What have you done to your XS today?

[Commuter]

I received my stainless steel butted spoke sets today. I think that I shall clean up the hubs and rims, polish them and then re-lacquer the rims and include the hubs too. The existing rims are still in good nick and just need tidying up. There is very little run out on the rims. The wheel bearings are good amd so there's the winter project: wheel rebuilding. I shall start with the front wheel and take a few pictures of the original factory lacing first. I remember the last time I rebuilt some wheels and it actually paid dividends to carefully strip down the old wheels by unscrewing the nipples rather than just whizzing them off with a metal cutting disc in the angle grinder. By going the slow way, I learnt a lot about how to rebuild too. I'll keep this post updated with developments. My wifes sort of slowed everything down a bit by diverting me onto less important minutiae. Next job to do is to build up my wheel building jig which will be two pieces of wood with a vee cut into the end of each of them and then cross braced. The XS wheels a symetrical on the hubs and so I dont need to build in an offset.
Ive loosened off one spoke in order to check that the new nipples are the right size. Interestingly, each original nipple has its own spherical washer.
New spokes and nipples are the right size for the job. The front wheel is out of the bike and the tyre and tube are stripped off by th way, if you wondered how I managed to check that the new nipples were correct.

I've made up a truing jig for my wheel rebuild. So long as the wheel bearings are ok, its ok to just use a couple of vees sawn into some scrap wood. I have since stripped down the wheel completely and its ready for cleaning up.

 

[Mailman]

I've made up a truing jig for my wheel rebuild.

Nice job!

 

[Raymond]

I made sommat similar:

 

[Grimly]

I made sommat similar:

View attachment 256216

Yebbut, yours has a door.

 

[Commuter]

I made sommat similar:

View attachment 256216

Continental GT250?

 

[GaryInVA]

Yebbut, yours has a door.

It leads to the Tardis.

 

[Raymond]

Continental GT250?

Close, Bullet 500 but some PO has had the good taste (?) to fit what in my yoof were called bacon slicers. Gives the bike a slice of GT250 street cred. Maybe.

Yebbut, yours has a door.

I don't see a door, I see a handle. And my work bench has a handle too. We mustn't go seeing things that just aren't there . . .

It leads to the Tardis.

No, it leads nowhere except to an inexcusable digression from this thread.

Sorry!

 

[5twins]

You have to rig up some way to keep the wheel from shifting side to side on the axle or you won't have much luck trying to true it, lol. I shim the wheel in my stand with washers and/or spacers .....

Also, one side of my stand is adjustable so I can level the axle .....

 

[Commuter]

You have to rig up some way to keep the wheel from shifting side to side on the axle or you won't have much luck trying to true it, lol. I shim the wheel in my stand with washers and/or spacers .....

View attachment 256238

View attachment 256239

Also, one side of my stand is adjustable so I can level the axle .....

View attachment 256240

TBH I prefer to work along the lines of KFS. For wheel building and trueing, all I need is good wheel bearings. When the tyre and tube are on the completed rim I shall need to set up level and without any binding in order to ballance.

 

[atom4488]

Yebbut, yours has a door.

...with a doorknob, no less!

 

[Nvrlonuf]

Bought one!!!

 

[Raymond]

Well, Hi there @Nvrlonuf! That's a good start then, what do you intend to do with your XS? Looks like you've got a few more bits n pieces to collect?

Why not start a build thread for your project? Plenty of photos, ask questions when you need to. BTW, what do you like to be called? Cheers, Raymond

 

[Nvrlonuf]

Well, Hi there @Nvrlonuf! That's a good start then, what do you intend to do with your XS? Looks like you've got a few more bits n pieces to collect?

Why not start a build thread for your project? Plenty of photos, ask questions when you need to. BTW, what do you like to be called? Cheers, Raymond

Hi Raymond. Name is Dale. Not totally sure where to go with it yet. Bunch of ideas in my head. It Came with a bunch of parts, motor etc. will need to start a list of haves/needs and go from there. a build thread maybe a good idea, help me remember what I’ve done haha, in storage at the moment so probably dream a little until I’m ready. I’m sure I’ll be asking a ton, havent built a bike before p, should be interesting.
thanx for reaching out.

 

[lakeview]

Removed the BBK'd engine that has no compression to see if I can diagnose it on the bench.
Next, going to take the engine out of the '76 and put it into the Special.
Then I have a freshened match numbers engine to go into the '76.
Going to be busy holiday season!

 

[lakeview]

Musical Chairs Engines Continued
Got the motor out of the 76 frame and into the 78 Special. Sometimes they just click in and sometimes they fight (usually depends on the amount of stuff ya left on the frame and the amount of help handy, I had lots and none respectively, so my go to is to simply strap the motor in so it can't fall out and put the bike back up on the stand. With a bit of wiggling, levering and pushing screwdrivers through the bolt holes to line them up, it falls into place.

So tomorrow I plan to take the numbers matching 76 engine off the stand and install it where it belongs.
I am not a big proponent of matching numbers especially for these machines, but if it's available why not. Besides, this one has a great back story.
I am planning to use all the good stuff I have been saving for the 76 and the BBK Special will be a bit of a hot rod.

 

[Bob Wegman]

View attachment 257624
Musical Chairs Engines Continued
Got the motor out of the 76 frame and into the 78 Special. Sometimes they just click in and sometimes they fight (usually depends on the amount of stuff ya left on the frame and the amount of help handy, I had lots and none respectively, so my go to is to simply strap the motor in so it can't fall out and put the bike back up on the stand. With a bit of wiggling, levering and pushing screwdrivers through the bolt holes to line them up, it falls into place.
View attachment 257626
So tomorrow I plan to take the numbers matching 76 engine off the stand and install it where it belongs.
I am not a big proponent of matching numbers especially for these machines, but if it's available why not. Besides, this one has a great back story.
I am planning to use all the good stuff I have been saving for the 76 and the BBK Special will be a bit of a hot rod.

I have kind of a similar situation going on. My 80 special ll is stripped down and frame painted. Waiting for my grandson (6 years old)to arrive from
California, to "help me" with replacing original engine back in frame and celebrate Christmas.

 

[jetmechmarty]

XS650SH fuel tank was leaking out the top. The lip was painted then Caswell liner was added to the mix. I may need to replace the seal, but this is a good start.

I used a file and a razor blade.

This tank was not painted by @Jim.

 

[lakeview]

Engines in the Correct Frames
Good enough for today.
Tomorrow will start on the "hot rod 750 Special" by installing saved set of blocky tread tires.
76 will get some attention, too.
Dogs need to go for a stroll now between showers.

 

[NP2650]

Been looking for a pair of early original petcocks for my XS1. Found a set off a bike being parted out at a good price, so took a chance on them. They turned out to be in decent condition, but were pretty gunked up inside. Looks of soaking, cleaning, and polishing, plus new gaskets. They look and work great.

 

[lakeview]

Installing rear brake system, this bike was nothing but a frame when I bought it, so took a minute rooting through the shelves to find a mount for the master cylinder reservoir, then for the brake line clips to hold it the the swing arm. Have all I need now.
More work tomorrow, quite enjoying this rebuild.