Yup no matter the form; a voltmeter you can see while riding, priceless!
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Your best mods.
- Thread starter toglhot
- Start date
Best mods on my bike are, the factory charging system, reserve lighting unit and buck-horn bars...........All very rare these days
peterg
XS650 Addict
Apparently ya gotta be smarter'n a fifth grader to understand the concept.Copied one I found on the web, it's been on Madness for years n thousands of miles.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/a-cautionary-tale.55322/
What'a maroon.....
A dab of RTV silicone does the trick.
My favorite mod is a relay to cut power to the lights when the starter is energised.
My favorite mod is a relay to cut power to the lights when the starter is energised.
That's too funny! I'd be tempted save for the cost of intercontinental shipping. Nice look you have there. The speedo with the indicator et al lights gets rid of the light tree.....clean.Trade you! I couldn’t find one with a chrome rim to match the speedo and tach.
View attachment 222595
Used the rub strip from a SR500 and married it to an XS650 cam chain guide.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/cam-chain-guide-mod.51730/
Alternator cutout when starting. Saves about 3amps when starting and prevents the headlight coming on during start.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/alternator-disable-mod.53271/
Added zerks to the centerstand pivot bolts.... on the outside.
Also took an inch or so out of the stand so it works like butter now.
Dual disc front brakes. Yeah, stockers... go ahead'n laugh...
Voltmeter... using Boeing landing gear bits....
Honda MP08 coil... 'cept I mounted it to the battery box for vibration isolation.
Backing plate and rubber mounts for the lic. plate. I recall someone thought it downright silly I used RTV to attach the plate... which was polished of course...
Turned and knurled my own knobs for the rear luggage rack...
Hacked up shift and brake levers to make a stomp shifter.
The GN250 (gonzo) mod uses a Suzuki ignition box to replace the TCI box. Until someone actually tries it, it's all just theory and forum bs.
My SG was the first to go from "maybe" to "vroom vroom."
https://www.xs650.com/threads/cam-chain-guide-mod.51730/
Alternator cutout when starting. Saves about 3amps when starting and prevents the headlight coming on during start.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/alternator-disable-mod.53271/
Added zerks to the centerstand pivot bolts.... on the outside.
Also took an inch or so out of the stand so it works like butter now.
Dual disc front brakes. Yeah, stockers... go ahead'n laugh...
Voltmeter... using Boeing landing gear bits....
Honda MP08 coil... 'cept I mounted it to the battery box for vibration isolation.
Backing plate and rubber mounts for the lic. plate. I recall someone thought it downright silly I used RTV to attach the plate... which was polished of course...
Turned and knurled my own knobs for the rear luggage rack...
Hacked up shift and brake levers to make a stomp shifter.
The GN250 (gonzo) mod uses a Suzuki ignition box to replace the TCI box. Until someone actually tries it, it's all just theory and forum bs.
My SG was the first to go from "maybe" to "vroom vroom."
He sure taught you a little something. Hope you learned your lesson, ya big dumb dumbApparently ya gotta be smarter'n a fifth grader to understand the concept.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/a-cautionary-tale.55322/
What'a maroon.....
View attachment 222601
View attachment 222600
Boyer Bransden ignition #1, followed closely by the center stand grease fittings and gusset mod, as recommended by 5T.
Spin-off oil filter is probably the best mod on the Orange Peril?
Gives a lot of peace of mind. Apart from the original filter's seeming tendency to rip, I have been told that modern oils are formulated to work with a fine filter to clean up combustion products. Which makes me think the engine oil benefits from a wash cycle instead of a passing through a filter to catch chunks of metal.
Oil and filter change a bit messy but hey, she's worth it.
Bought the kit from Smedspeed but I don't know how successful other people have been contacting them?
Gives a lot of peace of mind. Apart from the original filter's seeming tendency to rip, I have been told that modern oils are formulated to work with a fine filter to clean up combustion products. Which makes me think the engine oil benefits from a wash cycle instead of a passing through a filter to catch chunks of metal.
Oil and filter change a bit messy but hey, she's worth it.
Bought the kit from Smedspeed but I don't know how successful other people have been contacting them?
Mickster
XS650 Enthusiast
500 grains hardcast? Only been shooting 325 grain Leverevolution in mine so far.
Our families 1864 Alin conversion Springfield was stolen many years ago. Recently while going through some inheritance I came across a few rounds........
Not happy with the XS650 charge system I looked into a PMA conversion. the cost put me off at around $Aust420. $420 might not sound like much, but when you also have your eye on other mods such as carbs, resurrecting an XS650 can be an expensive proposition. There are numerous articles on DIY PMA conversions using second hand rotors and stators and bodged up mounts off various bikes.
Not so easy in Oz, wreckers want an arm and a leg for the parts, and of course, nobody had any of the parts I wanted anyway. Using a bodged up a mount also wasn't to my liking, so I continued looking for alternatives, Then I ran across some ads on ebay for new parts: an XV stator for $45, a Banshee rotor for $50 and an XV reg/rect for $25.
That just left the mount. Rather than bodge up a Banshee mount, which I couldn't find anyway, I went through the scrap bin to find a piece of ally to turn up. I didn't have a piece that thick, so made a mount out of two pieces. Measured everything up so the stator was in the appropriate place and turned up the mount. A woodruff key had to be stepped from 5-6mm to fit the Banshee rotor to the crank. But nothing is ever easy, I couldn't find a woodruff with the right diameter, so turned up some stock to the right diameter, cut it in half, stepped it and mounted the rotor.
That just left timing, the rotor didn't have any marks on it for timing, so I assembled the original alternator again again, timed the motor then replaced it with the conversion, made up a timing plate to bolt to the side cover and scribed lines on both plate and rotor.
Works great, 14.4v right from idle. A very worthwhile mod this one.
Apparently no one else likes the Yamaha alternator either, I've had it up for sale for 12 months, not one enquiry.
Not so easy in Oz, wreckers want an arm and a leg for the parts, and of course, nobody had any of the parts I wanted anyway. Using a bodged up a mount also wasn't to my liking, so I continued looking for alternatives, Then I ran across some ads on ebay for new parts: an XV stator for $45, a Banshee rotor for $50 and an XV reg/rect for $25.
That just left the mount. Rather than bodge up a Banshee mount, which I couldn't find anyway, I went through the scrap bin to find a piece of ally to turn up. I didn't have a piece that thick, so made a mount out of two pieces. Measured everything up so the stator was in the appropriate place and turned up the mount. A woodruff key had to be stepped from 5-6mm to fit the Banshee rotor to the crank. But nothing is ever easy, I couldn't find a woodruff with the right diameter, so turned up some stock to the right diameter, cut it in half, stepped it and mounted the rotor.
That just left timing, the rotor didn't have any marks on it for timing, so I assembled the original alternator again again, timed the motor then replaced it with the conversion, made up a timing plate to bolt to the side cover and scribed lines on both plate and rotor.
Works great, 14.4v right from idle. A very worthwhile mod this one.
Apparently no one else likes the Yamaha alternator either, I've had it up for sale for 12 months, not one enquiry.
Attachments
A quick question: Does the Banshee rotor have an external "lump" for triggering an ignition pickup?
Yep. They come with the trigger.
Artic I think I know where you are heading. What I found was that with the keyway in its current position the trigger is at the front of the rotor with the piston at TDC. There was not enough room to mount a pickup without altering the engine side cover. I didnt look any further into recutting the keyway. Have a look where Power Dynamo pickups are.
The link below is for the banshe/RZ250 PMA swap...........this was the article that all the others, (like HHB), used to set them selves up with PMA's
https://old.xs650.org.au/Technical Info/Alternators.htm
I never thought of it at the time, but as the Banshee rotor comes with a trigger, there's probably no reason why the Banshee controller couldn't be made to work. They are cheap - around $50.
There is a whole lot of stators that can be used from Honda to Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, information which ones have the right dimensions is on the web. Not sure about rotors, the Banshee rotor has the same taper, but I'd imagine there are a few others that will also fit. Be aware though not all are priced the same, so it may pay to shop around.
I prefer new parts as you don't know what you are getting second hand, and of course, why put 30 or 40 year old parts on your bike, you are trying to upgrade it, remember??? New parts for most bikes are available from China. China stuff is rubbish you say??? Well, where do the the XS650 parts suppliers get their parts for their kits from you think? Pretty well everything is made in China now, like it or go without, why pay the middle man?
The Banshee mount can be modded to suit, but will just look like a bodged up fitting, yuk! Again many of the XS parts outlets stock mounts. You can make one yourself as I did, or get your local machinist shop to turn one up. Just be aware, as the rotor is magnetic and the stator base is steel, the stator has to be mounted in the right position relative to the magnetic pull of the rotor.
The diameter of standard woodruff keys doesn't fit the XS650 crank slot well enough, so as well as stepping it, you'll also have to file the diameter down, either that or make one yourself, as I did.
Then there are rectifiers and regulators. You can use separate units, three phase rectifiers are available on ebay for around $6, and I believe a Dodge regulator can be adapted. There are also combined reg/rects, which I used, how much you pay is up to how well you Google ebay, prices go from around $25 upward, pretty much for the same thing, I paid $25 and it works fine.. I'd bet they're all made in China anyway. But you'd be better off sticking to a reg/rect that's for the same bike as the stator.
Despite all the work it's worth it to get a decent alternator. Best mod by far. Well if you don't count, cable splitters, single points, VM carbs, ally manifolds, coolers, remote filters and so on.
There is a whole lot of stators that can be used from Honda to Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, information which ones have the right dimensions is on the web. Not sure about rotors, the Banshee rotor has the same taper, but I'd imagine there are a few others that will also fit. Be aware though not all are priced the same, so it may pay to shop around.
I prefer new parts as you don't know what you are getting second hand, and of course, why put 30 or 40 year old parts on your bike, you are trying to upgrade it, remember??? New parts for most bikes are available from China. China stuff is rubbish you say??? Well, where do the the XS650 parts suppliers get their parts for their kits from you think? Pretty well everything is made in China now, like it or go without, why pay the middle man?
The Banshee mount can be modded to suit, but will just look like a bodged up fitting, yuk! Again many of the XS parts outlets stock mounts. You can make one yourself as I did, or get your local machinist shop to turn one up. Just be aware, as the rotor is magnetic and the stator base is steel, the stator has to be mounted in the right position relative to the magnetic pull of the rotor.
The diameter of standard woodruff keys doesn't fit the XS650 crank slot well enough, so as well as stepping it, you'll also have to file the diameter down, either that or make one yourself, as I did.
Then there are rectifiers and regulators. You can use separate units, three phase rectifiers are available on ebay for around $6, and I believe a Dodge regulator can be adapted. There are also combined reg/rects, which I used, how much you pay is up to how well you Google ebay, prices go from around $25 upward, pretty much for the same thing, I paid $25 and it works fine.. I'd bet they're all made in China anyway. But you'd be better off sticking to a reg/rect that's for the same bike as the stator.
Despite all the work it's worth it to get a decent alternator. Best mod by far. Well if you don't count, cable splitters, single points, VM carbs, ally manifolds, coolers, remote filters and so on.
