XS tidy up.

[ADRIAN H]

Great bikes the XS650, love them. Your is coming on a treat

[Mr Puffin]

Looking good Kev Nice to work on these engines and yes sooooo much lighter than a Zed lump

[kev edwards]

Decided to paint the underside of the mudguards and chain guard today, so I gave them a clean up whilst the mudguards were just all surface rust the chain guard was much closer to the original finish and a very poor one at that, the throwing power in the chrome plating bath was useless as you can see in the picture although you do not expect a perfect bright chrome on the inner parts it barely got over the edges, the nickel bath was good though as the whole inner surface has still got a good coating on it, you can see where the chrome ends in the pics, the more I do on this bike the more I realize that these bikes were absolutely not made to last a few years let alone nearly forty, late 1970s Yamaha workmanship is rubbish.

[kev edwards]

Bit more done today, new loom, wheels, mud guards brakes and rear light on, waiting for a couple of bits from the states now before I can go any further, using some stainless bolts where the old ones are no good.

[jimmock]

Kev,

I am more than impressed.

It is looking gorgeous.

What is your lathe in the back ground?

[kev edwards]

Kev,

I am more than impressed.

It is looking gorgeous.

What is your lathe in the back ground?

Cheers Jim, it is just a tidy up and I am using and just cleaning as much of the original parts without spending loads on refurbishment, if it got too nice I wouldn't use it, and I will run it all year round.
That's just a little 10'' atlas and does everything I need, turned out a couple sleeves for the rear indicator rubbers during the week, I used to have long Drummond round bed which believe or not was better for the small stuff as I could mill with it.

[kev edwards]

Bit more done today, also a question if anyone knows much about these, before the strip the harness's were very badly butchered and as soon as I switched the ignition on the lights came on, so I have replaced with new stateside ones, now when I switch the ignition on they are not coming on is this meant to be like this and they only come on when the motor is running, I know they have safety relays and would this explain why, I have also replaced the original generator with a new PMA.

[Padders]

Looking very nice Kev

[kev edwards]

Boyer on and running will need to strobe it up tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HedfcFST2v8

[Taffus]

looking good Kev

[kev edwards]

A short video shot with the phone of the old XS650 running pretty much as it should, a bit more carb work to do, the new 2 into 1 makes them sound really different.
https://youtu.be/f99aq4lWylE

[Pigford]

Personally prefer 2:2 pipes, but must say that sounds like a real sweet motor

[kev edwards]

If i could have got a decent 2 2 in stainless i would have gone with it, possibly
a future project for Dave at Exhaust Craft, it is a nice quiet motor now, was a tad noisy with the foobarred cam chain guide, and the Boyer has added to smoother running too.

[kev edwards]

New inlet rubbers arrived yesterday, shame they don't make them with vacuum stubbs, so out to the trusty old lathe and an hour later thread ones made, high temperature glued in, just waiting on carb needles now.

[kev edwards]

Took the old girl for it's MOT today, i came away dead chuffed, passed with ease they adjusted headlight aim for me, the tester who is also a rider was impressed with the standard of work, and praised the bike and me accordingly, going to ride it for the summer and paint it during the winter now.