noodlenoggin
XS650 Enthusiast
Hello all, from Michigan!
Well, it looks like I'm going to be resurrecting my old bike. Hooray! Oh man, I'm going to be resurrecting an old bike. <gulp>
I've owned my '79 XS650F since 1993. It's my first and actually only road bike. I've had it longer than I've had my wife. I'm the 2nd owner and I've put most of its miles on it -- I got it for $400 from a friend of the family, with 6,400 miles on it. I think it has 26k-ish on it right now. Sadly, I parked it when my twins were born...they're almost 17 now. It's been sitting in my in-laws' pole barn since 2011 but it looks like this weekend it's finally going to come home.
I think I have two different goals: 1) getting it to run, and 2) making it actually rideable. Goal #1 should be easy(ish). It was in running condition when I parked it. Years of storage notwithstanding I think I'll be able to check for rodent damage and nests, add fresh gas and electricity, maybe clean the plugs and I think there's an 80% chance it'll start.
Goal #2, though... The things that I know it needs before I even look at it again are: New tires -- the ones on it are from 1994. The motor was starting to weep oil through the cylinder gaskets, so a gasket kit. The swingarm bushing was wobbly, so new bushings. New battery. Gonna say a carb rebuild. New hoses. New Oil. New brake fluid. And that's before I look for any storage damage/rust/corrosion. On the plus side, I've gone out and moved it around when I visit the in-laws, so I know it rolls and the brakes still work. I replaced the clutch in 2005 or so, and it only has one season of riding on it. It's been stored indoors, so it shouldn't be TOO rusty now -- I mean, it's still shiny. I know the condition it was in when I parked it, and I know that nobody else has had their hands in it -- it's 100% original and unmolested. I don't have to undo anyone else's work.
Overall, though, I'm excited to get it back in my own garage and to have a project to work on. Here's the most recent pic I have of it....from 2015(!)
Well, it looks like I'm going to be resurrecting my old bike. Hooray! Oh man, I'm going to be resurrecting an old bike. <gulp>
I've owned my '79 XS650F since 1993. It's my first and actually only road bike. I've had it longer than I've had my wife. I'm the 2nd owner and I've put most of its miles on it -- I got it for $400 from a friend of the family, with 6,400 miles on it. I think it has 26k-ish on it right now. Sadly, I parked it when my twins were born...they're almost 17 now. It's been sitting in my in-laws' pole barn since 2011 but it looks like this weekend it's finally going to come home.
I think I have two different goals: 1) getting it to run, and 2) making it actually rideable. Goal #1 should be easy(ish). It was in running condition when I parked it. Years of storage notwithstanding I think I'll be able to check for rodent damage and nests, add fresh gas and electricity, maybe clean the plugs and I think there's an 80% chance it'll start.
Goal #2, though... The things that I know it needs before I even look at it again are: New tires -- the ones on it are from 1994. The motor was starting to weep oil through the cylinder gaskets, so a gasket kit. The swingarm bushing was wobbly, so new bushings. New battery. Gonna say a carb rebuild. New hoses. New Oil. New brake fluid. And that's before I look for any storage damage/rust/corrosion. On the plus side, I've gone out and moved it around when I visit the in-laws, so I know it rolls and the brakes still work. I replaced the clutch in 2005 or so, and it only has one season of riding on it. It's been stored indoors, so it shouldn't be TOO rusty now -- I mean, it's still shiny. I know the condition it was in when I parked it, and I know that nobody else has had their hands in it -- it's 100% original and unmolested. I don't have to undo anyone else's work.
Overall, though, I'm excited to get it back in my own garage and to have a project to work on. Here's the most recent pic I have of it....from 2015(!)
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