Other Bikes and Workshop Woes

Anything can be accomplished. My XS that just needs to be put back together was "done" until it had a wristpin circlip fail and damage a cylinder on the dyno. The XS that needs finishing was running when I traded for it. The XL75 was running with a 120cc motor till I stuck it in the CR. The CB400f was given to me after it sat outside without a clutch cover for years. The tiger runs fine, I did the 100k mile service a while back. The t120 I picked up because it was too good a deal to pass up, and the xr100 motor I have sitting is getting a cr80 6 speed kitaco 100cc short stroke kit and takegawa 5 disc clutch. The xr motor will go into the XL as a mini supermoto. The 400f has a big bore kit waiting to go in. And the t120 will get built into something non-chopper but funky. All it takes is time money and tools. Luckily I have tools and some time, money is harder to come by. So my builds tend to be slow.
 
Realgoodtexan, you are infected with the same bug as most of us have. I think I can say for most of us infected with this is do NOT want a cure if one is developed. It's kept in check with large doses of riding and wrenching on these wonderful 2 wheeled beasts. Sometimes just being around them is enough for short periods.
 
Lol, I really enjoy working on bikes and riding them. I worked on them for a job for a few months, but that takes the fun out of it being a hobby. Big thing is to take your time and do it right. That's why having a running bike while you build one is nice, no feeling that you need to rush so you can ride. Lots of good info here and plenty of people willing to help.
 
I understood some of that, but I loved every bit.

Just stick around and ask lots of questions RGT - you'll get there.

My advice is get a shop manual for the XS - and have a good look through it. This is a very simple motorcycle and none of the typical repairs are particularly expensive or complicated. Somebody on the forum has done every single one of them at some point AND they have written up the procedure with photos.

Again - ask questions and you will receive all the help you need (and likely a fair bit of ribbing along the way....;) ).

....and welcome to XS650.com - from Canada's sunny southern coast in Windsor, Ontario!

Pete
 
I have not taken the carbs out of the Shadow myself. A friend of mine rebuilt them for me. They are buried in there. That's the downside of a more modern bike: everything is packed in a little tighter.
 
A little tighter? I had to pull the high fender off, to pull the tank, to remove the airbox, to change spark plugs and do a valve adjustment. And it's almost that much work to service the air filter.
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Ah, a Triumph triple. Can't think of a more difficult bike on which to remove and replace carbs on than an 1100 Honda Sabre V4, Ughhhhhhh!!!!
My old neighbor had one that he was restoring to sell, I had them off three different times so he could try and get them cleaned out. Eventually sent them out somewhere to have done. He finally got tire of the beast and gave it away in exchange for some service work on another bike. I was oh so happy :D
 
Looks like you are getting more “stuff” to trip over in your shed


My dad's '56 Tiger is waiting for me. There's the '81 XS snuggling with a '72 Kawasaki F11. The '79 XS is in the work area right now. Somewhere way in the back is a '68 Triumph Daytona frame with its associated bits scattered on shelves.

I dont know anything about working on motorcycles. I just got into it a year ago.

My question is:

What have I done?
 
UGH! Seeing some of these pictures reminds me of my time with a '92 Yamaha XJ600 Seca II. 4 downdraft carbs. Basically a downdraft version of the BS34's. To do about anything with that bike required taking ff the tank and aircleaner. And being the first year of that model, they were know to have a gear in the starter drivetrain to shed teeth. Mine did and of course, the cases had to be opened up. Once replaced with the new reivised gear, the starter drivetrain was bulletproof. I enjoyed my time owning this bike. I rode it while I was rebuilding the XS at the time. She showed me what a inline 4 can do.
 
It's not too bad on the tiger. 24k mile valve checks, and with the pre-filter the airfilter is fine for that long too. Just change the plugs while you are already there.
 
I've hit a snag rebuilding the carbs on my Suzuki. Two of the four pilot jets are seized... like really seized! I've tried everything I can think of to loosen them up: heat gun, propane torch (gently!), boiling them in water for a half-hour, soaking them in PB blaster, penetrating WD, acetone... nothing seems to be getting through. At this point I'm almost out of brass for the screw extractor to bite into, the LH drill bit is next... I'm not sure that I'm going to have any luck with that either though.

Any other ideas for dissolving ethanol varnish?
 
I've hit a snag rebuilding the carbs on my Suzuki. Two of the four pilot jets are seized... like really seized! I've tried everything I can think of to loosen them up: heat gun, propane torch (gently!), boiling them in water for a half-hour, soaking them in PB blaster, penetrating WD, acetone... nothing seems to be getting through. At this point I'm almost out of brass for the screw extractor to bite into, the LH drill bit is next... I'm not sure that I'm going to have any luck with that either though.

Any other ideas for dissolving ethanol varnish?
Hi there, I have two suggestions, first search around for Kroil penetrating oil. Not easy to find and not cheap it's the best I have ever used.Second, ATF and acetone mixed 50/50. I have a friend who's a tractor buff who swears by it. Said he's used it to unstick seized motors on tractors that have sat outside for years.
 
Thanks for that. I remember Kano Kroil! I grew up in rural Alaska, where my father worked as a heavy equipment mechanic... Kano Kroil and Mystic Metal Mover were widely used. Looks like I can order it from Amazon..
 
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