...

I've just taken delivery of a TLS front drum from a German market model SR500. I've never actually looked at one "in the metal" before. Obviously I knew that the drum casting itself was completely different with five dummy vent holes replacing the six genuine vent holes of the XS1. I wasn't too...

I've not been on here for a while. I've been temporarily distracted from my motorcycle projects. My XT500 based project has now progressed to an engine and a standard XT frame, with the engine mounts and oil pipes. And that's about all. I've got a front end that I can build up from SR500 and...

Can someone please give me the part number for the above rim ? Just in case I ever stumble across one in a breakers or autojumble (swap meet) I got the rear 16" wheel to match, and it just doesn't look right with one of the"dog pee catcher" flanged rims up front. Just debating with myself...

I just bought a set of '75 clocks off a well known auction site. Overall I'm pleased with what I got for my money, especially compared to some of the Mickey Mouse prices being asked by some vendors. But annoyingly, the trip milometer knob has been sheared in half during transit. All because the...

Now that I've almost finished mauling the centre stand that I bought for my XS1B straight (one pivot point is misaligned still) I'm wondering if I should add some gussets to beef it up. I've done the tang gusset modification to the '74 type stand a few times I'm just wondering if the early type...

I've just been lucky enough to buy this early type centre stand for my XS1B without the traditional mutilated or ripped off tongue. It is twisted along the axis of the centre tube but that's only to be expected after fifty years or so. I'm also wondering if it's been bent narrower at the bottom...

The one component of my '78 650 Special that I don't like too much is the single piston sliding type caliper. What would be a good modern type caliper to replace it with ? I'm capable of constructing my own mounting adapter so that's not a problem. My basic criteria is something that will work...

I've just scrounged a couple of spare roadster wheels. As you can see from the photo the spokes are too rusted for comfort. New stainless spokes required I don't know if the rims will polish up, believe it or not, they are much better than the ones I've already got. If the corrosion is too ugly...

I've just bought a pair of heavily drilled disc rotors with the hope of converting my US spec '75 XS650B to twin discs. The discs are 295mm composite type with the alloy centre bolted to the stainless steel outer rotor. Hopefully I've got the right discs for my US market type forks. Or have I...

I've just picked up a rather tidy set of XS650C instruments. The one year only 1976 type with no sign of the usual dents and scrapes to the bezels, or having been opened up by prising up the back edge of the bezels. However on the tachometer the threaded metal drive thimble that the cable...

Is anyone making or selling replica mudguards for these bikes yet ? My mudguards are tired but the prices I've seen for new ones are just beyond the pale. About £850 for a new front guard once you've bought all the bits. I can't find a new rear guard but I've seen a perfect used one advertised...

Anyone know of a cheap and quick way to remove the stuff at home ? I know that I could take the stuff to a professional paint strippers but I could do without the trouble of transporting it and waiting for it.

Anyone worked out a way to pull out the bend in these ? Strangely, all the XS1/XS2 type brackets I've got are straight. All the '75 B type brackets I've got are damaged (bent) bar one. The only way to get them straight I can think of is by drilling out all the spot welds from the reverse side...

Anyone know of a surefire way to strip the black stuff that Yamaha used on engines like the Heritage Special, XT500, and XS750 ? I'm reading sort of conflicting advice on the web. Yamaha seemed to have made a big investment on a top quality process back in the day, but 40 years later it's a real...

I've been considering a two stroke trail bike project for a while now. Possibly a DT1 or early DT250. Maybe the RT1 or early DT360. I like the styling of the early bikes, before someone in Yamahas styling dept. screwed them up. A nice stable mate for my XS1 I think I what I'd like to know is how...