What have you done to your XS today?

[5twins]

If you haven't done so already, you should "service" your ignition switch, take it all apart, clean, and grease it. I'm sure it needs it, and I'll bet the contacts are dirty or corroded, judging by what you found in your right switch assembly. Here's a "how-to", see post #8 ......

https://www.xs650.com/threads/locks-and-keys.60861/

 

[zrx1100]

Hooked up the innovate wide band sensor. Had to use a spacer to avoid sensor overheating. Let the tuning begin

 

[Its been a long time]

More progress yesterday afternoon and this morning. Cleaned and lubricated the ignition switch as suggested. Was pretty clean already and hasn't made a huge difference to the voltage at the ignition coils. I conclude that the voltage drop I'm seeing at the coils is a result of multiple 47 years old crimps and bullets. So, a big effort to go through and replace them all. After thinking about it, I've decided to use the red/white switched live to the coils to switch a relay and send battery voltage to the coils. I can't get a better spark from the coils than that. I've ordered what I need to do that. Should be here Tuesday. Meantime, I tapped into the red/white and put a temporary voltmeter I had into the circuit. The voltmeter is broken despite it being unused. I am not a big fan of Chinese electronics. (I have bought two relays for my ignition circuit mod. So I have a spare in my pocket should the installed one fail).

This morning we have a very sunny and warm day. The only one so far this year. So I've sprayed the mufflers rusty areas previous treated with Jenolite rust treatment. There's a real rust trap where the mufflers mount to the rear footrests. And the underside generally has a fair bit of rusty patches. I want the original mufflers to last as long as they can. So treating the rust and spraying the areas with barbecue paint is a sensible option, I think. Some of the painted black area will be visible but I'm not too bothered about that.

One snag that I also spotted. The lower chain run is eating into the exhaust cross over tube. It's maybe 50% of the way worn through. I have fitted a stainless steel worm drive clip over the area where the chain rubs. I need to trim the tail off the clip, I'll do that before refitting the mufflers. At the moment the black barbecue paint is curing in the warm sun. Should be nice and dry after lunch.

Pictures -

 

[jaybar6]

More progress yesterday afternoon and this morning. Cleaned and lubricated the ignition switch as suggested. Was pretty clean already and hasn't made a huge difference to the voltage at the ignition coils. I conclude that the voltage drop I'm seeing at the coils is a result of multiple 47 years old crimps and bullets. So, a big effort to go through and replace them all. After thinking about it, I've decided to use the red/white switched live to the coils to switch a relay and send battery voltage to the coils. I can't get a better spark from the coils than that. I've ordered what I need to do that. Should be here Tuesday. Meantime, I tapped into the red/white and put a temporary voltmeter I had into the circuit. The voltmeter is broken despite it being unused. I am not a big fan of Chinese electronics. (I have bought two relays for my ignition circuit mod. So I have a spare in my pocket should the installed one fail).

This morning we have a very sunny and warm day. The only one so far this year. So I've sprayed the mufflers rusty areas previous treated with Jenolite rust treatment. There's a real rust trap where the mufflers mount to the rear footrests. And the underside generally has a fair bit of rusty patches. I want the original mufflers to last as long as they can. So treating the rust and spraying the areas with barbecue paint is a sensible option, I think. Some of the painted black area will be visible but I'm not too bothered about that.

One snag that I also spotted the lower chain run is eating into the exhaust cross over tube. It's maybe 50% of the way worn through. I have fitted a stainless steel worm drive clip over the area where the chain rubs. I need to trim the tail off the clip, I'll do that before refitting the mufflers. At the moment the black barbecue paint is curing in the warm sun. Should be nice and dry after lunch.

Pictures -

View attachment 326453

View attachment 326454

your bike has a cross over pipe (that is standard?) my bike does not have that. i wonder when that was dropped? Jay

 

[Its been a long time]

your bike has a cross over pipe (that is standard?) my bike does not have that. i wonder when that was dropped? Jay

Yes, cross over tube between the silencers. It is a 1977 XS650D US spec bike. I don't know which years had that fitted.

 

[Grimly]

(I have bought two relays for my ignition circuit mod. So I have a spare in my pocket should the installed one fail).

I raided the local scrappy for Bosch relays after some cheapy cheerful ones started to fall apart on me.
Amazing really; 30 year old Bosch ones still working perfectly and a quid each.

 

[Lou_TX]

I raided the local scrappy for Bosch relays after some cheapy cheerful ones started to fall apart on me.
Amazing really; 30 year old Bosch ones still working perfectly and a quid each.

About 20 years ago, I bought a 25-pack of Bosch relays. It was some kind of an auction and I think I paid $25 (USD) for it. At a dollar per relay, I did not argue!
I still have a few left in the box and not surprisingly, used one on the XS for the ignition RFID system.

 

[jaybar6]

Yes, cross over tube between the silencers. It is a 1977 XS650D US spec bike. I don't know which years had that fitted.

you mentioned that the chain was catching, what about the center stand? Is the pipe infront of the centrestand pivot? jay

 

[Its been a long time]

you mentioned that the chain was catching, what about the center stand? Is the pipe infront of the centrestand pivot? jay

The chain isn't rubbing on the cross over pipe now I've tensioned it. Previous owner clearly hasn't been 100% diligent in keeping chain tensioned properly, hence the rub on the cross over tube. The hose clip I've installed is just to prevent further deterioration should I also let the chain run a bit loose at some time. I don't want a hole in the tube. I want the original silencers to last as long as possible.

 

[jaybar6]

The chain isn't rubbing on the cross over pipe now I've tensioned it. Previous owner clearly hasn't been 100% diligent in keeping chain tensioned properly, hence the rub on the cross over tube. The hose clip I've installed is just to prevent further deterioration should I also let the chain run a bit loose at some time. I don't want a hole in the tube. I want the original silencers to last as long as possible.

that's cool, my bike is 78, American import, but i don't think the exhaust is the original and no crossover pipe (balance pipe). jay

 

[Its been a long time]

that's cool, my bike is 78, American import, but i don't think the exhaust is the original and no crossover pipe (balance pipe). jay

Mine is also US import, 77 XS650D. Whether the cross over tube is a universal feature on all years of XS650 and for all markets, I don't know.

 

[Its been a long time]

Not a lot of time this morning, so just finished bolting up the mufflers to the headers. The matt black barbecue paint that I used was left in the sun yesterday afternoon. It got so hot I definitely couldn't touch it. So it is well cured and ready to start. I dare say it'll still smoke a bit on first start up though.

I was surprised how expensive the circular gaskets are that fit in the muffler to header joint inside the castellated nut. So I bought some 3mm square exfoliated graphite packing and used that. Dirt cheap compared to the muffler gaskets for sale out there. It's used on superheated steam and the like so it's definitely suitable for the exhaust temperature.

I have noticed that the slightly longer shocks I have fitted are causing the lower shock bolt head to just touch the muffler on the right side. I need to put a couple of mm spacer in there to give a bit of clearance. The left side has tons of clearance there.

One last thing today, I noticed one of the 5mm threaded holes where the round alternator cover is held on with two screws has been cross threaded. That explains why the screw head was chewed up when I came to remove it a while ago. I think I can save the thread if I carefully put a 5mm tap through the hole. I'm replacing all the cross head screws with stainless allen screws throughout the bike. I have some 5mm screws for there.

 

[Its been a long time]

Electric bits delivery is tomorrow, so just a couple of things sorted out this morning.

Carburettors and air boxes prepared for refitting, all new rubbers etc.

A 3mm thick horseshoe type spacer made to slip between the right side rear footrest mount and the frame. Gives a bit of clearance between the lower rear shock mount bolt and the muffler. With the longer shocks and the bike on it's centre stand the muffler was just touching the bottom shock absorber bolt. It's clear now by about 1mm. Only an issue with the bike on it's centre stand anyway. Left side is already about 2mm clear and doesn't need a spacer.

The awaited 3mm x 10mm springs to repair the kill switch are in the post from China. I guess it'll be early next week by the time they clear UK customs and arrive here. Kill switch will be temporarily shorted until I fix the switch.

 

[nj1639]

Reworked the seat. Stock height flows better aesthetically and gives this old boney ass a bit of padding,
Feet are a bit higher off the floor though there seems to be a bit more flickability in the twisties.....center of gravity there.....Yamaha engineers ftw again.
I'll be vinyl patching some holes on the cover.
Threw the Commando muffs bolts into the baffles to check any noise or performance differences. I didn't notice any great difference in noise and performance is as good as it's been , pulls strong. I'll leave them in.

 

[Its been a long time]

Will probably be tomorrow morning before I get to wire in my ignition relay modification. The relay fits nicely where the removed reserve lighting unit used to be. It's about 5mm less tall so no issues with the seat base contacting it. Picture -

 

[atom4488]

Working on my '80 SG which has VM34's. Not running particularly well, so I took apart the Mikunis to determine jetting configuration. Was surprised to find a #15 pilot jet on one side and a #20 on the other, #170 mains, needle clip on 2nd groove. Without having any explicit experience with these and basing my opinion on what I have read about jetting VM34s for XS applications, I would have thought these pilot jets to be very much on the lean side! Replaced the pilot jets with a pair of #22.5's as a baseline to tune from. More futzing to follow.

 

[Lou_TX]

I haven't done a thing to my XS this week. Why?
A friend of mine has a very opinionated Karen MIL. She was nagging him for a long time to sell his motorcycle because they are "dangerous". His wife joined in and he finally gave in and sold it last year.

Last weekend, he asked me if he can borrow my XS for a week or two. Somehow (don't ask he how), he convinced his wife that SHE needs his SUV for something and that while she drives it (she's a stay-at-home jobless mom, mind you), he needs to borrow a motorcycle to commute to work.
Again, how he convinced her that she needed his SUV is beyond me.
But that man deserves a medal!

(I know this does not really fit into the theme of this thread but I thought y'all might get a kick out of it )

 

[jetmechmarty]

She was nagging him for a long time to sell his motorcycle because they are "dangerous". His wife joined in and he finally gave in and sold it last year.

A dangerous precedent. My ex-wife would have been an ex much sooner had she engaged in that behavior.

 

[GLJ]

She was nagging him for a long time to sell his motorcycle because they are "dangerous". His wife joined in and he finally gave in and sold it last year.

That would have made me keep it forever.

 

[nj1639]

My wife is the captain of my ships, I own the shipping company. As long as there is smooth sailing I abide. When the captain hits turmoil I step in and calm the seas....... do I need to mention we raised three dottirs?