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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

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    Finally finished the seat off. Re did the front mounts for a neater look and angled the spigot and spigot seat so the seat clears the frame tubes. The rear mounts consist of a rubber grommet mounted in the seat cowl either side. I spun up two ally positive stop inserts which sit in the grommets and a 6mm bolt is inserted each side and screwed into the two tabs I welded to the frame.
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  3. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

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    Just put the front hub together using sealed bearings, bead blasted the disk holder and drilled a few holes in the disk. Also put the rear hub together with sealed bearings. The Teles are also together, I removed all the casting marks from the sliders and polished them again, they look 100% better without the casting marks. Unfortunately I dropped the left side slider and damaged the seal surround, bugger! I'll try tahe aluminium brazing rods I have and see i f I can repair it. I'm thinking of binning the sidecovers I spent so much time beating into shape and either making a polished aluminium battery carrier and making a feature of it, or I'll shorten the sidecovers at the front and attach brackets to the battery carrier for the sidecovers, that way I wont have to make splayed manifolds.
    Easy? Not with one hand it ain't, just had the left hand index and second fingers fused and the ring and pinky got nice new PIP joints, so the left hand fingers are in splints, putting the hand out of action. Doc should be pleased when he sees the grease and oil on the bandages and splints. Work waits for no one!
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  4. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

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    Stitches out yesterday, all 30 of them. Still swollen, but actually used them a little today: Marvellous, pain is nothing like it used to be, I can actually bend them a little without grimacing. Still a way to go, exercises three times a day to improve range of motion which is very limited at the moment. They'll never be straight again, just a little deformed from all the damage, surgeon said the damage was extensive. Just need a new hip, a few new toes, new shoulders, new wrists, a couple of new elbows and new fingers on the right hand, not much really, huh?
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  5. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    Finished off the front hub: I drilled the disk with some lightning holes, installed new sealed bearings, polished the hub and because the left side cover that covers the disk mount holes was rusted, I fabbed a new aluminium one and polished that as well. Bought some stainless fasteners, polished them up and assembled the hub. I want to go with an electronic speedo, if I can find one, so the speedo drive on the left will probably go and I'll turn up a stainless spacer in it's place. For a bit of extra bling, I also polished the edge of the disk. Hub should look nice laced up to a polished ally rim with polished stainless spokes.
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  6. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Painting.

    Frame blasted and painted, along with seat, footpegs, bottom tree and a few other bits and pieces.
    Frame was easts enough, just a bit difficult to get to a few bits due to the terrible design and manufacture. I ground the rivets off and pulled the footpegs apart, on re assemby I replaced the rivets with stainless fasteners.

    I'm a little pedantic with this build, so I ground all the casting marks off the pegs and trees and smoothed them before painting. I'll never be able to ride it it so I'm in no hurry and the enjoyment for me is in the build.
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  7. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default A tale of three stands.

    I'll confess, I'm not into building once, I like to do it a few times, keeps me occupied. When I was putting the motor together I got sick of it wobbling all over the bench, so I built a stand ,just a simple one, big mistake. So, I finished putting the motor together and was ready to start it, but decided, as entertaining as it would be to watch the motor vibrate all over the bench before falling on the floor, I'd better build a better one, not bench homed.
    Most tools seem to end up on the floor so why not build a stand close to the floor so I won't have to chase tools all over the place, just push the stool over to a tool, bend and pick it up, easy as. What could be better? Build in an electrical system for starting, that's what. A fuel tank mount would also be good, so I built one on to it too. Now, what if I want to move it, easy, wheels, so, on with the wheels. Now I can wheel it around the shop and into the garage when finished.
    Time to start it, push the button and it roared into life. Now, if you think Brit twins vibrate, hah, not compared to this, once started I chased it all around the shop, give it a handful and the damn thing jumps up and down. So, out with some rope and hook the stand up to the bench grinder, problem solved.
    New problem: I don't like the colour of the motor, easily fixed, rip it apart, paint it black, polish the ally until it's shinier than the top of my head, buy some new gaskets, stick it together, buy a new PMA, against expert opinion of course (what can I say, I'm a rebel), make a mount for it, connect the motor to the electrical system, with soldered terminals of course (a true rebel, aren't I?) and push the button: Vroom, vroom, first push again. Tune it up, push it into the garage and forget about it for a while.
    Up on the bench with the frame, WTH, it wobbles, can't have that can we, another stand from 32mm tube. Much better, solid as a rock. Make a new seat pan, new side covers, weld on some tabs, cut extra tabs off the telle legs and did I mention polish some ally, boy, did I polish some ally: Tele sliders, side covers, top triple tree, brake distributor, starter motor ends and did I mention the dipstick, yep, polished that too, panel beated the guards, made a new tail light bracket and welded on a new bracket for the battery and then out with the files. Apparently, the Japanese hire five year olds to weld their frames together, even I with shaky hands and poor eyesight can weld better than that. The welds may look like bits of chewing gum stuck all over the frame, but damn the chewing gum is hard to file, took me hours.
    All done, off to the blasters and then stick some nice shiny black paint over everything, and I mean everything, it took me two days to clean the shop of dusty off spray. Painted the frame swingarm, brake steady, bottom triple tree, footpegs, horn mount, footpeg springs, seatpan and a few other bits and pieces. Making headway at last!
    The Japanese are short a few marbles I think: We'll build a motor with an OH cam, twin carbs, roller mains and big ends, but we'll make the motor so tight in the frame It has to be removed to work on it, how smart are we. I could answer that, but I promise I won't.
    Did I mention the motor was a tight fit in the frame? Well, to insert the engine you lay the motor on a rug on its right side, remove the left side engine cover, wrap the frame up in padding, talk to the wife nicely for a week, take her out for lunch, offer to make the breakfast, then ask her to help lift the frame, which incidentally weighs more than a complete Bonny, over the engine, jiggle it around for half an hour until the two mounts line up, insert the bolts, unwrap the frame, stand it up then take two Piroxicam and lie on the floor with your legs elevated on a few pillows for a couple of hours. All done.
    But wait, it's on the floor, I need it on the bench so I can work on it. Three pulleys, 20' of rope and it won't budge. Tie a noose in the end of the rope and stand on it, surely I've got to weigh more than a motor and frame? Nope, this thing is heavy, won't budge. Think, think, think, got it, paving stones are the answer, I've got got 90 of them, that should do it.
    Once again, be nice to the wife, make her breakfast, make the bed then ask her to stack some pavers for you, So, armed with a nice wife I insert two long lengths of RHS into the frame stand, lift and ask the wife to insert a few pavers under the front end. Push down on the front and ask the wife to put a few pavers under the back end and up we go, 60mm at a time. Took some time but eventually we get to bench height and I slide the frame and it's stand across onto the bench.
    Eventually I'll have to get it back down off the bench, that's another story!
    Thank goodness I made these three stands, so much easier and the wife says I swear less. Anyway some pictures from an old, bald headed, short bloke who won't listen to those who know better.
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  8. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Custom exhaust.

    I welded up a dummy exhaust with correct angles, rotation and lengths, took it to an exhaust shop and spoke to a bloke there about it. Initially I just wanted four bends as I had the intention of welding them together with correct length and rotation. He assured me he could bend up two pipes, exactly matching the sample, so I left it with him. Four weeks later, that's right, four weeks later, he finally got it done. Picked it up and went home.

    Bolted them up and angles and length both wrong, at least he did get the rotation right. Not that it mattered because I had to cut and weld in two places on each pipe.

    Round tube is round, right? Nope, afraid not. You only see how unround when you cut, rotate and try to line up. After lots of welding, bashing grinding and filing I got them nice and straight with correct angles, lengths and rotation. Initially, I had the pipes parallel to the ground, but did like that, so cut and welded again with a slight upsweep.

    Once done I made up a couple of four bolt clamps: Outer clamp is aluminium which didn't create any problems, however, the rear section made of steel was a different matter. Because I wanted the securing bolts as close in as possible, I bent the ends up on the bar bender then tightened up the bend using hammer and vice. Pi told me how long between bends, once done, I folded the clamps around a 42mm lump of steel.

    Once clamped around the pipe, it left a 1mm gap, which is what I was after.

    I also made up a couple of upper clamps, shaped them and bored a 42mm hole in the centre. Both upper and lower clamps were then polished.
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  9. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default How to get an XS650motor in the frame.

    In their wisdom the Japanese decided to make the motor such a tight fit in the frame you have to take it out to work on it. This tight fit makes it very difficult to get the motor mounted without scratching the hell out of the frame.

    After wrapping the frame tubes in rags, I laid the motor on it's right side, removed the left side cover and with a nice wife, who has just enjoyed breakfast in bed, had the bed made for her and the dishes done, we lift the frame and carefully lay the frame over the motor, jiggle it around for 10 minutes and slide the long bolts through the bottom and rear mounts. After that, it gets easy bolting up the aluminium mounts I made. Then unwrap the frame and check for damage. You'll never convince me the Japanese are smart.
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  10. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Top mounts.

    These are a couple of engine mounts I made, they replace a six piece set that bolts together. Very untidy and very unnecessary. But, typical of the XS design: a sump filter that can't handle the oil pressure, starter gear that relies on a 2mm spring clip to stop the gear from rotating too much, cam chain guides that continually lose their plasticised runners, stupid pins in the mains mounts that take forever to line up with holes in the mains bearing because you can't see them, stupid SU type carbs interrupting the fuel flow with needle and slide plus a butterfly, ridiculous pins held in place by split pins that ride in the gearbox shifter drum. Plus lots more and I haven't even gotten to the abysmal frame.
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  11. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Timing.

    When I converted to a permanent magnet alternator on the bike, rather than buy a kit, I pieced it together using a Virago rotor, a Banshee, stator and a mount I spun up on my lathe. This left no way to time it, so I shaped a simple crescent shaped plate, drilled and tapped a couple of holes in the left side engine cover and mounted the plate on the inside to get it close to the rotor. To get the timing right, I installed the original rotor and stator, brought the rotor around to line up with the F mark on the stator, then carefully disassembled the old alternator, assembled the new PMA rotor and scribed a line on the rotor to line up with the middle of the cutout on the bottom of the cover. Once done I assembled the timing plate in the side cover and engraved a line on the plate to line up with the rotor line. Hopefully it's right and the motor, without plugs, didn't rotate any. If so, it's a simple matter of engraving another line on the plate.

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  12. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Osaka
    Posts
    909

    Default

    Excellent build so far
    Semtex fixes all

  13. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default twin points to single.

    More work on the ignition system. Couldn't find any 3mm eye terminals anywhere, so modified some male blade terminals. Grommet in the points housing was spit, so I used some rubber I had lying around and fashioned a new one, then fashioned a points backing plate and mounted points and condenser. I'm thinking of exiting the points to coil wire at the top of the housing a little later on to make it a little neater. I replaced the 4mm phillips head screws securing the points and condenser with allen heads and shortened some 6mm socket, button heads for fixing the backing plate in place. The cutouts on the plate are a little longer than stock which gives me a little more leeway for timing. Last pic is a standard points plate, quite busy by comparison.

    In lieu of a commercial single point cam, which aren't available anymore, I tried my hand at making one on my lathe. I didn't have a mill at the time, so I used a vertical slide on the cross slide with an endmill in the chuck. Unfortunately, I cut the keyway in the wrong place. Tried it out today with the key removed and the cam just bolted in place. It worked well with static timing, lines on the rotor lining up spot on. Of course only timing with a light will show up any discrepancies, but statically the ramps are exactly 180 degrees apart with exactly the same lift. Yes I know you can buy electronic ignitions, but where's the fun in that, anyone can do that!

    Speaking of fun, I've ordered some electronic goodies to experiment with a hall effect system.
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  14. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Fork legs

    Each fork leg had mounts for a caliper, why I don't know as this model only came with a single disk. Decided it looked ugly so I removed the caliper mount on the left leg and also the lower mudguard mounts as the new mudguard won't require lower stays. Then ground everything down smooth and polished both legs. Unfortunately, looks like the previous owner's tools consisted of a hammer, chisel and pry bar, substantial damage done to the seal area, nothing I can do about that though.

    I also made up some stainless wheel spacers and dust covers and pressed them together. The speedo drive will be replaced by one of the spacers as I'll be installing an electronic speedo, if I can find one.
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  15. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Mill stand.

    I bought a mill drill to help in making bits for the bike. Then had to make a stand for it following along the lines of the lathe stand, minus the levelling gear. Finished the stand but the real problem came with getting the mill into the shed and up on the stand.

    Good fun getting the mill out of the garage, into the shed and up on the stand. I bought an engine crane for the job, lifted the mill up and set it on a plank across the legs. Wheeled it out of the garage, through the pagola, through the second pagola and up to the shed door. Built a platform to the same level as the shed floor, placed a wheeled platform on it and lowered the mill onto it. Pushed the mill around to the stand then folded up the crane, got it through the door and reassemble it again. Lifted the mill up to stand height, pushed the stand underneath and lowered the mill. Then pushed the stand in too place and levelled it. These engine cranes behave like shopping carts, just refuse point blank to go straight. The joys of a small shed, I reckon with a shoehorn I could probably find a place for another hammer in the shed, but then again, who needs a hammer, that's what shifters are for!
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  16. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    A while back I installed a PMA on the XS650, comprised of a Banshee rotor and an XV250 stator mounted on an aluminium mount I made up for it. The keyway in the rotor is 5mm, whereas the keyway in the crank on which it is installed is 4mm. To marry them together you have to reduce the section of the 5mm woodruff key that fits into the crank keyway down to 4mm. Initially I milled down a 5mm woodruff key to fit, however, 5mm woodruff keys have a 16mm diameter, whereas the 4mm woodruff keys have a diameter of 13mm, so, the 5mm key, when machined, doesn't quite reach the bottom of the crank keyway. To fix I turned some stock down to 13mm, the diameter of the crank keyway, then cut it in half, creating two woodruff key shapes, I then milled the the key to a depth of 5.12 mm, then milled .5mm off either side of the key that fits into the crank, leaving a 5mm section of key sitting proud of the crank to locate the key in the rotor. To help with assembly (key always seems to drop out when trying to locate the rotor), I milled the key a little larger than 4mm so it wouldn't fall out when fixing the rotor in place. I did file a key originally, but the finish and sizing wasn't up to scratch so I decided to use the mill. Difficult to set up on the mill being so small, but worth it in the end.
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