restoration

Hey all. I bought my 1978 XS650e last month and have really enjoyed working on it, but I've run into a problem that has stumped me. First, some background. When I bought the bike, it wasn't getting any power, the cables on all the lights and blinkers were either disconnected or cut. I took...

According to you how do you accomplish this? the carter is Polish but the cylinder and the crankcase? you paint color aluminum?:D

I bought a 1978 XS650e last month. When I got it the wiring going to the front and back blinkers had been cut. I wired everything up, but the blinker lights would just come on steady. I did some research on the forums here and replaced the flasher relay with one from autozone which was...

guess i'll be buying tags soon, this just might need to be ridden! last time i rode this was in 1978.

hi all, mark h in mesa Arizona here. I've been away from this list for several years mucking about with many other bikes(sr500,xs1100,vstar1100,vstar650, gl1200) but I've just rescued yet another '80 xs650 special from getting destroyed as happens so frequently here in the phoenix area. yeah I...

Evening all. I have a seat already on my xs2. It's original and whenever it rains yellow mud drips out from the seat pan and covers the rear end of the bike so I'm assuming that the foam is beyond repair. I have a good quality brand new seat cover and have sourced a new foam for the seat. I'm...

Yes, you read it correctly. This was no barn find. My NTM XS1b was found uncovered in an open field in central Texas. I've been a fan of these vintage bikes for a while but never made any moves until this one came along. I bought both bikes pictured; the other, a KZ400 was promptly sold for the...

Hey everybody. I'm new around here and I'm new to bikes in general, so bear with me because I'm going to have lots of questions and make lots of dumb mistakes, I'm sure. I am picking up a 78 xs650 Special in a few days which has been sitting for a while (a long while). It's pretty rough...

has anyone tried this to remove the clear from the aluminum covers and brake plates before polishing

My 83 heritage special and my buddys 82 xj650 out for a ride :D:bike:

Hello everyone, I have recently became an owner of 1981 XS650! I bought this bike as a side project from my friend's acquaintance. The bike has been originally found on the junkyard and was bought out for a nominal price. My friend's acquaintance was able to get the bike starting and running...

Hoping to get my first xs650. Can you gents help me ID the year and model? Many thanks! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205756238612583&set=a.1017514405512.2003198.1454682174&type=3&theater

I have figured out what was wrong with my 1971 regulator, and why the charging system wasn't charging. No power to reg. So I powered it up, and started the bike. It has all original electrics, and although I cant run it very long(fouls out plugs), I was able to at least get a read while it...

So, I went thru my carbs and check floats on my 1971 b, and if I remember correctly, four years ago, I replaced those orings with one from mikesxs. They were tight when I replaced them. Granted the bike has been sitting for a few years, but when I replaced the originals with mikes, the originals...

Hi Everyone, I haven't been around here in a couple of years, but finally rolled this project out of the shed and started working on it a month or so ago. I picked this bike up as a basket case. The PO was going to chop it and had disassembled much of it. The air boxes, battery box...

While there are a few threads about these wheels floating around, the information is pretty scarce. Even more scarce is information about restoring them and actually fitting them on a bike. This is a thread about how I did it for my bike. As you'll see as we go along, there were a few...

I've recently noticed that Dime City Cycles and eBay are both carrying these Tec Bike Parts shocks. They look to be a less expensive version of an Ohlins like piggy pack style. Has anyone ever used them? Good/Bad reviews? Price is very tempting, but I'm almost 100% sure that this is a "get what...

I looked at the craigslist parts and accesories page and I saw an ad for Kawasaki motorcycle (parts). The listing said: Selling a late 60's early 70's Kawasaki H1 H2? Motorcycle and extra frame for parts, no title. Motor cranks over, that's all I know about the condition. And by that I knew...

So...a few years ago, Imy friend had a 71 in a shed, his father bought it new, and one day, my friend, greg was racing, and overheated the engine, still ran with a strange engine noise, after rebuild, still strange noise, stuck it in said shed. that was the early 1990's. fast forward to 2007, we...

I went to look at a potential new bike tonight, right away a few things jumped out at me. Listed as a '78 SE, 36,000kms. 1. oversized fins on cylinders, big bore kit?? 2. progressive rear shocks? any good? 3. new mufflers, any idea on quality/brand? Let me know what you guys think.