Mailmans XS2 , the rebuild.......again

And No i don't have a preference. Just get it on the road ........that ride thread isn't getting enough use:laugh2:
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Below is my response to the post mentioned in the first page. Bob I did the same thing. You have a second tank. You may want to check with a very good welder about putting that good filler neck on your old one in the new one. A while back there was someone on Ebay who ground the weld from the bottom of the filler neck and removed the entire filler neck and was selling it. Like this one.https://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-1974-...748994?hash=item2afd447702:g:t2UAAOSwPDVgEGWH Thats another possibility but not sure how they would weld it back on. Im not sure about that JB weld idea. I think I would fabricate those tabs out of a single piece of steel connected in the front then tac weld that in place of the existing tabs. A good welder could put small tac on both sides and front to hold them in place.

The filler neck and tabs are cast in but I am not sure what the material is. Im pretty sure brazing would damage whats there. When I had my tank painted the painter chemically cleaned the first tank and did not realize the filler neck was not metal. The end result was a loss of most of the filler neck including the tabs. Lucky i had several tanks at the time. I planned on saving the tank by using a good neck from a beat up 71 tank. The idea was to cut the neck out of the 71 leaving as much metal surrounding it and then welding that into the 72 tank. That plan failed when I could not get the pin out of the cap and broke those tabs off the 71. The filler neck material is very brittle and will not take a lot of twisting. Not sure how you are going to fix those tabs. Maybe you could fab a small tab out of metal and tac it in place. Let us know if you think of anything else.
 
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Well Bob, you are fortunate to have a fellow like Jim on call. His standards and skills are up there with your own and the finished product will, undoubtedly reflect that.
I would still apply the decals in white or see if Jim can mask and paint them. The XS2 tank is an iconic signature of the model and I fear you may regret not restoring it to its former glory - even it is is only vinyl.
Good luck mate!
 
Well, what a saga already. Just catching up. Yes, the fuel tank is the visual statement on a motorbike. As David says. But at the end of the day what really matters is what you're happy with. Plus getting the bike back on the road where it belongs. Racking up those miles & smiles.
 
Well Bob, you are fortunate to have a fellow like Jim on call. His standards and skills are up there with your own and the finished product will, undoubtedly reflect that.
I would still apply the decals in white or see if Jim can mask and paint them. The XS2 tank is an iconic signature of the model and I fear you may regret not restoring it to its former glory - even it is is only vinyl.
Good luck mate!

Im pretty sure the product your referring to is not a decal but a tank mask used to block off the white before you paint the red. You still need to apply white
https://www.diablocycle.com/xs1-1972-gas-tank-paint-mask-set.html
 
Now this is where the purists are going to howl.
No shame from me! Sometimes the only logical choice is to outsource. I can tell you that I will NEVER try to mount a tire myself again. Won't do it. Any wheels of mine are going to the nice man at the local bike shop who takes my money and says it will be done by the end of the day.
 
red. I like it. :smoke:
Of course, I'm a little biased... :rolleyes:
Yes, Jims Special is a real looker!
Partly contributing to the appeal is the "match" in tank badges to the side cover badges. The block "650" numbers pull that off.
One thing that has not worked for me visually about the early XS's is that Yamaha did not well match tank badges with side panel decor. I do like the white stripe but, If I were to sway away from purist original, I'd be trying to come up with Chrome trim which would better match the side covers
:cool: :twocents:
 
OK, I still advocate for originality but it is your bike Bob and I know you must be sick of it sitting in the garage. You have put in a sterling effort to re-establish the integrity of your lovely motorcycle after they, who shall not be named, f@#ked it up. Once again, I tip my hat to you.
I will have the impertinence to disagree with cra-z1. I ran a graphics business a decade ago and I would suggest that those stickers are direct application with a lifespan of around 5 -10 years depending on how the motorcycle is stored. They would be easy application and removal for replacement but, in those days you had to be a little careful about what finish you applied over them - things may have changed.
And yes, Jim's finish will be, undoubtedly, superior to the bike in Willis' find.
If I may misquote Farragut,
"Full speed ahead! And damn we opinionated onlookers!!"
 
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