New (to me) XS1B

blackknightwhosaysni

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Hello all, I just picked up this XS1B. It's my first project bike. I have no mechanical experience beyond oil and brake pad changes, so I'm hoping to learn a lot. My goal is to restore it to something close to its original condition. It's in a bit rougher condition than I had hoped, but the engine turns. I'm working on pulling off the turn signals (since they are mostly dangling by wires) and then I figured I should do a detailed assessment of exactly what I got myself into. Any recommendation on where to start? The tank has a fair bit of rust, so I figured that would be a good thing to tackle first.

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Welcome aboard! There are couple guys here know a bit about the early bikes, they are sure to show up sooner or later.
Found in the tech section (see top tool bar) this seems tailor made for you
https://www.xs650.com/threads/guide...checklist-for-the-condition-of-your-find.367/
Post plenty of pictures! Please do; ask, before using the hammers....... ;^)
Thanks for the link to the thread. It looks spot on to what I need. I've been searching the forum for some specific things, but didn't think to search for a general getting started kind of thread. It seems an obvious thing to search for now that you've pointed it out. Thanks again!
 
Welcome - doesn’t look to crabby - seen worse :). My advise is take a lot of pictures as you start dismantle, refurbish the parts
as you dismantle, keep on until down to the frame and engine. Then go through the engine - it’ll for sure need new gaskets all over. I found this method useful and the rebuild seem like a lot easier when you already have the parts refurbished. Less surprises that way.
 
Welcome to the joys of Xs. I'd first get it running to determine the health of the engine. Toss in some Marvel in the cylinders....kick it thru a dozen times..or more.... use a satellite fuel tank... and kick it to life.. ck charge'n system. Besides photos.. I write a journal... with hand drawn pictures on how it came apart... I use lots and lots of sandwich bags marked with the part and the related page to the journal. The time between " in " the sandwich bag to need the part could be many months or longer. Remember this is going to be a long-term project that'll require $$$$ ... but if don't properly the end result will be a serious photo op at any event... 😎
 
Looks like you have a fairly good base to restore back to original. Not to many Xs1/ Xs2 on the road. Take your time and you will be pleased with the bike. My XS2 is fun to ride and gets a lot of thumbs up. If you dont like people coming up and wanting to talk about the bike, then pass it on to a more social person.:D
 
Welcome to the joys of Xs. I'd first get it running to determine the health of the engine. Toss in some Marvel in the cylinders....kick it thru a dozen times..or more.... use a satellite fuel tank... and kick it to life.. ck charge'n system. Besides photos.. I write a journal... with hand drawn pictures on how it came apart... I use lots and lots of sandwich bags marked with the part and the related page to the journal. The time between " in " the sandwich bag to need the part could be many months or longer. Remember this is going to be a long-term project that'll require $$$$ ... but if don't properly the end result will be a serious photo op at any event... 😎
I did buy some MMO yesterday, because I had seen the suggestion in a few threads. What's the right procedure for that? Change the oil, add MMO in the cylinders, let it sit for some period of time, then try to kick it over? How much MMO should be used? I read in a couple of the threads that there's a chance of "hydro-locking."

A journal is a good idea. I've been taking notes using some wiki software so I can remember what I've done. I haven't been taking many handwritten notes, but drawing some diagrams as I'm taking things apart seems like an efficient way to both record what I've done and help cement the memory of doing it. Thanks!
 
I'm honestly astonished by the speed and number of responses that I've gotten. I wasn't specifically looking for an XS when I was searching for a first project bike. But, I think I'm lucky to have ended up with one and found this community. Thanks!
The sickness is widespread...
 
Welcome, and congrats on a cool project. As you’ve found already, this community on the forum is quite active. More so than I’ve found on many other forums. Members here are generally eager to help and there is a VAST realm of knowledge amongst the members. You’ll find that a lot of times you will be directed where to find your answers instead of being spoon fed most of the info. Take some time and peruse through the TECH folder. You’ll be surprised how much info has been stickied there. I would venture to estimate the majority of folks here are of retirement age and been riding these bikes since they were introduced. Or at least north of 40 years old anyway. Again, welcome to the madhouse, and in case nobody mentioned, we love pictures here!!
 
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