RPC3
XS650 Addict
I tend to ramble, so the quick of it is:
I have ~$500 I'd like to spend on my '78. Brake, suspension, and charging system are in good shape. New wire harness, modern regulator, and rectifier. Tires and wheels are okay.
Old components I'd like to replace are: drive train and ignition system.
Bike is '78 standard. Current status is that the bike runs a bit off; isolated to a carb problem. Carb was given a rebuild/clean/throttle shaft seal replacement, but still a small leak causing warm idle fluctuations or occasional stalling. Working through this...I can still drive around, but I wouldn't feel great about taking a long trip as things currently stand.
Okay - I'm going to start rambling now. I was close to selling the bike and just opting for something modern and retro styled as I don't have a mechanical background. I'm good at reading and researching thoroughly so I've been able to do a number of things to my bike, but it probably takes longer than most as I really only have myself and the internet/shop manuals to rely on. Ultimately decided I'd rather try to get this bike running and reliable for at least another year. I don't have kids yet, so I still have a little free time...but I really need to start riding more than tinkering. I really like the idea of upgrading to a pamco with an e-advancer. The timing on my bike is spot on, but I'm on a 40 year old coil and condensers, and honestly I hate the number of variables that can be off on the points/mechanical advancers, so I'd like to go with a coil/pamco kit. It just seems like a smart upgrade, and I have no affinity for keeping this stock to the bone. I want my bike to be vintage but with modern aspects.
My drive train is one of the other things that I've yet to touch or upgrade on my bike. The chain has a lot of wear, so I'd like to throw on a new x-ring chain with stock toothed front and rear sprockets (and I'll need new lock washers...anything else?). One other note is that the bike came with aftermarket, slightly oversized rear shocks, to the point where my chain *just* touches my chainguard. I'm tempted to just remove the chain guard, but I might try and just grind a portion of it out to give the chain a hair more clearance.
Back to the carbs - I have an older post where 5Twins suggested some alternate jetting, so I plan on taking my carbs back apart one more time to double check the fitting of everything and put the suggested jets in (I've got a stock set up save for aftermarket mufflers that are a bit less restrictive. Stock is 27.5/135, I have 27.5/145, I'm going to try 30/137.5). I also need to pay better attention to the choke plunger, I did not rebuild that part first time around. So I'm not quite spent on options there. For the time being, lets assume I did everything else correct regarding timing adjustments, carb adjustments, carb balancing, syncing, etc).
So for my shopping list (And I'm open to suggestions), I'm somewhere along the lines of:
http://www.mikesxs.net/product/14-0910.html - Pamco/coil/e-advance - $275
Mikes - 17/34 tooth sprockets, front sprocket lock washer, set of rear sprocket bolt tabs - $75 (am I okay re-using old bolts/nuts?)
New chain - $35 (Volar or DID on ebay) or up to $65 off Mikes. Don't really feel like spending more for extra tools to install an o-ring
Pair of new jets - ~$15
Gets me to about $400. I figure if I can get the pamco and drive chain installed, then I'll just be down to the carbs. Obviously our friends at MikesXS are a bit steep on the shipping. I'm using oem stuff when I can, but I think for lock washers and third party stuff they should be okay.
If I can do the above (and get the carbs working properly) then I think I'm in pretty good shape. My only oil leak requires the tach drive seal/o-ring job which I'm just putting off because its pretty minor. There are a few minor things like thoroughly de-rust the gas tank (it isn't bad now, and I've got fuel filters on) and maybe replace the running lights with LEDs, but otherwise I'd be to where I want to be at.
As always, thanks in advance
I have ~$500 I'd like to spend on my '78. Brake, suspension, and charging system are in good shape. New wire harness, modern regulator, and rectifier. Tires and wheels are okay.
Old components I'd like to replace are: drive train and ignition system.
Bike is '78 standard. Current status is that the bike runs a bit off; isolated to a carb problem. Carb was given a rebuild/clean/throttle shaft seal replacement, but still a small leak causing warm idle fluctuations or occasional stalling. Working through this...I can still drive around, but I wouldn't feel great about taking a long trip as things currently stand.
Okay - I'm going to start rambling now. I was close to selling the bike and just opting for something modern and retro styled as I don't have a mechanical background. I'm good at reading and researching thoroughly so I've been able to do a number of things to my bike, but it probably takes longer than most as I really only have myself and the internet/shop manuals to rely on. Ultimately decided I'd rather try to get this bike running and reliable for at least another year. I don't have kids yet, so I still have a little free time...but I really need to start riding more than tinkering. I really like the idea of upgrading to a pamco with an e-advancer. The timing on my bike is spot on, but I'm on a 40 year old coil and condensers, and honestly I hate the number of variables that can be off on the points/mechanical advancers, so I'd like to go with a coil/pamco kit. It just seems like a smart upgrade, and I have no affinity for keeping this stock to the bone. I want my bike to be vintage but with modern aspects.
My drive train is one of the other things that I've yet to touch or upgrade on my bike. The chain has a lot of wear, so I'd like to throw on a new x-ring chain with stock toothed front and rear sprockets (and I'll need new lock washers...anything else?). One other note is that the bike came with aftermarket, slightly oversized rear shocks, to the point where my chain *just* touches my chainguard. I'm tempted to just remove the chain guard, but I might try and just grind a portion of it out to give the chain a hair more clearance.
Back to the carbs - I have an older post where 5Twins suggested some alternate jetting, so I plan on taking my carbs back apart one more time to double check the fitting of everything and put the suggested jets in (I've got a stock set up save for aftermarket mufflers that are a bit less restrictive. Stock is 27.5/135, I have 27.5/145, I'm going to try 30/137.5). I also need to pay better attention to the choke plunger, I did not rebuild that part first time around. So I'm not quite spent on options there. For the time being, lets assume I did everything else correct regarding timing adjustments, carb adjustments, carb balancing, syncing, etc).
So for my shopping list (And I'm open to suggestions), I'm somewhere along the lines of:
http://www.mikesxs.net/product/14-0910.html - Pamco/coil/e-advance - $275
Mikes - 17/34 tooth sprockets, front sprocket lock washer, set of rear sprocket bolt tabs - $75 (am I okay re-using old bolts/nuts?)
New chain - $35 (Volar or DID on ebay) or up to $65 off Mikes. Don't really feel like spending more for extra tools to install an o-ring
Pair of new jets - ~$15
Gets me to about $400. I figure if I can get the pamco and drive chain installed, then I'll just be down to the carbs. Obviously our friends at MikesXS are a bit steep on the shipping. I'm using oem stuff when I can, but I think for lock washers and third party stuff they should be okay.
If I can do the above (and get the carbs working properly) then I think I'm in pretty good shape. My only oil leak requires the tach drive seal/o-ring job which I'm just putting off because its pretty minor. There are a few minor things like thoroughly de-rust the gas tank (it isn't bad now, and I've got fuel filters on) and maybe replace the running lights with LEDs, but otherwise I'd be to where I want to be at.
As always, thanks in advance
