Author Topic: XS650 project thread - April 2011 - Getting set for 2nd season :) (Read 69508 times)

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #50 on:** May 25, 2007, 04:01:08 AM »

Thanks Bill, that bike is my beautiful K0 that I bought from Andy Morris in Long Island, it's a great bike, but I've been so busy lately I haven't actually ridden it yet, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

bill440cars · « **Reply #51 on:** May 25, 2007, 09:09:04 AM »

Terry, before you had the 750K0 shipped to you, you know you could have stored it over here and had something to ride whenever you came to visit.

I would have taken very good care of it for you.

You really need to stop and think, before you act.

Seriously, Take a break and go for a stroll on that beauty, don't let it get stale now!

Later on, Bill

xtalon · « **Reply #52 on:** May 25, 2007, 09:45:51 AM »

I think we all should apologize or thank TinTin for officially hi-jacking his thread.

Sorry TinTin.

Now with that out of the way,

I saw bike/car thingie yesterday. It was the rear half of a Pontiac Fiero with a motorcycle frontend... I assume a Harley. Man, talk about wishing I had a digital camera with me. Worst part was the Fiero (mid-engine car) had a huge Indycar/F1 type air intake that was as high if not higher than the roofline!

--xTalon

Tim. · « **Reply #53 on:** May 25, 2007, 10:01:26 AM »

Hey, you're keeping it alive if nothing else.

Took the top end of the engine off last night - it's in the car. Picking up 4 new valve stem seals and dropping the lot off at the machinist to inspect, do a valve job, bead blast the works down the bare aluminum again and hopefully just hone the cylinders.

Now I just need to sort out how to clean the black paint off the engine cases. Covers are polished aluminum already thankfully.

xtalon · « **Reply #54 on:** May 25, 2007, 10:15:28 AM »

Quote from: tintin on May 25, 2007, 10:01:26 AM

Hey, you're keeping it alive if nothing else.

HA! I hear ya! My project thread is already buried 10 or so pages back.

--xTalon

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #55 on:** May 25, 2007, 05:27:33 PM »

Well I'd like to jump on the "sorry" band wagon and apologise too Tinny, but I think we're all just subconciously trying to keep the thread alive between your updates, ha ha!

Re: the black paint on your engine cases, I had luck with a "non caustic" paint stripper that I bought at a local hardware store to strip my CB750F2 cases, it worked a treat, with no scrubbing required, although I did use a 3m abrasive plastic pad, but the beauty of these pads is that they don't scratch very deep, and the marks are easily polished out.

And just to re-hijack again, for my mate Bill, I just might take you up on that kind offer mate, if I find a nice bike in your area I might buy it for you to store (and keep the wheels turning, of course!) in anticipation of my visit there next year! Cheers, Terry.

Tim. · « **Reply #56 on:** May 27, 2007, 04:33:19 PM »

So this is what the top end of an XS650 looks like. Nice bearings for the cam. The cam sprocket is machined it would appear as a part of the cam shaft. Doesn't unbolt like Honda cams. Means you have to break the cam chain to get the cam out which is unfortunate. But, the good news is the sprocket seems to be tough as nails - doesn't look like any real wear on the sprocket or chain.

Stuff is at the machine shop getting refreshed and cleaned up. Should be back in a few days looking spanky.

Tim. · « **Reply #57 on:** June 03, 2007, 05:56:42 PM »

Quick update - pistons and cylinders are on the outs, so new pistons are on the way for a 0.5mm overbore.

Finished the bulk of frame grinding today. Took off a few pounds at least and it sure looks better. The area under the seat will be empty - hiding electronics and battery in a tray running the length of the seating area.

Here are the pics. With a plate stretched across the frame at the back end of where the seat will be along with the small plate near the end of the tank, I'll suspend an aluminum plate using bolts and spacers about the same depth as the frame rails to hold electronics etc. so there will be a solid aluminum plate under the seat facing the top of the tire acting as my 'fender'.

Before:

After:

Tim. · « **Reply #58 on:** June 03, 2007, 05:58:24 PM »

You can also see my Radian swingarm arrived and has been test-fitted. Perfect bolt-on. Needle bearings too and it's SMOOOOOTH.

bill440cars · « **Reply #59 on:** June 03, 2007, 06:48:43 PM »

Great job tintin! I'm really gonna enjoy this one myself.

Have you thought of doing any frame bracing or do you think you'll need it?

Here are some examples that I found over on 650motorcycles.com

http://www.650motorcycles.com/FrameMods.html

I was thinking that there was another one but, I couldn't find it.

Just a thought anyhow.
Take care and keep up the good work.
Later on, Bill

bill440cars · « **Reply #60 on:** June 03, 2007, 06:56:49 PM »

Quote from: Terry in Australia on May 25, 2007, 05:27:33 PM

And just to re-hijack again, for my mate Bill, I just might take you up on that kind offer mate, if I find a nice bike in your area I might buy it for you to store (and keep the wheels turning, of course!) in anticipation of my visit there next year! Cheers, Terry.

Man, I must be slipping Terry, I just noticed that you answered my offer to keep a bike, that you bought, at my place for you to use when ever you pop over to the states.

I can't believe that I missed that. You just be sure and let me know when you do it and I'll take care of it foe you.

No problem there guy.

Later on, Bill

bill440cars · « **Reply #61 on:** June 03, 2007, 07:07:51 PM »

tintin,
I don't know if you've taken the top end apart yet or not but, I'd like to offer my efforts to disassemble an XS650. What I did was to give the camchain all the slack I could get, this allowed me to work the cam bearings off (one at a time, with the cam cover and every possible other part removed from that area) and, with all the bearings gone, I was able to work the chain off of the cam sprocket and this allowed me to remove the camshaft and finish disassembly. I hope that I didn't make that sound too confusing. I'm better at doing it than explaining how to do it.

I wanted to tell you that because your chain LOOKED pretty decent (might not have been, I don't know) and maybe you could use that technique in the future.

Later on, Bill

Sorry tintin, I just went back and reread to find that you had the pistons out but, you didn't say if you cut the chain or not.

Tim. · « **Reply #62 on:** June 03, 2007, 07:25:44 PM »

Yep - I'll be putting in tubes just below the swingarm pivot to the centre tube to control twisting down there. Also a gusset under the head on the two down tubes, and a 3 inch wide 1/8" or so thick plate across the seating area at the upper rear shock mounts.

The frame loop behind the shocks will be cut off once the new plate is in place. There's a thin metal plate where the end of the tank sits which I'll take out and replace with thicker material too.

The cam shaft removal technique sounds interesting. I didn't try to move the bearings on the cam - wasn't sure how tightly they are on. Reassembly sounds like it might be tough.

The top end is off and at the machine shop - I had the cam chain master link removed and have a replacement from Mikesxs that I'll have put on once the engine is back together.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #63 on:** June 04, 2007, 02:18:30 AM »

Very good point Bill, while the old XS650's had magnificent engines, they were "flexy flyers", of the "nth degree" (they actually made our SOHC4's look like decent handlers) and some sensible bracing now while the frame is bare will ensure that Tinny's beastie will handle almost as good as it is obviously going to look! Cheers, Terry.

cben750f0 · « **Reply #64 on:** June 04, 2007, 04:49:00 AM »

M8 that XS is going to be killer, make sure you keep us posted ok....

BTW here is a movie of the drysdale V8, it sounds unreal!!!... this is an older movie..... but you get the idea..... Sorry tintin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJafcYQfpoY

peace

Wingmonk · « **Reply #65 on:** June 04, 2007, 07:17:08 PM »

Love the work in progress on the 650, thanks for all the pictures!
I have always loved the 650 twins. I bought a brand new XS650C in 1976 and rode it for years. The 650 twin is a very reliable and fun engine.
I currently ride a 79 Special 2 which was the last year of the spoke wheels. Mine was found in a garage in 1989 wrecked with 2100 miles on the clock.
It was wrecked ten years before and the guy was too embarrassed, so it was hidden away.
I really don't like the Specials as Yamaha tried to use styling ideas from Harleys and it looked like crap. But, its the engine that contains the soul. I have grown to love it anyway!
I am into my 17th year now with the 79', and I keep mine right next to my 78' K8 "kate" project. The Yamaha is the only bike that repairs my lower back as the vibration fixes me right up. A British design built in Japan.

BTW Tintin..the cam chain adjustments are mostly all wrong in all the books in print, including the service manual. Do a search on the net for the recommended way. I think the Yamaha 650 Society may have that info.

Bob in Colorado USA

Tim. · « **Reply #66 on:** June 04, 2007, 08:59:37 PM »

BTW - this is the general inspiration for my project

Wonder if I can get a decal made up of the 'Made in England' script on the Norton frame to read 'Made in Japan'...

bill440cars · « **Reply #67 on:** June 04, 2007, 09:34:51 PM »

Hey tintin,

Sharp Triton, how bout' some details?

Later on, Bill

Tim. · « **Reply #68 on:** June 05, 2007, 03:28:01 AM »

Just a pic I found out there on the Interweb.

http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~jbarbour/

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #69 on:** June 06, 2007, 12:48:03 AM »

Very nice Tinny, I almost bought a McIntosh replica Norton Featherbed frame (made in New Zealand by that frame guru, Ken McIntosh) expressly for a Yam 650 project a few years ago but I got side-tracked with another project, anyway, one day I'll do just that. I've seen the "Made in Japan" stickers in that Norton script, although they may have been home-made, I guess.

Bill, thanks for that mate, I'll have to see what bikes are available around your area, maybe a mint Yam 650 would be nice, or a Suzuki GT750J, very tasty, with it's own built in "smoke screen", ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

Tim. · « **Reply #70 on:** June 07, 2007, 06:39:14 AM »

That was one FUGLY DIRTY SKANKY engine. 1/4" of dirt and grease on top of black rattlecan in every nook and cranny.

Now it's much much nicer. One more session with the paint stripper then some sanding and polishing. Lots of the old silver paint is gone, so I'm going to sand and polish what I can.

Thankfully the cylinders/head/rocker cover are all getting bead blasted at Gord Bush Performance so all I need to do is polish the rocker cover if I feel like it.

Before (trust me - it looks a lot nicer in photos - the underside is like the surface of the freakin' moon):