Mikes XS 13mm Master cylinder

[XSTime]

I have this brand new 13mm master cylinder in my stash.
It even has a left hand thread mirror mount.
Mikes XS does have optional bore sizes avaliable for XS650’s.
Over the years I haven’t noticed anybody mentioning this as a good option. Looks great to me though to use.
Im actually hoping to find an upgraded clutch perch and lever which matches well.
There has been some mentioning (5twins) of a Kawasaki clutch perch being perhaps superior to the stock XS650 clutch perch, having a longer stronger pivot through the lever.
Anybody have pics or input on these questions?
Thanks, RT

 

[Its been a long time]

I have this brand new 13mm master cylinder in my stash.
It even has a left hand thread mirror mount.
Mikes XS does have optional bore sizes avaliable for XS650’s.
Over the years I haven’t noticed anybody mentioning this as a good option. Looks great to me though to use.
Im actually hoping to find an upgraded clutch perch and lever which matches well.
There has been some mentioning (5twins) of a Kawasaki clutch perch being perhaps superior to the stock XS650 clutch perch, having a longer stronger pivot through the lever.
Anybody have pics or input on these questions?
Thanks, RT

If that's the EMGO one, I bought one recently. It's a 12.7mm piston diameter. It's OK. In my case the original 1977 master cylinder was corroded beyond repair. The EMGO one is a decent enough replacement. Importantly, it has the Yamaha 10mm left hand thread mirror mount.

Only minor issue I had is the brake light switch lead is too short. The original Yamaha brake light switch doesn't fit the new unit, it's a bit bigger.

 

[5twins]

I have a 1/2" on one of my 650s, an 11mm on the other. The 1/2" MC will give you a slight improvement in "feel" and modulation compared to the stock 14mm one, but not as much as an 11mm will. But on the other hand, the 1/2" MC won't have much more lever travel than the stock one. The 11mm has lots more, which I didn't like at first, but I've grown used to it and think the better "feel" and modulation makes it a worthwhile trade-off.
I shop eBay for used MCs from other Yamaha models. The benefits are they accept the same levers and brake light switch as an original, and the quality is good. I haven't needed to install a rebuild kit, just thoroughly clean them out. The only thing I replaced were the screws in the lids. Granted, they are a bit "weathered" looking, but that blends in fine with the rest of the bike, lol .....

Yes, I discovered the Kawasaki clutch lever and perch assembly quite by accident, finding one in a box of assorted bike parts I acquired. And yes, the reason I like it is because of it's much wider lever pivot, 3 to 4 times as wide as the Yamaha one .....

No worries about the pivot hole wallowing out oval on this one like the original ones do. However, there is one small mod needed to use this. The distance between where the cable attaches to the lever and the adjuster in the perch is quite a bit less on the Kawasaki assembly .....

This adds a lot more freeplay to the cable. You can adjust it out but it has the adjuster screwed out almost all the way. I didn't like that so I came up with a simple "fix", adding a spacer or shim to the cable to take up that extra play. The spacer is made from the end of an old clutch cable elbow and fitted down at the bottom of the cable .....

This makes the adjuster at the perch only require a turn or two out to get the proper setting .....

 

[XSTime]

Great info on that Kawasaki lever perch!
Have you by chance determined a preferred model or year span to search for on EBay?

 

[XSTime]

If that's the EMGO one, I bought one recently. It's a 12.7mm piston diameter.

Interesting. Perhaps the Emgo is the same?
According to the Mikes Site, I do have the 13mm option however.
I believe searching the Mikes XS master cylinder options is beneficial to look over too

 

[5twins]

These perch and lever assemblies were used on many of the Kawasaki KZ models from the mid '70s up through the mid '80s. Most of the '80s ones will have a clutch safety switch which you just leave off, but then you're left with it's hole. A KZ400 perch from the late '70s is a good choice because it won't have that switch .....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3839996292...Xuiuvg0FK2RnEkUN85waFPV6VL|tkp:Bk9SR8iqjIa3Yw

Although you can still buy the pivot bolt and the cable adjuster, they're not cheap, so it's best to try and get an assembly that has them and they're still in good shape.

 

[5twins]

I'm pretty sure you can get dogleg style replacement levers as well. I went the opposite direction, replacing my brake lever to match the Kawasaki clutch lever style.

 

[Its been a long time]

Interesting. Perhaps the Emgo is the same?
According to the Mikes Site, I do have the 13mm option however.
I believe searching the Mikes XS master cylinder options is beneficial to look over too

Looking at your pictures, I'm 99% sure that's an EMGO master cylinder.

 

[XSTime]

Here is a clear view of an identification casting “T05”