New to me XS 650...

That looks right. It looks like you have all the needed punch-outs removed .....

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Sometimes new gaskets come like this, with nothing punched out, lol .....

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I don't like installing them dry. I wet them down with something mild like WD40 or CRC551.
 
Dry fitted (loose) the "New to me" fender. Then I did a couple of black tape marks to see where I might bob the fender a little. I am thinking this bike will have left and right 78 style chrome head pipes with short reverse cone mufflers.
 

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Thanks, that would fill the bill very nicely but I was more thinking a $20 DT fender, a straight up swap for a paintable or painted fender.:D Or a smaller cafe fender that fits. This will never be an "original XS" so I am open to suggestions.
 
Too many parts laying around so today I installed #130 (from 132.5) jets, re installed the float bowl and nailed that inner front screw first time. I also removed the front fender and put it into a bucket of vinegar to attack the inside rust. Now I should sort through my wrenches, sockets, taps and dies for rusty pieces to add to the bath.
 
Yes, 10mm banjo ends, and get at least one with the slight angle in it. You want that down at the caliper for bleed nipple clearance. At the top, a straight fitting works fine .....

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I've always re-used the original sealing washers and never had a problem. I do anneal them before re-use though.
 
As posted before a friend milled the original riser bases flat to accept the Virago risers. FYI, the original XS650 bases varied 0.025 after they were milled flush, of course they were cut to match after measuring. Today I did some house keeping, one item, lock tite the riser nuts. The old bike gods are smiling on me because those little safety clips for the riser nuts do fit in my installation. The CB550 SS bars and new front brake line have arrived, now waiting on a 12.7 MM mastercylinder. Then the bleeding fun begins.
 

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The front fender came out of the vinegar today after a week with occasional wire brush scrubbing. It went into the slop sink for rinse. Lots of debris escaped the doubled up area near the mounts. It got an air hose dry then a heatgun to get real dry.. I paid extra attention to the rolled edges and the doubled up mount area.. Then I shot it with rustoleum undercoat. The other half of the fender, the part that was cleaned but flash rusted a week ago will get this same treatment. 16422690376341972266075397172342.jpg
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Did a fit check on the CB550 SS bars. They are ~28 inches wide and have 2-3 more inches of pull back. The static feel seems good. Just a little forward lean while seated. The front fender got the 2nd half cleaned (vinegar bath) and undercoated.
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Did a fit check on the CB550 SS bars. They are ~28 inches wide and have 2-3 more inches of pull back. The static feel seems good. Just a little forward lean while seated. The front fender got the 2nd half cleaned (vinegar bath) and undercoated.View attachment 205488
Looks great, which risers did you use?
 
Those are Virago risers I think. I cannot remember which regular here reccomended them. (If I credit the wrong person I could hurt feelings but so many have given really good advice and shared hard earned knowledge and experience) I think further up in the thread they were mentioned. Anyway, they move the bar base back (towards the rider) ~1inch. I was searching for lower bars, found superbike bars, and when I mounted them I found they were too wide for my liking. These CB550 SS ('75, '76) have a similar rise but are narrower and pull back a few more inches. The bend radii are tighter which still allows plenty of switchgear and clutch/brake mounting area. A narrower bar means you do have to be "deliberate" in your steering inputs and that is more my style.
 
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So... pictures may follow, but we each learn things each day. I fitted brake and clutch levers today. Ebay or amaozon, I don't remember and does not matter. I had searched for M/C with less than a 14 mm bore per the advice of some or many denizens of this site. After getting a brake MC without a rearview mirror boss (see, I am an amatuer at this). My new matching clutch and brake (w/Master cylinder, 12.7 mm) levers arrived today. The dry fit seemed good but the threaded travel of the clutch cable is short, insufficient. I took the stock adjuster and threaded it into the new clutch lever perch and was gratified the threads match. When I found the parts did not fit quite correctly without some pieces and parts mixing I was reminded immediately of my ex-mother in law. (NOT a bad thing). She was heard to say on occaision, "To smart by half".
 
I wish I had just a little more shop equipment. Bobbing a front fender is a challenge to get a solidly held piece for cutting.
 

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I am fitting some pieces onto the new handle bars, the front fender and the cam end covers. I want to locktite each piece but may need to adjust a little later. Does the blue locktite "shear" or "smear"? That is, is the locking function destroyed ,"shear" when you loosen to adjust or does it"smear" and retain its usefulness when you loosen and retighten?
 
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