Seized forks

[greytop]

My last full bike restoration was 40 years ago, so bear with me. I have a '77 XS 650 with many parts missing.
The front forks are totally seized and badly rusted. Not even sure it's worth getting them apart but I want to try. Been through the usual process to free them up. No joy and it's going to need a puller arrangement which I will cobble up.
The hardchrome on the fork tubes has gone in many places and the exposed steel is rusted. The forks had no oil in so I assume its the same inside the lower leg.
Can't see inside the lower legs but I assume the tube slides on bearing surfaces/bushes in the lower leg, top and bottom. Is this correct and what is the bushing material ? My old BSA's had phosphor bronze ones, top and bottom which were replaceable but the Yam parts manual I have lists nothing like that.
My concern is ,even if I get the forks apart, and have the tubes replaced, the inner surfaces in the lower legs will be so bad that they are scrap. Has anyone made new bushes or otherwise solved this problem??

 

[jonesey]

A Hearty Welcome Graytop.
Bit of a problem U got there. 77 I think is the first year of 75mm forks, mine are 74mm, but i need to double check, just answering from memory. Parts, worldwide are available but with the Rand being weak the cost is the main issue. The fork tubes can be re-chromed, look up W.G. Munn Hardchroming at wgmunnhardchrome@telkomsa.net. He did a set for my TX some years ago. Willy is the Chairman of the Classic club up here on the Reef so he Knows his stuff. Just make sure they are straight. Willy is in Elsburg, Germiston. OK the bushes are a steel shell with a thin coating of Teflon on them, one is split I think, memory again, should still be obtainable from Yamaha or Mikes.
I think a lot of the fork parts, if not all are inter-changeable with the XS750/850 triple. so that might be a better source of spares because if u ask locally for XS650 spares they will be like Rocking Horse Shite. I have a few XS2 parts but they are different.
Get them apart and see what u need. I see Durban as your home town and Charley Young was the main Yamaha importer for many years so the chances of finding old stock might be quite good.
Also consider joining your Local Classic Motorcycle club. the Durban club is very active. this can lead to local contact and Spares.
Good luck on getting them apart. Best possible Regards Jonesey.

 

[greytop]

Thanks Jonesey. I think you are correct that '77 was the first 35mm tubes, but mine are 34mm. Charlie Young is long gone but RBS Yamaha is local and helpful.
So the bushes in the legs are replaceable then ??
There is a hardchromer nearby too. As you say, bikes and parts are almost non-existent here and the exchange rate is just crippling.
Is there an SA forum for old bikes/parts for sale ? Could you pm me if you have any parts for sale. According to yamaha, mine was originally a police bike and I have a lot of parts missing.

 

[jonesey]

G/Day Graytop
No forum i know of but Gumtree has a vintage bike spares page, but most are Brit spares.
The Reef Classic motorcycle club has containers of spares but again most are Brit and some Honda, small delivery bike stuff too.
Tried sending a PM but fails to deliver. The spares i have are some of the leftovers from what was Exported. Boksburg, Benoni, Maybe Springs and Cape Town had Police bikes but most were XS2 as far as i can tell.I have 2 front ends both bent. The oddities i picked up are Petrol Tanks with large Screw Caps, Crash bar Mounts Factory welded to the downtubes of the frames, no chrome on the Fenders/ Mudguards and fork Gaiters and not the chrome covers like the standard XS2. I think they had single seats too, looks like they were built down to a price. Email me at hyweljones6800@gmail.com

 

[jonesey]

G/Day Graytop
First up, I was wrong, NO bushes in the early forks, not even a top bush. I guess i got confused coz my FJ bushes are in my box of bits, went to check this morning. Ive 3 pairs of XS2 forks but all are bent to some degree. I also have a mystery pair of 34 m.m. forks, definatly early Yamaha. they look like my "C" model externally but internally the damping rods are different and are steel. but also in a deplorable condition. will have to clean them up, could be TX 500 parts.