New guy from NJ

[MrBill]

Hi everyone,

About a week ago I bought my first bike, an '81 xs650 special from a listing on craigslist. I've got to thank everyone that contributes to this site, I did a lot of research here and it really made me feel confident in my purchase.

I was told it sat in a garage since the late 80's. It looks to be in good shape and starts on two or three kicks but idles high. It also leaks gas out of the left air box when on its kickstand. The seller gave me the yamaha manual and a clymer manual. I plan on replacing the spark plugs, cleaning out the carbs, changing the oil, cleaning the filters and getting some new tires, the old tires are pretty badly dry rotted.

Everything seems to be in pretty good shape on the bike. Anything else i should take a look at? Should I replace the fork oil? I picked up a non vacuum petcock from Mikesxs but thats the only immediate change i plan on making until i get some experience riding it. Any recommendations on a comfortable set of handlebars, those stock ones are horrible.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Welcome to the forum MrBill.
Have you seen this thread?

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=367

 

[chizler62]

When cleaning the carbs and fuel system start at the tank. Look in the tank and check for rust. Try and remove carbs with fuel in them instead of draining carbs. When removed take bowls off and see if you have any floating rust etc. Don't over look the build up of varnish on the floats themselves. The more build up the heavier the float and it won't close properly. Also be sure to dap a bit of grease on the needle and seat assembly when reinstalling. Of coarse check float height as your manual shows.

I always make sure to spray cleaner thru passages not just air. On the pilot jet it's important to take a wire from a wire brush and push thru all the holes. Even if you can visually look thru them it doesn't mean that they're not blocked enough to effect performance.

 

[MrBill]

Welcome to the forum MrBill.
Have you seen this thread?

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=367

Yes, I forgot to mention that. I've read through it a couple of times already, really good stuff there.

When cleaning the carbs and fuel system start at the tank. Look in the tank and check for rust. Try and remove carbs with fuel in them instead of draining carbs. When removed take bowls off and see if you have any floating rust etc. Don't over look the build up of varnish on the floats themselves. The more build up the heavier the float and it won't close properly. Also be sure to dap a bit of grease on the needle and seat assembly when reinstalling. Of coarse check float height as your manual shows.



I always make sure to spray cleaner thru passages not just air. On the pilot jet it's important to take a wire from a wire brush and push thru all the holes. Even if you can visually look thru them it doesn't mean that they're not blocked enough to effect performance.

Thanks Chizler. I was going to drain the carbs before removing but I'll keep some gas in there. Is there a specific grease that's recommended for the needle and seat assembly?

 

[gggGary]

Looks like a GREAT find! Hard to ask for more than a, just left to sit in the garage completely stock bike. How many miles on it? 81 should have float bowl drains and foam floats, both good things. Cut up a quart oil can, use it to catch what comes out of the carbs and drain all the gas out.
Carb fixin' 101; never turn a carb with gas in it upside down until AFTER you have removed the diaphragms! IMHO replace the float valves with new. Keep and install the screen from the stock float valve body. You must remove the float valve from the carb body to clean the screen and at the VERY least to replace that old hard o-ring. That should stop your overflow problem. you will probably have to drill remove the idle jet plugs. The idle jets do HAVE to come out. Read the carb guide and search for and and read a bunch of threads with bs34 in them. Watch for the shim washer mod, this is a great "fix" for the early 80's EPA jetting.

 

[nj1639]

Nice score!
I've found the Standard handlebars to be a great replacement for those Special bars. The brake master cylinder on the Special is angled for those stock roto tiller bars but will work on the Standard bars..... along with some re-routing of the control cables all should be good.
The '81 is a one-year-only as far as those drum brake rear mags go.
Welcome aboard!
Oh, and if you get tempted to break out a sawzall consider finding another one to work that magic on.

 

[MrBill]

Yeah I was really happy finding this deal, the bike says 4500 miles. It's unfortunate the tire tread looks good but the sidewalls are all cracked.

 

[nj1639]

4500 miles...just broke in.
Aftermarket manual petcock is a great idea.
If you do change out the fork oil make sure you release the tension on the upper pre-set plug by loosening the upper triple tree mount. Otherwise you risk stripping the plugs ultra-fine threading......believe me.......

 

[5twins]

Yes, change the fork oil. With only 4500 miles, I'm sure the original fork oil is still in there - but it's 33 years old now. And use about 7 ounces per leg instead of the recommended just under 6. These forks just plain work better with a bit more oil in them.

You'll want to service the front brake as well. At the very least, it'll need a fluid change, but may require a complete dis-assembly and cleaning out of both the MC and caliper.

 

[MrBill]

This bikes in too good of shape to mess with it. This is going to stay stock for the most part.

The age is the only reason I'm thinking about flushing everything. It's barely used, just been sitting for a bit.

 

[CDNTX650]

Looks good. Good call on flushing the forks. Id regrease the swingarm pivot, and do the steering stem bearings too. Although, my 79 2f xs400 with 5000 original miles, the fork oil was crystal clear. I left everything else alone till the winter after this one.

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Mr Bill,
that's a great find! And Oh yes, those rototillers gotta go.
Bars is like shoes, they have to fit you and it may take a few tries to find YOUR perfect 'bar.
XS650 Standard bars is a good place to start.
Things to think about doing:-
Tapered roller steering head bearings.
Bronze swingarm bushings.
Full M16 thread swingarm through bolt.
And FWIW, your cast drum rear wheel ain't a one year wonder, my '84 Heritage Special also has one, it has an upgrade, too, they polished the brake plate.

 

[gggGary]

Add to the list;
head bolt re-torque
cam chain and valve adjust.
New valve cover o-rings. the stockers are hard, flat, and leak. (I know a guy... )
check that the drive sprocket nut is tight. Yup it's often loose, even "from the factory".
most likely a new clutch push rod seal,
Replace stock air filters, "mouse hair" filter media rots, and will fall apart.

I just resurrected a 5000 mile 79 engine and all these applied, after these were dealt with it was happily tearing up the roads "last " summer.

 

[nj1639]

Hi Mr Bill,
that's a great find! And Oh yes, those rototillers gotta go.
And FWIW, your cast drum rear wheel ain't a one year wonder, my '84 Heritage Special also has one, it has an upgrade, too, they polished the brake plate.

Ah Fred! Ya got me........I keep forgetting about our cousins in the Great Whie North and the recyclables sent there to make the '84. It's all good.

 

[MrBill]

Hi Mr Bill,
that's a great find! And Oh yes, those rototillers gotta go.
Bars is like shoes, they have to fit you and it may take a few tries to find YOUR perfect 'bar.
XS650 Standard bars is a good place to start.
Things to think about doing:-
Tapered roller steering head bearings.
Bronze swingarm bushings.
Full M16 thread swingarm through bolt.
And FWIW, your cast drum rear wheel ain't a one year wonder, my '84 Heritage Special also has one, it has an upgrade, too, they polished the brake plate.

The head bearings and swing arm bushings are on my list of things to do this winter when i'm tired of being stuck in the house. I don't recall reading much about the swing arm through bolt though. i'll have to take a look. If i'm doing the bushings i might as well though.

Add to the list;
head bolt re-torque
cam chain and valve adjust.
New valve cover o-rings. the stockers are hard, flat, and leak. (I know a guy... )
check that the drive sprocket nut is tight. Yup it's often loose, even "from the factory".
most likely a new clutch push rod seal,
Replace stock air filters, "mouse hair" filter media rots, and will fall apart.

I just resurrected a 5000 mile 79 engine and all these applied, after these were dealt with it was happily tearing up the roads "last " summer.

I was just looking at LittleBill's thread on cam chain and valve adjustment. It seems pretty strait forward, he did a good job explaining the process.

Aside from an oil leak is there anything else that would clue me in that i should replace the clutch push rod seal?

The left side air filter is already falling apart, only on the bottom though. I'm guessing the gas leak is not a new problem and has contributed to the filter deteriorating. The right side filter is in good shape still. Will I have to do any major carb adjustment if i upgrade the air filters to a newer filter type?

 

[fredintoon]

- - - I don't recall reading much about the swing arm through bolt though. i'll have to take a look. If i'm doing the bushings i might as well though. - - -

Hi MrBill,
In Neville Shute's novel No Highway the author says that all great designers have little foibles and obsessions.
Yamaha's little obsession is with shoulder bolts.
Check out how many of them are on your XS650.
One place there really shouldn't be one is through the swingarm pivot.
The stock pivot bolt is 16mm diameter with an M14 thread on the end.
That reduced end can break off. Then the bolt can fall out.
On the street. Which can lock up the rear wheel. At highway speed.
I got photos of the hundred foot skid mark to prove it.
Lucky my son was riding, all those Sundays trailering his dirt bike out
to the track paid off.
Thinking that it was a one in a million failure I replaced it with another stock bolt.
Lucky for me (my son's riding skills are far better than mine) that when the replacement bolt also failed I caught it when it was only part way out.
MikesXS sells a full M16-ended replacement and everybody should buy one.
Or the bolt from an early Suzuki GS1000.

 

[gggGary]

Yes I have heard of several with the busted off end and Mikes sells a replacement. I haven't seen a broken one, yet. Thirty bikes wouldn't be an exaggeration. When I do a swing arm I shim any significant frame swingarm clearance and don't try to tighten the frame to the swingarm with the bolt. The factory tightening torque for that bolt is a big number and it might be one of those the bushings are shot so the PO cranked on the nut to "cure" the slop deals.

 

[fredintoon]

- - - The factory tightening torque for that bolt is a big number and it might be one of those the bushings are shot so the PO cranked on the nut to "cure" the slop deals.

Not on mine Gary.
The first failure was after I very carefully fitted bronze swingarm bushings and the second, not too long after. That M14 end is a failure just waiting to happen.
Thing is, that bolt has to be reefed up real tight to stop the swingarm bearing sleeve locked into the frame rather than turning with the swingarm.
Betcha half of the reported "Bad bushings" are actually about bushings and bearing sleeves locked together with the actual "bearing" being the sloppy steel on steel fit between the swingarm bolt and the bearing sleeve's inner surface.

 

[MrBill]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. This is great stuff, exactly what I was looking for. Looks like I need to get on mikesxs...

 

[MrBill]

I finally got around to changing out the oil today. At least i started to changing the oil. The sump plate gave me some trouble, after a few taps w/ a mallet and block it popped right off. Unfortunately the gasket couldn't make up its mind and ripped. I put an order in yesterday w/ Mikesxs so I went back online ordered fresh gaskets for both filters and emailed customer service to see if they can add the gaskets to the order from yesterday. We'll see what happens.

While cleaning out the filters sure enough I found a tear in the sump filter.

I did a sloppy job with the JB Weld but I think this will be fine for now.

Hopefully the gaskets come in soon so i can get this thing back together.