1975 Yamaha XS500B

Royal

New Member
First I'd like to give a shout out to SrgtBear and JRK5892. I've read both your builds and I've learned a lot.

This is my first cafe racer. Here is the bike as it sits right now:

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I've never had it running well. I recently rebuilt the carbs and it made no difference. I hate these Keihin carbs and I hate the points system. I've found a carb solution but it looks like I'm stuck with the points for now.

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Anyway, when rebuilding my carbs I noticed some pretty significant pitting in the right carb:

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This is my plan for the bike:

1) Replace CV carbs with Mikuni VM32 featuring UNI pods. Delete the airbox
2) Complete tune up including new coils, plugs, wire, adjusted points new advance unit springs, valve adjustment and timing.
3) Figure out how I adjust the cam chain tension.
4) Replace the breather tube from the engine to my chain with a pod filter.
5) Delete headlight mount and replace with ears from Mikes or similar and add clip ons to fork tubes
6) Replace forks with 35mm units or rebuild 34mm units and add roller bearings to steering stem
7) Delete passenger peg mounts on frame.
8) Relocate battery and wiring and delete side cover mounts
9) Rebuild or polish rims depending on results of initial polish.
10) Delete electric start and all related components moving to kick only.
11) New chain and sprockets
12) New subframe bushings

I'm sure there's a few things I'm missing but you get the idea and I'll do my best to document the project as it moves along.

Cheers,

R
 
Nice man! Thanks for the shout out. You know, that bike doesn't look to shabby as-is. I'll be real interested to see how your carb situation turns out. I haven't had the chance to play with mine yet but I replaced all the seals. There is alot when it comes to the battery and it's components. I thought about moving it myself but the stock battery is huge and there is alot of components with it. I am really excited to see what you do here.

Welcome to the club. :D
 
I've never used a hammer to rebuild my carbs... maybe thats why mine don't work right?? lol. JK. Looks like a very solid starting point. Hopefully it will get going for ya
 
SrgtBear said:
Nice man! Thanks for the shout out. You know, that bike doesn't look to shabby as-is. I'll be real interested to see how your carb situation turns out. I haven't had the chance to play with mine yet but I replaced all the seals. There is alot when it comes to the battery and it's components. I thought about moving it myself but the stock battery is huge and there is alot of components with it. I am really excited to see what you do here.

Welcome to the club. :D

Thanks! Trust me it's a real 20 footer as it stands. Its had lots done though and the frame is already powder coated in black.

These carbs suck, trust me. I've done a lot of reading and nobody has anything good to say about the CV card. They're vacuum based so any issues with manifold pressure will cause problems. Factor in the witchcraft of points and weak ass factory coils and you have a tunning nightmare. Plus mine are pitted. Anyway, I replaced all the jets and put new seals in plus I soda blasted them and used carb cleaner and my bike is still running like a pig. The only thing I haven't tried is using an ultrasonic cleaner. However, I want to run pods and you can't tune CV carbs to run on pods (so I've read) so I am upgrading to the VM style.

I have a battery solution for you and it's small. Check this out:

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http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263678

That battery will start and run an SV1000 and it's amazing. I'm going to run the 4 cell version (1/2 the size) as I will be going down to kick start only. Anyway, the eight cell should fit into your cafe hump or a small custom battery box without a problem.

I've never used a hammer to rebuild my carbs... maybe thats why mine don't work right?? lol. JK. Looks like a very solid starting point. Hopefully it will get going for ya

Haha, I know, I had a bitch of a time with these carbs so I brought the hammer out to make them listen! ;)
 
Pretty cool stuff. Checked out the link, pretty pricey batteries too. I'll definitely look into that once this stock one hits the dust. You can show me how yours works first. :)
 
My mom likes to remind me that I've always been better at taking things apart than putting them together. She's right. I just hope that maybe I'll be able to put this back together. Gulp.

If you haven't been following me then you should know that this is the bike that I purchased following my return from my cross Canada motorcycle voyage. It's a 1975 Yamaha XS500 and I intend to take it apart and rebuild it into a fun little cafe racer.

I started by removing the seat and battery:

XS500-007.jpg


Next, off came the rear fender, lights, and associated bits:

XS500-015.jpg


I then moved onto the tank, grips, and controls:

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Then the wiring and the front brake hardware:

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At this point I discovered that my speedometer cable was seized to the front wheel so I cut it off:

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Then I finished up by removing the wiring loom and called it a night:

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I learned a lot. This bike was a lot more dangerous then I thought and I thought it was pretty dangerous. Rock hard ancient tires, lots of loose hardware (including the forks!!!), nearly empty brake reservoir, and general signs of poor maintenance everywhere. I actually can't believe the bike ran given the poor condition of the spark plug wires and the rust in the tank.

Next up will be the engine removal, I've just got to find someone to help me lift it out of the frame and onto my workbench.

Cheers,

R.

P.S. If you've got an XS500 and you need parts drop me a line. A lot of the things I'm removing won't be going back on the bike. Things like the seat, gauges, fenders, etc will be going on eBay.
 
That engine was fun trying to get out. It comes out on the right side (brake side). If you have trouble getting it out remove the valve cover. It ended up being a piece of cake once that was off.
 
I had some great news today! I'm retiring from the corporate world effective immediately.

In order to celebrate I headed to the garage to continue the deconstruction of my XS500.

Now, I'm planning to remove the electric start on this bike so I removed the starter. Once it's removed there is a drive chain that seems to have no purpose. Does anyone know if I can remove this chain?

XS500-0021-1024x768.jpg


With the starter removed I noticed something a little odd. The is an opening between the starter cavity and the outside of the engine case. Is this normal for an XS500 or is this some previous damage that I should have repaired?

XS500-0081-1024x768.jpg


Next, I removed the engine mounts and supported the engine. It's ready for removal. I just need a helping hand:

XS500-0141-1024x768.jpg


Finally, here is the organized chaos of my garage:

XS500-0111-1024x768.jpg


Cheers,

R.
 
hell ya! you going to rebuild the whole motor is that your plan, if not i would say leave the chains in place, when you pull that motor lay the bike on the side to pull it. hell man that thing is in really good shape! the frame looks great and the paint is awesome! love the flat tracker bars flipped. hell ya bud! i can not recall a cut out like that in my starter bay but that was a year or so ago so i can not recall
 
ooooh ya! and i completely agree wit the crap carbs! i got a set of VM30s that i have yet to put on but am very stoked to... i hear the 32 is where it is at for this bike but i got the 30s for 100 an they came wiht k&n pancake filters... could not pass it up
 
I think the cut out is suppose to be there. I had mine apart. Didn't notice one that big but I know that it's designed to drains any water or fluid that could build up in the starter cavity. And as far as your chain. Best to leave that in place.
 
My friend Nick joined me last week and we completed the final disassembly of the XS.

First I removed the wheels and the forks. I've set the wheels aside for now but they likely won't be coming back on the bike. I'm planning to re-use the hubs but upgrade to some newer and lighter rims with stainless steel spokes.

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Nest we turned the frame on it's side and lifted the frame off the motor. This was a great trick I picked up off other guys here. It made the removal a lot easier.

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Here is the frame in all its glory:

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I'm planning to cut off the center stand mounts, the side cover mounts, and the loop on the rear section of the frame. I'm going to have a local welder help me fabricate a nice battery box and electronics stash area under the hump of the cafe seat. I'm in the process of acquiring these parts and once I have them I can begin fabricating the frame pieces.

The day was without drama but I found another reason the bike was a death machine... who needs cotter pins when you have nails??? Yikes!

XS500-4-1024x768.jpg


Cheers,

R
 
I've been a little lazy on my updates. Thankfully I am still plugging away on the XS and making a little progress. I'm trying to do at least one thing a day.

I bought a late model one piece head on ebay for $36. It's in workable condition with some water damage. Anyway, my plan is to use this head on my motor. It's a better design and less prone to leaks. I've delivered this head to my machinist and he is currently working on it. The valves were stuck but he has managed to free them.

Here is the head I bought:

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So, now I need to start taking the engine apart and generally cleaning it. The first thing I did was to make an engine stand. I found a few pieces of wood hidden beside my garage and went to work. It's a simple design but it works and keeps the motor stable.

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The motor is pretty filthy so I got out the simple green and the hose and I went to town.

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Originally I planned to split the cases. I've reviewed the schematics and I am a bit worried that I'm taking on a lot of work for something I probably don't need to do. As a result I think I am just going to clean the cases and leave them intact. I am planning to bead blast the head, cylinders, side covers, and starter cover. I think this should look good. I'm going to replace all the gaskets and the oil seals while I'm in there as well. I hope this is the right decision.

I am currently waiting on an order from XS650direct with a number of tools and miscellaneous parts. Mostly I need the cam chain tool so I can begin taking the motor apart.

XS500-41-300x224.jpg


One of the funniest things about my bike is that whoever owned it before me obviously didn't like metric tools. There are so many mangled fasteners and bolts. Here a good example, this is the blind plug with sits in the points housing:

XS500-61-300x225.jpg


That little plug is going to cost me $10 to replace. Ugh. However, this isn't as bad as the cam chain joint which is going to cost me $23 to replace. Compare this to $5 which is what these joints cost for an XS650.

Here is my frame waiting patiently for me to decide what I want to cut off of it:

XS500-81-300x225.jpg


The next thing I decided to tackle was my wheels. Now, I've never removed tires before and therefore I don't have tire levers. Let me tell you, taking tires off without levers sucks. It took a very long time and I was ruined when it was over! Anyway, I am sending these off to <a href="http://www.woodyswheelworks.com/">Woody's Wheel Works</a> for a rebuild. Not sure whether we will use the rims again or not. I'll wait to here what they have to say before I decide.

XS500-9-300x225.jpg


I really wanted to order the aluminum swingarm for this bike. <a href="http://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/prod_448876-Swingarm-Aluminum-Alloy.html"> Motolanna</a> sells them for the SR500 and they can be made to work on an XS650 which means they will also work on an XS500. However, I decided it wasn't worth the cost to me. There is too much other stuff I want more. Anyway, here it is, they sure look nice and would have some significant weight savings:

swingarmtitb1-300x200.jpg


<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">One thing that's coming in my<a href="http://www.xs650direct.com/products-20.html"> XS650 Direct</a> order is the bronze swingarm bushings. I'm pretty excited to replace the OEM plastic ones.</span>

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Here are the nasty OEM ones along with what appears to be greasy rust. Nasty looking.

XS500-10-300x225.jpg


That's where I'm at for now. Lots done and lots left to do. Very exciting!

I'm going to need some help building a wiring harness and wiring the bike. If anyone knows anyone who can help with this please let me know.

Best,

R
 
tried pming you about parts but its noth going through for some reason. might be interested in seat and starter and some other odds and ends. email is brianisnutz@msn.com
I have a 79' xs400 I have been tweaking. Seat looks like it would be a direct fit by looks of the frame compared to mine.
 
78whiteorbs said:
tried pming you about parts but its noth going through for some reason. might be interested in seat and starter and some other odds and ends. email is ...
I have a 79' xs400 I have been tweaking. Seat looks like it would be a direct fit by looks of the frame compared to mine.

Hey,

I'd love to help ya but I won't know what I'm selling until the bike is finished. I keep going back and forth on a few ideas so I'm holding onto everything until I know for sure what I am going to do.

Cheers,

R.
 
Things are starting to pick up because my parts have started to arrive. Today I made the journey to Point Roberts to ship my rims off to <a href="http://www.woodyswheelworks.com/">Woody's Wheel Works</a> for the rebuild.

As usual I caught the bus from sunny North Vancouver to Delta and then crossed the border to Point Roberts on foot. Nothing like bringing motorcycle wheels on the bus. Hahaha
IMG00049-20101028-1334-300x225.jpg


At Point Roberts I had a package from <a href="https://www.allballsracing.com/">All Balls Racing</a> waiting for me. I bought new wheel bearings and the updated tapered roller bearing for the steering stem. I shipped the wheel bearings to Woody with my rims and brought the steering bearings home.
IMG00056-20101028-2210-300x225.jpg


I also received something I have been eagerly anticipating. My new A123 ultralight battery from <a href="http://www.testsycl.com/">Testsycl</a>. I knew it was going to be small but I had no idea it would be this small. It's shocking that it replaces my already small motorcycle battery. This thing is smaller than a can of coke.
IMG00052-20101028-2205-300x225.jpg

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Lastly, I've finished taking my tank apart. Not that big of a deal but lots of small parts had to come off to remove the cap and all of them were painted over. It also appears that whoever painted the tank didn't believe in masking as the inside of the tank is yellow too. I'm thinking about sandblasting the inside to remove this paint unless someone has a better idea. I need it gone so I can apply a fresh coating before I put the bike back together.
IMG00054-20101028-2205-300x225.jpg

IMG00053-20101028-2205-300x225.jpg


That's all for today. Tomorrow I'm expecting a big delivery and then I should be able to start digging into the motor.

R.
 
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