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I tried B9EV platinum plugs (bought a box as I thought I would need them) but switched back to stock B8ES as 9's didn't get hot enough even with 87 octane pump gas.(I bought two boxes of B8ES in 2011 still have most of them as plugs only need changing after 20,000miles or more, I'm only a bit...

Oh, if you haven't painted frame yet and are going to change carbs this frame mod is worthwhile even though frame analysis shows steering head is weak point I know this is where flexing actually starts (paint flakes off and frame goes rusty) it can't be used with stock air box and battery box...

There were a total of three recalls, rocker shafts, cam chain tensioner and a wiring harness guide on left front fuel tank mount. Rocker shafts were not a complete disaster, cam chain tensioner only a problem if it never got adjusted but wiring harness could droop and 'lock' steering. Only...

Photobucket also deleted my account as I wasn't going to pay them for a few megabytes of pictures (even $5.00 a month soon mounts up) I have some of the original pictures, will search them out and see about re-uploading

Never heard of that before and I've seen just about everything on 360's.

Did you machine off the webs between flanges on front hub or didn't the 74 have them? I've only got later model XS's (77~79)

All looks good. Wheel rims can be a real pain when they haven't been cleaned for years, left out in all weathers and the brake dust/water mix has eaten well into alloy. Even with a proper polisher and narrow sisal wheels it takes a while. Top engine mount looks good, did you use 1/4" plate or...

Yeah, right. fitting two stroke carbs to a four stroke is easy. They have completely different fuel requirements so 'jetting' where you just unscrew one and fit another is easy. Getting fuel delivery right with the wrong parts, not so much. I ended up making emulsion tubes and buying new slides...

That's because they are spindly. You need a fork brace or they twist like pretzels. Many people fit 35mm forks from larger Honda's as that's easiest thing to do. USD forks from late models look way too big being 50mm+ which makes everything else look skinny plus fitting stock wheels becomes way...

Just keep sanding. It's dirty work. If you could find someone to bead blast them it would be much quicker and easier but you would almost certainly need new bearings Glad your OK and not called up for military duty (yet?)

You got the easy part done. Jetting is 'interesting' getting them as good as modified stock CV carbs, even more interesting

It doesn't matter as much on CB350 as the main bearing 'base' is separate from the lower case.

If you found any 'shiny bits' in oil pump pick up screen it's best to take it apart to check. If it's low mileage (almost all are) just put some oil in one port and rotate by hand to make sure it comes out the other side

You can DIY the guide but it's going to need reaming to size after fitting plus valve seat will need to be cut. You use a piloted drift, slightly under diameter of guide with pilot same diameter as valve stem. The spring seat actually slides over top of guide Unless shop is familiar with...

Use the stock plastic piece, it fits and looks better. Otherwise, pretty sure you'll have to modify something designed for a wider tyre unless one of the modern 250/300 bikes have one? Pretty out of touch with most things bike since around 2012.. Electronic ignition is probably the best thing...

Oh, forgot to mention, the alternator cover is a 78, the 77 had no visible screws

It's only the CV Kei-Hin that make life difficult, particularly the 'three jet' from 1960's into 90's but from 1978 on they were just about impossible to get running properly without stock air box I put K&N filters on my 77 CB550F1 and got 41mpg instead of the 26mpg I had been getting. (at...

I'm still looking for a real cheap caliper body to see if a hydraulic conversion is feasible. As I don't have any Honda's with cable disc I don't actually need it for my own use. I just want to experiment and want cheap as possible. If anyone would like to donate parts and be guinea pig, I'll...

The XS500 was over engineered with too much going on for the era. It made it quite unreliable, my cousins husband had 5, one to ride and 4 for spare parts. Even most basic parts are hard to find, oil filters haven't been made by Yamaha since the 80's It's a motor full of innovation and very...

I've seen that happen twice but as I've worked on thousands of bikes over more than 50 years, it's still really unusual. Both times it was due to bearing damage which was not cleaned properly. I remember a Honda where clutch hadn't been fitted properly and bearing cage was damaged, ( I suspect...