This might help.
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XS2 Survivor resurection.
- Thread starter GLJ
- Start date
Missing the steering damper. 
OK yes that is obvious. There is something else more subtle.
Your pic makes it easier to see the problem.
Sin
You are getting warm.
Except that's not a lock nut you are referring to. At least not a lock nut as normally thought of.
The early XSs had a strange/different way of putting the trees together and adjusting the bearing tension on the steering head.. It works just fine it's just not normal.
Maybe this will help.
Amazing what you can see when it's bigger-n a thumbnail. 
Nut goes under, not over.
Nut goes under, not over.
Shouldn't have needed a bigger pic if you know early trees. It was easy to overlook I did. The "nut" has a sleeve that goes into the upper tree, on top of the tree is a special washer then the tall nut that the damper rod goes through. As I was taking the front end apart I saw what was bothering me and figured it out. Also thought I knew why it was that way. I was wrong again. More tomorrow, suppers ready.
It's the right part, just installed upside down.
Exactly with the special washer under the top tree. He/whoever must have just screwed up putting it back together. I was surprised as mechanically everything has been very good on the bike. I did find a couple of other surprises in the front end. Pics of them later today.
I don't think it was a mistake, It looks to me that PO flipped the locking nut to compensate for the fact that the dampener/bushing nut were missing. I mean I wouldn't have done it that way but I can see why they did... Just think of it like this, had they not done it that way the bushing nut washer would probably be missing, with nothing to hold it down it would likely have been lost or pitched.
As nice as the rest of the bike is I wonder what happened to the nut and the rest of the damper.
Well at least you got the fork ears on right. Ask Bob about that.
OK next installment. I'm trying to keep this a survivor resurrection. More or less as I found it with no major mods. Just cleaned up good and mechanically sound. One thing I had been debating on was upgrading the steering head bearings. Wasn't sure if I wanted to do that. It is a good upgrade. Well the bike made my decision for me. One thing I noticed was that the fork ears were loose between the triple trees. When I finished taking the trees off I found tapered bearings had been already installed. No decision to make now. Grease looked to be Moly and plenty of it. When I dumped the fork oil out I was shocked. It was a green translucent color and smelled just like Bel-Ray fork oil. Also the spacers at the top of the springs were not stock. 3/4 inch shorter than stock and made out of thick wall stainless pipe. Fork springs appear to be stock.
Good surprises. There is a bad one. When I put tapered bearings in my XS2 I had to add a o-ring to the top of each ear to keep them tight. He must have put some miles on the bike after installing the bearing as the lower mount on the headlight bucket is broke. I'm guessing from the loose ears causing it all to vibrate.
Not the end of the world. Plan A tig it back together. Plan B replace it, I luckily have a few to choose from. One is a pretty close match for patina. I have a friend who has a tig and is pretty good with it. (Did it for a living.) I know some of the paint is going to get burned, it will be on the bottom where it will be hard to see. If it looks too bad plan B.
Next up rebuild the forks. New progressive springs,seals etc on the way. Plus some other rubber parts I'll need when the time comes.
Good surprises. There is a bad one. When I put tapered bearings in my XS2 I had to add a o-ring to the top of each ear to keep them tight. He must have put some miles on the bike after installing the bearing as the lower mount on the headlight bucket is broke. I'm guessing from the loose ears causing it all to vibrate.
Not the end of the world. Plan A tig it back together. Plan B replace it, I luckily have a few to choose from. One is a pretty close match for patina. I have a friend who has a tig and is pretty good with it. (Did it for a living.) I know some of the paint is going to get burned, it will be on the bottom where it will be hard to see. If it looks too bad plan B.
Next up rebuild the forks. New progressive springs,seals etc on the way. Plus some other rubber parts I'll need when the time comes.
