Tack427
XS650 Addict
Story goes' like this.
Back in June of 2011, I got a call from my wife's godmother to check out a couch she was getting rid of. Wife's godmother's - mother had passed away the summer before and they wanted to clean out the house to sell it. On the drive over to the house I saw 5 or 6 Bikes take off from the light's and I said to my wife. "Hey Honey, can I get another bike." this time she said YES. (I've been asking every time I saw a bike since returning from Iraq the summer before and always got the "NO!" answer) I guess she was sick of me asking all the time. I said "You think the mother had a motorcycle she wants to get rid of too?" Her reply was "the lady was 100 years old, No she doesn't have a motorcycle she wants to get rid of."
So after getting to the house and checking out the couch and a table, the wife's godmother ask's "Anything else you could use?" I say, "You wouldn't happen to have a old motorcycle laying around would you?" To my surprise she says yes! (Wife just shakes her head). So quickly we get up and make our way to the backyard. I see it from a distance from the window. "Alright! an F'n Harley, no way!!" I say to myself. Getting a better look as I get closer I see its not the old Harley I saw from the window. Bummer.
I get right up to it and check it out better, its a XS650 and It's a mess. It had been in a shed for at least 10 years before the shed collapsed onto it. It was pulled out from under the mess and set to the side. The pile of shed along with the keys were sent to the dump.
So it sat for another 5 years in the weather. So you can only imagine its condition.
- Dry rotted tires, one flat, rusted chrome fender, no seat cover to speak of, cut front brake line, frozen front caliper, front mag rotted away from the brake fluid dripping, every kind of spider in the northeast, a nice coating of scum, and about 20 acorns in different places.
I didn't want to take it home, but the motor kicked over, and it was free with the title.
I added a can of fixaflat to the tire and with a Buddy's help dragged it to the street and got in the the back of the truck. It was at least 90 out and the half flat tire and frozen caliper didn't make it easy. (I never took the couch, LOL)
(I wish I had taken a picture of it when I first pulled it out, But I didn't and I'm kicking myself now)
After a few days of cleaning it, I like the look of it, and after searching around found lots of other XS's that turned out really nice.
I ordered a set of keys on ebay and while waiting patiently, I broke the latch on the gas cap. (I guess I should have waited.) But I was able to get the seat opened, The tank was clean inside. And I thought I was lucky, while the tank must have been drained the carbs were not with a nice layer of brown shit in the bowls, jets and floats.
A full can of carb cleaner later, some fresh gas and a new battery. She started right up, for about 6 seconds.
Game on!
Back in June of 2011, I got a call from my wife's godmother to check out a couch she was getting rid of. Wife's godmother's - mother had passed away the summer before and they wanted to clean out the house to sell it. On the drive over to the house I saw 5 or 6 Bikes take off from the light's and I said to my wife. "Hey Honey, can I get another bike." this time she said YES. (I've been asking every time I saw a bike since returning from Iraq the summer before and always got the "NO!" answer) I guess she was sick of me asking all the time. I said "You think the mother had a motorcycle she wants to get rid of too?" Her reply was "the lady was 100 years old, No she doesn't have a motorcycle she wants to get rid of."
So after getting to the house and checking out the couch and a table, the wife's godmother ask's "Anything else you could use?" I say, "You wouldn't happen to have a old motorcycle laying around would you?" To my surprise she says yes! (Wife just shakes her head). So quickly we get up and make our way to the backyard. I see it from a distance from the window. "Alright! an F'n Harley, no way!!" I say to myself. Getting a better look as I get closer I see its not the old Harley I saw from the window. Bummer.
I get right up to it and check it out better, its a XS650 and It's a mess. It had been in a shed for at least 10 years before the shed collapsed onto it. It was pulled out from under the mess and set to the side. The pile of shed along with the keys were sent to the dump.
So it sat for another 5 years in the weather. So you can only imagine its condition.
- Dry rotted tires, one flat, rusted chrome fender, no seat cover to speak of, cut front brake line, frozen front caliper, front mag rotted away from the brake fluid dripping, every kind of spider in the northeast, a nice coating of scum, and about 20 acorns in different places.
I didn't want to take it home, but the motor kicked over, and it was free with the title.
I added a can of fixaflat to the tire and with a Buddy's help dragged it to the street and got in the the back of the truck. It was at least 90 out and the half flat tire and frozen caliper didn't make it easy. (I never took the couch, LOL)
(I wish I had taken a picture of it when I first pulled it out, But I didn't and I'm kicking myself now)
After a few days of cleaning it, I like the look of it, and after searching around found lots of other XS's that turned out really nice.
I ordered a set of keys on ebay and while waiting patiently, I broke the latch on the gas cap. (I guess I should have waited.) But I was able to get the seat opened, The tank was clean inside. And I thought I was lucky, while the tank must have been drained the carbs were not with a nice layer of brown shit in the bowls, jets and floats.
A full can of carb cleaner later, some fresh gas and a new battery. She started right up, for about 6 seconds.
Game on!
