Take a crescent wrench and bend the mounting tab until the signal sticks straight out like it should.
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Miss November XS2 tribute
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
I think I once tried bending the frame tab but couldn't. Besides, the frame tab looks straight, but can never get the turn signal straight. I'll have to take a look at the bits, as in the kit Marty suggested, and see if I can make somesorta wedge/filler piece to fit in there . . .
And another thing that demands attention, the self-dismantling silencers. The flimsy mild steel channels that are supposed to locate the mounting brackets have failed, twice.
The obvious solution is remove the channels and have suitable brackets welded on in their place. But what shape and where do the mounting holes need to be? Got busy with bits of paper, pen and scissors to try and work it out
Yielding a template comme ςa.
Will take template and silencers to the engineers in Galashiels. Note the channels have been hacked off - new brackets will be welded on using the trace of the old channel to get them in the right place. The mounting hole won't be drilled until I offer silencer up to the bike.
Meanwhile Missy sits out patiently in the sunshine
Warm weather in March!
The obvious solution is remove the channels and have suitable brackets welded on in their place. But what shape and where do the mounting holes need to be? Got busy with bits of paper, pen and scissors to try and work it out
Yielding a template comme ςa.
Will take template and silencers to the engineers in Galashiels. Note the channels have been hacked off - new brackets will be welded on using the trace of the old channel to get them in the right place. The mounting hole won't be drilled until I offer silencer up to the bike.
Meanwhile Missy sits out patiently in the sunshine
Warm weather in March!
Today, taking the silencers to the engineers in Netherdale for welding new brackets. Getting a bit fed up with them parting company with the bike when the mountings fail presumably due to effects of vibration. Well, only happened twice, and the second time was due to the failure of Northumberland CC to provide a safe road - the shock of hitting that bump was too much for the mountings.
But twice is still too often.
I've made up some cardboard templates for the new brackets, which will be welded to the silencers. Today, put the silencers in roughly the right place, supported by sundry oil bottles etcetera and checked the templates are sort of the right size & shape.
I'm a bit worried about the lack of precision in my method but I'll discuss with Rob the welder - might be easiest to make the brackets a little over-size and cut them back when fitting to the bike?
Anyhoo, now to take them to the engineers. Not having a car, this will have to do.
Rucksack has been tied so it can't open, the silencers are taped together and the silencers are also tied to the top of the rucksack so it won't tip sideways and let them out. Lash up, but it'll do.
Course, could have saved the bother and borrowed Mrs' car . . .
But twice is still too often.
I've made up some cardboard templates for the new brackets, which will be welded to the silencers. Today, put the silencers in roughly the right place, supported by sundry oil bottles etcetera and checked the templates are sort of the right size & shape.
I'm a bit worried about the lack of precision in my method but I'll discuss with Rob the welder - might be easiest to make the brackets a little over-size and cut them back when fitting to the bike?
Anyhoo, now to take them to the engineers. Not having a car, this will have to do.
Rucksack has been tied so it can't open, the silencers are taped together and the silencers are also tied to the top of the rucksack so it won't tip sideways and let them out. Lash up, but it'll do.
Course, could have saved the bother and borrowed Mrs' car . . .
Yesterday, collected the silencers again. Rob has made some adjustments to hold the silencer a bit further out - on a trial fitting a week or two back, the l/h silencer fouled the spindle nut.
This morning a fitting session. The l/h one need a little bit of filing, maybe one millimetre, extended the mounting hole just a wee bit forward. Had tried clouting the silencer with a rubber mallet but the hole in the bracket just not quite able to slip over the frame bolt. R/h one went straight on.
The problem at last fitting was l/h too close to the spindle nut - axle nut in N America? Rob has re-shaped the bracket to hold it further out and by George it's just right! More by luck than good judgement as they say as all I could give Rob was guesstimates. He pointed out that his job woulda been a lot easier if he had the bike in his workshop.
If you zoom in on the spindle nut/R-clip, clearance to the silencer must be all of, ooh, 4 or 5 mm. As long as there's nothing touching when we go for a run, that's just what I wanted. And they both manage to sit at close enough to the same height:
Started and ran the engine for ten minutes, but not been out for a test run yet. But well pleased at this stage.
This morning a fitting session. The l/h one need a little bit of filing, maybe one millimetre, extended the mounting hole just a wee bit forward. Had tried clouting the silencer with a rubber mallet but the hole in the bracket just not quite able to slip over the frame bolt. R/h one went straight on.
The problem at last fitting was l/h too close to the spindle nut - axle nut in N America? Rob has re-shaped the bracket to hold it further out and by George it's just right! More by luck than good judgement as they say as all I could give Rob was guesstimates. He pointed out that his job woulda been a lot easier if he had the bike in his workshop.
If you zoom in on the spindle nut/R-clip, clearance to the silencer must be all of, ooh, 4 or 5 mm. As long as there's nothing touching when we go for a run, that's just what I wanted. And they both manage to sit at close enough to the same height:
Started and ran the engine for ten minutes, but not been out for a test run yet. But well pleased at this stage.
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Waiting for some friends to arrive, but managed to slip out for a quick test ride. About 8-9 miles?
Oh, that felt good. Familiar like an old pair of gloves. Though I had forgotten how crude the 650 is.
Fun.
Oh, that felt good. Familiar like an old pair of gloves. Though I had forgotten how crude the 650 is.
Fun.
Looks good Raymond! 
steve zodiac
XS650 Enthusiast
In my opinion.
The Orange & black Xs2 is one of the three most gorgeous bikes to have left the factory in standard trim.
The others are Kawasaki's S1/S2
& Z1B.
I thought about painting my Tx650 as a Xs2. But the tank & side panel difference put me off the idea. But it was a close run thing. People could have pointed out it was the wrong colour got the model.
But it would have been the right colour for me. That's what's important.
The Orange & black Xs2 is one of the three most gorgeous bikes to have left the factory in standard trim.
The others are Kawasaki's S1/S2
& Z1B.
I thought about painting my Tx650 as a Xs2. But the tank & side panel difference put me off the idea. But it was a close run thing. People could have pointed out it was the wrong colour got the model.
But it would have been the right colour for me. That's what's important.
Crude? Oh yes. Can't deny it, but I think riding older bikes is just so much more involving than modern ones. So much more physical input and therein lies so much satisfaction and a lot of the charm .... You really have to RIDE these things.
I went out for a 'classic run' with a friend last week. His H1's fuel pipes decided to become rock hard and piss fuel everywhere so he brought his Bimota .... which lasted no miles at all before the speedo failed and it started leaking oil. Fortunately he also has a modern BMW so off we went again, haring around bits of South Wales and the Forest of Dean. When I got home I'd covered 245 miles and my XS ran flawlessly!
First beer scarcely touched the sides ............
I went out for a 'classic run' with a friend last week. His H1's fuel pipes decided to become rock hard and piss fuel everywhere so he brought his Bimota .... which lasted no miles at all before the speedo failed and it started leaking oil. Fortunately he also has a modern BMW so off we went again, haring around bits of South Wales and the Forest of Dean. When I got home I'd covered 245 miles and my XS ran flawlessly!
First beer scarcely touched the sides ............
First opportunity to properly warm the engine oil, as it were. Just a trip to the shops in Galashiels, twenty miles total.
Yes the XS650 is crude but I guess that's character, that is. As @nighthog says, more involving.
The bike started first proper kick, same again in Gala, nothing fell off or rattled, in fact running rather well. I feel very lucky to own a useful classic - it's not a concours original, nor an intact old survivor. I call Miss November a tribute to the 1972 XS2 but to me it serves as a living testament to 1970s bikes, the bikes many of us grew up around in a simpler age. And I can mostly just jump on and savour the flavour whenever.
Yes the XS650 is crude but I guess that's character, that is. As @nighthog says, more involving.
The bike started first proper kick, same again in Gala, nothing fell off or rattled, in fact running rather well. I feel very lucky to own a useful classic - it's not a concours original, nor an intact old survivor. I call Miss November a tribute to the 1972 XS2 but to me it serves as a living testament to 1970s bikes, the bikes many of us grew up around in a simpler age. And I can mostly just jump on and savour the flavour whenever.
I finally looked up Galashiels on the map. I’ve watched a good bit of Scotland motorcycle touring. Beautiful! Now, I have some idea where it is though I’ve never visited the UK outside an RON at Lakenheath AFB.
Living in the Scottish Borders we are lucky enough to live in a rural area with varied types of landscape, low population levels, an over-looked place, economically irrelevant, touristic blind-spot, most people have heard of but rarely think about and are even less likely to visit. A non-place. Shhh.
My kind of place!
I too have gone on YouTube and found a video of Galashiels ( there are lots of them actually ) and it looked like a really charming place to live. Beautiful river too!
Total bliss, how lucky you are
Thank you, Ads. The three bikes in the garage are probably most folks idea of junk but I do feel very lucky to have them all in running order.
Gratuitous picture of Miss November, just back from a run, quietly ticking away in the back yard.
Not among this group! To many, every bit of rolling stock I have is junk. This junk has been providing my transportation for my whole life and helping my financial position along the way.
Nice bike, nice brick courtyard and nice brick house.... love it all.
It’s the back entrance into my church. The building is a bit over 100 years old. Not old by European standards, I know.
