What have you done to your XS today?

Best of luck with Taffy 's tank!

Pipes look very nice. I think it would be cool to do similar "mid" pipes but including silencers a'la a latter day Firebird Scrambler...I had a kinda odd one back in the day (another I wish I still had), smooth rocker cover, Monoblock carbs and an E.T. magneto ignition.
 
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Santa brought tires so I put them on today.... so had to make some adapters for my balancer... adjusted some spokes... added some weight to my front... back was OK.
Pulled my shocks apart and cleaned them up .... painted springs.
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Stoop22kid said:
Checking valve clearance on my buddy’s wife’s ‘79. Engine won’t rotate smoothly unless the right exhaust valve clearance is 2.2 mm. Looks like I have some digging to do.
Click to expand...
Chunk of carbon on the valve seat?
Was that valve at big clearance when you checked?
 
gggGary said:
Chunk of carbon on the valve seat?
Was that valve at big clearance when you checked?
Click to expand...
It was bigger than 2.2 when I first checked. I closed it a little at a time until I felt it get tight as I was turning the crank. 2.2 is as low as I can get it. It was a non running bike that has sat for years so I kind of expected to find something like this.
 
:twocents: ;):thumbsup:
Is it an XS in any case hit the valve spring area with a bunch of rust buster back n forth the crank. I'd pull plugs and generously rust bust then oil cylinders also. leave plugs out, slowly back n forth many times if it starts going all way freely continue MANY times kicking through no plugs. oil that valve stem some more. Many have started, run a motor with a sticking valve and bent the valve or worse.
piston.jpg
 
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PS you can tap directly on top of the rocker arm to move, loosen up a valve stem.
move crank so piston is a ways down the bore first and make sure the other valve isn't open.
A chunk of aluminum bar, rod or piece of hardwood as a drift.
Once it's moving you can be fairly rambunctious exercising the valve.
 
gggGary said:
PS you can tap directly on top of the rocker arm to move, loosen up a valve stem.
move crank so piston is a ways down the bore first and make sure the other valve isn't open.
A chunk of aluminum bar, rod or piece of hardwood as a drift.
Once it's moving you can be fairly rambunctious exercising the valve.
Click to expand...

gggGary said:
PS you can tap directly on top of the rocker arm to move, loosen up a valve stem.
move crank so piston is a ways down the bore first and make sure the other valve isn't open.
A chunk of aluminum bar, rod or piece of hardwood as a drift.
Once it's moving you can be fairly rambunctious exercising the valve.
Click to expand...
Pulled the exhaust the and valve is stuck open. Piles of carbon build up. Guess we found the issue.
 
Myuncles650 said:
Santa was a bit late and he apparently traded his sleigh for a brown truck😂 but no complaints here! He even included a spring tool in the box.
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I think you will find, as I did, that this exhaust system quality is (almost) unexpectedly high...I was impressed with mine.
 
Wagner73 said:
I think you will find, as I did, that this exhaust system quality is (almost) unexpectedly high...I was impressed with mine.
Click to expand...
Agree, just pulling out of box - build quality is there, everything is included, pieces fit together, packaging protection was as needed. Now……just get my rear in gear and put this bike back together before spring!!
 

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