XS650 big bore kit

[rudy]

Just found this at Mike's today. Its a big bore 750cc kit with new cylinders, pistons, rings, pins, clips, gaskets, the whole works. They say it just bolts right in, no worries. Sounds pretty slick and looks pretty sick!! Check out those huge fins! So for all you guys out there building your 650 engines, I'd consider giving this a go. Too bad my 650 runs so well still....... I'll just have to ride it harder I guess! ;D

http://www.mikesxs.net/mikesxs-engine.php?category_id=3.5#05-0750

 

[locOleoN]

WOW.. thats one very sweet kit.. Straight bolt-on...

TinTin should consider this one...

 

[kiwi]

Yeah, heck of a deal. He says they are on for a special price right now ?. Too bad I just finished doing up my Shell 700 engine, if this was out there 18 months ago may have considered it. I know a guy who just had his top end redone, just a hone job and rings, $200, almost half way to Mikes kit. And free shipping to Canada as well, can't beat that. John.

 

[locOleoN]

Yeah, heck of a deal. He says they are on for a special price right now ?. Too bad I just finished doing up my Shell 700 engine, if this was out there 18 months ago may have considered it. I know a guy who just had his top end redone, just a hone job and rings, $200, almost half way to Mikes kit. And free shipping to Canada as well, can't beat that. John.

Its almost worth just buying a set, and sticking it in the closet for a future project...Hmmmm. and I dont even have an xs650.....yet...

 

[Scarcat]

I've seen it ... and have considered it. Just hard to place in priority of everything else I'm doing for the bike.

 

[locOleoN]

I've seen it ... and have considered it. Just hard to place in priority of everything else I'm doing for the bike.

yeah, but for that kind of money, shipping included???...thats a really good deal.. shipping alone for the jugs + everything has got to be at LEAST $80....

We need to find a supplier of the same kit - slap in kit, (jugs w. sleeves pressed already), for a cb550 or cb750..
I had a slap in kit Yosh kit for a cb550 that went to RudeBoy...

 

[Tim]

Well, it's not a bad deal if you're rebuilding your engine. I paid $150 for new pistons/rings, and then about $100 for boring/honing the cylinders if I recall.

That being said, I'm not 100% confident in the quality of the parts Mikesxs has made up. I don't know who makes them and to what level of accuracy.

Another issue is the fact these cylinders come pre-machined for the pistons, and he sells both parts seperately. This means the cylinders are machined all to a common spec, which is supposedly compatible with the pistons.

When you rebuild an engine with new pistons, each cylinder is bored to match the specific piston that is going into that cylinder. Every piston is slightly different, and the machining of the cylinder needs to be a perfect match for good performance.

I'd be more confident if the cylinder sleeves were NOT machined, and required boring to match the pistons being included in the kit or purchased on their own. This is how most high-performance big-bore kits are sold.

 

[locOleoN]

hmmm..interesting point....

 

[kiwi]

Good point TinTin, didn't think of that. The thought of that neat looking cylinder clouded my mind for a while. But still, he's going to sell lots of them. john

 

[Scarcat]

I'd be more confident if the cylinder sleeves were NOT machined, and required boring to match the pistons being included in the kit or purchased on their own. This is how most high-performance big-bore kits are sold.

Exactly. If they were built for an existing piston, I'd feel easier about it. Then there's the rest of it .. i.e ... next bore sizes,pistons, rings, etc.

 

[Tim]

I'm sure he will. I'd condsider:

buying the cylinders seperately for $400
1st oversize (1mm over) piston/ring kit for $200 (for both)
Big bore head and base gasket for $40

Then paying to have the cylinders bored/honed to fit the 81mm pistons to ensure a proper fit $100

So $740 for the total kit. Obviously a lot more than the $500 kit price, and maybe if he could specify country of manufacture, tolerances on the cylnders/pistons etc. I'd go for the $240 savings.

If I had free access to a machine shop to do the machining, I'd give serious consideration to spending the extra $140 to ensure I could do my own boring/honing. Especially if I was racing this, as if I'm not mistaken you want a little looser fit on racing engines to accomodate the extra expansion from high heat right? Makes for lower life I think though. Maybe the looser tolerances presumably engineered into the kit to accomodate variances in machining would work for racing.

Probably fine for all applications - I'm just paranoid about things I don't want to take apart again and spend a fortune on replacing.

 

[rudy]

Wow, lots of discussion about this. It is pretty damn interesting though, no matter where it came from or how good it is. Good to know that there is enough of these bikes out there for people to be making kits like this still. I'll have to find me another 650 and try it out I guess. The bike will have to come pretty cheap if I'm gonna shell out that kind of clams for a kit like this though. I'll have to see if the boys over at 650 garage have seen this yet. I'd really like a guinea pig before I jump in on it though. We'll have to see how it all pans out.