Tim's XS project - 750cc rephased ported head titanium valve hot cam craziness

Re: My XS650 project - updated June 7 - Top end back from Gord Bush Performance

Tintin said:

Well, got my sanding mops (check out sanding stars at Lee Valley) today and this evening spent some time cleaning up the engine a bit.

Still need to spend some time on the underside, and there are still some traces of paint. That's bare shiny aluminum otherwise

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Nice work Tim... have to check out those stars!

Re: My XS650 project - updated June 7 - Top end back from Gord Bush Performance

Got the rest of my front wheel in too. Might not end up using it - going to be some work to make it fit in newer forks.

Re: My XS650 project - updated June 19 - Pistons on the rods

So the pistons are on the rods, base gasket in place, o-rings on the bottoms of the cylinders, but alas I need tools to compress the rings to get the cylinders on.

Hope to have the engine back in one piece over the next couple of nights. Will need to stop before torquing down the valve cover as I'll need to truck the engine out to have the master link rivets squished on the new cam-chain I installed. Will see if Gord Bush will do it, and might see if I can get the underside of the engine bead-blasted to clean it up.

Re: My XS650 project - updated June 19 - Pistons on the rods

Oi - those piston rings proved too much for me. I knew I'd have to haul the engine to a mechanic to have the cam chain master link riveted in place, so I decided to let them put the cylinders and head on while I was at it. I would have paid $60 for a tool and then $20 to have them rivet the chain, and I'm likely only into 1 hour labour for the whole job so I'm saving money and getting it done right at the same time

Should have the engine back in a day or so and can finish assembly. Still need to get the frame welded up and get all the bits ready for powdercoating. Some wheel bearings and then I can get it into rolling chassis form with the engine in place

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 6 - Engine coming together and welding scheduled

Sheesh - days turn to weeks. Engine is coming back to me tomorrow (July 7) for me to complete the assembly. I had an OEM Yamaha base gasket put on in place of the thin green Athena one, after reading some horror stories at 650 Garage etc.

And, I sourced a welder for a great price and 5 minutes from my office. Will drop off Monday morning and pick up on the way home from work same day. So, should be off to the powdercoaters next week!

Will begin to reassemble the complete bike early August when I return from my summer holidays with a set of alloy wheels

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 6 - Engine coming together and welding scheduled

Great job on the build and discussion, please keep it up. I'm about to start on mine when I get home next month and will be doing a similar job, but am making building for the track (old fart class - Daytona 2011). Another mod you might consider is moving the upper shock mount forward, onto the tube coming down from the seat rail for added rear wheel travel, but primarily for improved weight distribution. Also looks way cool.

I have a question on the Radian swingarm. Can you fit a wider tire in there than on the stock arm? I'm going with a TX750 swingarm, direct bolt-on, but has larger tubes for strength, but I'm still liimited to a 130 rear tire. Sure would like to squeeze a 140 in there........

Dennis

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 6 - Engine coming together and welding scheduled

Stock Radian tire is a 130, so maybe you can squeeze a 140 in there, not sure. I'll likely run a 120.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 6 - Engine coming together and welding scheduled

Great job on the build and discussion, please keep it up. I'm about to start on mine when I get home next month and will be doing a similar job, but am making building for the track (old fart class - Daytona 2011). Another mod you might consider is moving the upper shock mount forward, onto the tube coming down from the seat rail for added rear wheel travel, but primarily for improved weight distribution. Also looks way cool.

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Hey Dennis .... great to see someone else is building a track XS !!!. Here is a picture of mine. Its a part right now as the frame is off at the powder coaters. Post some pictures of yours when you get the chance.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 6 - Engine coming together and welding scheduled

Well good golly, the Radian adventure continues. A shop up near my office has my frame, Radian swingarm and stock swingarm. They did all the bracing on the frame today - looks AWESOME - pics Tuesday.

I'm having them move the shock mounts on the Radian swingarm to line up with the frame mounts. Simple enough. But, took some measurements and realized the mounts on the Radian swingarm are 3 INCHES further back than the stock arm. This would lower the rear end a bit and increase suspension travel a bit too. Didn't realize the swingarm was so much longer than stock.

So, I'm splitting the difference and having the new shock mounts placed 1.5 inches back from stock. I also am going to have them do the Minton-Mods bracing to my stock swingarm, like Ian's in the pic above. I like the way this looks better than the Radian anyhow. Will keep the Radian or sell it as a truly bolt-on conversion kit.

These guys do amazing welding. I'll get their info up for all later. They do all sorts of work with stainless steel and aluminum welding. Nice nice quality welds. They do machine work too with 3 CNC machines. Will be spending some more time and $$$ there to be sure. Just a couple mins from my office which is handy too.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 9 - Welding underway!

Hey, I've been following your build since your first post! I work in Saudi so I only get to work on the bike during vacations. I've been buying bits and pieces this last few months on eBay and such, so I have many boxes of toys to start adding next month. First order of business is to strip the bike to the frame and cut off the extra brackets and such. I'll post some pictures after I've had Auguist to do some work.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 9 - Welding underway!

Hey man, frame and swing arm are done. How do you want me to quote the other swing arm? Like the pics that you gave me (three bends) or like the one in the last pic posted here (one bend)?

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 10 - WELDING COMPLETE - WITH PICS

Welding pics. Lots of new bracing and the right bits for my tank strap. Just enough room for my arse too, and the Radian arm now fits properly (shock mounts). Nice welds, and they cleaned up a lot of mess so it's ready to be blasted and coated.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 10 - WELDING COMPLETE - WITH PICS

Nice stuff!

Hey... I have a pair of low mileage Radian shocks that would look great on your bike if you need them...bought them for teh XS but since that's off the bench they're available.

Pick em up when you guys come to Winnipeg.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 10 - WELDING COMPLETE - WITH PICS

Yep I can use 'em. Probably a bit nicer than the ones I have - but mine aren't that bad.

I'll be buying Hagon's at some point, but anything I can bolt on later like 34mm Mikuni's is gonna wait till the bike is fully assembled. Gotta focus the spend on the bits I can't add later like welding, powdercoating, bearings, pistons etc.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 10 - WELDING COMPLETE - WITH PICS

More pics.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 10 - WELDING COMPLETE - WITH PICS

Picked up the engine tonight - cylinders, head, cam and cam chain back in place ready for me to bolt on the rest and torque it all down.

In the meantime I've scored a nice set of 36mm Mikuni carbs and manifolds for the bike. VROOM! Picking them up tomorrow. And my Bike Bandit order of my 520 chrome chain, master links, UNI filters (which are now no good to me considering the mammoth 36mm Mikunis), crankcase breathers and chrome/glass fuel filters has shipped

Gotta get the swingarm off, bearings out of it and the bits and pieces collected to take to the powdercoaters.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 10 - WELDING COMPLETE - WITH PICS

Lucky Friday the 13th for me

Waited around in the morning for a meeting I had to have (phone call) and FedEx to arrive with my Bikebandit box full of goodies Then I headed out to Guelph to pick up the Mikuni carbs from Gord

On my way to Guelph, everything slowed right down at Winston Churchill. Flashing lights, and then I was able to see the 10 OPP cruisers gating in 20-30 Outlaws riders. Was quite the spectacle, causing large traffic slowdowns.

Got past that, and got the carbs without a hitch. Took some pics of the goodies I've been keeping in a box as I've collected the bits and pieces.

Are these not the finest looking fuel filters you've laid eyes on? Chrome and glass - no plastic.

That's an EK 520MVXZ x-ring chrome chain to go on the 520 conversion sprockets. Emgo chrome crankcase breathers, etc. etc.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 13 - Lucky Friday the 13th!

Tim ... sweet stuff, gonna look good when completed. Listen where did you pick up your pet cocks ??, are they pingle ??.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 13 - Lucky Friday the 13th!

Gosh no - too pricey for my tastes. Got them on eBay for about $15 each I think. They're quite nice. Wanted the 90 degree bend and I couldn't resist the touch of red. They operate smoothly and have the screen filters built-in. Not left and right, so the levers will point in opposite directions when on or off but that's fine.

Still need to find the right size tap to clear out the bung in the tank. Nobody seems to have the right thread size.

Re: My XS650 project - updated July 13 - Lucky Friday the 13th!

Nobody seems to have the right thread size.

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Metric or NPT ????