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Re: My XS650 project - updated May 29 - Radian swingarm arrived - bolted on for fun!
Yep - I made sure I got the Radian axle, and plan on doing the same bearing conversion seeing as new bearings are a good idea anyhow. I'm holding off till I see if I can score a rear wheel with the alloy rim to match the front one I have on the way. I wasn't sure if bearing sizes differed through the years, so want the final wheel before I bother finding the right bearings (might ask for guidance seeing as you've gone this route already).
I'll need to make up a chain guard too. I should have bought the Radian one while I was at it. Just need it on for safety.
On the topic of chains, can I run a modern o-ring chain on this? On the Honda 550, there were clearance issues with the wider o-ring chains which ended up chewing up your engine cases, to the point of putting holes in them. If I can buy new sprockets and a nice modern chain, I'd love to do it.
Re: My XS650 project - updated May 29 - Radian swingarm arrived - bolted on for fun!
On the topic of chains, can I run a modern o-ring chain on this? On the Honda 550, there were clearance issues with the wider o-ring chains which ended up chewing up your engine cases, to the point of putting holes in them. If I can buy new sprockets and a nice modern chain, I'd love to do it.
Re: My XS650 project - updated May 29 - Radian swingarm arrived - bolted on for fun!
Well, I finally got up to see Ian and he graced me with some of his old stock 650 parts - will be able to make use of quite a bit of it I think - thanks!
This afternoon I found a couple of hours to continue working on the frame. The rear-footpeg mounts are gone, as are the centre stand mounts, sidecover mounts, rear fender mounts, the post to hold the back of the tank in place, the seat hinges and latch mount... etc.
It looks SOOOO clean. Can't wait to finish smoothing things out a bit and then it gets a bit of bracing done to stiffen things up. Then off comes the loop behind the shock mounts once a 3 inch plate is welded in place across the frame up there. Thanks to Ian for the inspiration for plates vs. tubes running across. Will give me more opportunity to mount things like seats and electronics as well as presumably improve bracing over a single tube running across.
Pics will come a bit later. I think I took 10 pounds off the frame. Anyone know what a stock '72 era 650 frame weighs? Real story will be once the bike is together to compare it's weight vs. the original stock.
Re: My XS650 project - updated May 29 - Radian swingarm arrived - bolted on for fun!
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'.
Re: My XS650 project - updated May 29 - Radian swingarm arrived - bolted on for fun!
I left the welded nuts on behind the upper shock mounts as a) they were really integrated as part of the shock mounts and b) I will likely use them to mount brackets for signals or something.
And I'm pretty sure I'm going to remove the fork lock and have a plate welded over the hole.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 3 - More weight loss
Just snagged a Boyer ignition kit from eBay - new in the box. Saved myself about $60 over buying from Mikesxs and avoided giving the tax man more money.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 6 - The Strippers have arrived!
I was SO inspired by the burlesque dancers at The Speigletent last night (www.luminato.com) that my wife DRAGGED me to go see, I couldn't help myself and I started some stripping myself.
A little 1850 furniture stripper and that foul black spray paint is coming off the engine cases nicely. Big goopy mess. Pics coming later.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 6 - The Strippers have arrived!
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 (pic makes it look MUCH MUCH cleaner than it was - especially on the underside where I was digging out dry dirt between layers of oil sludge and then finally hitting black paint):
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 6 - The Strippers have arrived - pics up!
I got them all installed. Oil ring (three peice) at the bottom. Accordian part in first, then the two thin rings which are identical with no markings so it appears there's no 'up' to them.
The other two grooves as it turns out are different sizes, so no question which ring goes where. Marks up, as per my other ring installs and the rings already on the old pistons (which are also Riken near as I can tell by the R on them). Installed the same way I did my 550's - no problems and certainly no pliers needed!
The guys up at Concepts on Wheels showed me the trick to install rings last year. Impossible to describe. I'll have to pull the rings out of the old pistons to illustrate.
Plopped the cylinders and head on just to see what she looks like - very nice. I'm not painting or polishing the top end at all. Paint seems like a waste of time and just retains heat, and way too finicky to polish the rocker cover. I'll sand the top engine case but won't polish it so it comes close to a match to the cylinders. Engine covers will be polished extensively.
Might get it together tonight. I've got all the gaskets, o-rings, seals and washers ready.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 7 - Top end back from Gord Bush Performance
Well CRAP. I received my fancy new front wheel - XS1 drum brake hub laced into a 19" alloy rim... but, well, some parts were missing. Namely the hub and spokes and rim I received the brake component, and the axle in a box obviously too small for a 19" rim.
Have an email out to the seller, his home address and phone number. I'm sure it's a misunderstanding, and someone who shipped it for him (wife?) forgot the other parts. Or he's shipped them seperately. If he was out to get me I'm sure I would have received a box of rocks if anything at all.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 7 - Top end back from Gord Bush Performance
No - I got peices from my auction, just not all of them.
Just heard from the seller - he seperated the shipment for weight. I guess somehow shipping two boxes vs. one heavy one was less expensive. I only paid $20 to ship, and the hub had $25 postage on it so I'm not complaining.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 7 - Top end back from Gord Bush Performance
And did a bit more grinding tonight - ready for Anne to do her stuff But I need to identify and grind off one more tab on the front end - the little peg below the steering head - wtf is it for? I also removed the fork lock. Stuck out like a sore thumb. Will have a small plate welded over or see if the hole can be filled in.
We'll be adding some plating in the seating area - I removed the thin stock plate by the top tube to be replaced with a bigger thicker one that will extend further back to accomodate the mount for my tank strap toggle. The frame looks sweet and is much lighter.
Re: My XS650 project - updated June 7 - Top end back from Gord Bush Performance
Quick update - got my new 35mm front end in the mail today! Biggest heaviest box I've received in a while. Beautiful condition - no marks on the fork tubes.
I'll be stripping the triple trees and polishing them up along with the lowers.
Frame is getting welded up this weekend with luck by dinosaurthatroars (THANKS!) and then after a touch more grinding and drilling a hole or two, off to the powdercoaters along with a bunch of other bits like engine mounts, headlight bucket (old rusty chrome unit), Radian swingarm etc.
Need some bearings for the rear wheel to mate up with the 17mm Radian axle, and then can get it into rolling form
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So off to Gord's shop I go so he can finish his work and then the engine goes back together!
