I have mixed feelings. It certainly does no harm in a carbureted engine. I do see MMO at the front of my carburetors, so it does lube the slides. Perhaps it does the top end good.
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Miss November XS2 tribute
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
A sticky advance or weak advance springs can cause hanging idle also.
Madness had gotten a bit grumpy and lost power on steep hills (acting like one cylinder was dropping out) on my last two rides. While putting on gear the other day I saw a crack had developed in an intake to vacuum petcock line. Whew that was easy. Still need to replace the other side as a precaution.
Madness had gotten a bit grumpy and lost power on steep hills (acting like one cylinder was dropping out) on my last two rides. While putting on gear the other day I saw a crack had developed in an intake to vacuum petcock line. Whew that was easy. Still need to replace the other side as a precaution.
Oh thanks Marty! I just went down a rabbit hole watching Project Farm videos on YouTube!
All I can say is my faith in original JB Weld has been vindicated! 
Yes it takes time to build up trust in a bike. When I first got my XS2 running the first few times out I didn't venture any farther than I thought I could push it home. First time I went for a real ride it had a problem on the way back. It did get me home without having to do any pushing. Got that fixed and now I trust it. It's given me some trouble since but nothing that caused it not making it home.
It is if the person that that owns it understand it takes more maintenance than a modern bike. Back in the day these were new most owners were new to bikes. They rode them hard and put them away wet. If it started it was good to go. After a few years dump it and buy a new shiny toy. Now one needs to fix all the prior owners past transgressions and then maintain it.
I've taken a couple of trips on mine. 2000 and 1700 smiles. She brought me home both times. Thinking about maybe a longer trip in a few months. I also use it as my daily rider. The BMr (83 R100RT) I ride depending on the weather or what I need to carry. The RE just when I feel like riding it. Since I have the time and space to maintain it and I like working on it is a "practical classic" to me.
Note: I bought it in 1976 from my older brother so there is that.
Boyer Bransden, so that one is ruled out. Manual fuel taps not vacuum.
Hanging idle sounds like a fair description of what has happened a couple of times. For now, I'm hoping that adjusting and lubing the throttle cable will banish the problem.
Have covered nearly 5,000 miles with Miss November. Which despite seller's description wasn't a runner. Cam chain too long, clutch put together wrong, tank full of holes and rust, dire electrics, etcetera. But having worked through the problems and last a year road trip to see friends in Cheshire - only problem that occurred on that trip was headlamp rim screw falling out - we're more or less on to the fine tuning and fettling. Yes, an older bike needs more maintenance. But there's a huge satisfaction in knowing the bike well enough to be able to keep things mostly reliable.
And I still feel a grin every time she starts. Especially when it's normally first kick.
Since I posted, the H4 bulbs arrived.
One fitted, one spare.
In the past, did not look forward to going into the headlamp shell. It took the grip of a Sumo wrestler to hold everything while trying to inveigle the screws back in. Well, still don't look forward to going in there, but with the deeper XS750 shell and new rim screws it's a lot easier than it used to be.
One fitted, one spare.
In the past, did not look forward to going into the headlamp shell. It took the grip of a Sumo wrestler to hold everything while trying to inveigle the screws back in. Well, still don't look forward to going in there, but with the deeper XS750 shell and new rim screws it's a lot easier than it used to be.
Thank you, Bob. Credit entirely to Mrs. Apart from m/c tinkering, I'm chief cook & bottle washer. She is Head Gardener among many other roles.
The XS now has more miles on the clock than than the W800. Only taken 43 years to amass them though.
Speaking of seat covers, Raymonds Special seat with the additional strap looks very good
Speaking of seat covers, Raymonds Special seat with the additional strap looks very good
Thank you Machine, but as far as I know and that ain't much that's just stock with the strap. I think some administrations required a strap to help the passenger feel safer?
Anyhow, on July 12th I reported Miss November had passed 32,222 miles. @fredintoon suggested 33,333 would be worth a photo.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/miss-november-xs2-tribute.55057/page-84#post-702024
So here it is.
Ha! That’s pretty cool Raymond! 
Thank you for asking 5T. Always said, I'm a rider and was very reluctant to have to rebuild and sort the XS. Riding bikes has been my way of life since me Mum put me on the back of a BSA Bantam aged 18 months. Don't even own a car* so the bikes are used for nearly everything. Plus, it's summer and the weather is good, got to put the miles in now before the salt comes . . .
* got to be honest though - I'll be glad enough to borrow Mrs' car when there's snow and ice.
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Solved a little mystery today. I don't like mysteries, but there's been this annoying sound. It's like a rattle or perhaps more a buzz? Not there at tick-over, but as speed builds and the engine gains a few revs, above 2,000 rpm and most especially under power, this sound is there. Definitely loud enough to be real, not imaginary.
Began to pay attention to it a few weeks back. And then, once a sound has your attention, you can't not hear it.
At first, thought about whether it was coming from the engine. That's always the biggest worry. Is it badly adjusted valves? Something loose inside the engine? Small ends? A bearing giving up? OMG, is there something terminal wrong inside the engine and the bike is trying to tell me and I've failed to recognise the signs? Funny how a sound can get your imagination working overtime.
But, soon eliminated the engine as source. Listened to the bike running in the backyard, helmet off. Sounds fine. A few revs, still fine. Even used the screwdriver stethoscope method. Lots of whirring noises inside the engine, but no annoying rattle. Or even buzz.
As I ride the XS, the sound seems to come from in front of me. Is it something at the front of the bike, resonating as the engine picks up? Must be that, but what can it be? Loose instrument binnacle? Loose headlamp?
Today, as we went for a gentle perambulation along the B6400, tried to focus on where the sound was coming from. On a sudden notion, placed the tip of my left index on the lock of the tank cap and applied gentle pressure. The noise stopped!
Release the pressure, and the resonance was back. Finger, it stopped again.
Hallelujah! I now know that it's the petrol cap that rattles.
Now all that remains is to find some way of stopping it . . .
Began to pay attention to it a few weeks back. And then, once a sound has your attention, you can't not hear it.
At first, thought about whether it was coming from the engine. That's always the biggest worry. Is it badly adjusted valves? Something loose inside the engine? Small ends? A bearing giving up? OMG, is there something terminal wrong inside the engine and the bike is trying to tell me and I've failed to recognise the signs? Funny how a sound can get your imagination working overtime.
But, soon eliminated the engine as source. Listened to the bike running in the backyard, helmet off. Sounds fine. A few revs, still fine. Even used the screwdriver stethoscope method. Lots of whirring noises inside the engine, but no annoying rattle. Or even buzz.
As I ride the XS, the sound seems to come from in front of me. Is it something at the front of the bike, resonating as the engine picks up? Must be that, but what can it be? Loose instrument binnacle? Loose headlamp?
Today, as we went for a gentle perambulation along the B6400, tried to focus on where the sound was coming from. On a sudden notion, placed the tip of my left index on the lock of the tank cap and applied gentle pressure. The noise stopped!
Release the pressure, and the resonance was back. Finger, it stopped again.
Hallelujah! I now know that it's the petrol cap that rattles.
Now all that remains is to find some way of stopping it . . .
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The little filter in there rotted away. Replace it.
Marty, thank you for the suggestion. I'm guessing you mean the sealing rubber? It's not a plain rubber washer, it has a lip to fit over the flange of the cap. So I cut a thin rubber ring to fit inside the seal, making it thicker, hoping that would hold the cap better and eliminate movement. Certainly, the cap felt more secure with that change.
Went out for a run - the resonance was quieter but still there. Further exploration with my finger - oh, do be quiet at the back - pressing on the lock stopped the sound but pressing on the middle of the cap did not. Conclusion - it's the lock that resonates.
Back in the garage, soon confirmed found that elements of the lock are all quite loose. It's a cheap and nasty lock. There followed a saga of trying different things. It all went a bit Oooh errr! when I started to dismantle the lock and the return spring rapidly completed that task for me. Took 2 or 3 attempts before I learned how it all goes together and works. Various attempts to fit gasket paper shims inside the lock to take up clearance. Unfortunately, paper shims either didn't take up enough clearance or jammed the lock.
Was looking at the problem with Mrs when the same idea came to both of us. 'Would the lock from the old cap fit on the new cap?'
Only one way to find out:
That's the old lock fitted to the new cap. Only took a little bit of finessing with a file to make it fit. The new lock, dismantled, is on the tray. Note bung to prevent accidentally dropping small screws or WHY into the tank.
The lock from the original filler cap is much more robust than the Heiden-supplied one. And another test ride quickly confirmed that the annoying rattle, or is it a buzz, has gone.
Additional benefit - the Yamaha only needs two keys now. The same key fits the petrol cap and the seat lock. And the old lock definitely seems to hold the cap shut more firmly.
Onwards and upwards!
Went out for a run - the resonance was quieter but still there. Further exploration with my finger - oh, do be quiet at the back - pressing on the lock stopped the sound but pressing on the middle of the cap did not. Conclusion - it's the lock that resonates.
Back in the garage, soon confirmed found that elements of the lock are all quite loose. It's a cheap and nasty lock. There followed a saga of trying different things. It all went a bit Oooh errr! when I started to dismantle the lock and the return spring rapidly completed that task for me. Took 2 or 3 attempts before I learned how it all goes together and works. Various attempts to fit gasket paper shims inside the lock to take up clearance. Unfortunately, paper shims either didn't take up enough clearance or jammed the lock.
Was looking at the problem with Mrs when the same idea came to both of us. 'Would the lock from the old cap fit on the new cap?'
Only one way to find out:
That's the old lock fitted to the new cap. Only took a little bit of finessing with a file to make it fit. The new lock, dismantled, is on the tray. Note bung to prevent accidentally dropping small screws or WHY into the tank.
The lock from the original filler cap is much more robust than the Heiden-supplied one. And another test ride quickly confirmed that the annoying rattle, or is it a buzz, has gone.
Additional benefit - the Yamaha only needs two keys now. The same key fits the petrol cap and the seat lock. And the old lock definitely seems to hold the cap shut more firmly.
Onwards and upwards!
Raymond persevered and won! I would’ve probably just shoved my ear plugs in and said “ What rattle?”
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